Apply For A Grant

Application Requirements

1.  Eligible individuals include physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who are licensed in Texas, PT and PTA students who are enrolled in Texas programs and other individuals who work in areas related to physical therapy. Individuals who are not licensed to practice physical therapy must have a co-investigator who is a PT or PTA.

2.  Deadline for applications is August 15 each year. Applicants will be notified by mail of the status of their applications within two months of the application deadline.

3.  Projects will be evaluated by a Grant Review Committee that is appointed by the Trustees of the Foundation. Criteria for evaluation include the following:

  • Justification and need for the research
  • Appropriate experimental design to answer the research question
  • Well-defined criteria for subject selection
  • Valid and reliable measurements
  • Potential for completion in a realistic time frame with available resources
  • Writing that is clear and concise.

4. All proposals are reviewed and scored by a minimum of two grant review committee members Points are awarded in four general areas; justification, design, logistics (including budgetary and personnel), and clarity. While the design section has the highest weighting, previously funded proposals began with a good idea and scored well in each section. Point totals are used by the committee to assist in ranking well written proposals. Recommendations are then made to the entire Board of Trustees who determine which proposals will be funded and the award amount based on available resources.

5. Funds can be used for any expenditure directly related to the project. Indirect costs will not be funded. Requests for computer equipment cannot exceed 50% of the total funds requested unless the equipment is an integral part of the experimental apparatus. For all student grant applications, the total amount of funds requested for presentation costs cannot exceed $100, and total travel costs cannot exceed $125. All items included in the budget must be addressed in the budget justification section of the proposal.

6. Projects will be funded for a period of one year however, an extension can be granted upon request with justification. 

7. Principal investigators of funded projects will be required to submit a final report in the format of a manuscript to be submitted for publication in a peer reviewed journal. Progress and financial reports also will be required at the end of the funding period and at the completion of the project if an extension is granted. Investigators are required to submit an abstract to present their results at a TPTA conference, and are strongly encouraged to present their results at other professional meetings.

8. The Foundation reserves the right to provide partial funding when indicated.

Research Grant Application Instructions

The application must follow the format and organization shown below. Applications should not exceed 10 single-spaced pages excluding appendices. Pages must be numbered and typed with a minimum of 11 point font size.  Failure to follow specified guidelines will result in the proposal being returned without further review. To be considered, applications must be postmarked on or before the deadline date. Email the application to Sharon Wang, PT, PhD, OCS, [email protected].

TITLE PAGE

  • Name of applicant(s) - abbreviated curriculum vitae (2 page limit per investigator) to be included as an appendix
  • Title of proposed research project
  • Amount of funding requested (If the amount requested is in excess of the stated grant limit, specify what part(s) of the proposal TPTF funds will pay for)
  • Anticipated start-up date of project
  • Anticipated completion date of project

ABSTRACT

On a separate sheet, include the title of the proposal, name of principal investigator(s), institutional affiliation, and a brief summary of the project including purpose, methods and potential application(s) of results.

NARRATIVE

  • Background: Include review of relevant literature and rationale or theoretical basis for research question
  • Specific aim(s) of the project
  • Impact on physical therapy clinical practice. State in a clear and concise manner how the proposed project will impact on present or future physical therapy clinical practice. This is a required section for all submissions.
  • Method
       a. Experimental design and research hypotheses
       b. Participants
       c. Instrumentation
       d. Procedure
       e. Data analysis
  • Long-term plan (optional). Include plans for follow-up studies in this area of research.

REFERENCES

BUDGET

  • Itemized Budget (personnel, equipment, supplies, travel, other expenses)
  • Budget justification: Include a brief statement describing the rationale or need for each of the items listed

HUMAN SUBJECTS

Has the project received approval of a Human Subjects Review Committee (IRB)? Yes, No, or Pending. If yes, include copy of approval letter.