Research Grant (Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation)

Research Grant (Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation) is sponsored by Foundation for PM&R (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation). This grant is for research on a topic related to musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Given the context of musculoskeletal injuries in warfighters, rehabilitation research is highly relevant.

The foundation supports both new and proven investigators.

Research Grants - Foundation for PM&R Alienum phaedrum torquatos nec eu, vis detraxit periculis ex, nihil expetendis in mei. Mei an pericula euripidis, hinc partem. Application Deadline May 1st Our Research Awards and Grants program – providing pilot funding and career development grants – is at the core of the Foundation’s mission, Building PM&R Research.

160 research projects funded Over $2.

5 million in research grant support provided Grant recipients secured more than $28 million in additional funding using pilot data from Foundation-funded research 70% of grant recipients presented their findings at a national medical society meeting 2/3rd of grant recipients published their findings in a peer-reviewed journal 100% of grant recipients from the last 10 years are still doing research today All research grant applications must be submitted through our online portal.

Three grants of $10,000 each for young investigators 5 years or less out of training. One grant of $10,000 for research on a topic related to pediatric rehabilitation. Encompass Health Midcareer Investigator Research Grant One grant of $25,000 to a proven physiatric investigator to expand his/her research in a new direction.

Supported by a grant from Encompass. One grant of $10,000 for research on a topic related to physiatric rehabilitation for individuals with cancer-related disability. Supported by a grant from Tactile Medical.

One grant of $30,000 for research on a topic related to musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Chronic Pain Rehabilitation One grant of $10,000 for physiatric research focused on the physiology of chronic pain and its clinical management Neurologic Rehabilitation One grant of $10,000 focused on physiatric research in neuroscience, neurophysiology or rehabilitation neuroengineering.

One grant of $10,000 for physiatric research focused on sexuality, relationship, and lifestyle issues affecting individuals with disability. NEW! Nobis Rehabilitation Partners One grant of $30,000 for physiatric research focused on best practices, comparative effectiveness, transition of care or other inpatient-specific rehabilitation topics.

Due to a lack of funding, the Justus Lehmann biomechanics research grant is not available this year. Kind Words from Grant Recipients “The Gabriella Molnar Pediatric PM&R Research Grant allowed me to to move forward with fitness testing in our clinical gait and motion analysis laboratory.

Now we are able to provide exercise prescription with significantly better accuracy, such that our patients are appreciating remarkable gains in endurance and strength for their daily living.

” “Receiving the Gabriella Molnar Pediatric PM&R Research Grant is allowing us to validate a battery of evaluation and outcome measures for children who experience disorders of consciousness (DOC) after brain injury, in order to set the stage for future studies. We are now also gearing up for our first clinical trial in children with DOC and hope this will set the stage for establishing new treatment options for our patients.

” “Winning the Nadler grant has been a key factor in ramping up our research this year. We hired a research assistant to coordinate the study and recruit participants, and hired a pharmacist to procure and compound the drug. The grant also allowed us to “leverage” a lot of in kind support from our doctors, who have started referring patients to the study and spreading the word about the study through their networks.

And of course, we have started hearing back from some grateful patients who couldn’t have accessed this treatment otherwise. ” “The Scott Nadler PASSOR Musculoskeletal Research Grants I received provided the necessary funds for statistical analysis of my first two major research efforts. Without the grants, neither project would have been completed.

The 2010 grant led to two national and two international platorm presentations and my first NIH grant submission. ” “The Foundation for PM&R grant program for young investigators like me is absolutely crucial for building a viable research program and establishing a record of funding.

My Foundation-funded study results resulted in numerous presentations, abstracts, and publications, and were instrumental in securing additional funding through the NIH and other sources. ” Daniel Herman, MD, PhD, CAQSM “The Midcareer grant award enabled me to start a new line of investigation regarding the differential effect of hormonal contraceptives on the material properties of ligaments and tendon.

This funding is yielding critical preliminary data which will lead to competitive applications for additional grants, change the widely held belief that hormones are non- modifiable risk factors, and may ultimately reveal an injury prevention on strategy for female athletes.

” Research grant applications are assessed using the following questions: Does the project address an important problem or critical barrier to progress in the field? Are the PI and coinvestigators well-suited to the project? Have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishment?

(New Investigators – Do they have the appropriate experience and training, and a mentor?) Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or intervention? Are the overall strategy, methodology and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project?

Will the scientific environment in which the project will be done contribute to the probability of success? Does this project have the potential to lay the groundwork for more ambitious and potentially fundable stages of investigation? Is the topic one that has the potential to advance physiatric knowledge and practice?

What Can the Grant Money Be Used For? Here are some specific ways you can use the funds: Launch a small-scale preliminary study to gather data with which to apply for larger extramural funding. Conduct an additional biologic test that will yield beneficial information to enhance a study currently underway.

Secure statistical services for a data set that you have already collected. Pay patient participation stipends to get a higher level or longer term of engagement. Who Can Apply for an FPM&R Research Grant?

The Foundation for PM&R supports physiatric research; however, the PI does not have to be a physiatrist, as long as at least one co-PI or co-investigator is a physiatrist. One member of the team must also be a member of the American Academy of PM&R. Successful past grant recipients suggest reviewing the “Application Scoring” section above.

Make sure your proposal answers all of these questions. Reach out to a past grant recipient (listed at https://foundationforpmr. org/past-grant-recipients/ ) for advice!

Many will share their successful grant application with you to help guide your grantwriting. Have a colleague proofread for you, looking for spelling/grammatical/formatting errors as well as verifying that you have made your case clearly and persuasively. In November 2025, the Foundation for PM&R President Dr. Elliot Roth hosted a panel of 3 top physiatric researchers who were awarded Foundation grants: Drs.

Prakash Jayabalan, Adam Tenforde and Patricia Zheng. Watch the video for their suggestions: https://youtu. be/xxXnImkA0Pw Successful past grant recipients suggest reviewing the “Application Scoring” section found under the grants descriptions on https://foundationforpmr.

org/research-grants/ . Make sure your proposal answers all of these questions. Reach out to a past grant recipient (listed at https://foundationforpmr.

org/past-grant-recipients/ ) for advice! Many will share their successful grant application with you to help guide your grantwriting. Have a colleague proofread for you, looking for spelling/grammatical/formatting errors as well as verifying that you have made your case clearly and persuasively.

How do we determine the optimal setting for rehab (e.g., IRF, SNF, outpatient, or home) for an individual patient? Comparative effectiveness research is essential, including cost-benefit analysis. Knowledge translation: How do we get effective therapies (shown by research) to be used in practice?

How do we effect change in the policies of payers to provide optimal treatment to patients? How can we increase the length of stay, the amount of therapy provided daily, and the number of therapy sessions? How can we improve federal support for rehabilitation research and career development of rehabilitation researchers?

The NIH appears to be reluctant to support clinical trials in rehabilitation. Although there is limited research capacity within physiatry, there are many MD and/or PhD scientists in other fields who have expertise that is highly relevant to PM&R and rehabilitation research more broadly defined. We need to partner with other fields and non-clinicians and create an infrastructure for team-based multidisciplinary research.

There is a need for better availability of experienced research mentors. Mentors can come from PM&R and related fields (both physicians and PhD-level scientists). Recommendation: Consider prioritizing research by physiatrists working with at least one researcher from a different field.

This individual can serve as a mentor when appropriate. We need researchers trained in analysis of large data sets as an alternative to randomized clinical trials. Current Foundation for PM&R grants are great for pilot work, but definitive RCTs require substantially greater funding.

The transitions from pilot studies to funded research, and from K to R awards, are challenging and in need of support. Priorities Identified By Diagnostic Group We need a set of validated outcome measures for each major condition and domain of rehabilitation utilizing the WHO ICF model. What is the optimal model for therapy and exercise for each condition we treat and for each individual patient?

What is the role of reparative therapies (e.g., stem cells, growth factors)? Do they improve outcomes? How does aging impact an individual with disability?

What are the best rehabilitation options for cancer patients? What measures are effective for preventing and treating back pain (especially LBP)? What are the roles of exercise, medications, procedures (epidurals, SI joint injections, ablations) and surgery?

What measures are effective in preventing and treating knee injuries and pain? When is shoulder pain pathological? When does pain reflect normal aging vs. disease or injury?

Is fMRI useful in characterizing pain? Are novel technologies such as platelet and stem cell injections effective for prevention and treatment of pain? What measures are effective in preventing and treating osteoarthritis (particularly of the knee)?

What are the most effective treatments for spine disorders (including analysis of big data sets and personalized approaches)? Aging of the musculoskeletal system What is the biology of tendinopathies? What are the best means for prevention and treatment?

How can we improve the quality and efficiency of post-surgical rehabilitation? Pediatric musculoskeletal and sports medicine We need an improved understanding of and ability to prevent medical consequences of SCI. What are the most effective interventions to improve neurological/functional outcomes after SCI?

How can we improve management of neurogenic bowel and bladder issues? What are the psychosocial consequences of SCI for both persons with SCI and their caregivers/families? How can assistive technology best be used to maximize independence?

What issues are encountered specific to aging with an SCI? What are the key components of “task oriented therapy” for mobility training, upper limb skill training, language training and swallow training? What are the roles of neuromodulation, devices, robotics, virtual reality, and brain-machine interfaces in stroke rehabilitation?

What is the optimal timing of exercise and therapy for a given patient (when to initiate, how long to continue), frequency and duration of therapy sessions (e.g., per day, per week)? What therapies are effective for cognitive and linguistic impairments such as aphasia and visual-spatial deficits? Can we develop novel therapies?

What are effective approaches to support productive activity and employment (e.g., cognitive assists, training approaches, etc.)? What is the ideal timing and prioritization of motor recovery interventions (e.g., ways to prevent spasticity, when to intervene, early mobilization) given the heterogeneity of recovery in TBI?

How can we best manage the long term issues associated with TBI (emotional, cognitive, physical, quality of life, self-management, life care planning)? What are the most effective treatments for cognitive and emotional problems, including chronic neurobehavioral problems? Are telephone methods for assessment (e.g., BTACT) useful?

How can we address ongoing caregiver needs, particularly with an aging population? There is a need for population-based data on incidence, prevalence, neuro-medical complications and longitudinal recovery (with level I trauma hospitals). Task Force Member: Allen Heinemann, PhD Task Force Member: Walter Frontera, MD, PhD Task Force Member: Michael Boninger, MD Task Force Member: Jeffrey Palmer, MD Task Force Member: John Whyte, MD, PhD