Funded by: American Society of Hand Therapists, American Hand Therapy Foundation, Hand Therapy Certification Commission
Purpose: To promote meaningful research in hand therapy through the funding of one or more grants awarded annually. Funding amount is up to $30,000.
Eligibility: Occupational or physical therapist: clinicians, graduate students, or faculty at accredited occupational/physical therapy programs are eligible for this award. At least one member of the research team must be a member of ASHT with his or her role in the proposed research clearly defined and significant to the project.
Scope of Research:
Grant proposals are accepted for research within any domain of hand therapy. The AHTF has the responsibility of verifying the appropriateness of the proposed research.
Recipients will be required to share their findings at an ASHT annual meeting. A scientific abstract should be submitted to ASHT within one year of study completion. Recipients will also be required to submit their completed research to a peer-reviewed journal for publication within one year following the completion of the project.
The application window is open from January 1 through March 1. Anticipate formal announcement of awards by August.
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2025 Founders Grant Award Recipients
Principal Investigator: Saurabh Mehta, PT, PhD, GCS; Co-Investigators: Christos Karagiannopoulos, PT, PhD, CHT, Ann Lucado, PT, PhD, CHT, Mia Erickson, PT, EdD, CHT, Kimberly Masker, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, Shehenaz Shaik, PhD & Hannah Chatterton, BS
“Feasibility and Acceptability of Implementing Clinical Practice Guidelines using a Smartphone App: A Randomized Trial”
2024 Founders Grant Award Recipients
Holly Flanagan, BS, MSOT, OTRL, CL
2019 Founders Grant Award Recipients
Aviva L Wolff, EdD, OTR, CHT;
Alfred Gellhorn, MD;
Brett Toresdahl, MD;
Ellen Casey, MD;
Daphne Ling, PhD;
Ibadete Thaqi;
Mehnaz Shahid, MS
"Effects of an Education and Prevention Program on Reducing Upper Extremity Injury in Musicians."
2018 Founders Grant Award Recipients
Nicholas Heebner, PhD, ATC;
Tim Uhl, PT, PhD;
Jenny Dorich, OTR/L, MBA, CHT;
Nicole Cascia, PhD, ATC
"Biomechanical validation of push-up and pull-up progression program"
2016 Founders Grant Award Recipients
Neha Dewan, PT, PhD Candidate and Joy MacDermid, PT, PHD
"Home safety leading to bone safety: Validation and feasibility testing for using GoPro video-technology to assess home fall risk in women following distal radius fracture"
Folarin Babatunde, PT, PhD Candidate, MSc Sports & Exer Med, CBTcert, Micert
"Physiotherapist-delivered internet-based behavior change intervention (i-bci) for managing psychosocial problems after a distal radius fracture: A pilot and feasibility study"
2015 Founders Grant Award Recipients
Karen Harpster, OT, Co-PI, Jenny Dorich, OT
"Improving hand function using a McKie thumb splint or kinesiology tape for thumb‐in‐palm deformity in children with cerebral palsy: A pilot study"
2014 Founders Grant Award Recipients
Shawn C. Roll, PhD, OTR/L, CWCE, RMSK, PI, David Black, PhD, Janice D. Rocker, MS, OTR/L, CHT, Aimee Aguillon, OTR/L, CHT
“Effects of Mind-Body Interventions on Stress, Anxiety, and Pain in Hand Therapy Patients"
2013 Founders Grant Award Recipients
Sam Leitkam, MS (PhD Candidate), Tamara Reid Bush, MS, PhD and Jeanine Beasley, EdD, OTR, CHT, FAOTA
"Concurrent Validity of Goniometric and 3D Motion"
Ann M Lucado, PT, PhD, CHT
"Scapular Muscle Strength and Activity in Recreational Tennis Players with Lateral Epicondylalgia.Capture Measurements of the Hand and their Effects on a Model of Finger Functionality for Clinical Assessment"