The Foundation for Physical Therapy (FPT) Board of Trustees has awarded a total of $250,000 in Promotion of Doctoral Studies (PODS) I & II scholarships and a New Investigator Fellowship Training Initiative (NIFTI) to 16 physical therapists. As part of its post-professional Doctoral Opportunities for Clinicians and Scholarships (DOCS) program to fund students preparing for research careers, the Foundation awards PODS I Scholarships of $7,500 each year to physical therapists or physical therapist assistants who have completed at least two full semesters or three full quarters of their coursework toward a post-professional doctorate degree.

A news release from the FPT also notes that PODS II Scholarships of up to $15,000 each are awarded to physical therapists or physical therapist assistants who have been formally admitted to post-professional doctoral candidacy. These scholarships are primarily funded by the “scholarship fund” from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

The 2014 PODS I Scholarship recipients include: Pierce Boyne, PT, DPT, NCS, University of Cincinnati; Kendra Cherry-Allen, PT, DPT, Washington University in St. Louis; Timothy Faw, PT, DPT, NCS, The Ohio State University; Kara Hannibal, PT, DPT, University of Florida; Andrej Marich, PT, DPT, Washington University in St. Louis; Andrew Smith, PT, DPT, Northwestern University; and Allyn Susko, PT, DPT, University of Pittsburgh. Pierce Boyne, PT, DPT, NCS, is the recipient of the 2014 Scot C. Irwin Award with an application focusing on post-professional studies within cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation.

The 2014 PODS II Scholarship recipients are: Sarah Gilliland, PT, DPT, University of California, Irvine; Hyosub Kim, PT, DPT, University of Illinois at Chicago; Andrew Kittelson, PT, DPT, University of Colorado; Kristan Leech, PT, DPT, Northwestern University; Ryan Marker, PT, DPT, University of Colorado Denver; Kate Minick Thayn, PT, DPT, University of Utah; Miriam Rafferty, PT, DPT, NCS, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Stacy Stolzman, PT, MPT, Marquette University

Foundation Board of Trustees Chair William G. Boissonnault, PT, DPT, DHSc, FAPTA, FAAOMPT, states, “The level of excellence of our scholarship and fellowship applications continues to grow. The Foundation is proud to support such outstanding physical therapists as they begin their research careers.”

To view the full list of award recipients, visit www.foundation4PT.org.

Source: Foundation for Physical Therapy