Welcome to the United Kingdom Occupational Therapy Research Foundation
About UKOTRF
The United Kingdom Occupational Therapy Research Foundation (UKOTRF) is a division of the College of Occupational Therapists. The College is a registered charity - and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Association - that represents the profession nationally and internationally.
The UKOTRF was launched in 2007 to build an evidence-base for occupational therapy, to increase research capacity within the profession and to raise public awareness of the valuable contribution of occupation to people's health and wellbeing. Grant-awarding activities of the UKOTRF are overseen by an advisory group of experienced researchers from occupational therapy and other relevant academic backgrounds.
Mission and goals
The mission of the UKOTRF is:To build an evidence-base for occupational therapy by supporting research into the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of occupation-focussed interventions to:
- Promote, maintain and restore health
- Inform service design and delivery
- Develop evidence-based occupational therapy practitioners
- Support the next generation of occupational therapy research leaders
The goals of the UKOTRF are to:
- Award research grants for projects to meet the identified research priorities of the profession
- Develop occupational therapy research leaders
- Build research capacity and capability to create a cadre of research-skilled occupational therapists
- Obtain donations for grants to fund occupational therapy research
Research priorities
The priority areas for occupational therapy research are detailed in a College publication entitled Building the evidence for occupational therapy: priorities for research. BAOT members can access a free download of the publication from the College website at: http://www.cot.org.uk/public/publications2/categoryshow_new.php?c=8 - 34pp (350KB
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Hard copies are also available for purchase at a cost of £10 for BAOT members and £15 for non-BAOT members.
Click here to access the COT publications list and order form. (138KB *)
- The urgent research priorities identified by the College of Occupational Therapists
- Professional priorities from all domains of occupational therapy practice identified by conducting a nationwide consultation with members from the British Association of Occupational Therapists
- The research priorities identified by the College's Specialist Sections
The current research priorities should remain valid for five years. However, these priorities may change and be updated, depending on changing political and professional demands.
Research grants
Major grants
The UKOTRF invites research proposals to be submitted for two categories of grants to be awarded on an annual basis:
- One grant up to a maximum of £80,000 for a project designed to meet an identified research priority
- Two grants of £10,000 each to support doctoral studies or post-doctoral activity undertaken within five years of completing a PhD for occupational therapists who intend to pursue a research career
The closing date for outline proposals for the 2008 grants was 31 January 2008. The successful proposals will be announced on 12 June 2008 during the awards ceremony at the College's annual conference in Harrogate.
Annual awards
From 2009, the College's existing annual awards for research, education and continuing professional development will be administered through the UKOTRF, under the aegis of the awards panel.
How you can make a difference
Your support for the UKOTRF will help us to ensure that occupational therapy continues to make a vital contribution to the health and wellbeing of the nation. You can support the UKOTRF in a number of ways, including:
- Funding a research grant or annual award
- Applying for a research grant or annual award
- Making a donation or leaving a legacy
- Supporting a research applicants as a supervisor or research collaborator
If you would like to leave a legacy, please click on 'Giving a donation'.
Contact: researchfoundation@cot.co.uk
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