Institute for Future Scientists in Occupational Therapy

2025 application is closed.

The American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTA/AOTF) are pleased to announce the 2025 Institute for Future Scientists in Occupational Therapy. The sessions (April 4-5, 2025) will match potential student scientists with doctoral and post-doctorate mentors. Program participants will meet with leading occupational therapy scientists to address topics such as possibilities within OT science, considerations when evaluating potential doctoral programs, and career opportunities as a scientist.

Purpose of the Institute

The purpose of the Institute is: (1) to identify potential scientists in entry-level education programs; (2) to connect potential entry-level scientists with mentors in the occupational therapy scientific community; and (3) to develop a peer network.

Who is invited?

A cohort of entry-level students will be selected to participate in the in-person Institute on April 4-5, 2025 at the INSPIRE Annual Conference & Expo in Philadelphia, PA. The facilitators and mentors of the Institute will be composed of faculty and doctoral/post-doctoral students from established research programs around the nation.

Eligibility

To apply, you must be a current student in occupational therapy program with an interest in science and research in the field of occupational therapy.
The intent of the program is to train and mentor future occupational therapy scientific researchers who may have limited exposure to research opportunities at their current institution, therefore, students attending research intensive institutions and/or institutions with a heavy research mission are not eligible (e.g., DRU-VH Carnegie Classification). Students from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply supporting the Associations’ objective of developing a workforce to meet society’s diverse occupational needs in underserved areas or communities.
If you are unsure of your eligibility, email edleadership@aota.org.

Program requirements

Students who participate in the Institute are expected to continue in the field of scientific research in occupational therapy. As such, participants will be asked to complete an annual survey to report on the progress they have made in their scientific pursuits.

Application Checklist

All questions regarding the program or application submissions should be directed to edleadership@aota.org.

- Explain what you hope to accomplish in your career and professional life, listing any scientific and research-oriented personal and professional goals.
- Identify and describe an area of science that you would like to explore through occupational therapy research.
- Describe how your participation in the Institute will support growth in your current role, assist in achieving your goals, and promote your career development. Specifically describe how participation in this program will enable you to develop a trajectory toward becoming a scientist in the field of occupational therapy.
- Explain how you will benefit from a mentoring relationship in research.
- The reference letter should not be from the person who completed the Program Director form or a family member.
- The reference letter should provide a strong recommendation, as it counts for a significant portion of the total score in the selection process.
- The reference letter should specifically address why you are an appropriate candidate for the Institute, including aspects of your personal character, scholarly leadership potential, and your ability to successfully participate in the Institute.

* Application Portal Access Directions

Applications will be reviewed by a committee of leading scientists in the field of occupational therapy. You will need to create an account and log in to access the application. *

* Application Portal Access Directions:

1. Create a submission. Go to Submission Site.

2. Click on the Create New Account tab to register an account.

3. Enter your email address, password and confirm password. Click the Sign-up button. CATALYST will be send you a “Confirm your account” email.

4. Click on the turquoise button in your email labeled, “Confirm Account.”

5. A pop-up will appear stating, “Thank you for confirming your email.”

6. Click on the “Please click here to login.”

7. Once logged in, a turquoise box will pop up at the top of your screen indicating you have created a submission. You will be in edit mode of that submission.

8. Complete all the required fields on all the tabs.

9. Click “Save,” on the bottom right of your screen as necessary. *If required fields are missing data, you will see the missing data tabs indicated with a red triangle.

10. Click “Submit” on the bottom right of your screen when you are ready to submit your abstract.

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For additional help, please use this helpful guide.

2025 application is closed.

1) A statement of interest (minimum of 400 and maximum of 1,000 words) that describes why you see yourself as a future OT scientist and addresses the following:

2) A reference letter from a faculty member who has first-hand knowledge of your scholarship.

3) A current curriculum vitae or résumé.

4) A signed copy of the Program Director form that verifies eligibility for the program.