News from APTA

Abstract

Federal funding of rehabilitation research depends on how much that research is valued, both within the physical therapy profession and among the external groups and individuals who have a stake in the research outcomes. To help advance rehabilitation research, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) forges partnerships, coalitions, and collaborations for advocacy, awareness, and legislative action; promotes the appointment of physical therapists to federal panels; and fosters infrastructure and research capacity building. To further cement the physical therapy profession's relationship with policymakers, APTA also is identifying health policy questions. ![][1] Many of APTA's efforts to increase federal support for rehabilitation research have centered around various institutes or centers comprising the National Institutes of Health (NIH). But there is another federal agency—the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)—that advocates for the advancement of rehabilitation research. Unfortunately, and perhaps due to its location in the Department of Education, NIDRR is continually faced with the problem of a small budget that must support a large number of activities and priorities. To meet the challenges of a broad agenda and limited fiscal support, NIDRR recently convened a panel of experts to provide advice on NIDRR's plans to expand its research capacity to carry out … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif