By Jessica Strupp, SPT; Monica Geiser, SPT; Ashley DeJaco, SPT; Hannah Howell, SPT
Students from physical therapist (PT) and physical therapist assistant (PTA) programs in Virginia were among the 153 schools that participated in the 2018-2019 Pitt-Marquette Challenge, raising $266,019 for the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research (FPTR). Since the inception of the student fundraising Challenge in 1989, more than 320 schools have participated in the effort, raising more than $4.3 million.
The Marquette Challenge is a grassroots, student-led fundraising effort to advance the mission of the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research. Each year, hundreds of physical therapist (PT) and physical therapist assistant (PTA) students, with the support of their program directors and community, hold fundraising events across the U.S. to fund physical therapy research. The Challenge has funded over 27 physical therapy research grants and scholarships.
“Students are really connecting with research in a way that matters,” said Jessica Strupp, SPT. “The Challenge raises more funds each year than any other FPTR activity.”
The students of Old Dominion University, Shenandoah University and Virginia Commonwealth University contributed to Virginia’s total of $39,367 in support of the Challenge in the 2018-2019 year. The success of the Challenge would not be possible without their contributions. Shenandoah University earned an Honorable Mention.
The top fundraising schools for 2018-2019 include:
As the top fundraiser, VCU earned first place by raising $34,327. VCU will serve as co-host and won naming rights for the 2019-2020 VCU-Marquette Challenge.
“The Foundation is so grateful for the hard work the students put into making this such a successful fundraiser,” said Erica Sadiq, Foundation Director of Development. “Students involved in the Challenge connect with research in a meaningful way and are able to develop leadership skills that help them throughout their careers.”
The Challenge supports grants, scholarships and the rigorous peer review process, which results in the awarding of all Foundation scholarships and grants. Using a review process modeled after the National Institutes of Health, the Foundation identifies and funds the best qualified candidates to develop the next generation of physical therapy research leaders.
Eric Anson, PT, MPT, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Rochester’s Department of Otolaryngology, is the recipient of the $40,000 Pitt-Marquette Challenge Research Grant. His project, titled “Investigating Fear and Perception at Virtual Heights in Individuals with Fall Risk,” will harness virtual reality to improve self-motion perception and fear of falling in older adults and identify mechanisms contributing to those changes.
Cherie V. LeDoux, PT, DPT, at the University of Colorado, is recipient of the $7,500 PODS I Scholarship funded by the Pitt-Marquette Challenge. Her project is entitled “Social Determinants of Physical Activity in Older Adults with End-Stage Knee Osteoarthritis.”
Faculty and students of PT and PTA programs in the state of Virginia are encouraged to visit the Marquette Challenge website at marquettechallenge.com to learn how they can support the Foundation and physical therapy research through the 2019-2020 VCU-Marquette Challenge. Contributions for the VCU-Marquette Challenge should be submitted by April 16, 2020. Donations are tax deductible and can be made online at Foundation4PT.org or sent to its headquarters at 1111 N Fairfax St, Alexandria, VA 22314.
About the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research
The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, formerly known as the Foundation for Physical Therapy, is celebrating 40 years of funding research and researchers. Founded in 1979, the Foundation has awarded more than $17 million in grants, fellowships, and scholarships to nearly 600 researchers. Learn more about the Foundation’s investments in the physical therapy profession at foundation4pt.org.