Award Committee Questionnaire

The SAOT Awards Committee has been reviewing the application of awards and grants offered through SAOT, including the SAOT/COTF Research & Education Grant. The purpose of the SAOT/COTF Research & Education Grant is to advance OT knowledge and research, however the committee has found the fund is being underutilized. While funds are limited and finite, there is an opportunity to make revisions to the criteria and award size to better meet the financial needs of Alberta OT’s within the grant’s domain.

The following is the current description of the SAOT/COTF Research and Education grant, as presented on the SAOT website and SAOT policy:

Education Grant: To advance their knowledge of occupational therapy practice or to enable them to participate in or to carry out clinical research. This can be used to fund speakers and events that align with the stated purpose and have occupational therapists as a target audience.

Clinical Research Award: The purpose of this grant is to support clinical research in the area of occupational therapy. Clinical occupational therapists, students in thesis-based Masters, and PhD programs can apply for funding to support their clinical research projects.”

We are seeking feedback from SAOT membership regarding what changes to make to the grant to best disburse the available funds in order to advance OT knowledge and research in Alberta. Answers to the following questionnaire will assist in informing the recommendations the committee will present to the SAOT Board of Directors for approval.

1. Let us know about yourself. I am a: *StudentClinicianResearcherLeader/Manager

Currently, the grant supports “education” and “research.” We would like to know how best to support Alberta OT’s in education and research.

2. How important is it that this grant supports the following categories. Please rate on a scale of 1 (very unimportant) to 5 (very important)

b) Professional development scholarship (for registration fees for course workshop for an individual) *5 - Very important4 - Somewhat important3 - Neutral2 - Somewhat unimportant1 - Very unimportant

c) Formal education scholarship (to fund post-secondary courses) *5 - Very important4 - Somewhat important3 - Neutral2 - Somewhat unimportant1 - Very unimportant

d) Education Bursary (group learning/fee for presenter) *5 - Very important4 - Somewhat important3 - Neutral2 - Somewhat unimportant1 - Very unimportant

e) Travel grant (pay for transportation & accommodation to a workshop/ conference) *5 - Very important4 - Somewhat important3 - Neutral2 - Somewhat unimportant1 - Very unimportant

3. Please select the top two categories that are most important to you: *Clinical research projectsProfessional development scholarshipsFormal education scholarshipEducation bursaryTravel grant

4. The award is currently disbursed in three $1000 amounts, annually. We are also considering disbursing larger amounts on a less frequent basis (i.e., every 3 to 5 years). We are interested to know your preference for award disbursement amount and frequency.

a) Would you prefer: *A larger disbursement, less frequentlyA small disbursement, more frequently

b) How often can a member apply for an award? *OnceEvery 1 to 2 yearsEvery 3 to 5 years

5. Prior to this survey, were you aware of this award? *YesNo

Other comments

Thank you for your feedback!

- SAOT Awards Committee