Policy

The Section on Pediatrics will award the cost of national APTA/chapter membership dues and the cost of Section on Pediatrics dues to two applicants from racial/ethnic minority groups who are currently students or recent graduates from accredited PT or PTA programs each year. These grants will be awarded by a random drawing and in the form of reimbursement for the cost of national/chapter and section membership dues. Two grants will be awarded per year. The deadline for applying for these grants will be November 1. The awardees agree to commit to serve on one of the Section’s committees/subcommittees for at least 1 year following receipt of this grant.

Criteria for Eligibility

Be a current physical therapy student or physical therapist assistant student in the final academic year of an accredited professional physical therapist/assistant education program, or be a recent graduate of a physical therapy or physical therapist assistant program within the first year of practice following graduation and identify yourself as a member of one of the following racial/ethnic minority groups:

• African American or Black
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Asian American
• Hispanic/Latino
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

Applicants may apply only one time per year. Multiple applications from the same applicant will be discarded. Applicants who are not selected to receive the grants may apply 2 years in a row, if they continue to meet the eligibility requirements. Recipients of the grants are not eligible to apply for the Minority Recruitment Grant in subsequent years.

Application Process

• The applicant will submit the grant application to the Section on Pediatrics Executive Office. The application must be received by the Executive Office by November 1.

• A random drawing will be used to select two awardees to receive the grants for that year.

• The Section on Pediatrics will notify the applicants that have been awarded the grant via either electronic mail or standard mail sometime after November 1.

• Within 60 days of being notified they have been awarded the grant, the awardees will then submit proof of their national/chapter and Section on Pediatrics memberships to the Executive Office.

• Section on Pediatrics will then send a reimbursement check for the amount of the individuals’ national/chapter and Section on Pediatrics dues via mail.

• If the Section on Pediatrics Executive Office does not receive the awardees’ proof of membership within 60 days, the awardees forfeit the grant.