Research Grants

Thank you for your interest in the NATA Research & Education Foundation Research Grant Programs. The NATA Foundation leadership is pleased to offer programs that offers financial support for research. We are excited about the tremendous potential for growth in our profession that will come from your efforts. Through 2023, the NATA Foundation has awarded 385 research grants totaling more than $5.45 Million.

Each year, the NATA Foundation provides funds for exceptional research projects submitted to both the Professional Research Grant Program and the Student Research Grant Program. Grant proposals for the Professional Grant Program (e.g., General, New Investigator, any specific Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that have been issued) are solicited through a pre-proposal process. Pre-proposals are not required for the Student Grant Program. Additional information on each of the programs can be found below.

If you are interested in advancing the AT profession by sponsoring a research grant, please visit our support page.

PROFESSIONAL GRANTS PROGRAM

DOCTORAL STUDENT GRANTS PROGRAM

Masters Student Grant Program

Research Committee Review Process

Professional Grants Program Information (PDF)

Current funding amounts for the 2024-2025 grant cycle are as follows:

Proposal Category	Total Cost Limit	Study Period
General	$50,000	3 years
New Investigator	$20,000	3 years

View Past Grant Recipients HERE

Eligibility Requirements
General Grant Category:
Any health care professional, researcher, or educator may apply for a research grant. However either the Primary Investigator, or Co-Primary Investigator must be a BOC certified athletic trainer, a member of the NATA, and hold an NPI number.

New Investigator Grant Category:
Principal Investigator (PI) must be a current NATA member and BOC certified athletic trainer in good standing, and hold an NPI number.

PI has not received a single research/project grant greater than $50,000 (total costs) (PI or Co-PI) (If you have questions about your eligibility then contact the chair of the research committee)

PI must hold the academic rank no higher than assistant professor at the time of original submission or re-submission

Pre-Proposal Submissions

Pre-Proposal Applications open August 1 and close September 1 each year.

The NATA Foundation requires investigators interested in submitting a grant application to the NATA Foundation Professional Research Grant Program to first submit a “pre-proposal.” Please note that applicants to the NATA Foundation’s Student Grant Program do not need to submit a pre-proposal.
The purpose of the pre-proposal is to optimize the time invested by investigators and the NATA Foundation Research Committee in writing and reviewing grant proposals, respectively. The pre-proposal allows the Research Committee to evaluate whether or not the proposed research project is a potential candidate for funding. Based on this evaluation, the committee either extends an invitation for the submission of a full proposal or indicates that the proposed project is not of interest. An invitation to submit a full proposal does not imply a commitment to funding. It does, however, indicate that the general approach to be taken to achieve the aim(s) is appropriate to achieve the project’s objective(s) and a level of enthusiasm for the proposed research in an area of potential importance to the NATA Foundation so as to warrant a full application.

After a pre-proposal is accepted, the author is invited to submit a full proposal by the February 15 application deadline. Requests to extend this timeline may be considered under special circumstances. Failure to submit a full proposal in the same grant cycle will require that a new pre-proposal be submitted. Any commitment to funding may occur only after a detailed review of the full proposal by the Research Committee and formal approval of the project by the NATA Foundation Board of Directors. If the proposed project is not of interest to the NATA Foundation, the committee will provide a brief notice indicating the general category of reason(s). Due to the large volume of pre-proposals submitted, detailed feedback will not be provided.

Full Proposal Submissions

A full grant application may be submitted only after a pre-proposal has been approved. Full proposals must be completed according to the NATA Foundation Proposal Instructions found below.

The submission deadline for all full proposals is February 15 annually.

All documents, disclosures, and signatures related to this proposal are submitted electronically via the NATA Application Manager website. If you are a NATA member, you will use your nata.org login credentials for access to the site.

Pre-Proposal Submission Instructions

Proposal Submission Instructions

Budget Table Template

Biographical Sketch Template

Grant Information Summary Report Instructions

Final Grant Report Instructions

No Cost Extension Request Form

Image Release Form

Current funding amounts are as follows:

Proposal Category	Direct Cost Limit	Indirect Cost Rate	Study Period
Doctoral	$2,500	Not Allowed	1 year

Grant awards are limited to a maximum of $2,500 in direct costs for the doctoral category, over no more than one year. Please note that a two year funding period is allowed. However, the project timeline must reflect the completion of all study activities except for dissemination of results, by the end of Year 1. Only costs associated for travel to the NATA annual meeting to present results are allowed in Year 2.

Multiple awards are given each year. These awards are a flat amount with no indirect costs allowed. Awardees will be required to submit their findings at a future NATA Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposia.

Eligibility Requirements

Doctoral Grant Category:
The grant applicant must be the individual whose research project is to be supported by the requested funding. They must:

Be a doctoral student at the institution where the research is to be performed
Have a doctoral student status for the duration of all study activities except for the dissemination of the project results.
Assume personal responsibility for conducting the research proposed in an ethical manner
Certify that they prepared the application and had primary responsibility for writing the proposal
Be a member of NATA at the time of submitting an application for funding

Proposals must be completed according to the NATA Foundation Doctoral Grant Program instructions below.

Doctoral Grant Applications open January 1 and are due February 15th annually (no pre-proposal is necessary).

Doctoral Grant Proposal Instructions

Budget Table Template

Faculty Advisor & Institutional Official Form

No Cost Extension Request Form

Grant Information Summary Report Packet

Final Grant Report Instructions

Current funding amounts are as follows:

Proposal Category	Direct Cost Limit	Indirect Cost Rate	Study Period
Masters	$1,000	Not Allowed	1 year

Grant awards are limited to a maximum of $1,000 for the master’s category, over no more than one year. Please note that a two year funding period is allowed. However, the project timeline must reflect the completion of all study activities except for dissemination of results, by the end of Year 1. Only costs associated for travel to present results are allowed in Year 2.

Multiple awards are given each year. These awards are a flat amount with no indirect costs allowed.

Eligibility Requirements

Masters Grant Category:
The grant applicant must be the individual whose research project is to be supported by the requested funding. They must:

Be a master’s student at the institution where the research is to be performed
Have master’s student status for the duration of all study activities except for the dissemination of the project results.
Assume personal responsibility for conducting the research proposed in an ethical manner.
Certify that they prepared the application and had primary responsibility for writing the proposal.
Be a member of NATA at the time of application submission.