Research

Our ambition, in our 75^th year, is to catalyse, inspire and respond to the need for occupational therapy research by: opening doors into research careers; strengthening the evidence base; being bold by creating space for generating research activity, and inspiring the use of research in practice.

Our vision is of a strengthened, emboldened and research active profession, building our understanding of the efficacy, utility, and positive effect of research on those who access our services, and on OTs.

The Trust will achieve this vision by facilitating:

• intentionally inclusive, fair and balanced involvement in, and engagement with, research
• the production of high-quality evidence about the value of occupation and participation, including novel methodological approaches
• the translation and pioneering adoption of evidence in practice, and
• building confidence, competency, and skill across the profession.

We will use our operational framework to focus our efforts on:

1. First steps into research: investments in early stage, research pump priming and proof of concept projects that can be tested, validated, and demonstrate clearly ‘what happened next’ or the potential to be scaled/shared.
2. Catalysing careers: providing opportunities for occupational therapists to build their research CVs, develop skills and gain experience of working as part of a research programme or project, in the UK or internationally.
3. Putting a spotlight on: future practice, evidence driven service improvement, embracing novel and cutting-edge research, supporting dissemination, and driving professional discourse.

We will know we have delivered our ambitions and vision when we can demonstrate by 2028 that we have:

• Opened doors to research careers by funding a minimum of fifteen research pump primer awards for initiatives occupational therapists can use to accelerate their ideas, novel approaches, and proof of concept projects using our small grants.
• Inspired and unleashed the talents of the next career researchers through use of our Doctoral studies funding, creating research ready occupational therapists in the next five years.
• Strengthened the evidence base by responding to occupational therapists ambitious and creative research ideas through the provision of a minimum of five research grants for high quality and robust research projects most likely to catalyse, change or drive improvement from the outcomes.
• Provided intentionally inclusive support, proactively embedding 30% of funding we award each year, to a research project focused on underserved communities or those facing inequalities (health, digital, societal, cultural).
• Created space for the use of research by facilitating, through proactive use of our resources, accessible, inclusive, and relatable research outputs for wider dissemination and driving professional discourse.