Home2024 Award Program Regulations

2024 Award Program Regulations

Ann Collins Whitmore Memorial Scholarship (ACWMS)

Ann Collins Whitmore was a dedicated physiotherapist who served her patients from the beginning of her career in the Canadian Military during the Second World War through to the end of her career when she continued to practice though legally blind. Her bequest provides for awards for applicants who have completed a professional physiotherapy program and are enrolled in a PhD or post-professional Masters Program. Applicants must be involved in a research project that is part of the academic requirements for completion of their program. Special consideration is made for blind individuals. Scholarships are awarded for up to $4,000 each. The scholarship is for seed funds for mainly pilot or feasibility projects. Applicants must be a current CPA member.

Regulations

  1. The Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada, on the advice of its Scientific Awards Committee (SAC), awards the ACWMS. PFC Board of Directors reserves the right to approve or decline any application.
  2. The ACWMS is usually awarded for a period of 12 months. Subject to application and successful review, such scholarships may be awarded for a second 12-month period for the period of July 1st – June 30th. At the end of the Scholarship term, candidates must submit a complete report to the PFC including plans for the public dissemination of the research results. This report should be submitted to the PFC by August 31st of the year following the issuance of the initial scholarship.
  3. The ACWMS is tenable at Canadian universities. The ACWMS is available for registered blind persons who are pursuing physiotherapy related studies at an appropriate centre outside of Canada where courses for the blind are offered. Applicants enrolled in entry-level physiotherapy Masters Programs are not eligible. Successful candidates who are registered blind individuals should be enrolled as a full-time student in their programme.
  4. Successful candidates pursuing a Masters or PhD in physiotherapy should preferably devote themselves for a period of 12 consecutive months (3 semesters) to the subject of the award. Assistance may be provided to candidates enrolled on a half-time basis. Successful candidates must be involved in a physiotherapy research project that forms part of the academic requirements for the completion of their degree programme. The research project must be congruent with the mission of the PFC. At least 50% of the applicant’s time must be spent on activities related to the award. Candidates may have other sources of scholarship support as long as the total value of the support, with this Scholarship, does not exceed $25,000.
  5. If the ACWMS is not held for the stated period, the PFC should be notified; a prorated reduction in the scholarship will be made.
  6. Awards are open to Canadian citizens, landed immigrants, or people who reside in Canada (for the duration of the grant) with a valid work or student visa. Applicants must be a current CPA member.
  7. Members of PFC committees may apply for the ACWMS, but cannot be involved in either the decision-making or in determining the disposition of the applications.
  8. Should the work of the candidate result in the publication of papers or a thesis, the assistance furnished by the PFC and the ACWMS must be acknowledged. For example, a statement such as the following should be included: “This research was supported in part by the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada through the Ann Collins Whitmore Memorial Scholarship.” A copy of the paper should be sent to the PFC office.

Procedures

  1. Applications for the ACWMS must be received electronically ONLINE through EventsAir by March 15th, 2024 at 11:59pm EST. Notification on the outcome of applications will be provided in writing in May. Award disbursement will commence in June.
  2. Applicants are invited to submit their application for funding in either official language.

The applicant should arrange for the PFC to receive the following materials:

  • a letter of appraisal from the supervisor, or advisor, of the applicant that also outlines the proposed research programme;
  • two additional letters of appraisal;
  • a letter from the Head of the Department at the university confirming acceptance into one of the programmes described in the Regulations for the ACWMS. If the applicant is not enrolled at the time of the application, any scholarship will be conditional upon the receipt of written confirmation of enrolment in the programme in question. No funds will be released by PFC until proof of enrolment is received.

Obligations of the Recipients

  1. The investigator must submit a final report on the work accomplished during the period of the research grant no later than 2 months after the end of the grant period (normally August 31). Please note that investigators who do not comply with this requirement will thereafter be ineligible for further funding from the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada and the awards it administers.
  2. It is expected that the research will culminate in peer-reviewed publications or presentations at national or international conferences or an application for further funding to a national or federal agency. A reprint of any such publication should be furnished to the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada. Publications arising from research supported by the ACWMS and by the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada must be acknowledged with the relevant sentence below:

“This research was supported by the Ann Collins Whitmore Memorial Scholarship through the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada.”