Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada
Our Mission
The Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada is a nationally registered, charitable organization that funds physiotherapy research and education in Canada to improve mobility, health, and well-being.
Our Objectives
- Provide funding for physiotherapy research
- Award scholarships and fund educational opportunities that build research capacity
- Recognize rehabilitation research accomplishments
- Develop strategic partnerships with physiotherapy stakeholders, including corporations, clinics, educational institutions, and individuals
How We Do It
For more than 40 years, the PFC has awarded more than $1.25 million in grants and scholarships to the country’s leading researchers. Our work is funded through generous tax-deductible donations made by individuals, foundations, and corporations.
Ways to Donate
The Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada accepts gifts in a variety of different formats, including direct donations, monthly gifts, and legacy gifts. Click here to find the format that’s right for you.
Apply for an Award
Click here to learn more about the awards being offered in the next cycle and to find information on how to apply.
Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada Awards Program
The Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada (PFC) is thrilled to offer another series of awards in 2024. This year $61,000 in bursaries and awards will be distributed.
The online portal is now closed to submissions. Thank you to all those who submitted applications. We will be announcing the winners of this year’s awards in May.
If you have any questions about the awards program, please contact foundation@physiotherapy.ca.
2024 Awards Program
Alun Morgan Memorial Research Award in Orthopaedic Physiotherapy ($10,000)
The Alun Morgan Memorial Research Award in Orthopaedic Physiotherapy was established in 1989 by the Orthopaedic Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association in honour of the award’s namesake, one of the founders of the Orthopaedic Division and a pioneer of manual therapy in Canada. The Alun Morgan Fund provides support for physiotherapy research projects related to the management of musculoskeletal problems in Canada.
Full Regulations and Eligibility Requirements
Ann Collins Whitmore Memorial Scholarship ($4,000)
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.
Full Regulations and Eligibility Requirements
Constance Beattie Memorial Fund Bursary Program ($1,000)
The Constance Beattie Memorial Fund was established by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association in 1949 to honour the fund’s namesake, who died in a plane crash at the age of 24 while serving as a dedicated physiotherapist in Canada’s north. Bursaries are made available to successful applicants for continuing education courses that are relevant to their career goals.
Full Regulations and Eligibility Requirements
Indigenous Student Scholarship ($2,500)
This award was established to meet the increasing needs of First Nations (status and non-status), Inuit, and Métis students for financial support in pursuing a career in physiotherapy, and to assist them in the pursuit of excellence in their career. Applicants must be a CPA student member (PT or PTA student) to apply.
Full Regulations and Eligibility Requirements
Neurosciences Division Scholarship ($3,000)
The Neurosciences Division (NSD) has established an annual scholarship of $3,000 to support a graduate student pursuing research which advances knowledge and practice in the field of neurosciences. The scholarship is offered to a physiotherapist enrolled in a post-entry level Master’s or PhD program, in a Canadian University, who is conducting research related to the neurosciences field as part of the academic requirements for completion of their program. The successful applicant must be a member of the Neurosciences Division in good standing.
Full Regulations and Eligibility Requirements
NSD–PFC Grant Award for Physiotherapy Research in Neurosciences ($10,000)
The NSD–PFC Grant Award for Physiotherapy Research in Neurosciences was established in 2006 as a result of a joint effort between the Neurosciences Division (NSD) of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada. This award is for projects related to the practice of physiotherapy in neurosciences. The principal investigator must be a CPA member and a member of the NSD in good standing.
Full Regulations and Eligibility Requirements
PFC Research Grant in the Future Role of Physiotherapy in Primary Care ($12,000)
Donor funds provide for physiotherapy research in Canada to improve the mobility, health and well-being of society. Applicants must hold a degree in physiotherapy and reside in Canada for the duration of the grant. The awards are seed funds for mainly pilot or feasibility projects with a specific focus on the future role of physiotherapy in primary care.
Full Regulations and Eligibility Requirements
PFC Research Grant in Advanced Practice Physiotherapy ($8,000)
Donor funds provide for physiotherapy research in Canada to improve the mobility, health and well-being of society. Applicants must hold a degree in physiotherapy and reside in Canada for the duration of the grant. The awards are seed funds for mainly pilot or feasibility projects with a specific focus on advanced practice physiotherapy.
Full Regulations and Eligibility Requirements
PFC Research Grant in Physiotherapy Assistant (PTA) / Physiotherapy Technologists (Phys. T.) ($8,000)
Donor funds provide for physiotherapy research in Canada to improve the mobility, health and well-being of society. Applicants must hold a degree in physiotherapy and reside in Canada for the duration of the grant. The awards are seed funds for mainly pilot or feasibility projects with a specific focus on the role of PTAs/ Phys. T’s in the provision of rehabilitation care.
Full Regulations and Eligibility Requirements
Physiotherapist Assistant Grant Program ($2,500)
The Physiotherapist Assistant Grant Program was established by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada in 2015 to support National Physiotherapist Assistant Assembly (NPAA) member(s) to pursue continuing professional development and translate learning in their local community. It also intends to recognize the contribution that NPAA members make to the profession and to CPA. Please note that this grant is not open to students.
2024 Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada Award Recipients
The Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada (PFC) is delighted to announce the winners of its 2024 Awards Program.
Congratulations to all of the 2024 award recipients!
Alun Morgan Memorial Research Grant in Orthopaedic Physiotherapy
François Desmeules, University of Montreal
“Self-management and usual physiotherapy interventions in the management of TMD : a two-arm randomized controlled trial”
Ann Collins Whitmore Memorial Scholarship
Erin Branton
“The accuracy of the MABC-2 and the BOT-2 complete form in the diagnosis of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder”
Constance Beattie Memorial Fund Bursary Program
Emma Bender
Kristen Harris
Indigenous Student Scholarship
Stephanie Elanik
Research Grant in The Future Role of Physiotherapy in Primary Care
Lisa Jasper, University of Alberta
“Physiological Measures Associated With Poor Health Outcomes in Chronic WAD: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis of Fitness Tracker Data”
Neuroscience Division Scholarship
Nicole Cesca
“Reimagining walking assessment for individuals living with spinal cord injury/disorder: Overcoming limitations and enhancing rehabilitation.”
Research Grant in Advanced Practice Physiotherapy
Kristin Campbell
“Co-production of a virtual patient education intervention to support self-managed rehabilitation for breast cancer-related arm morbidity”
Physiotherapist Assistant Grant Program
Taylor Kjartanson
Donate to the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada
Ways to Donate
To support physiotherapy research, the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada (PFC) accepts gifts made in the way most convenient for you:
- Direct Donations
- Membership Renewal Donations
- Monthly Gifts
- Tribute Gifts
- Legacy Gifts
- Bequests
- Gifts of Insurance
- Transfer of Securities, Bonds or Mutual Funds
Direct Donations
Donate Online
Make a secure donation to PFC at CanadaHelps.org, a non-profit organization that offers you the convenience of secure online giving. You will receive a tax receipt for gifts of $20 or more.
Donate by Mail
Complete a PFC donation form and mail it to:
Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada
955 Green Valley Crescent, Suite 270
Ottawa ON K2C 3V4
Membership Renewal Donations
When you complete your membership renewal each year, you will be presented with an option to donate to the PFC during checkout. This is the easiest way to donate — simply enter the amount of your donation and it will be applied to your overall membership invoice.
Monthly Gifts
Breaking your donation into monthly payments is convenient for you, and helps the PFC support promising research proposals year-round. To give a monthly gift, complete the donation form and mail it to:
Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada
955 Green Valley Crescent, Suite 270
Ottawa ON K2C 3V4
Charitable Registration Number: 13259 2031 RR0001
For further information on giving to charities, visit: www.cra.gc.ca/donors.
You may change or cancel your monthly gift at any time by contacting the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada by phone or email and giving us 30 days notice. To obtain a sample cancellation form, or for more information on your right to cancel a pre-authorized debit agreement, you can contact your financial institution or visit www.cdnpay.ca. You have certain recourse rights if your donation does not comply with this agreement. For more information, contact your financial institution or visit www.cdnpay.ca.
Tribute Gifts
You can make a donation to the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada that honours someone special, or in memory of a loved one. If you wish, we can send a card and acknowledgement of your gift to the honoree or their loved one. To make a tribute gift, complete the donation form and mail it to:
Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada
955 Green Valley Crescent, Suite 270
Ottawa ON K2C 3V4
Legacy Gifts
By including a donation to the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada in your estate plans, you can have an impact on the physiotherapy profession and the quality of life for Canadians for generations to come.
The two most common and effective ways of making a legacy gift are through making a charitable bequest in your will and naming the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada as the owner and beneficiary or the irrevocable beneficiary of any insurance products.
Bequests
By leaving a donation or charitable bequest in your will to the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada, your bequest will generate a charitable tax receipt which will reduce your estate’s taxes in your final year, and also possibly in the year before. There are three ways you can leave a bequest:
- Specified bequest: a specific dollar amount.
- Residual bequest: a share or percentage of the residue of your estate. This is often a good choice since you won’t have to amend your will every time your finances or personal circumstances change.
- Contingent bequest: naming the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada as your ultimate beneficiary, should all your other beneficiaries die before you.
The wording of your bequest is critical. Please consult a lawyer to ensure your intentions are worded clearly. Direct your bequest to “Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada”, Charitable Registration Number 13259 2031 RR0001.
To learn more about bequests, read our bequest fact sheet.
Gifts of Insurance
By making a gift of life insurance, you can take advantage of the multiplying power of insurance to leave a gift that is may be many times more than the total of the premiums you pay. There are also great tax advantages for this type of giving.
Other benefits of giving in this way include that setting up your policy is free. Your gift is also almost impossible for other heirs to contest, as the gift passes outside of your estate to PFC after your passing, within only two to three weeks of your executor sending your insurance company your death certificate.
If you name Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada as the owner and beneficiary of a new insurance policy or an existing policy which has outlived its original purpose, you will receive charitable tax receipts for every premium you pay.
If the Foundation is named the beneficiary (but not the owner), your estate will benefit from a tax receipt for the full value of the death benefit that goes to PFC on your passing. This can greatly reduce your estate taxes, and allow you to leave more to your other beneficiaries.
To learn more about gifts of insurance, read our gift of insurance fact sheet.
For more information or assistance in making this type of gift, please contact: foundation@physiotherapy.ca.
Transfer of Securities, Bonds, or Mutual Funds
You can transfer your appreciated securities to the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada. Not only can you make a generous tax-deductible gift, but you will also be exempt from paying all capital gain tax. To gain this advantage, you must transfer your securities directly to the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada. Your donation will not qualify for the capital gain exemption if you sell your shares and donate their value in cash to the Foundation. If the charitable credits you will receive exceed 75% of your net income in the year of donation, you can carry forward your excess tax credits for up to five more years.
For more information or assistance in making this type of gift, please contact: foundation@physiotherapy.ca.
Corporate Sponsorships
The Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada funds physiotherapy research and education in Canada to improve mobility, health and well-being.
This would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors.
For more information about becoming a Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada corporate sponsor, please
e-mail foundation@physiotherapy.ca.
Ongoing Corporate Sponsor
OrthoCanada provides expert support to help health care professionals reach their goals by supplying advanced equipment and therapeutic solutions in the fields of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, exercise physiology and kinesiology. We are a team of dedicated, knowledgeable individuals who strive to find innovative solutions, exceed client expectations and excel at what we do.
Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada Board of Directors
Board Members
Viivi Riis (Chair)
Ontario
Laura Kean
Alberta
Christine Bradstock
Ontario
Melodie Dumesnil
British Columbia
John Nagy
British Columbia