Eligibility Requirements

• The first author of eligible papers must have been an APTA member at the time of the manuscript's publication and at the time of nomination. The first author need not have been an APTA member at the time of data collection and manuscript preparation.
• For papers with multiple authors, each author who is eligible for the award will be considered a co-winner of the award.
• All reports of scientific studies authored and published in PTJ during the current year are eligible, provided that the studies were not undertaken for obligatory academic requirements when the authors were students.
• Candidates for this award will designate that their articles be considered for the Chattanooga Research Award rather than the Jack Walker Award. Candidates can be eligible for only one award for a given article.
• Case studies and case reports do not meet the purpose and intent of the award.
• Note: Staff will screen for eligibility.

Criteria for Selection

The article must:

• Demonstrate a significant contribution to physical therapy.
• Present a novel and innovative research study or theoretical model that addresses an important area of physical therapy.
• Have a clearly stated purpose with supportive rationale and appropriate methodology.
• Clearly present the results and/or theoretical framework with appropriate discussion of application and impact on clinical practice or future physical therapy research.
• Be well organized, and clearly and concisely written.

What Recipients Receive

An award and a monetary award of $1,000 will be presented to the eligible author(s) by APTA's Board of Directors at an APTA national event, and an official announcement of the award will appear in an association publication. (Note: In the case of multiple eligible authors, the monetary award will be divided equally.)

Submission Requirements

During the online submission process, the following documents will be required for upload:

• Eligibility form.
• Abstract.
• Electronic copy of article.

Submit a Nomination

The nominations call for the Honors and Awards program is open Sept. 1- Dec. 1. Nominations must be submitted through our online portal by December 1; late submissions will not be considered. Selected recipients and their nominators will be notified in May.

Additional Resources

For questions regarding the nomination process or the award, please contact honorsandawards@apta.org.