The 2021 call for volunteers for this committee is now closed. The next call for volunteers for national groups will open in July 2022 for terms beginning January 1, 2023.

Charge

The Scientific and Practice Affairs Committee provides strategic advice, recommendations, and counsel to the APTA Board of Directors regarding: (1) How APTA can be responsive to and advocate for members’ needs related to the delivery of quality care; (2) Current and emerging practice issues impacting the provision of physical therapist-provided patient and client management, including, but not limited to, professional scope of practice, unwarranted variation in practice, implementation of innovative practice models, and timely patient access to physical therapist services; and (3) How to advance the profession through a contemporary research agenda, and effective knowledge translation, dissemination, and implementation.

The Board of Directors' determined charge for SPAC is to:

• Identify and recommend practice and research priorities to the Board.
• Recommend and maintain a research agenda for the profession to the Board.
• Annually advise and counsel the Board on proposed practice- and research-related policies and positions coming before the APTA House of Delegates.
• Identify and provide advice to the Board regarding innovative practice models and strategies to successfully implement such models.
• Report to the Board annually and as needed.

All APTA appointed groups will conduct their work with the association organizational values in mind and in the context of (1) APTA's mission, vision, and strategic plan and (2) the potential for their work to have implications related to physical therapist assistants, women, diversity, and risk management.

Appointed Group Size

The Scientific and Practice Affairs Committee will have one APTA Board chair, selected by APTA’s president; 13 members (two of whom are members of the APTA Board of Directors, as selected by APTA’s president); and APTA president as ex-officio (APTA bylaws: Article IX, Section 3, A and Article X, Section I, A).

View committee and appointed group rosters.

Qualifications for Appointees

The Scientific and Practice Affairs Committee seeks individuals who have experience and expertise in areas relevant to science and practice within the physical therapy profession. The goal will be to include individuals representing various practice settings managing patients and clients across the life span, and those involved in various levels of scientific inquiry promoting evidenced-based practice.

Meetings

SPAC has one in-person meeting and up to six virtual meetings via webinar annually.

Term of Appointees

Members of this committee shall serve three-year terms; no individual shall serve more than two consecutive terms.

Proviso: The three-year terms will be implemented as follows, so that by 2021 there will be three classes of committee members, each serving three-year terms. The initial committee member appointments will be staggered: Three individuals appointed for a one-year term, four individuals appointed for a two-year term, and four individuals appointed for a three-year term.

Additional Information

BOD chair: Dan Mills, PT, MPT
Staff liaison: Tara Jo Manal

For additional information regarding this and other APTA volunteer opportunities, email memberengagement@apta.org.