About AmSAT

Research Grant

The Research Committee was formed to create and administer a grant program to support research in the Alexander Technique.

 

New Application Period 2020 – 2021

To see the Research Grant application click HERE (PDF will open in a new window).  All teaching members of AmSAT and Affiliated Societies are eligible to apply.  

Application deadline: March 15, 2021 

See Guidelines for Proposals below.

Questions? Please contact Heidi Leathwood: heidi.leathwood@gmail.com

 

2021 AMSAT Research Grant

After grant reviewal and assessment by a panel of peer experts, the AmSAT Research committee has awarded the 2021 research grant to Dr. Molly Johnson and Dr. Rajal Cohen who will complete the writing of a scientific journal article using the data from their scientific study, “Altered Coordination in Teachers of the Alexander Technique”.

This proposal aims to expand knowledge of how the Alexander Technique affects fundamental elements of posture and movement. The co-investigators have collected inertial sensor data (acceleration and velocity of torso, arms, and legs) from Alexander teachers, with the aim of exploring coordination changes associated with the Alexander Technique. They compared balance and gait initiation in Alexander teachers to age-matched control subjects and subjects with Parkinson’s disease. The study provides a solid set of data suggesting that there are changes in coordination of postural control and step initiation associated with long-term study of the Alexander Technique. Co-investigators presented preliminary results at the conference of the International Society for Posture and Gait Research.

In order for this information to become part of the body of recognized work on the Alexander Technique, it needs to be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. With the help of this AmSAT grant, Molly Johnson and Rajal Cohen will write, submit, and revise a paper for the highest-impact peer-reviewed scientific journal they can get into.

 

 

GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSALS

Approved 1/23/2022

AmSAT will award $2500 in research grants to AmSAT or affiliated member(s) for research in the Alexander Technique. The monies may be allocated to one project or split among several. Monies will come from a special Research Grant fund. Efforts to solicit sources for funding the research grant must be ongoing.

Eligibility:

  • Voting Members, Trainee Members, Non-Teaching Members, and Emeritus Members of AmSAT in good standing are Alexander Technique Affiliated Societies (ATAS) members in good standing, who are teachers, are also eligible. AmSAT will contact the affiliate society to confirm membership status. Supporting Members of AmSAT and International Members of AmSAT who are not members of an ATAS Society are not eligible.
  • At least one of the principal investigator(s) applying for the grant must fulfill eligibility

Purpose:

  • To encourage research in the Alexander Technique
  • To provide support for AmSAT members conducting research
  • To enhance the visibility of the Alexander Technique

This grant is intended to support projects that:

  • test the efficacy of the Alexander Technique (AT) as an educational intervention for
    • The Alexander Technique, an educational approach, proposes to improve human activity in any realm. Research can be focused on any aspect the researchers choose including but not limited to: back pain and other injuries, Parkinson’s disease or other neurological disabilities, performing arts, children’s educational
  • measure the effect of AT study on human movement and/or functioning
    • More research is necessary to determine how and why the Alexander Technique affects human Examples of elements to be measured: gait, lower back flexibility, balance.
  • hold promise for publication in English. Projects that would be considered more competitive will result in presentations and publication that will reach the general
    • Experience shows that research proposals have improved chances for publication and increasing public awareness of the Alexander Technique if they include partnerships with investigators in the sciences, or social sciences, or with specific organizations serving special needs groups or sharing with underserved

Types of support for which funds may be used include:

  • Administrative costs
  • Space rental
  • Compensation to participants
  • Consultation fees for research professionals: i.e. for guidance with qualitative and quantitative a) tools for analysis of data, b) coding for qualitative data collection, c) statistical analysis, d) research assistant
  • Travel: Money used for travel must 1) directly be used as a part of the execution of the research, or 2) be used to present at conferences or other professional meetings where the research is presented or discussed.
  • Documentation and data gathering
  • Equipment
  • Teaching Compensation: Funds may not be used to compensate a principal investigator to teach the Alexander Technique. Funds to compensate other Alexander Technique teachers may be included in the budget proposal.

Proposals must include:

  • Project title and overview
  • A narrative stating the objectives and significance of the project, background of the applicant(s), methodology and timeline, budget, and description of plans to gain human subject approval
  • CV(s) of principal investigators

Evaluation criteria (reviewer guidelines):

  • Quality, clarity, and thoroughness of the proposal
  • Feasibility and practicality of the study
  • Experience and productivity of the applicant(s)
  • Budget appropriateness in relation to available funding and consideration of need and availability of financial and in-kind support
  • Probable impact of the proposed study on the field

Review panel:

  • A panel of three reviewers assembled by the Research Committee will review and rate the proposals. The panel shall consist of at least one Alexander Technique teacher and one person from a related field with expertise in research. Members of the Research Committee are not eligible to be on the review panel.
  • Once the applications have been submitted, the Research Committee will furnish the list of applicants to the review panel and request that the panelists disclose any possible conflicts of interest. After consideration of these disclosures the Research Committee, at their discretion, will make any necessary replacements to the panel.
  • A member of the Research Committee will guide the panelists through the review
  • Panelists will be given evaluation criteria and a scoring system to They will provide the Committee with their scores, ranking of the proposals, and a brief evaluation that can be shared with the applicant, if requested.
  • If the decision is unanimous among the three reviewers, there is no need to continue the evaluation If, however, it is not unanimous, a conference call of Research Committee members will be arranged to discuss the reviews and applications for a final determination.

Announcement of awardee:

  • The applicants will be notified by letter or email by the Committee The winner(s) of the grant will receive a phone call from the Committee chair.
  • The awardee(s) must sign a letter of agreement.
  • An announcement will be made in the eUpdate.

Distribution of funds:

  • The funds will be distributed as reimbursement for The grantee will submit receipts and/or an invoice, as appropriate, to AmSAT to receive the funds.
  • The grant recipient will be required to submit interim narrative reports on the project every 6 months, and a final narrative and financial report when the project is

Timeline:

  • December 15, 2021 - eUPdate: call for proposals
  • January and February, 2022– eUpdate reminders
  • March 15, 2022 – deadline for applications
  • May 15, 2022 – decision made and public announcement to follow upon acceptance