Faculty / Staff Resources Student Resources
University of Southern California
University of Southern California
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
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Research
Research

TREET: Training in Rehabilitation Efficacy and Effectiveness Trials

ReHaB Core ⟩

Project Director: Florence Clark PhD, FAOTA

Co-Director: James Gordon; Stanley Azen

Period
May 2011 – Apr 2016

Total funding
$1,084,601

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) continue to be the gold standard for assessing the efficacy and effectiveness of rehabilitation science interventions. Unfortunately, relatively few researchers have completed large-scale trials of rehabilitation interventions, and there are no centralized training programs that impart the wide array of skills necessary to conduct such studies. The NCMRR Research Plan specifies that postdoctoral training programs be established to produce researchers capable of performing clinical trials. The training program at the University of Southern California enabled doctoral level scholars from rehabilitation-related fields to gain the expertise necessary to perform sophisticated clinical trials, including comparative effectiveness studies.

Over a five year period, 10 PhD level researchers were recruited to undergo an intensive two-year training sequence which involved exposure to all phases of clinical trials research. Reflecting a strong interdisciplinary emphasis, faculty members from three program branches (occupational therapy, physical therapy, and advanced technology) oversaw a coordinated training experience that included individualized mentorship plans, core coursework, participation in training seminars, immersion in externally funded projects, and writing of grant proposals and research publications. The training was organized around four core themes:

  1. the identification of effective interventions for children (pediatric rehabilitation);
  2. protective and risk factors in adults with disabilities;
  3. the rehabilitation and subsequent reintegration of people with disabilities into the community (acute and community-based rehabilitation); and
  4. applications of innovative technology.

Anticipated trainee outcomes include an increased capacity to independently conduct RCTs and an increase in the quantity and rigor of rehabilitation science publications. In the long term, the ability to train a cohort of young career scientists in RCT methodology will lead to an improved research base that will promote the development and testing of interventions that increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation services.

Funding

Type Source Number Amount Period
Federal NIH / Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) / National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) / National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) 5T32HD064578-05 $168,363 May 2015 – Apr 2016
Federal NIH / Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) / NICHD / NCMRR 5T32HD064578-04 $293,671 May 2014 – Apr 2015
Federal NIH / Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) / NICHD / NCMRR 5T32HD064578-03 $284,152 May 2013 – Apr 2014
Federal NIH / Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) / NICHD / NCMRR 5T32HD064578-02 $228,228 May 2012 – Apr 2013
Federal NIH / Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) / NICHD / NCMRR 1T32HD064578-01A1 $110,187 May 2011 – Apr 2012