As an associate professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Health Education at Macquarie University’s Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, physiotherapy researcher Dr Verity Pacey APAM is no stranger to reviewing grants. 

She joined the Physiotherapy Research Foundation’s Grants Review Committee—to be known as the APA Grants Review Committee (GRC) from January 2025 to reflect its wider role in reviewing Physiotherapy Research Foundation, Pat Cosh Trust and APA grants—six years ago, following some work with the Physiotherapy Research Foundation’s Advisory Board.

‘The board had been looking at ways they could try to engage more with clinicians. 

'I became a part of the board for a period of time to bring in the perspective of combining clinical work and research and engaging clinicians in research,’ says Verity, who until a few years ago combined her teaching and research with clinical practice at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

It was enough of a taste to encourage her to put her hand up to join the GRC.

The GRC’s role is to review all the grant applications and to make decisions on which grants to fund each round. 

The work doesn’t stop there—the committee also supports the recipients by providing feedback on progress reports.

Verity says the GRC comprises a diverse group of physiotherapy researchers from around Australia and from different areas of practice. The group spans different levels of experience as well.

‘We have some almost brand new early-career researchers and some really experienced people on the committee. 

Dr Verity Pacey APAM.

'The diversity in methodological expertise as well as in clinical areas of practice is very useful, I think, and makes for interesting conversations and perspectives,’ she says.

While committee members review grant applications in their own areas of expertise, they are also expected to review outside of them, which Verity says can be challenging. 

However, she says, seeing the breadth of methodology and topics of research being proposed is valuable.

‘Any time you’re working with a diverse range of people and you’re thinking in different ways, it helps you be better at what you do, whether as a clinician, as a researcher or as an educator,’ she says.

As for those who are thinking about applying for the committee, Verity has one thing to say.

‘Give it a go. It’s been a great experience and the workload is not unwieldy. 

'You need to be realistic when you come in—there will be times when it’s a lot extra on top of what you typically do—but I’ve learnt a lot from it and there haven’t been any bad sides other than giving up some time,’ she says.

APA Grants Review Committee seeks new members

Are you passionate about advancing your research career? Do you want to help shape the evidence base of the profession? Then apply to join the APA Grants Review Committee (GRC).

The APA GRC is a newly formed advisory committee of the APA Board of Directors and the Pat Cosh Trust. 

Its primary role is to review the merits of research grant applications submitted to the Physiotherapy Research Foundation and the Pat Cosh Trust and to make recommendations on grant allocations.

Responsibilities of the GRC include:
•    evaluating research grants including Physiotherapy Research Foundation Seeding Grants, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Grants and Pat Cosh Trust Annual and Strategic Grants
•    inviting independent assessors to review grant applications relevant to their area of expertise
•    providing feedback on recipients’ progress reports
•    providing advice on APA research partnership proposal requests (as required).

To be eligible to join the GRC, you must be a current financial member of the APA, hold a postgraduate qualification and have experience in conducting, supervising and/or reviewing physiotherapy-related research.

There is also an opportunity to apply for an Early Career Research Fellow position on the GRC. 

To be eligible, you must be within five years of the award of your PhD (taking career disruption into account).

Visit here for further details and application forms. Applications close Sunday 25 August, 2024.