This year, physical therapy schools from Iowa participated in the 2023-2024 VCU-Marquette Challenge to raise $150,243.38 in support of the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research. The Foundation Board of Trustees and staff extend their gratitude to the students of Briar Cliff University and University of Iowa for their months of dedication to raising funds for the challenge. Together these Iowa schools raised $3,116. Since its inception in 1989, over 300 different schools have participated in the Challenge, raising over $4.7 million for physical therapy research.

The Marquette Challenge is a student-led fundraising effort to advance the Foundation’s mission to fund research and develop researchers to optimize movement and improve the health of society. Over the years, student’s support through the annual Challenge has helped the Foundation fund more than 700 researchers nationwide.

The top fundraising school earns co-naming rights for the next Marquette Challenge and will receive the Marquette Challenge traveling cup, a trophy inscribed with the names of the schools that have taken top honors since the Marquette Challenge began in 1989.

The top fundraising schools for 2023-2024 include:

• 1st place: Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
• 2nd place: The University of Delaware
• 3rd place: The University of Miami

The Foundation congratulates VCU for earning the right to co-host the upcoming 2025 VCU- Marquette Challenge. While we encourage friendly competition between schools, participation in the Challenge at any level is what matters most.

Many schools were awarded a variety of additional awards based on the amount of money raised. You can see a list of the schools that earned these distinguishments on our website. Please join us in congratulating each of these schools for their hard work this year.

Funds raised through the Challenge support the Foundation in awarding grants and scholarships annually. These funds help us invest in physical therapy research to demonstrate the value of physical therapy and foster the development of physical therapy researchers dedicated to driving innovation.

After a rigorous peer review process, we are pleased to share this year’s Promotion of Doctoral Studies’ VCU-Marquette Award recipient, Elizabeth Maus, DPT, of The Ohio State University. Elizabeth’s proposed research is titled, Advancing the Role of Pediatric Physical Therapists in Supporting Motor Development after gene Therapy for Aromatic L-Amino Decarboxylase Deficiency.

We can’t wait to see all of you supporting the 2025 VCU-Marquette Challenge. Faculty and students in the state of Iowa are encouraged to visit the Marquette Challenge website at marquettechallenge.com to learn how they can support the Foundation and physical therapy research through the 2025 VCU-Marquette Challenge.

Thank you!

About the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research

The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research was established in 1979 as the only national, independent nonprofit organization solely dedicated to funding physical therapy research. The Foundation is the research funding organization for APTA. Since its inception, FPTR has awarded more than $23 million in research grants, fellowships, and scholarships to more than 700 promising researchers. Many of today’s leading physical therapy researchers, clinicians, and academicians began their careers with this support. Foundation-funded researchers have gone on to secure more than $930 million in follow-on funding. www.foundation4pt.org/donate