Awards, Grants & Bursaries
Nomination Deadlines
| Award | Deadline (based on AGM Date) |
| Golden Hands | March 15th, 2025 |
| Lynn Chapman | March 15th, 2025 |
| Emerging Leadership | March 15th, 2025 |
| Carol Kennedy | March 15th, 2025 |
| Bursaries | |
| Bert Chesworth | Jan 31, Sep 30 Annually |
| Cliff Fowler | June 30th Annually (extended to Aug 31, 2024) |
- Late applications will not be considered
View the 2024 Award Recipients
View the 2023 Award Recipients
View the 2022 Award Recipients
David Lamb Memorial Golden Hands Award
The late David Lamb was one of the pillars on which the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Therapy was built. A contributor to Grieve’s Modern Manual Therapy, David was a world-renowned manual therapist, serving as a member of the Standards Committee for The International Federation of Manual and Musculoskeletal Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) between 1972 and 1976 and was its Chair from 1976 to 1990. He also served on the IFOMPT Membership Committee since 1992. From 1977 until 1996 he lectured extensively and conducted courses on all levels of manual across the globe. The Golden Hands Award of the National Orthopaedic Division is given in honour of David Lamb to an exceptional orthopaedic physiotherapist that exemplifies the commitment to our profession in manual therapy, education, mentorship and research.
Bert Chesworth Research Honorarium
Bert Chesworth is a Professor Emeritus at Western University. Prior to his retirement in 2019, he was an Associate Professor and the Director of the School of Physical Therapy. As an epidemiologist and biostatistician with 20 years of clinical experience in musculoskeletal physiotherapy in public and private health care settings, his influence on physical therapy musculoskeletal (MSK) research has been impactful. He completed his FCAMPT qualifications in 1989 and his PhD in 2000. Following this he joined the Ontario Joint Replacement Registry and worked with technical and field personnel to develop the registry database and electronic data collection protocol.
Lynn Chapman Mentorship Award
Mentoring is defined as a special relationship that develops between two people in which the mentor plays an active role in the development of another individual, the mentee, by demonstrating a personal interest in that individual and their career. The mentor may assume many roles including that of teacher, sponsor, advisor, role model, coach, and confidant. An ideal mentor also provides counsel, vision, support, and a belief in others’ capabilities while demonstrating excellent interpersonal skills, which facilitate the mentoring relationship. The establishment of a successful mentor-mentee relationship, that applies these components to their relationship is a critical element in the development of a physiotherapist’s advanced musculoskeletal skills and subsequent high-quality patient care. Lyn Chapman was a model mentor, who strived for excellence in each mentee relationship as she contributed to the future development of Musculoskeletal Orthopaedic Physiotherapy in Canada. This award is established in her name.
The Carol Kennedy Excellence In Teaching Award
Through nearly 40 years, Carol Kennedy has served as a leading exemplar of Orthopaedic Manual/Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy (OMPT) teaching and practice in Canada. This award will honour Carol’s legacy by guiding and recognizing excellence in clinical teaching of OMPT at a post-professional level.
NEW: Emerging Leadership Award
This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership early in their career, making outstanding and innovative contributions to promote orthopaedic/musculoskeletal physiotherapy.
This individual would display exemplary leadership qualities including initiative, enthusiasm, creativity, commitment, humility, integrity, mentorship, respect, engagement, and collaboration. These attributes could be evidenced by participation in Orthopaedic Division committee work, professional service to advance and advocate for orthopaedic/musculoskeletal physiotherapy or being an ambassador promoting the vision, mission, and values of the Orthopaedic Division of CPA.
Cliff Fowler Memorial Education Scholarship Award
Cliff Fowler was one of 3 founding individuals of the post-graduate orthopaedic manipulative therapy education program for Canada. Together with John Oldham and David Lamb, Cliff passed the first IFOMPT examinations held in 1973 and then co-developed the first curriculum/examinations for physiotherapists to achieve IFOMPT credentialling in Canada. He is the first recipient (1998) of the prestigious Golden Hands Award and is responsible for inspiring many current and past Canadian leaders in this field. His contributions to the evolution of the orthopaedic manipulative therapy specialization in physiotherapy and his passion for life-long learning has motivated us to honour his legacy with this scholarship.
The Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada
The Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada (PFC) is a nationally registered charitable organization that improves the quality of life for Canadians by sponsoring research which advances the treatment techniques, knowledge and skills of Canadians 13,000 physiotherapists. There are a series of research grants available to researchers, clinicians, and students alike. To get an application form please visit their website: https://physiotherapy.ca/make-an-impact
Other awards and bursaries
To view awards, grants, and bursaries available through the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, click here.