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2027 Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Allied Health Professional Research Award of ASIA
Application Deadline: August 31, 2026
Applications are now being accepted for the 2027 Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Allied Health Professional Research Award of ASIA*
The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Allied Health Professional Research Award of ASIA* is intended to encourage those in this diverse group with an interest in research — particularly those with limited research experience — to pursue a career as researchers. The award is therefore designed to be a “bridge” into becoming a researcher – not to help existing researchers further develop their skills. The allied health recipient will be mentored by an experienced researcher through the process of developing a study – from the proposal stage, through to completion. Allied Health professionals at the Master’s or Clinical Doctorate level are eligible for this $30,000 one-year award.
Criteria
Each applicant must:
- Have a certified degree in an allied health professional field. The applicant may have a Master’s or Clinical Doctorate in his/her field and cannot have other funding for the project being proposed. Applicants need not be ASIA members.
- Submit a one-year clinical research proposal in the field of SCI. The rationale should be supported by a recent review of the literature.
- Provide an Applicant Statement about the interest in research (and any barriers encountered in doing research thus far), and how this award will help reach the applicant’s goals.
- Declare a mentor who is an established researcher in the field of SCI or related area and is a member of ASIA in good standing at the application deadline.
- The following individuals are excluded from serving as mentors: ASIA President-Elect (in second year), ASIA President (entire term), ASIA Past President (first year), ASIA research committee, and the ASIA Awards Committee Chair and Vice Chair.
- Complete and return the CHNF Research Award Application Form
- Submit Biosketches for the applicant and mentor
- Submit Letters of Support from mentor and facility
The applicant may not hold other funding for the proposed project.
All documents should be submitted as a combined PDF, electronically to Patty Duncan: patty@asia-spinalinjury.org ASIA’S Executive Director by the deadline.
*Funding provided by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation
2026 Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Allied Health Professional Research Award of ASIA
Congratulations Amilie Langlois who will receive $30,000 to fund her study, “Development of a Perioperative Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Protocol for the Prevention of Neurogenic Sphincter Complications in Spinal Surgery.” Amilie was recognized during the 2026 ASIA Annual Scientific Meeting in San Antonio, TX.
Amilie Langlois, MScPT, is a licensed physical therapist at Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, a leading Canadian center of expertise in spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. She practices on the neurotrauma and spinal surgery unit, where she provides specialized care to individuals recovering from SCI and cauda equina syndrome.
Motivated to improve perioperative care and functional recovery, she is completing a postgraduate program in Advanced Practice Physiotherapy at the Université de Montréal, in collaboration with the spinal surgery team at her institution. Through this training, she initiated a pilot project to better address bladder and bowel dysfunction—an often underrecognized yet highly impactful issue affecting patients with neurological deficits following spinal surgery.
Her Craig H. Neilsen Foundation–funded study, Development of a Perioperative Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Protocol for the Prevention of Neurogenic Sphincter Complications in Spinal Surgery, aims to integrate structured physiotherapy-led education and early pelvic floor rehabilitation into perioperative care.
Amilie hopes her work will contribute to refining clinical pathways and strengthening the role of physiotherapists in optimizing recovery and quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injury.
