"There is much to be discovered and further research is needed. The Massage Therapy Foundation has made it possible for me to study how massage therapy can benefit people who are suffering from anxiety and depression. This project is the first step of a research career that will increase our knowledge of how, when, and
for whom massage therapy works and can make a difference."

Christopher Moyer, MA
Foundation Research Grant Recipient

General Information
One of the primary purposes of the Foundation is to fund solid research studies investigating the many beneficial applications of massage therapy. Foundation research grants are awarded to individuals or teams conducting studies that promise to advance our understanding of specific therapeutic applications of massage, public perceptions of and attitudes toward massage therapy, and the role of massage therapy in health care delivery.

The Research deadline is March 1 annually. The normal award for 12 months is $1,000 -$30,000 and must be used in the specific time period for which it has been awarded. This grant supports high quality, independent research that contributes to the basic science of massage therapy application, including applied research investigating massage therapy as a health/mental health treatment and/or prevention modality. The research grant is available to investigators who have experience in the relevant field of research, and are presently associated with or have secured the cooperation of a university, independent research organization, or other institution qualified and willing to function as a Sponsoring Organization for the purpose of this project.

Congratulations to our 2008 Research Grant Recipients:

Steve Keir, Duke University, “Feasibility Study of Massage Therapy within a Brain Tumor Setting”, $20,000
Sponsored in part by a grant to the Foundation from BIOTONE

Seth D. Pollak, PhD, Waisman Center for Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison “Children's Responses to Stress and Comforting: The Efficacy of Massage in Ameliorating the Effects of an Acute Social Stressor”, $20,000

Jennifer Rosen, MD, Boston Medical Center, “Pilot RCT of Cancer Patients Undergoing Port-a-Catheter Placement”, $20,000

Elizabeth Ann Sommers, MPH, LAc, DSc, Pathways to Wellness, “WIN WIN Hands on", $20,000

Marja Verhoef, PhD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, “Descriptive Combined-methods Study of Alberta's CAM Manual Therapists", $18,462