Call for Proposals

New Topic Area – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The ACRM Program Committee encourages all proposals submitted for this track to include matters that facilitate multi-stakeholder collaboration related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Proposals are encouraged that are not only pertinent to the rehabilitation research community, but that are also guided by ACRM’s mission of improving the lives of people with disabilities through interdisciplinary rehabilitation research.

ACRM Invites You to Submit a Proposal

We are seeking submissions on relevant topics that may include, but not be limited to:

Diversity

Research that includes individuals with diverse backgrounds (e.g., disability status, race and ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geographic location, etc.); intersectionality as it relates to lived experiences and rehabilitation outcomes; diversity in the rehabilitation work force or education; knowledge and education about diversity in the context of the physical medicine and rehabilitation workforce; promotion of underrepresented groups in rehabilitation research.

Equity

Research related to (in)equities in health throughout the life course, social determinants of health, disparities in care including suboptimal access to rehabilitative care and utilization of services, and rehabilitation outcomes based on social identities, such as race, gender, disability, and socioeconomic status; examinations of systemic and structural barriers influencing access to care and care receipt; evaluation of learning health systems, institutions, health policies, or practices that may impact persons with disabling conditions; Research on reducing or overcoming inequities.

Inclusion

Research, clinical practices, education, or mentoring that address cultural competency or humility, promoting inclusion of diverse populations or underrepresented groups, creating an inclusive team or work environment; patient voice; collaborative research practices; participatory medicine; participatory healthcare; including patients as partners-in-care and patients as co-researchers; evaluation of effective treatments or interventions in underrepresented populations.

"As our rehabilitation populations are becoming more diverse, doctors and researchers need to start asking new questions. What’s the impact of gender, race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status on rehabilitative outcomes? How can the rehabilitative intervention be tailored to the unique characteristics of our patients? What are barriers and promising solutions to increase research participation? How can we increase or promote participant diversity in clinical trials? How can we build a clinician/rehabilitation researcher workforce committed to health equity? What supports are needed to promote a more holistic understanding of health and disease across the life-span? Questions like these improve care not just for patients who identify as members of racial and ethnic minority groups, but all our rehabilitation population. I hope you will bring your diverse research ideas to Chicago and look forward to the conversation!"