Kelly Poretti, a doctoral candidate in the PhD in Education Program with a concentration in kinesiology and co-founder of the American Society of Biomechanics at George Mason, was awarded the Switzer Research Fellowship through the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research.
Kelly is conducting research for her dissertation, ‘Using Virtual Reality to Reduce Mobility-Related Anxiety in Lower-Limb Prosthetic Users.’
“Lower limb prosthesis users experience more falls and greater fear of falling compared to the community-dwelling population without amputation,” Kelly explains. Her research aims to determine the utility of virtual reality-based exposure therapy to reduce mobility-related anxiety.
What initially interested you in pursuing your PhD in Education with a concentration in kinesiology?
“I ran cross country and track and field in high school, and I remember attending a cross country camp where a podiatrist talked to us about how footwear, the strengths and weaknesses of certain muscles, and nutrition could lead to injuries. I thought it was the coolest thing ever that I could study why I was getting injured from running, and what I could do to prevent injuries from happening.
I decided to pursue my degree in biomedical engineering at Widener University, but through volunteering as a research assistant during my time as an undergraduate, I was able to put a name to what I was interested in – biomechanics. After graduating, I took a job at the National Science Foundation working as a Science Assistant, and my mentors there helped me realize I could continue my work through research by pursuing a PhD. When I saw the research that was being conducted in the George Mason University SMART Lab, I knew that was the right fit for me.”
How did you begin involvement in your research?
“During my sophomore year of college, a professor asked my class if any of us were interested in biomechanics research. With my background as a runner experiencing injuries throughout my athletic career, I was very interested in why exactly I was injured, and knew biomechanics would help me find those answers. I reached out to that professor and started working with him on projects that focused on identifying and understanding risk factors in lower limb prosthesis users that lead them to experience falls with detrimental health outcomes.
While assisting with these research projects, I was able to attend conferences and interact with this population directly, hearing their stories and the appreciation they had for the work we were doing. Unfortunately, my professor passed during my senior year, and I was unable to continue working with him in my graduate studies. However, he gave me something to be passionate about, and when I began investigating fall risk in older adults as a research assistant under Tiphanie Raffegeau, I knew I was able to use my dissertation to continue his work.”
How has your participation in research shaped your career goals?
“Getting involved in research has been the biggest experience that has shaped my career goals. I love that research lets you continuously learn and explore new questions you have. At this level of my academic career, I can confidently say that I am a lifelong learner. I decided to pursue my PhD so that I could continue my career in research, with the goal of preventing and helping people recover after experiencing the detrimental outcomes of a fall.”
Getting involved in research has been the biggest experience that has shaped my career goals.
Kelly Poretti
How did you find out about the Switzer Research Fellowship?
“I learned about this grant through extensive research into external funding opportunities to support my final year. I’m grateful to have found this federal grant, which not only supports my work but also reinforces the value and potential impact of my research.
I first started searching for grants that would fit my research topic in December 2023. I applied to the Merit Switzer Research Fellowship, writing a 24-page project narrative, project workplan, recruitment plan, IRB application, and obtaining multiple letters of support from faculty and community partners. After applying for that grant, I saw that the same agency opened one specifically for doctoral candidates. I started updating and improving my proposal, adapting it for the doctoral candidate mechanism. I was rejected from the original grant, but received extensive feedback from a panel of reviewers that I incorporated into my doctoral-level grant application.
In total, I applied for five grants in six months and was lucky to be awarded two of them. Throughout all of this hard work, I have been fortunate to have such an amazing mentor in Tiphanie Raffegeau, providing feedback with tight turnarounds, re-working research methodology, and helping me make connections in the community. I have felt nothing but support from her during this process and have her to thank for pushing me to achieve such an amazing accomplishment.”
Do you have any advice to share with students seeking a fellowship or grant?
“Make sure you are searching for grants in advance. The notice of funding for the grant I was awarded was open in January, but the start date for funding was the beginning of the school year. Look at previous grants and take any training that is available to you; you can even volunteer to serve as a reviewer for funding mechanisms that might interest you in the future to gain experience. Writing grants is completely different from writing a scientific journal article, so it’s important to use the appropriate style. The last and most important piece of advice: be passionate and confident in the rigor and importance of your research. If you’re not passionate and confident about it, that will come through the writing.”
. . . be passionate and confident in the rigor and importance of your research.
Kelly Poretti