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The NAFAPA offers the Allen W. Burton New Investigator Award biennially in conjunction with the NAFAPA symposium. The New Investigator Award recognizes a new investigator who has begun and is very likely to continue making significant scientific contributions to the field of Adapted Physical Activity.

The award commemorates the work of Dr. Allen W. Burton (1954-2001) who, as a young investigator, made significant contributions to the scientific knowledge in Adapted Physical Activity. Dr. Allen W. Burton was an extraordinary scholar and teacher who had the tremendous gift of integrating research, teaching, and both professional and community service into his academic career. He was a full professor at the University of Minnesota. Known as a prolific researcher in the areas of motor development, motor learning, movement skill assessment, and Adapted Physical Education, he was the author of numerous articles and presentations as well as an editor for many research journals. In his 17-year career, he published in 12 different journals, including the Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Human Movement Science, Pediatric Exercise Science, Journal of Motor Behavior, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Brain and Behavior, and the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. His book with Daryl Miller “Movement Skill Assessment” (1998) was a major contribution to the literature. But foremost, among Burton’s many talents was his commitment to the professional growth of all students regardless of their academic level or their major academic focus. Both in his education and his professional work, Burton realized the importance of interdisciplinary partnerships toward finding potential approaches to critical research and dissemination endeavors in his field of study. Dr. Allen W. Burton hosted the NAFAPA symposium at the University of Minnesota in 1998 and served as the NAFAPA president between 2000 and 2002.