EUROPEAN FORUM FOR RESEARCH IN REHABILITATION

40th anniversary of EFRR

About EFRR

The European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR) is the major multidisciplinary rehabilitation research forum in Europe. Originally formed in 1983, it has members from all parts of Europe.
The purpose of EFRR is to advance research and education in biopsychosocial aspects of rehabilitation. The outcomes of such research are implemented and disseminated with the aim of improving both the provision of social, vocational, health-care and rehabilitation services and the standards of practice in these services, for the benefit of people with disabilities.

In particular, the aims of EFRR are:

• To foster an interdisciplinary approach to research based on a biopsychosocial model of health and disability, thus focussing on rehabilitative research in the domains of impairments of body functions and structures, activity limitations and participation restrictions, as well as the identification of environmental barriers and facilitators
• To facilitate an exchange of information regarding research into these topics
• To encourage the exchange of ideas and the development of collaborative research projects in functioning, disabilities and health. These may concern physical, mental and social-environmental aspects of rehabilitation including assistive technology, independent living, vocational rehabilitation and return to work programmes, as well as legal, economic and socio-political aspects of disability
• To organise and conduct a two-yearly congress, as well as other activities such as workshops, courses on the above-mentioned topics as well the creation of networks of professionals working in different fields within the broad spectrum of rehabilitation

EFRR Strategy

Please click here to download the EFRR Strategy of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation.

EFRR invitation to submit research articles to the International Journal of Rehabilitation Research (IJRR)

DEAR MEMBER,

THE EFRR COUNCIL AND THE EDITORIAL OFFICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF REHABILITATION RESEARCH (IJRR) HAVE JOINED FORCES TO PUT IN PLACE SEVERAL NEW INITIATIVES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH THE EFRR MEMBERS AND IJRR READERS. AS A REMINDER, IJRR WAS ADOPTED AS OUR OFFICIAL JOURNAL WHEN THE FORUM WAS FOUNDED IN 1983. THE IJRR IS A QUARTERLY, PEER-REVIEWED, INTERDISCIPLINARY FORUM FOR THE PUBLICATION OF CLINICALLY RELEVANT AND APPLICABLE RESEARCH INTO FUNCTIONING, DISABILITY, AND CONTEXTUAL FACTORS EXPERIENCED BY PERSONS OF ALL AGES (PLEASE VISIT HTTPS://WWW.EFRR.ORG/JOURNALS OR  https://journals.lww.com/intjrehabilres/pages/default.aspx  THE CURRENT IMPACT FACTOR IS 1.7 AND HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING.

The EFRR members can get more information from the EFRR Council member responsible for contacts with the journal, Prof. Evrim Karadag-Saygi M.D. (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) 

HERE ARE THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU.

FIRST, WE HAVE STARTED EDITOR’S PICK, A NEW SECTION IN THE ONLINE VERSION OF THE JOURNAL AS A WAY TO RECOGNIZE THE BEST ORIGINAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN EACH ISSUE. THE SELECTED ARTICLE IS PROMINENTLY FEATURED ON THE JOURNAL WEBSITE, AND THE FULL TEXT IS FREELY AVAILABLE THANKS TO OUR PUBLISHER WALTERS KLUWER REPRESENTED BY PHIL DALY.

SECONDLY, THE FOUR ARTICLES SELECTED AS EDITOR’S PICK IN A GIVEN YEAR WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE FOR THE ANNUAL BEST PAPER AWARD. THE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN JOINTLY BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE IJRR EDITORIAL OFFICE AND EFRR COUNCIL. THE FIRST AUTHOR OF THE AWARDED ARTICLE WILL RECEIVE FREE REGISTRATION FOR THE NEXT EFRR CONGRESS AND BE RECOGNIZED ACCORDINGLY DURING THE MEETING. WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PUBLISHER IN HOPES OF SECURING ADDITIONAL JOURNAL BENEFITS FOR THE AWARDEES.

THIRDLY, WE ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN EFRR WEBINARS THAT WILL BE FREELY AVAILABLE TO EFRR MEMBERS. THE LIST OF SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE THE AUTHORS OF THE EDITOR’S PICK WHO WILL BE INVITED TO PRESENT THEIR AWARDED ARTICLE.  BESIDES THESE QUARTERLY PRESENTATIONS, ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS WILL BE SCHEDULED YEAR-ROUND. THE EFRR COUNCIL IS OPEN TO RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE MEMBERS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE TOPICS AND PRESENTERS.

FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE TWITTER ACCOUNT OF IJRR THAT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY ACTIVE (HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/INTN_J_REHBLRES). WE HIGHLIGHT NEW ARTICLES FROM THE LATEST ISSUE OF IJRR AND GIVE OUR PERSPECTIVE ON MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN REHABILITATION RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE. TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT AND BENEFIT FROM THIS NEW INITIATIVE, PLEASE JOIN TWITTER AND FOLLOW US AT @INTN_J_REHBLRES.

IN CLOSING, I INVITE YOU TO SUBMIT YOUR VALUABLE RESEARCH TO IJRR AND BENEFIT FROM THESE NEW INITIATIVES AND OPPORTUNITIES.

SINCERELY,

Prof. Evrim Karadag-Saygi M.D., PHD

EFRR PRESIDENT

EFRR Statement

THE EUROPEAN FORUM FOR RESEARCH IN REHABILITATION-EFRR IS A POLITICALLY NEUTRAL, MULTIDISCIPLINARY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION WHICH STANDS UP FOR UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS BY ADVANCING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN ALL BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF REHABILITATION.

THE OUTCOMES OF SUCH RESEARCH ARE IMPLEMENTED AND DISSEMINATED IN EUROPE AND INTERNATIONALLY WITH THE AIM OF IMPROVING THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL, VOCATIONAL, HEALTH-CARE AND REHABILITATION SERVICES AND THE STANDARDS OF PRACTICE IN THESE SERVICES, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL PEOPLE OF ALL COUNTRIES, AND IN PARTICULAR OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

THE EUROPEAN FORUM FOR RESEARCH IN REHABILITATION CONDEMNS THE WAR, VIOLENCE, AGGRESSION AND VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN UKRAINE. WE BELIEVE THAT INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE IS FUNDAMENTAL AND CANNOT BE INTERRUPTED, ESPECIALLY IN SITUATIONS WHERE HUMAN HEALTH IS UNDER SEVERE THREAT.

WE EXPRESS OUR SOLIDARITY TO ALL HEALTH AND REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS AND SCIENTISTS CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN THE CARE OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITY IN WAR TERRITORIES AND TO ALL PEOPLE SUFFERING IN THESE DRAMATIC EVENTS.

WE HOPE THAT THE CONFLICT WILL END SOON AND THAT COLLEAGUES FROM UKRAINE AND RUSSIA WILL BE ABLE TO WORK AND MEET AGAIN WITH OTHERS FROM OUR INTERNATIONAL REHABILITATION COMMUNITY, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR PATIENTS UNDER THE EFRR PREMISES, AS THEY HAVE DONE FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS.

EUROPEAN FORUM FOR RESEARCH IN REHABILITATION COUNCIL:

EVRIM KARADAG SAYGI, EFRR PRESIDENT, PRM SPECIALIST, TURKIYE

HELENA BURGER, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, PRM SPECIALIST, SLOVENIA

MATILDE LEONARDI, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, NEUROLOGIST, ITALY

SUSANNA MELKAS, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, NEUROLOGIST, FINLAND

CECILIA VARJU, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGIST, RHEUMATOLOGIST AND PRM SPECIALIST, HUNGARY

FREDERIKE VAN WIJCK, EFRR SECRETARY, HUMAN MOVEMENT SCIENTIST, UK

MARCO STREIBELT, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, GERMANY

MARTA SUPERVIA POLA, EFRR COUNCIL MEMBER, PRM SPECIALIST, SPAIN 

Presidents of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation

FOUNDER: JOHN HUNTER  (UNITED KINGDOM)
1983-1985: JOHN HUNTER  (UNITED KINGDOM)
1985-1988: KURT-ALPHONS JOCHHEIM + (GERMANY)
1988-1992: BD BANGMA + (GERMANY)
1992-1995: SIMON MILLER + (UNITED KINGDOM)
1995-1998: JUHANI WIKSTRÖM (FINLAND)
1998-2001: MICHAEL SCHUNTERMANN (GERMANY)
2001-2004: ALBERTO HIDALGO DE CAVIEDES (SPAIN)
2004-2007: CRT MARINCEK (SLOVENIA)
2007-2008: HAIM RING + (ISRAEL)
2008-2009: GABOR FAZEKAS (HUNGARY) 
2009-2011: AIVARS VETRA (LATVIA)
2011-2013: GABOR FAZEKAS (HUNGARY)
2013-2015: GÜLSEREN AKYUZ (TÜRKIYE)
2015-2017: AARNE YLINEN (FINLAND)
2017-2019: FREDERIKE VAN WIJCK (UNITED KINGDOM)
2019 – 2021: SUSANNE WEINBRENNER (GERMANY)
2021 - 2023: HELENA BURGER (SLOVENIA) 
2023 - 2025: EVRIM KARADAĞ SAYGI (TÜRKIYE)
2025 - CURRENT: CECÍLIA VARJÚ (HUNGARY)