Nedra P. Gillette, MEd, PhD (Hon), OTR, held the post of Director of Research at AOTF for 30 years. Through her efforts, occupational therapy researchers have received seed grants needed to apply for federal grants and were introduced to federal sources of funding and those who controlled that funding. She was instrumental in building a network of researchers who raised occupational therapists’ awareness of the need for evidence-based practice. Beginning and established researchers benefitted from her efforts; they were taught grant proposal writing and teamed with mentors to develop their skills. AOTF established the Nedra Gillette Endowed Research Fellowship in Occupational Therapy because “so much of the progress in developing research in occupational therapy is associated with her.” Read Gillette’s vision of the 21st century.