Human Study
Human Study e.V. is a Nuremberg-based humanitarian NGO that runs a global school of Rehabilitation Sciences, delivering ISPO-accredited blended-learning training in prosthetics and orthotics to rehabilitation professionals in conflict-affected and low-income countries across 53 nations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersNürnberg, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Human Study does
Human Study e.V. is a humanitarian NGO headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany, founded in 2005 by Christian Schlierf. It operates a global school of Rehabilitation Sciences delivering accredited training in prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) to rehabilitation professionals in conflict-affected and low-income countries. Its core product portfolio spans four tiers — the Bachelor of Science Prosthetist/Orthotist program (joint with Mahidol University's Sirindhorn School, ISPO-accredited since 2017), the Associate Prosthetist/Orthotist program, the Prosthetic Orthotic Technician program, and SCOPe continuing professional education. Since founding, Human Study has trained over 600 professionals across 53 countries.
The organization's signature technology is a blended learning model that combines online coursework delivered through a Moodle-based LMS with hands-on practical workshops conducted in-country by international faculty. Translated curriculum materials (including Arabic and other local languages) and a train-the-trainer cascade are core IP components. Students remain in their home countries, continue working, and apply new skills immediately to local patients. Programs are accredited by the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) and structured around WHO Standards for Prosthetics and Orthotics. Human Study UK was established in 2020 as a sister organization (UK Registered Charity No. 1189086) to support international programs and develop domestic UK workforce solutions with BAPO and NHS.
Human Study is a registered non-profit association funded through donations, institutional grants, and the Sepp Heim Funding Program, which facilitates structured annual partner contributions. Major institutional funders and partners include ICRC (partner since 2012), GIZ, the Edith K. Hofmann Foundation, the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation, Momentum Charitable Foundation, MIT, and others. The organization operates regional offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Tuzla), Serbia (Belgrade), Spain (Tarragona), and the United Kingdom (Hastings), and an international team spanning teaching, project management, IT, communications, and finance functions. Governance is provided by a board including former ISPO President Daniel Blocka and Dr. Mary Scott of the ISPO Education Committee.
Human Study firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Human Study
- Legal name
- Human Study e.V.
- Website
- https://human-study.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Human Study e.V. is a Nuremberg-based humanitarian NGO that runs a global school of Rehabilitation Sciences, delivering ISPO-accredited blended-learning training in prosthetics and orthotics to rehabilitation professionals in conflict-affected and low-income countries across 53 nations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Human Study industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rehabilitation Education and Training
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Allied Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Schools (PT/OT/SLP, etc.) (EDAHAGAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rehabilitation Support (PT/OT Aide) (EDAOAJAI), Prosthetics/Orthotics Rehab & Amputee Rehabilitation (HSADAIAN)
Keywords
Where Human Study is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nürnberg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Human Study business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Human Study operates as a humanitarian NGO funded primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and charitable foundations. The organization accepts both one-time and recurring donations to support training programs.
- Foundation and Institutional Funding: Major funding from institutional partners including the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation, GIZ (German development agency), Edith K. Hofmann Foundation, Momentum Charitable Foundation, and other international development organizations.
- Sepp Heim Funding Program: Annual contributions from individual and corporate partners through the Sepp Heim Funding Program, with suggested annual contributions of €5,000-€10,000 for organizations seeking to support P&O education.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Human Study product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Human Study runs a global school of rehabilitation sciences that trains Prosthetist/Orthotists (P&O) through ISPO-accredited programs delivered via a blended learning model. The organization offers a BSc Prosthetist/Orthotist degree (with Mahidol University), an Associate Prosthetist/Orthotist program, a Prosthetic Orthotic Technician program, and SCOPe continuing-education courses, taking training directly to students in conflict-affected and low-income countries so they can remain in their jobs while studying.
Product overview
Human Study is a humanitarian NGO that operates a global school of Rehabilitation Sciences, offering a multi-tiered educational portfolio in prosthetics and orthotics. The organization provides programs at three qualification levels: the Bachelor of Science (BSc) Prosthetist/Orthotist degree (in partnership with Mahidol University), the Associate Prosthetist/Orthotist program, and the Prosthetic Orthotic Technician program. SCOPe offers continuing professional education courses. The signature offering is the innovative Blended Learning Program, which combines online theoretical instruction with hands-on practical workshops delivered directly in countries where students work, enabling them to stay employed while training. The Sepp Heim Funding Program provides structured funding pathways for partners to support this educational mission.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sepp Heim Funding Program (SHFP): A unique collaboration of partners from the P&O sector and beyond, enabling annual contributions to support scholarships, new education programs, and innovations in prosthetics and orthotics training.
Products and services
- BSc Prosthetist/Orthotist Program Bachelor's degree program enabling ISPO-certified Associates to upgrade to Prosthetist/Orthotist level and acquire Bachelor's degrees in P&O at the same time. The joint program with Mahidol University received ISPO accreditation in 2017 and has educated 52 P&O professionals with 12 currently enrolled.
- Associate Prosthetist/Orthotist Program Entry-level training program for individuals seeking to become Associate-level prosthetists/orthotists. Students learn to make and fit prosthetic limbs and orthotic braces.
- Prosthetic Orthotic Technician Program Technical training program for individuals seeking to work as prosthetic/orthotic technicians, providing foundational skills in the field.
- SCOPe (Short Courses in Orthotics, Prosthetics and related Education) Continuing professional education courses providing specialized training modules for practicing prosthetists and orthotists looking to expand their skills.
- Blended Learning Program Human Study's innovative training methodology combining online learning with onsite practical workshops. Students can remain in their home countries while studying, continuing to earn a living and immediately applying newly learned skills.
Quantifiable outcome
- 600+ rehabilitation professionals trained across 53 countries since 2005
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Human Study
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Human Study technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Human Study partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, strategic and supporting.
- Human Study UKcoreUK Registered Charity (No. 1189086) established in 2020 as a sister organization to Human Study e.V. Supports international programs and is developing training solutions for UK P&O workforce crisis. Funded first training project in Syria and current focus on Ukraine.
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)corePhysical Rehabilitation Program partnership since 2012 supporting development of rehabilitation services worldwide in conflict regions. Joint projects include a full Bachelor's degree program at Erbil Polytechnic University (Iraq) achieving ISPO accreditation, and two Bachelor's programs in Afghanistan where graduates now serve as trainers and leaders.
- Mahidol University, Sirindhorn School of Prosthetics and Orthotics (SSPO)coreAcademic partner in Thailand for the world's first specialized Bachelor's degree program enabling ISPO-certified Associates to upgrade to Prosthetist/Orthotist level while earning academic degrees. The joint program received ISPO accreditation in 2017 and has educated 52 P&O professionals with 12 currently enrolled.
- International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO)coreHuman Study's education programs are accredited by ISPO. The organization uses WHO/ISPO Standards for Prosthetics and Orthotics as guidance. Board member Daniel Blocka is former ISPO President (2007-2010) and Dr Mary Scott serves on the ISPO Education Committee.
- World Health Organization (WHO)coreCollaboration and knowledge exchange with WHO. Human Study uses WHO Standards for Prosthetics and Orthotics as guidance. Organization is a contributor to WHO's GATE initiative (Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology). Dr Mary Scott contributed to the WHO World Report on Disability 2011.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)minorHuman Study's work contributes to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).
- BAPO and NHS (UK)strategicHuman Study UK is working with the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (BAPO) and NHS to develop an Associate Prosthetist/Orthotist training course to address UK workforce shortages.
- Ankara UniversitysupportingTurkish university partnership providing venue for initial practical workshops for Syrian refugee students in Turkey.
- Exceed WorldwidesupportingUK-based charity working for equality for people with disabilities in developing world. Board member Dan Blocka serves on Exceed Board of Directors.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Human Study competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Limbs International: Non-profit focused on providing low-cost prosthetic limbs and supporting P&O training in developing countries. Overlaps with Human Study on the training-and-access mission but emphasizes device provision rather than degree-level P&O education.
- Physiopedia / Plus Editorial: Online open-access rehabilitation education platform with a similar blended-learning ethos, serving practitioners in low-resource settings. Comparable audience (rehab professionals in the Global South) and digital delivery model, though broader scope beyond P&O.
Broad incumbents
- Ottobock: Global commercial leader in prosthetics and orthotics manufacturing and service provision. Sits adjacent to Human Study as a private-sector incumbent in the same clinical specialty; Human Study partners and trains for the patient populations Ottobock serves.
- Ossur: Icelandic-listed global P&O device manufacturer with significant humanitarian programs. A broad incumbent that both competes for talent in P&O and overlaps with Human Study through humanitarian-focused activity and prosthetic training partnerships.
Direct peers
- Range of Motion Project (ROMP): Non-profit providing prosthetic and orthotic care and training in Guatemala, Ecuador, and Haiti. Comparable mission model: serving under-resourced populations with P&O services while building local clinical capacity — a peer in the humanitarian P&O space with overlapping donor profiles.
- Motivation Charitable Trust: UK-registered charity providing mobility devices and rehabilitation training in low- and middle-income countries. Operates in similar geographies (e.g., Africa, South Asia) with a comparable mix of service delivery, training, and advocacy on disability inclusion.
- Exceed Worldwide (formerly Cambodia Trust): UK-based charity supporting people with disabilities in the developing world through P&O training and service delivery. Daniel Blocka, Human Study's board member, also serves on Exceed's Board, and both organizations train P&O professionals to ISPO standards in low-resource settings — making them direct mission-aligned peers.
- ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Programme: Human Study's primary strategic partner since 2012 and the dominant humanitarian operator in physical rehabilitation. Both train P&O personnel in conflict-affected countries using ISPO-aligned curricula, partner with Mahidol for degree pathways, and operate joint programs in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflict zones.
- Mahidol University Sirindhorn School of Prosthetics and Orthotics (SSPO): Thailand-based academic partner that jointly delivers Human Study's ISPO-accredited BSc P&O program for working professionals. Both institutions train ISPO-certified practitioners using hybrid delivery, and SSPO is the degree-granting body for Human Study's flagship qualification upgrade.
Others
- University of Pittsburgh Master of P&O Program: Established US academic P&O program producing ISPO-accredited graduates. Differentiated as a fee-paying domestic degree program rather than a humanitarian blended-learning model, but trains the same practitioner category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Human Study social profiles
Digital presenceHuman Study compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Human Study financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Human Study leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Human Study subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Human Study funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Human Study M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Human Study
What does Human Study do?
Human Study runs a global school of rehabilitation sciences that trains Prosthetist/Orthotists (P&O) through ISPO-accredited programs delivered via a blended learning model. The organization offers a BSc Prosthetist/Orthotist degree (with Mahidol University), an Associate Prosthetist/Orthotist program, a Prosthetic Orthotic Technician program, and SCOPe continuing-education courses, taking training directly to students in conflict-affected and low-income countries so they can remain in their jobs while studying.
Is Human Study a public or private company?
Human Study is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Human Study founded?
Human Study was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Human Study based?
Human Study is headquartered in Nürnberg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Human Study make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Institutional Funding and sepp Heim Funding Program.
Who are Human Study's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Limbs International and Physiopedia / Plus Editorial. Broad incumbents are Ottobock and Ossur. Direct peers are Range of Motion Project (ROMP), Motivation Charitable Trust, Exceed Worldwide (formerly Cambodia Trust), ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Programme and Mahidol University Sirindhorn School of Prosthetics and Orthotics (SSPO). University of Pittsburgh Master of P&O Program is listed as an others.
Does Human Study have an API?
No public API is recorded for Human Study.
What industry is Human Study in?
Human Study's product category is Rehabilitation Education and Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAGAH, Allied Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Schools (PT/OT/SLP, etc.), with a secondary code of EDAOAJAI, Rehabilitation Support (PT/OT Aide). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.