Human Study

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.

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

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

• Prosthetics and orthotics education
• Rehabilitation sciences training
• Blended learning programs
• Humanitarian medical education
• Nonprofit e-learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Nuremberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, strategic and supporting.

• Human Study UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020UK 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Physical 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman 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)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman 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 UniversitysupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTurkish university partnership providing venue for initial practical workshops for Syrian refugee students in Turkey.
• Exceed WorldwidesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-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

Emerging 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

• Xx.com/human_study_po
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HumanStudyPO
• Facebookfacebook.com/HumanStudyPO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/human-study
• Instagraminstagram.com/humanstudypo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Human Study