Research Grants Program

Since 1997, the AOFAS Research Grants Program has provided more than $2.5 million in grant funding for AOFAS members and their research teams. These grants provide vital resources to discover new treatments and advance patient care.

View the full list of past AOFAS Research Grant recipients.

Congratulations to the 2026 Research Grant Recipients!

Resident Award

From Fixation to Function: A Prospective Evaluation of Five-Point Flexible Fixation in Lisfranc Injuries Using the LEAP Protocol
Daniel Whittingslow, MD, PhD; Joe Hart, PhD, ATC, FACSM, FNATA, FNAK; Landon L. Larabee, MD; Trapper Lalli, MD

Pilot Project Grants

Automated Radiographic Measurement Extraction for Total Ankle Replacement Using Deep Learning
David I. Pedowitz, MD, MS

Kinematic Biomarkers of Symptomatic PCFD: Correlation Between Multisegmental Foot Model-Based Gait Parameters and WBCT-Derived 3D Measurements
Albert Anastasio, MD; Cesar de Cesar Netto, MD, PhD; Yoon-Chung (Sophie) Kim, MD, PhD

Nav1.7 (SCN9A) Association with Osteoarthritis Progression and Pain Regulation in Human Ankle Cartilage
Anny Hsu, MD

Patient-Specific Finite Element Analysis of Ankle Biomechanics and Joint Loading
Alma Sato, MD; Daisuke Suzuki, PhD; Atsushi Teramoto, MD

Reproduce the Results of Changes in Tibiotalar Area of Contact Caused by Lateral Talar Shift
Jiacheng Wen, BM; Anhao Shi, BM; Lei Zhu, MD

The Utilization of Thermographic Mapping in Foot and Ankle: A Pilot Study
Selene Parekh, MD, MBA; Daniel Cohen, PhD

Weightbearing CT Evaluation of Contact and Distance Mapping of the 1st Tarsometatarsal and Metatarsophalangeal Joints Following MIS Hallux Valgus Correction
Sudheer Reddy, MD

Early Career Awards

The Effect of Centroidal versus Off-Axis Suture Button Fixation on Fibular Displacement in Syndesmotic Injuries: A Cadaveric Study
Bedri Karaismailoglu, MD

Can Syndesmosis Disruption Contribute to Development of a Progressive Collapsing Foot Deformity? A Biomechanical Investigation
Elizabeth Cody, MD; Brett D. Steineman, PhD

Biomechanical Consequences of Zadek Osteotomy Apex Position Variation on Plantar Fascia Strain and Medial Calcaneal Tuberosity Pressure: A Cadaveric Study
Rohan Bhimani, MD, MBA

Small Project Grants

Early Versus Delayed Weight-Bearing Following Operatively Treated Trimalleolar Ankle Fractures
Bradley Meulenkamp, MD; Cameron Elgie, MD; Karl-Andre R. Lalonde, MD

Gait Pattern and Clinical Outcome in Geriatric Ankle Fractures: How Does the Treatment Strategy Influence the Gait Pattern?
Angela Seidel, MD

Percutaneous Fasciotomies for Exertional Compartment Syndrome: A Cadaveric Study of Minimally Invasive Anterior and Lateral Compartment Leg Release
Michael Greaser, MD

Point of Care Comprehensive Analysis of Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy Patients
Cherice Hill, PhD

Upregulation of Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Induces Heterotopic Ossification in the Setting of Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy
Meghan Kelly, MD, PhD; Fei Fang, PhD

Established Project Grant

The Impact of Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Training in Patients with Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture Repair
Lorena Bejarano-Pineda, MD

Sigvard T. Hansen Pillar Research Grant

The Effectiveness of Subchondral Bone Preservation Technique in Ankle Joint Arthrodesis: An Animal Study
Shuyuan Li, MD, PhD; John M. Virostko, PhD, MSCI

Software to Detect, Track, and Evaluate Physiologic Below Knee Amputation Motion Within a Dynamic Stereo X-ray Video System
David Paglia, PhD; Jason Maikos, PhD; Salam Daher, PhD

Grant Categories

New primary investigators who have not yet received AOFAS Research Grant funding will receive an additional 10% on their grants' scores.

The AOFAS awards one-year research grants (May 1 to April 30) in three categories:

Pilot Project Grants (up to $5,000)

Grant recipients are expected to use data obtained from the projects to develop future grant applications.

Resident Award – awarded to an orthopaedic MD or DO resident who engages a named mentor (AOFAS Active or International Member) to serve as the CI on a research grant project.

Small Project Research Grants (up to $20,000)

The core grant category, providing seed funding for promising research projects.

Early Career Award – awarded to a researcher less than 10 years out of fellowship. The Early Career Award can only be awarded to an investigator once, but prior awardees of Pilot Project Grants and the AOFAS Resident Award are eligible.

Established Project Research Grants (up to $50,000)

This competitive grant category is intended to support innovative research for basic science, a clinical trial, or pre-trial work that could be used to obtain additional grants from national funding sources. Applications must be backed by preliminary work, data, and/or publications or abstracts to demonstrate feasibility of projects and capabilities of the research team.

Review Process

Applications are reviewed and ranked by the Research Committee on a competitive basis using a blinded NIH-style process. Any committee member or reviewer, including the Board liaisons, with any real or perceived conflict of interest with respect to a grant application is recused from deliberations and scoring of the application.

Eligibility

Access to AOFAS Research Grants is a benefit of AOFAS membership. Either the principal investigator or co-investigator on an application must be an AOFAS member in good standing in one of the following membership categories:

• Active Member

• Candidate Member

• International Member

• Associate Member

Surgeon in Training, International Surgeon in Training, MD Affiliate, Honorary, and Allied Health/Associate-Basic Science Members may apply with an AOFAS Active, Candidate, International, or Associate Member as a primary investigator or co-investigator. To determine your eligibility, please see the AOFAS Research Grants Program Policy and Guidelines. 

Questions?

Please contact the AOFAS by email at [email protected] or by phone at +1-847-698-4654.