Research Grants Program

The 2021 Research Grants Program application cycle is now open! Submit your proposal by December 3, 2020, at noon Central Time.

Before applying for an AOFAS Research Grant, make sure to review the Research Grants Policy and gather all required documents and contact information.

Start Your Application

Since 1997, AOFAS has offered grant funding opportunities for AOFAS members and their research teams. These grants provide vital resources to discover new treatments and advance patient care.

Hear from past Research Grant recipients in the videos below and view the full list of past awards. 

MaCalus V. Hogan, MD

Amiethab A. Aiyer, MD

Research Grants Program Information

Grant Categories

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. No more than four pilot grants will be awarded in any grant cycle.

Small Project Research Grants (up to $20,000)
The core grant category, providing seed funding for promising research projects.

Established Project Research Grants (up to $50,000)
Offering one opportunity in the 2020 cycle, 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.

Grant recipients are announced in the spring.

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

Surgeon in Training, International Surgeon in Training, MD Affiliate, Honorary, and Allied Health/Associate-Basic Science Members may apply with an AOFAS Active, Candidate, or International 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 Executive Office by email at research@aofas.org or by phone at 800-235-4855 or +1-847-698-4654 (outside US)

Congratulations to the 2020 AOFAS Research Grant Recipients!

Established Project Grants

Linking Structural Changes and Functional Outcomes Following Achilles Tendon Rupture
Josh Baxter; Kathryn O'Connor, MD

A Multifunctional Implant That Induces Bone Regeneration in Diabetics
John Femino, MD; Douglas Fredericks, BS; Aliasger Salem, PhD

Small Project Grants

Towards Consensus in Arthroscopic Management of Osteochondral Defects
Dominic Carreira, MD; Thomas Harris, MD; Kirk McCullough, MD; A. Holly Johnson, MD; Rebecca Cerrato, MD; Jorge Acevedo, MD; Eric Giza, MD

Immediate Weight Bearing in Diabetic Ankle Fractures with the Use of a Hindfoot Offloader Brace
Kyle Schweser, MD; Brett Crist, MD; Kyle Fiala, DPM; Benjamin Summerhays, DPM

Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Therapy Following Achilles Tendon Rupture and Repair
Mark Drakos, MD; Oliver Hansen, BA; Stephanie Eble, BA; Andrea Papson, DPT

Pilot Project Grants

Risk Factors for Chronic Ankle Instability After Lateral Ankle Sprain
David Porter, MD, PhD; Anand Vora, MD; Joseph Jacobson, MD; Robert Kulwin, MD

Does Patient-Reported Outcome Measure Use in Clinic Visits Improve Patient Satisfaction and Experience? A Randomized, Controlled Trial
Judith Baumhauer, MD, MPH; A. Samuel Flemister, MD; Benedict DiGiovanni, MD; David Bernstein, MBA, MA

Does Toe Curl Exercise Against Elastic Resistance Band Improves Popliteal Venous Return in Healthy Volunteers When the Leg Is Immobilized in Cast?
Kandasamy Sampathkumar, FRCS(Tr&Orth)