Research Scholarship Program
The AOFAS Research Scholarship Program provides an incredible opportunity for up to 10 early-career orthopaedic research faculty (PhD candidates and post-doctoral research scientists) to attend the AOFAS Annual Meeting & IFFAS 9th Biennial Meeting, where they will participate in a research-focused educational program and explore opportunities to investigate
problems specific to foot and ankle orthopaedics. The scholarship covers Annual Meeting registration, lodging for four nights, and a stipend to offset travel expenses.
Congratulations to the 2026 AOFAS Research Scholars!
Elizabeth Bowman, BS
University of Utah
Lennart Gerdesmeyer, MD
Technical University of Munich
Stanton Godshall, BS
Penn Medicine
Yi Kang, PT
Washington University in St. Louis
Bedri Karaismailoglu, MD
Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa
Arman Kishan, MD
Duke University Medical Center
Elana Lapins, MSc, BS
University of Utah
Kathryn Strand, BS
University of Pennsylvania
Atta Taseh, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital/Groningen University Medical Center
Devin Wong, BS
University of Iowa
Program Dates
The 2026 AOFAS Annual Meeting & IFFAS Biennial Meeting will take place in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Wednesday, September 16
through Saturday, September 19, 2026.
The first day of the meeting (September 16) will include a specialized educational program for
Research Scholars that features presentations from AOFAS clinician-scientists and their
research collaborators on their current research and opportunities for future clinical investigation. All
accepted Research Scholars must commit to arriving in Seattle by the morning of September 16
and attending the entirety of the Research Scholar education program.
Following this program, Research Scholars are invited to attend the AOFAS/IFFAS scientific program and social events.
Scholarship Criteria
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
PhD candidate or post-doctoral research scientist pursuing a career in orthopaedic research.
Involvement on a research team in an orthopaedic lab (bone, cartilage, tendon, human biomechanics, etc.)
Application Process
Applicants must:
Complete and submit the online application
Upload a personal statement (no longer than 500 words) describing their interest in orthopaedic research, career goals, and what they hope to gain from this experience
Upload a curriculum vitae
Obtain a written letter of recommendation from someone familiar with their research interests and role on the research team (e.g., research supervisor, department chair, senior colleague)
Incomplete applications or applications received after March 6 will not be considered.
Selection
Applicants will be notified in May 2026 if they have been selected for the Research Scholarship. Upon receipt of the scholarship agreement, AOFAS will handle meeting registration and hotel arrangements, and will issue a stipend to the Research Scholar to offset travel expenses. Research Scholars are responsible for making their own flight/transportation arrangements.
If an applicant accepts the AOFAS Research Scholarship and becomes unable to attend the Research Scholar Program on Wednesday, September 16, any and all stipend funds must be returned to AOFAS.
For more information, contact the AOFAS at [email protected].