Foundation ORE-O Grant

The ORE-O Grant was established in 2019 through a collaboration between the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) and the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics Foundation (AOAO-F) to provide financial support for osteopathic orthopedic endeavors in research and education for the advancement of the profession and provide opportunities for publishing such research.

Grant Purpose:

The AOAO-F/AOF’s ORE-O grant supports Osteopathic Orthopedic Residents or Fellows in training who plan to pursue osteopathic orthopedic research through this grant, who has demonstrated their contribution to the science and knowledge of the biomechanical, biomedical, and clinical aspects of osteopathic orthopedic surgery through research and publication.

Award:

A monetary award of $10,000 will be awarded to one (1) Osteopathic Orthopedic Resident or Fellow in training; distributed in two installments: first installment of $7,500 upon completion of the grant agreement, and final installment of $2,500 upon completion of the final grant report. This award may be given more than once annually.

Eligibility:

• Osteopathic Orthopedic Resident or a Fellow in an orthopedic specialty training program who is a member in good standing of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics.
• All aspects of research must be conducted during training.
• Selected recipient must submit an abstract and paper within 6 months of completion to an orthopedic research related journal.
• Selected recipient must notify the AOAO-F and AOF of all publications of this research for up to two (2) years after the conclusion of this grant; publication(s) must recognize the grant and list the funders as “The American Osteopathic Foundation and the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics Foundation.”

Requirements:

• Completed online application form
• CV/Resume/Biosketch
• A detailed budget including total cost; how the applicant plans to use the funds and a list of requested and secured funding amounts/sources
• Stage/Phase of Research
• Research Project Plan: The applicant must propose a succinct project that clearly outlines the background, hypothesis(es), specific aims, and scientific approach that will be taken to address each specific aim. An impact statement should also be included that describes the importance of the research to the practice of Osteopathic orthopedic surgery.
• Title of Paper or Research Report
• Concept paper or published research including abstract with citations
• Two letters of recommendation, from the following:
  • Lead Mentor (advisor): submitted by the Lead Mentor, on institutional letterhead, describing their role in the research project, detailing their commitment to the applicant’s training, and their experience mentoring other students, residents, or junior faculty level researchers.
  • Individual of the applicant’s choosing: a DO or PhD recommendation is strongly encouraged.

Recognition & Award Presentation:

The recipient will also be recognized by the AOF and by the AOAO-Foundation through electronic and social media and the AOAO newsletter, The Orthopod.

Upon completion of the project, the recipient will be recognized and expected to present the research at an AOAO Annual Meeting. To facilitate attendance, the AOAO-F and the AOF will:

• Waive registration fees for the meeting at which the presentation will take place
• Provide a reimbursable travel and lodging stipend of up to $1,000 with receipts, after the meeting at which the presentation will take place
• Highlight the presentation via social media and other methods

The recipient is encouraged to submit an abstract of the research project to the AOAO Annual Fall Meeting the year following the award.

Review Process / Determination of Awardee:

1. All submissions will undergo an administrative review process for adherence to formatting requirements, completeness, and basic eligibility. Submissions that do not meet these requirements will be administratively withdrawn and will not undergo further review.
2. Access to the web portal will be extended to the AOF Scholarships and Awards Committee and designated members from the AOAO-F Board of Directors. These reviewers will assess the strengths and weaknesses of each submission and select two nominees.
3. The top two nominees (based on overall aggregate scoring) will be presented to the AOAO-F Board of Directors for final recommendation. Any grant recommendation made outside of the aggregate overall point system will be discussed with AOF prior to the award announcement.

Review Timeline and General Information:

• Application portal open March 17, 2025 through May 19, 2025.
• AOAO-Foundation staff conducts the administrative review from May 20-23, 2025
• Following the administrative review, AOF staff will provide access to the Review Portal with the review committee by May 24, 2025.
• Review Portal closes June 5, 2025; Review Committee will convene by June 11, 2025 if necessary
• AOF Committee Approval: June/July; AOF Board Approval by July
• Recipient and their institution will be notified by July 31, 2025
• Grant recipient is required to submit a Final Grant Report along with an itemized budget of expenditures and provide receipts (through Survey Monkey Apply, the AOF’s grants and programs portal). Final payment is contingent on report completion.

Full Application Review Criteria

• Research Question and Significance: Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in osteopathic orthopedic surgery? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability and/or clinical practice be improved?
• Applicant: Does the applicant/nominee present clear, feasible goals for developing the necessary research skills needed?
• Impact: Does the research project align with the mission of the AOAO-F and the AOF? Does the applicant clearly explain the impact of the research on the biomechanical, biomedical, and clinical aspects of osteopathic orthopedic surgery?
• Innovation: Does the applicant challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies? Are they novel to the field of osteopathic orthopedic research? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies proposed and/or utilized?

Disbursement of Funds

Disbursement will be in the form of two payouts, two installments: first installment of $7,500 upon completion of the grant agreement, and final installment of $2,500 upon completion of the final grant report.

Tracking/Stewardship

The award winner will be communicated with electronically by the AOF and the AOAO-F. The winner will also be added to AOF and AOAO-F e-communications, including eblasts, newsletters, web alerts and the like. In the future, the winner may be invited to serve as an award reviewer.

Final Reporting Requirements

• A final grant report will be submitted via SurveyMonkey Apply.
• Selected recipient must agree to submit an abstract and paper to an orthopedic research related journal within 6 months of research completion. Recognizing the specific nature of this research may impact the field of Orthopedics, Grantee is strongly encouraged to publish in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics (JAOAO) to reach those who will benefit the most.