Early Career Research Grant
The O&P Foundation's Early Career Research Grant Program supports clinically-relevant, investigator-initiated research in orthotics and prosthetics (O&P). The Early Career Research Grant is a one-year award in the amount of $30,000. This award is intended to help early career investigators initiate lines of research that will be competitive for larger funding opportunities through funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), or the Department of Defense (DOD).
The Early Career Grant is awarded annually, and awards are based on the scientific merit of the proposed research project.
Eligibility Requirements
The principal investigator (PI) must have attained a doctoral degree or have equivalent research experience.
The PI must have completed their terminal degree <10 years prior to the application due date.
The proposed research must include a clinician trained in O&P as the PI or co-investigator.
The host institution must be a not-for-profit located within the United States (US).
The primary research site must be in the US.
The proposed research must be clinically relevant to the O&P profession in the United States.
Review
Early Career Research Grant applications will be reviewed and scored by scientific and/or clinical experts selected by the O&P Foundation's Research Committee. Review is based on criteria in three main areas: (1) Relevance of the research topic; (2) Merit of the research design; and (3) Appropriateness of the personnel and environment. The O&P Foundation Review outlines the scoring criteria.
How to Apply
Create an account in The O&P Foundation Application Portal, then select the “Early Career Research Grant” program application and follow portal instructions.
Prepare and upload a Letter of Intent (LOI)
The LOI should briefly describe the proposed research; list all key investigators; and name the institutions/organizations/companies involved in the study.
The LOI is used to verify eligibility and to assemble a review committee with appropriate topic area expertise; feedback will not be provided.
Applicants do not need to await an invitation to apply; however, applications will not be reviewed if an LOI is not submitted.
Complete and upload the Application Cover Letter
Draft and upload a Full Proposal
Applicants are responsible for ensuring the proposal adheres to all the Early Career Research Grant Program Manual guidelines, proposals that do not adhere to the stated guidelines will not be reviewed.
A confirmation will be sent to applicants to confirm receipt of the application.
Award Cycle Information
The following are key dates and deadlines for The O&P Foundation's Early Career Award Program. Application materials must be received by 5:00pm Central Time on the posted deadline. Applicants are responsible for ensuring all materials are received by the O&P Foundation by the dates listed below.
Letter of Intent: period closed
Full Proposal: period closed
Approximate Award Notification: 09/01/2024