ORS continues to invest in the future of our musculoskeletal research and orthopaedic communities through our rigorous mentoring and training programs. One of our most successful, long-term programs has been our grant writing program. This program has provided our orthopaedic research community with the tools and resources needed to write a compelling grant to ensure the success of their research program.
Course Curriculum
The course includes online lectures covering cover the basics of writing a compelling grant application and a separate full-day, in-person interactive workshop at the ORS Annual Meeting. The workshop offers participants the opportunity to prepare, revise, and review a Specific Aims Page or a full proposal with expert faculty.
The online portion of the course consists of 28 individual lectures with 8 learning modules and a total of 9 hours of learning.
- Each individual lecture is approximately 10 – 15 minutes in length.
- The online course is designed to be taken in chronological order. Of course, you can listen and revisit each module as often as you’d like.
- This course offers office hours with faculty, an informal Q&A with selected faculty and live webinars. Details will be sent to all course participants at a later date.
How to Write the Best Grant – Selecting the Right Mechanism
Strategies for Grant Submissions: Who is Your Audience?
Richard L. Lieber, PhD
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab / Northwestern University
Why Grants Matter for Academic Scientists and Physicians
Francis Y. Lee, MD, PhD
Yale School of Medicine
Alternative Funding Sources: Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF)
Ponda Barnes, PhD, MPH, CRA
Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF)
Alternative Funding Sources: Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, Inc. Biologics (MTF Biologics)
Jeffrey Cartmell, PhD
Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, Inc. Biologics (MTF Biologics)
Introduction to NIH/Managing an Early Investigator Status
Gayle Lester, PhD
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Navigating National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS): Funding Opportunities
Charles H. Washabaugh, PhD
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
How to Write the Best Grant – Project Planning & Aims
Proposal Concept and Planning
Elise F. Morgan, PhD
Boston University
Significance, Impact, and Innovation
James C. Iatridis, PhD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
How to Write a Compelling Specific Aims Page
Stavros Thomopoulos, PhD
Columbia University
Hypothesis Development
Mitchell B. Schaffler, PhD
The City College of New York
How to Write the Best Grant – Approach and Collaborations
How to Present Preliminary Data
Stavros Thomopoulos, PhD
Columbia University
Approach Section (Basic Science Grants)
Alice Huang, PhD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Approach Section (Clinical Research Grants)
Kurt P. Spindler, MD
Cleveland Clinic
How to Write the Best Grant – Critical Additional Components
The Importance of a Strong Statistical Design: Sample Size, Data Analysis, Power Analysis
Louis J. Soslowsky, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Anticipating Critiques: Potential Problems & Alternative Approaches
Hicham Drissi, PhD
Emory University
How to Use Supporting Documents to Strengthen Your Proposal
Tamara Alliston, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
The Unscored Section of NIH Grants (Resources, Biohazards, Foreign Organizations, Select Agents, Resource Sharing Plans & Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources)
Karl J. Jepsen, PhD
University of Michigan
Budget and Budget Justification
Ling Qin, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Elements of Grants: Overview (PHS 398 & Newer Forms)
Nadeen O. Chahine, PhD
Columbia University Medical Center
Rigor and Reproducibility
Edward Schwarz, PhD
University of Rochester Medical Center
Career Transitions and NIH K-Grants
Logistics of Clinical Trials: Clinical Trials are not for Everyone
Kurt P. Spindler, MD
Cleveland Clinic
Transition from NIH K- to NIH R- Grants
Kurt R. Weiss, MD
University of Pittsburgh
Basic Scientist Career Transitions
Ralph Marcucio, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
Peer Review Process
NIH Center for Scientific Review: Peer Review Process to Determine Scientific Merit of Grant Applications
Daniel F. McDonald, PhD
former employee of National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Guidance on Study Section and Institute Assignment Requests
Stavros Thomopoulos, PhD
Columbia University
Pathways for Research
Vertebrae Animal Section and IACUC Approval
Kurt Hankenson, DVM, PhD
University of Michigan
What’s the End Game?
Edward Schwarz, PhD
University of Rochester Medical Center
What’s Next?
What is the Next Step if Grant is or is Not Funded
Ralph Marcucio, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
The next in-person Workshop for this Course will take place Friday, March 27, 2026, during the ORS 2026 Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Friday, March 27
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sponsored by:
Presented by the LearnORS Committee’s Art of Grant Writing Sub-Committee
During the in-person Workshop, participants will learn about funding opportunities for research, meet funding agency representatives, be paired with experienced mentors to go over their proposals and provide valuable feedback on the art of grant writing. The Workshop includes a Specific Page Aims Lab providing participants with the opportunity to prepare and revise a Specific Aims Page, the most important page of the grant application. In addition, a subset of full grants submitted by registrants will be reviewed during a LIVE Mock Study Section. Additional didactics highlight important concepts to supplement information presented in the LearnORS online companion Course. The day ends with a networking reception. Don’t miss out on the networking and mentoring opportunities and the real time feedback you will receive from faculty and funding agency representatives.
All registrants will be invited to submit a Specific Aims Page or Full Grant Proposal for review. Submitting these materials will optimize your Workshop experience! The deadline for submissions was January 30, 2026.
Pre-Registration Required
Registration includes light breakfast, lunch, and networking event.
NON-Member registrants receive a 50% discount on the Art of Grant Writing online course.
Faculty
The program is taught by a diverse and multi-disciplinary faculty including engineers, biologists, and orthopaedic surgeons who have been successful in obtaining federal research funding. The faculty will offer practical insights on designing impactful basic, translational, and clinical grant proposals, with an emphasis on how to effectively communicate ideas to reviewers. Visit this page to view the disclosures for this course.
Who Would Benefit From This Course?
This program provides the orthopaedic research community of residents, surgeons, basic scientists, and engineers with the opportunity to learn the necessary skills to write a successful grant application. All career levels and disciplines in the field of musculoskeletal research and research relating to orthopaedics will benefit from the course.
New LearnORS Enrollment options are available for both individuals and multi-user groups.
| Category | Course | Non-Member Rate |
|---|---|---|
| LearnORS Bundle (Best Value) | ALL 5 Courses | $1,125 |
| Scientific Courses | Art of Grant Writing Orthopaedic Basic Science Principles of Clinical Research | $350 per Course |
| Career Development Courses | Enhanced Writing and Publication Skills | $120 |
| New Investigator Toolkit | $59 |
How to Access LearnORS
ORS Members: Access all LearnORS courses at no cost through your ORS Member Portal.
Non-Members: Access LearnORS courses through the enrollment button below.
