The Art of Grant Writing

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.

Module 1: Selecting the Right Mechanism

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)

Module 2: Project Planning & Aims

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

Module 3: Approach & Collaborations

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

Module 4: Critical Additional Components

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

Module 5: Career Transitions & NIH K-Grants

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

Module 6: Peer Review Process

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

Module 7: Pathways for Research

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

Module 8: What's Next?

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 portion of the course will take place at the ORS 2026 Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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.