Congratulations to the Recipients of the 2026 Collaborative Exchange Grants
Jie Deng, MD
Project Summary:
Dr. Jie Deng (Erasmus MC University Medical Center, the Netherlands, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison) will collaborate to enhance rehabilitation strategies by integrating advanced imaging modalities with an innovative wearable device to assess patellar tendon loading. This exchange fosters the development of novel approaches in tendon research.
Jillian Beveridge, PhD
Project Summary:
Dr. Jillian Beveridge (Brown University Health), Dr. Christopher Fry (University of Kentucky), and Dr. Benedikt Proffen (Boston Children’s Hospital) will engage in a three-way exchange to investigate the cross-talk between anterior cruciate ligament injury, surgery, and muscle health. Collaborative exchange merges their complementary expertise across scale, technical methods, and translational science, creating a new line of investigation to advance therapeutic interventions that preserve muscle function.
Svenja Illien-Junger, PhD
Project Summary:
Dr. Illien-Junger (Emory University School of Medicine) and Dr. Laura Stone (University of Minnesota) will merge their complementary expertise to explore how environmental stressors drive disc degeneration and discogenic pain. Through this exchange, Dr. Stone will train Dr. Illien-Junger in specialized mouse behavioral testing methods. This partnership will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and techniques, driving innovative approaches to study and treat discogenic pain.
Overview
ORS Collaborative Exchange Grant is to encourage and support collaborative exchanges between orthopaedic/musculoskeletal researchers at different institutions for which “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”
Funding
The ORS Awards and Recognition Committee will make the determination of how many applicants will be funded and the total dollar amount awarded to each applicant. The maximum grant amount is $5,000 per grant.
Eligibility
- An applicant must be an ORS member* in good standing. ORS members living outside the US are encouraged to apply.
- Applications will be accepted from applicants at all stages of their research career.
- The period of exchange is expected to be for a minimum of 2 weeks and may be spread over more than 1 visit.
*Note: If you are not a member of the ORS, but would like to apply to be eligible for this grant, visit our membership section of the website for an application.
Submissions
A complete submission package is due at the time of application. A submission package must include:
- A letter (maximum 2 pages) outlining the purpose of the visit, including a brief description of the area of intended collaboration, and the likely knowledge/skill, or collaborative outcome anticipated by the visit, and what impact the visit will likely have on their career
- A 2-page NIH style biosketch
- A letter from the hosting institution confirming support for the visit/exchange
- A completed budget form indicating the level of funding requested and a breakdown of the costs into travel, accommodation, and living expenses (Please use this budget template.)
Successful applicants must submit a brief report of the outcome of your exchange visit, indicating the research benefits you achieved through the grant. This summary will be posted on the ORS/exchange grant website.
Application Details
- June 27, 2025: Applications Due
- August 2025: Awardee Announcement
