The Meniscus Section proudly presents the inaugural ORS Meniscus Rising Star Award to honor early career investigators who have high potential for impactful research contributions to the meniscus field, as well as excellence in vision for collaboration, mentorship, innovation, and service.

Award Details & Recognition

Awardees will be selected to present a 3-minute pitch of their lab and research vision at the ORS Meniscus Section Meeting during the 2027 Annual ORS Meeting.

Nomination Eligibility Criteria

The nominee must:

  • Be an ORS Member and Meniscus Section member in good standing.
  • Have held an independent faculty position (or equivalent) for 0-5 years at the time of application. *Please Note: Appropriate consideration will be given to individuals who have taken a career break (e.g., parental leave, sick leave), work in systems with differing time-to-independence expectations, or who followed an alternative academic path. Please provide relevant context in the nomination materials.
  • Demonstrated clear evidence of a productive research career in any field.
  • Research vision includes clear evidence of high quality, innovative research plan with the potential for a high impact in the meniscus field.
  • Demonstrated clear evidence of engagement within a professional research community, and proposed future engagement with the ORS Meniscus Section, including but not limited to participation as an attendee, speaker, panelist, or committee member.
  • Proposed specific and detailed mentorship plan for current/future trainees.

Submission deadline is Monday, November 9, 2026.

Nominations from colleagues or self-nominations are equally encouraged. The following documents are required for the application:

  • A single page letter describing how the nominee fits the nomination criteria above is required for the nomination
  • An NIH-style biosketch or maximum 5-page CV that highlights the nomination criteria
  • A single page research vision detailing the short- and long-term goals of their research program

Nominations will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ORS Meniscus Section Executive Committee. Evaluations will be made using the rubric below based on the nominee’s (i) innovation in proposed scientific vision, (ii) potential impact on the meniscus field (iii) mentorship, and (iv) community engagement.

In the case of a conflict of interest (e.g., a subcommittee member is nominated or is from the same institution as a nominee), that individual will be required to recuse themselves from the review process.