Are you passionate about STEM outreach? We are seeking applications from enthusiastic early career ORS members who want to assist with leading activities during the ORS Open Door 2026 event. Responsibilities may include helping to plan programming, moderating Q&A sessions for talks, supporting workshop activities, and/or leading small groups. For those new to STEM outreach, this is an excellent training opportunity where you will learn from ORS members who have been successfully engaged in such efforts throughout their careers.
Overview
10 awards of $300 each will be provided to volunteers who will participate in ORS Open Door event at the ORS 2026 Annual Meeting.
Award Details
A total of 10 awards of $300 per award are available. The purpose of the award is to help offset travel and lodging expenses, as participants will need to arrive in Charlotte by Thursday evening, March 26, 2026 to be available for the start of the ORS Open Door event on the morning of Friday, March 27, 2026.
Event Description
ORS Open Door will take place on Friday, March 27, 2026 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. More information partners and schedule will be released as plans develop.
ORS Open Door is an outreach activity aimed at communicating key aspects of orthopaedic/musculoskeletal science to the general public. This year’s target audience is middle school-aged students from the local Charlotte area. A particular focus of this year’s event continues to be outreach to BIPOC/under-represented minorities and first-generation students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields.
The overarching goal of ORS Open Door is to get students excited about the possibility of future careers in the musculoskeletal sciences, introducing them to a wide variety of professional pathways and work performed by our ORS members. This year’s audience will focus on middle school students who are choosing their educational trajectory.
The program will engage participants in presentations and activities designed to teach about potential careers and topics related to musculoskeletal sciences. The events of the day will feature ORS speakers presenting short talks, a discussion panel of ORS members from BIPOC/under-represented minority backgrounds and first-generation students, and hands-on workshops/demos.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for the ORS Early Career Outreach Travel Award, individuals must:
- Be an ORS member in good standing at the time of application from one of the following membership categories: Student, Post-Graduate Trainee, Affiliate, or Early Career.
- Agree to participate in the entirety of the ORS Open Door event on Friday, March 27, 2026, as well as online planning meetings (Zoom) in the lead-up to the event
Application Review Process and Notification
Applications will be evaluated with regards to the applicant’s level of interest in assisting with Open Door, relevant previous experience, likelihood of continued/future engagement in STEM outreach, and qualifications highlighted on their biosketch/CV. Review of applications for the ORS Early Career Outreach Travel Award will be performed by a subcommittee of ORS members across the career spectrum (Established, Post-Graduate Trainee, Early Career, Affiliate, and Student members) with oversight from the Awards & Recognition Committee. Decisions will be announced in mid-Fall 2025.
How To Apply
Please provide your name, current academic/professional status (e.g., graduate student, medical student, postdoctoral fellow, instructor, assistant professor, etc.), current institutional affiliation, and answers to the questions below. In addition, please also upload an NIH-style biosketch (optional but highly encouraged) or a 2 page CV. More information on preparing a NIH-style biosketch, including relevant examples, can be found at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm.
- Please briefly describe any previous STEM outreach experiences. If you have not previously engaged in STEM outreach, please describe relevant prior leadership experience. [250 Word Limit]
- What interests you about participating in the 2026 ORS Open Door event? [250 Word Limit]
- Are you planning to attend the ORS 2026 Annual Meeting? [YES / NO]
- Demographics information (Optional: ORS members from under-represented minority backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply.)
