Deadline to submit your application:  September 30, 2021

The ORS Research Council aims to promote the ORS 2025 Strategic Plan and the Research goal to “strengthen ORS as the hub for musculoskeletal research and increase its impact” by creating an innovative new funding mechanism to promote the formation of new scientific networks. These Scientific Networks aim to bring together multidisciplinary, cross-institutional investigators to solve some of the biggest challenges in musculoskeletal health. By providing pilot funding of $10,000 per Network these networks will be enabled to begin a collaboration that might not otherwise be possible.

ORS Scientific Networks are a new structural approach to promote the ORS Core Value of Connection & Collaboration and actively seek out new scientific perspectives. These networks will grow by encouraging new multi-disciplinary, cross-institutional teams to tackle some of the most challenging problems in musculoskeletal research.

Looking at the issue from different perspectives will hopefully allow for multifaceted problem solving that will generate novel research approaches.  The ORS further recognizes that the dynamic of these networks must come from engaged principal investigators seeking to broaden their connections, but the society wishes to support new models for how PIs and trainees can achieve that breadth and expand collaborations.

The scientific network grant cannot be used for any indirect costs.

ORS Scientific Network Pilot Grant

Up to 2 teams will be awarded a $10,000 pilot grant to acquire enabling data that will lead to future grant applications or publications.  The 2 teams selected will be via a rigorous application and review process.

  • Multidisciplinary teams.
  • Cross-institutional.
  • Teams that do not have an established record of working together.
  • Teams should be organized by an ORS member in good standing but will bring in new member(s). All PIs must join ORS.
  • Highly diverse teams will be given priority.

  • Research Strategy: 2-page grant identifying the research problem, the unique approach that the team will bring, and the key piece of go/no-go data that is required to enable the team to solidify a research collaboration for future grant applications.
  • Lead PI must be an ORS member in good standing. Multi-PI team may include NIH Biosketches of up to 5 investigators.
  • Multi-PI leadership plan and project management structure (up to 1 additional page).
  • Resource and data sharing document outlining how data and new IP will be shared (up to 1 additional Page).

  • Grants will include a 1-page detailed budget justification.
  • At least 50% of grant should go to support an ORS Collaborative Exchange of a trainee (MD, PhD, DVM) between labs of the new Network. How this trainees/EIS will be chosen should be detailed in the Multi-PI leadership plan.

  • Scientific Network Pilot Grant application deadline – September 30, 2021
  • Award winning teams will be identified in November 2021.
  • Teams will receive recognition of the ORS Scientific Network Pilot Grant at the ORS 2022 Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, February 4 – 8, 2021.
  • Results generated by the ORS funded Network will be presented at the ORS 2023 Meeting.

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