[Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation](https://www.oref.org)

August 2026 (LOI) | October 2026 (Full application)

$50,000 total; 1-year project period; no indirect costs allowed

Seed funding for early-career orthopaedic clinician scientists to launch independent research projects.

Forecasted dates—check program page for updates.

--- ## Description This grant provides early-career orthopaedic clinician scientists with seed and start-up funding to advance their research careers. The program aims to foster innovation and discovery in orthopaedics by supporting promising projects with potential to improve patient care. The award is intended to help new investigators establish independence and generate data for future, larger funding opportunities. --- ## Due Dates - August 2026: Letter of Intent deadline (anticipated/projected) - October 2026: Full application deadline (anticipated/projected) *All dates are projected based on the annual cycle; check the program page for updates.* --- ## Funding Amount - Up to $50,000 in direct costs for a 1-year project - Indirect/overhead costs are not permitted --- ## Eligibility - Principal Investigator must be a licensed orthopaedic surgeon, resident, or fellow at a U.S. institution. - Applicants must be within four years of completing formal orthopaedic training (residency/fellowship). - Residents and fellows are eligible to apply. - Only one Letter of Intent (LOI) may be submitted per PI per cycle. - U.S. citizenship is not required, but PI must be based at a U.S. institution. - Applicants may only apply in one grant category per cycle (except as Co-PI or for Mentored Clinician Scientist Grant). - Clinical relevance must be clear in the proposal. --- ## Application Process - Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by the anticipated August deadline via [proposalCENTRAL](https://proposalcentral.com/). - Selected LOIs will be invited to submit a full application by the anticipated October deadline. - All application materials must be submitted electronically; paper applications are not accepted. - Budget justification and biosketches for all key personnel are required. - IRB/IACUC approval can be pending at submission but must be provided before funding. - Formatting and page limit requirements are enforced. --- ## Additional Information - The grant supports basic, translational, and clinical research with clear clinical relevance to orthopaedics. - Results should have practical application potential. - The grant is highly competitive; well-crafted, innovative proposals are encouraged. - A proposal may be resubmitted once, with a response to reviewer feedback. --- ## External Links - [Program page: OREF New Investigator Grant](https://www.oref.org/for-researchers/funding-opportunities/grant-details/oref-new-investigator--grant) - [OREF Funding Opportunities Overview](https://www.oref.org/for-researchers/funding-opportunities) - [OREF Grant FAQs](https://www.oref.org/about-oref/resources/faqs) - [Access grant forms](https://www.oref.org/about-oref/resources/grant-forms) --- ## Contact Information | Purpose | Contact | |--------------------------|---------------------------------------------------| | General Inquiries | [info@oref.org](mailto:info@oref.org) | | Grants Team | [grants@oref.org](mailto:grants@oref.org) | | Phone | (847) 698-9980 | | Contact Page | [OREF Contact Us](https://www.oref.org/about-oref/contact-us) | ---

OREF New Investigator Grant

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