We support clinically relevant Research through a variety of funding opportunities

Research Grants

Our research priorities focus on orthotics and prosthetics research that serves to improve clinical outcomes, enhance patient experiences, and optimize healthcare costs.

We support initiatives addressing key domains in the quality of patient care– safety, effectiveness, equity, timeliness, efficiency, and patient-centeredness- while fostering innovation that delivers measurable improvements in orthotic and prosthetic rehabilitation.

Research Funding Opportunities

Pilot Grant

The Pilot Grant is intended to help early career investigators initiate lines of research that will be competitive for larger funding opportunities through funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), or the Department of Defense (DOD).

This $30,000 grant is awarded annually and is based on the scientific merit, clinical relevance of and the extent to which the project aligns with the O&P Foundation research priorities.

Next Cycle: Spring 2026

Program Details

Program Manual

Application Cover Page

Clinical Relevance Criteria

Research Priorities

Early Career Grant

The Early Career Grant is intended to help early career investigators initiate lines of research that will be competitive for larger funding opportunities through funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), or the Department of Defense (DOD).

The Early Career Grant is designed to support those investigators who are less than 10 years from their terminal degrees.

This $30,000 grant is awarded annually and is based on the scientific merit, clinical relevance of and the extent to which the project aligns with the O&P Foundation research priorities

Next Cycle: Spring 2026

Program Details

Program Manual

Application Cover Page

Clinical Relevance Criteria

Research Priorities

Mentored Pilot Grant

The Mentored Pilot Grant program awards one year grants of $5000 intended to help trainees (e.g., masters/doctoral students, orthotics and prosthetics residents) or orthotics and prosthetics clinicians to complete a research project with the guidance of an experienced research mentor.

Next Cycle: Spring 2026

Program Details

Program Manual

Application Cover Page

Clinical Relevance Criteria

Research Priorities

Microgrants

The O&P Foundation’s Microgrant Program awards one-year grants of $2,000 to support clinically relevant activities and projects.

These microgrants aim to empower health professionals, researchers, students, and residents to pursue projects and activities that may contribute to clinical care in O&P.

Awarded biannually, once in the Spring and once in the Fall. Awarded based on the scholarly merit and clinical relevance of the proposed activity/project.

Next Cycle: Fall 2025

Program Details

Program Manual

Clinical Relevance Criteria

Research Priorities

How it works

Create an account in the O&P Foundation Application Portal, select the program application.
Check program requirements
Complete application when portal opens.
Submit required attachments.
If you have any questions, please contact info@oandpfoundation.org.

What are recipients saying? Impact Stories

Kiley Armstrong

Research Prosthetist-Orthotist

“Receiving research funding early in my career has provided me with valuable experience in drafting impactful grant proposals, a skill I will continue to utilize throughout my career as a researcher. Additionally, these awards have given me the confidence to pursue my research interests, with the support and recognition of the O&P community that these objectives will be valuable in shaping the future of O&P care for our patients."

Shane Wurdeman

Hanger - Chief Clinical Officer

“The fellowship award was a springboard for my career. It was the first substantive award I was able to demonstrate on my CV that I could effectively manage an award and yield a deliverable from that money entrusted to me. As a result, I have now been a PI on multiple grants for which total funding exceeds $30M."

Kelly Moton MS

O&P Resident

“I am grateful for the Orthotic and Prosthetic Foundation for Education and Research and I am looking forward to attending and presenting my research at the 2025 Academy Annual Meeting. This opportunity to present on psycho-educational support groups for scoliosis patients will hopefully lead to more positive outcomes and experiences for scoliosis patients and their families.”

McKenna Poss

O&P Student

"I am deeply grateful and honored to be selected as the recipient of this award and for the generosity of ABC and the Orthotics and Prosthetics Foundation for Education and Research. Research plays a critical role in advancing the profession, and it is truly incredible to have professional organizations like these support students in showcasing their research at AAOP's Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium."

Julie Ferrel-Olsen

PhD Student

"I am honored to receive this grant to support our understanding of lower limb prosthesis users' lived experiences with fatigue, and how that may impact their safety and mobility"

Tyesn Barley

O&P Student

"I am incredibly honored to receive the lst Place Student Poster Prize. This topic has been a passion of mine even before joining the ASU program, and I am grateful to my advisors and program director for their support and encouragement as I conducted this research as the sole investigator. This achievement reaffirms that hard work and dedication truly pay off."

Abby Citterman

O&P Resident

“I am deeply honored to be selected as a recipient of the O&P Foundation Microgrant in support of my resident research project at Gillette Children’s. This grant will enable us to explore the efficacy of integrating digital technology into orthotic fabrication workflows, aiming to improve patient satisfaction outcomes and enhance the efficiency of care. The support from the O&P Foundation is invaluable as we take this next step in our research journey. I am sincerely grateful for this partnership and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on our study participants, patients, and the field as a whole”

Kyle Leister

Program Director/Assistant Professor - East Tennessee State University

“Receiving the OPERF Fellowship Award had a profound impact on my career trajectory by providing the essential support to complete my MS degree, pursue a PhD, and establish myself as a scientist. Today, as an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Master of Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics (MSOP) program at East Tennessee State University, I am uniquely positioned to mentor and inspire the next generation of O&P professionals. I strive to instill in my students the research skills, critical thinking, and passion for discovery that the Fellowship helped me develop."

Kiley Armstrong

Research Prosthetist-Orthotist

“Receiving research funding early in my career has provided me with valuable experience in drafting impactful grant proposals, a skill I will continue to utilize throughout my career as a researcher. Additionally, these awards have given me the confidence to pursue my research interests, with the support and recognition of the O&P community that these objectives will be valuable in shaping the future of O&P care for our patients."

Shane Wurdeman

Hanger - Chief Clinical Officer

“The fellowship award was a springboard for my career. It was the first substantive award I was able to demonstrate on my CV that I could effectively manage an award and yield a deliverable from that money entrusted to me. As a result, I have now been a PI on multiple grants for which total funding exceeds $30M."

Kelly Moton MS

O&P Resident

“I am grateful for the Orthotic and Prosthetic Foundation for Education and Research and I am looking forward to attending and presenting my research at the 2025 Academy Annual Meeting. This opportunity to present on psycho-educational support groups for scoliosis patients will hopefully lead to more positive outcomes and experiences for scoliosis patients and their families.”

McKenna Poss

O&P Student

"I am deeply grateful and honored to be selected as the recipient of this award and for the generosity of ABC and the Orthotics and Prosthetics Foundation for Education and Research. Research plays a critical role in advancing the profession, and it is truly incredible to have professional organizations like these support students in showcasing their research at AAOP's Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium."