Research grants

Type: Start-up grant

Scope: AO CMF supports projects in a wide range of research fields including unconventional and novel projects. It favours projects related to basic, preclinical, and clinical research in the fields of trauma and reconstruction in craniomaxillofacial (CMF) surgery. 

Geographic scope: Global

Apply here

Eligibility:
Its primary aim is to provide individual support to young clinicians (< 40 years old) to increase awareness of research and provide training in the fundamentals of research processes as part of their research career development.
This call is open to investigators from all AO clinical divisions—AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO VET, and AO CMF—who are younger than 40 years old and who are:
• Within five years of the completion of their terminal degree (eg, MD, DVM, PhD, etc), or
• Within five years of initiation of their first assistant professor position at an academic institution, or
• Enrolled in residency programs or fellowship
IMPORTANT: You must have an active Membership of a clinical division (AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO VET, or AO CMF)

Guidelines:
Please review carefully the detailed guidelines.
For projects with animal models review the animal model guidelines.

Financial information guidelines:
The AO CMF Research Grant provides stand-alone seed funding up to CHF 50,000 with a maximum duration of 2 years to support innovative research projects.

Type: Mini grant

Scope: Innovative projects dealing with musculoskeletal trauma.
Applicants who apply for a topic related to the CPP topics “non-union” or “patient outcome” may have the opportunity to be involved in the CPP network.

Geographic scope: Europe and Southern Africa

Apply here

Eligibility:
Its primary aim is to provide individual support to young clinicians (< 40 years old) to increase awareness of research and provide training in the fundamentals of research processes as part of their research career development.
Applicants must be residents of a country in the Trauma Europe and Southern Africa region.
This call is open to investigators from all AO clinical divisions—AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO VET, and AO CMF —who are younger than 40 years old and who are:
• Within five years of the completion of their terminal degree (eg, MD, DVM, PhD, etc), or
• Within five years of initiation of their first assistant professor position at an academic institution, or
• Enrolled in residency programs or fellowship
IMPORTANT: You must have an active Membership of a clinical division (AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO VET, or AO CMF)

Guidelines:
Please review carefully the detailed guidelines.
For projects with animal models review the animal model guidelines.

Financial information guidelines:
AO TESA Mini Grants provide funding up to CHF 15,000 per grant, for a maximum two years to support innovative projects dealing with musculoskeletal trauma.

• Type: Collaborative Research Grant Programme
  
  Scope: The topic of the research proposal should relate to unanswered questions in veterinary and/or comparative orthopaedics, and the methods that are to be used should be aligned with the resources and expertise available within ARI - Investigators will ideally participate actively in the physical completion of the study at ARI or they may ask collaborators at ARI to complete the research on their behalf while remaining actively engaged in carrying the research throughout its duration.
   
  Geographic scope: Global
  
  Apply here
  
  Eligibility:
  Applications that involve collaboration with the ARI must be approved by its director prior to submission. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to provide a written confirmation from the Director of ARI with the application. Investigators are encouraged to contact Dr. Stephan Zeiter, ARI representative to the AO VET R&D Commission, at Stephan.zeiter@aofoundation.org for assistance at least 2 weeks prior to submission. If the work involves collaborations with other AO institutions (e.g. AO Innovation and Translation Centre, AO Technical Commission, and AO Expert Groups) letters of support from the director of the relevant institution should be provided to confirm budget and/or staff commitments.
  
  Guidelines
  
  Financial information guidelines:
  Available funds are limited, and investigators are advised that proposed annual budgets should not exceed CHF 35,000 for a period of up to 12 months. It is anticipated that up to two awards will be granted in the 2025 funding cycle. Follow-on funding for a second year may be available but will be determined through a competitive application in the next award cycle
  Project will be executed in 2026
•  

Type: Mini grant

Scope: AO Trauma Latin America offers research mini grants to support innovative projects in the field of musculoskeletal trauma. Mini grants are specifically allocated to scientific services. The approved resources are managed by the regional office and paid directly to the providers, rather than to the Principal Investigator. 
Each project is eligible to receive up to CHF 5,000 and must be developed within a maximum of two years.
 

Geographic scope: Latina America

Apply here

Eligibility:
This call is open to surgeons from all AO clinical divisions—AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO Recon, AO VET, and AO CMF. The Principal Investigator or applicant must meet the following criteria:
• 40 years old or younger.
• Residents of a country in the Latin America region.
• AO active member of any clinical division (AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO VET, or AO CMF).
• Up to ten years after completing their terminal degree (e.g., MD, DVM, PhD), ten years after beginning their first assistant professor position at an academic institution, or while currently enrolled in a residency or fellowship program.

Type: Mini grant

Scope: AO Trauma offers regular funding opportunities for applied research that supports clinical issues. We are continually seeking to define new treatment methods and guidelines to improve patient care and publish valuable information and outcomes.
The AO Trauma Asia Pacific Research Committee is pleased to announce the call for the AO Trauma Research Mini Grants

Geographic scope: Asia Pacific

Apply here

Eligibility:
Applicants must be citizens of a country in the Asia Pacific region.
This call is open to investigators from all AO clinical divisions—AO Trauma, AO Recon, AO Spine, AO CMF, or AO VET —who are younger than 40 years old and who are:
• The applicant or one of the applicants of the research group MUST be an AO TAP council member or 
• The applicant or one of the applicants of the research group MUST be AO Trauma Asia Pacific faculty
• Paid Member of a Clinical Division (AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO CMF, or AO VET)

IMPORTANT: Principal Investigator must have an active Membership of a clinical division (AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO VET, or AO CMF)

Guidelines:
Guidelines.
For projects with animal models review the animal model guidelines.

Financial information guidelines:
The AO Trauma Asia Pacific Research Grants provide, stand-alone seed funding of up to CHF 8,000 for a maximum of one year to support innovative projects dealing with musculoskeletal trauma.

Type: Start-up grant

Scope: AO VET supports projects in a wide range of research fields including unconventional and novel projects. It favours projects related to basic, pre-clinical, and clinical research.

Geographic scope: Global

Apply here

Eligibility:
Its primary aim is to provide individual support to young clinicians (< 40 years old) to increase awareness of research and provide training in the fundamentals of research processes as part of their research career development.
This call is open to investigators from all AO clinical divisions—AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO VET, and AO CMF—who are younger than 40 years old and who are:
• Within five years of the completion of their terminal degree (eg, MD, DVM, PhD, etc), or
• Within five years of initiation of their first assistant professor position at an academic institution, or
• Enrolled in residency programs or fellowship
IMPORTANT: You must have an active Membership of a clinical division (AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO VET, or AO CMF)

Its mission is to provide predominantly seed money and favours researchers in the early part of their career. Senior investigators are not eligible for this program.

Guidelines:
Please review carefully the detailed guidelines.
For projects with animal models review the animal model guidelines.

Financial information guidelines:
AO VET Seed grants provide support up to CHF 7,500 with a maximum duration of one year.

• Type: Seed grant
  
  Scope: Non-union--including infection
  
  Geographic scope: Regional (Middle East and Northern Africa)
  
  Eligibility:
  This call is open to investigators from all AO clinical divisions—AO Trauma, AO Spine and AO CMF —who are younger than 40 years old and:
  1) within five years of the completion of their terminal degree (eg, MD, DVM, PhD, etc), or
  2) within five years of initiation of their first assistant professor position at an academic institution, or
  3) enrolled in residency programs or fellowships
  4) member of a clinical division (AO Trauma, AO Spine or AO CMF)
  
  Financial information guidelines:
  The AO Trauma Middle East and Northern Africa Research Grant provide one-year, stand-alone seed funding up to CHF 4,000 to support innovative projects dealing with musculoskeletal trauma, and related basic and clinical research with scope on non-union including infection.

• Type: Seed grant
  
  Scope: Projects in a wide range of research fields including unconventional and novel projects
  
  Geographic scope: Global
  
  Eligibility:
  Young investigators (< 40 years old) who are:
  1) within five years of the completion of their terminal degree (eg MD, DVM, PhD, etc) or
  2) within five years of initiation of their first assistant professor position at an academic institution or
  3) enrolled in residency programs or fellowships.
  
  Financial information guidelines:
  AO VET seed grants provide support up to CHF 7,500 with a maximum duration of one year. AO VET highly encourages applicants to submit small grant proposals. For example, investigators may consider seeking funds to support primary or secondary data analyses, systematic reviews with meta-analyses, or manuscript preparation.

• Type: Seed grant
  
  Scope: The topic of the research proposal should relate to unanswered questions in veterinary and/or comparative orthopedics, and the methods that are to be used should be aligned with the resources and expertise available within ARI - Investigators will ideally participate actively in the physical completion of the study at ARI or they may ask collaborators at ARI to complete the research on their behalf while remaining actively engaged in carrying the research throughout its duration.
  
  Geographic scope: Global
  
  Eligibility: The principal investigator must be an active, paid-up member of AO VET at the time of grant submission.
  
  Financial information guidelines:
  Available funds are limited, and investigators are advised that proposed annual budgets should not exceed CHF 35,000 for a period of up to 12 months. It is anticipated that up to two awards will be granted in the 2025 funding cycle. Follow-on funding for a second year may be available but will be determined through a competitive application in the next award cycle. No overhead contributions are made to the submitting organization.