O&P Foundation’s Microgrant Program

The Orthotics and Prosthetics Foundation for Education and Research offers the Microgrant Program to support clinically relevant projects and activities in the field of orthotics and prosthetics (O&P). This grant is intended to stimulate scholarly work that can have a direct impact on clinical practice and patient care. With a funding amount of $2,000, each microgrant is structured as a one-year award and is distributed biannually—once during the Spring cycle and once during the Fall. The program is grounded in the mission of advancing clinical care by providing seed funding to researchers, clinicians, students, and residents who seek to address gaps or needs within the O&P field. Projects eligible for funding under the Microgrant Program span a broad range of clinically relevant initiatives. These may include small pilot studies, concept validation research, quality improvement activities, clinical training, or educational content development. Example activities include developing evidence-based practice tools, pursuing specialized training in research methodologies, purchasing small-scale equipment or software to initiate new research, or preparing research outputs for dissemination. The program is designed to be flexible and to promote innovation at various career stages, from trainees to experienced clinicians and researchers. To qualify for funding, the Principal Investigator (PI) must be either a currently enrolled master’s or doctoral student, an O&P resident, a practicing clinician in the field, or a researcher focused on clinically relevant O&P topics. Trainee applicants must include a faculty mentor from their academic or residency institution. Every project team must also include a certified O&P clinician, and the work must be based in the United States and serve the clinical needs of the U.S. O&P population. Human Subjects Research involving IRB oversight is permitted but not required at the time of application submission. However, IRB approval must be obtained before disbursement of funds if applicable. Applicants are required to submit a comprehensive proposal via the O&P Foundation Application Portal. The application includes a cover page, a structured abstract, and a detailed project description that addresses background and significance, aims and objectives, methodology, required resources, timelines with milestones, dissemination plans, risks and considerations, personnel bios, budget, and letters of support. References must also be included where appropriate. Indirect costs are not allowed, and all awarded funds are disbursed in a single payment either to the individual or the hosting institution. If awarded to an individual, the funds will be treated as taxable income. The review process is conducted by a panel comprised of the O&P Foundation’s Research Committee and ad-hoc members as needed. Applications are evaluated based on clinical relevance, feasibility, project design, and the qualifications of the personnel involved. A blinded scoring and consensus method is used to determine awards, and all applicants receive written feedback regardless of outcome. The Fall 2025 cycle opens on September 1, 2025, and proposals must be submitted by October 6, 2025. Award notifications are anticipated in November 2025. Funded projects are expected to conclude within one year of award, and recipients must submit a final report within 30 days of project completion. For more information or inquiries, applicants can contact info@oandpfoundation.org or reach out to the Research Chair at research@oandpfoundation.org.