Osteopathic Distinctiveness

The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) has issued a Request for Applications (RFA)/Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for research proposals exploring "Osteopathic Distinctiveness." This funding opportunity supports research designed to evaluate whether the osteopathic approach results in better patient care outcomes, with a particular focus on compassion, empathy, patient-physician communication, satisfaction, and public health improvements related to health disparities and social determinants of health. It supports clinical and interventional research projects that align with the holistic and patient-centered tenets of osteopathic medicine. The maximum award available is up to $100,000, with a project period of 24 months running from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027. Proposals must clearly demonstrate clinical relevance to osteopathic distinctiveness and utilize a biopsychosocial model. Researchers are encouraged to define specific interventions, diagnostic criteria, and outcome measures, ensuring their studies are reproducible and scalable. The AOA prioritizes proposals that include collaboration with appropriate partners or subject matter experts and that demonstrate robust methodology, including a well-developed statistical analysis and power analysis. Projects must be submitted online by January 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM CST. Grant awards will be announced in June 2025. All grantees are required to submit a manuscript based on their findings to the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine (JOM), which holds the first right of refusal for publication. Proposals may include supplemental research related to larger ongoing studies, provided they include unique aims and research questions. Eligibility is limited to DOs, MDs, PhDs, or individuals with equivalent doctoral degrees. Applicants not affiliated with an osteopathic institution must include a DO as part of their research team. Ineligible applicants include medical students, residents, interns, and fellows, as well as researchers conducting studies outside the U.S. or on non-U.S. populations. Individuals with active AOA grants in their first year or with incomplete prior AOA grant obligations are also ineligible. The grant does not fund physical plant renovations, professional development, medical education programs, equipment engineering, indirect institutional costs, or provider payments. For budgetary clarifications or eligibility questions, applicants are encouraged to contact Gloria Dillard, MPH, Director of Research Grants at gdillard@osteopathic.org or (312) 202-8006.

Applicants must submit their proposals with a clear hypothesis, study design, and intervention rationale. The proposals should also include a plan for data collection and reporting, as well as methods for assessing the reliability of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The AOA emphasizes the importance of collaboration and encourages applicants to include partnerships with relevant experts and organizations.