Grant proposals will remain open now through June 17 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Review the evaluation criteria and general application terms at aaos.org/IDEA.

AAOS Now

Published 5/29/2024

AAOS IDEA Grant Program Opens: Call for Proposals That Fuel the Future of Orthopaedics

Grant program inspires diversity, equity, and access for educational, community, and outreach initiatives

AAOS announced a call for proposals for the AAOS IDEA Grant Program®, a multiyear initiative to inspire diversity, equity, and access across the field of orthopaedics. Now in its third year, the program will award $300,000 in 2025 to help address decades of inertia surrounding persistent disparities across orthopaedics and, in turn, to better serve patients nationwide.

“The programs selected for an AAOS IDEA Grant will help to cultivate meaningful and measurable opportunities across orthopaedics, acting as a springboard for change within our profession,” said AAOS Diversity Advisory Board Chair Holly Tyler-Paris Pilson, MD, FAAOS, FAOA. “This is not about checking a box; this call for proposals opens a door for funding directly to the local and regional orthopaedic programs and organizations who are training the current and next generation.”

The AAOS IDEA Grant Program casts a wide net to better fund and support a diverse pipeline of individuals who pursue orthopaedics as a profession; foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives for community-based or academic orthopaedic surgeons; and expand the availability of AAOS educational and networking opportunities to diverse students and practicing orthopaedic surgeons. Diversity focus areas of the program include gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, socioeconomic, veteran status, and disability. Program funds will be allocated across four tracks, each with a different DEI focus and target recipient. Additional funding from AAOS supporters may be added to extend the reach of the initiative.

Grant proposals will remain open now through June 17 at 11:59 p.m. CT.

Applicants are encouraged to review the evaluation criteria and general application terms at aaos.org/IDEA. Grant recipients will be responsible for providing an outcomes report to AAOS to measure impact at the end of the funding period. To read about the 2023 and 2024 IDEA Grant Program recipients, visit the program website or email media@aaos.org.