AAOS has designated a total of $200,000 per year for the AAOS IDEA Grant Program. Additional funding may become available, depending on the level of commercial support received for the Grant Program. 

Applicants may apply for funding in no more than two Grant Tracks within the same grant cycle and funds must be used for the intended purpose. If your program does not receive funding, you may re-apply for the next grant cycle.

The IDEA Grant Program is not intended for the general support of an organization, with the exception of Track 2 – Pathway Retention grants which may be used for general support of established longitudinal organizations. Applications for Tracks 1, 3 and 4 should focus on specific events or projects. AAOS reserves the right to make the final decision on all Applications.

The grant funds must be used for the intended purpose and grant recipients must submit an AAOS IDEA Grant Program Funds Utilization Report (Utilization Report) no later February 15th of the year following receipt of the grant. (For example, an organization receiving a grant on January 1, 2024 must submit the Utilization Report no later February 15, 2025.) If the Grant is not used for its intended purpose, the recipient must return the funds in full to AAOS. The Utilization Report will be available online soon. The grant recipient must acknowledge funding from AAOS and any matching commercial support in any Program materials. Email IDEAgrant@aaos.org to obtain AAOS branding or logo use permission.

If your Program does not receive IDEA Grant Program funding, you may re-apply for the next grant cycle. If you wish to resubmit a Program in a subsequent year, review the Grant Track eligibility and evaluation criteria carefully and include an update report on current grant activities. Upon request, and where applicable, a member of the AAOS Diversity Advisory Board will provide feedback that may assist with submitting a more complete Application for the next grant cycle. Failure to submit a Utilization Report will result in ineligibility to apply for future IDEA Grant funds.