For New Investigators

Breaking into research

Grants for new physicians and PhD researchers

The objective of the New Investigator Grant Program is to advance scientific training for researchers who have completed a terminal research degree or postgraduate clinical training, whichever came later, within the past 10 years.

The program provides up to $50,000 in research funding for DOs, MDs or PhDs conducting 18-month studies that corresponds to the AOA’s two research focus areas.

Individuals who previously competed successfully as a Principal Investigator (PI) for a larger AOA grant (i.e., $100,000-$150,000 grant award) and/or received an R01 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant or its equivalent as a PI are not eligible.

Since 2016, the AOA has awarded more than $4 million in grants for osteopathic research. Learn more about projects funded by the AOA’s research grant program. Click the links below for information on how to submit your research for funding in the 2020 grant program.

New Investigator RFA
Online Grant Submission Instructions
Online Grant Application Submission Program

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and Treatment on the Prevention and Management of Musculoskeletal Injuries (OMM/OMT)

• Proposals in response to this RFA should improve the scientific basis of the mechanics and impact of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) on the prevention and management of musculoskeletal injuries through clinical, in vitro, or basic science research. Proposals should show clear relevance to disease states in one of the two following areas:

1. 1. Use of OMM/OMT for fall prevention and/or vestibular problems.
   2. Use of OMM/OMT in concussions, either mechanistic or efficacy, including outcome measures such as cognition, recovery time, biomarkers, lymphatic drainage, functional MRI, etc.

Acute/Chronic Pain Management Grant (ACPM)

• Proposals in response to this RFA should explore the osteopathic approaches to acute and chronic pain management with an emphasis on treatments and patient outcomes. Proposals should address one or more of the followin

1. 1. 1. The role of OMM/OMT, as well as other osteopathic modalities such as touch and communication in surgical recovery.
      2. The role of the effects of OMM/OMT on reducing opioid prescribing (consumption). Studies should measure acute pain control.
      3. The identification and investigation of the role of biomarkers in substantiating that OMT works mechanistically and defining how biomarkers can be used as a more reliable measurement of pain reduction than the use of traditional pain scales.