To be the premier global, sports medicine organization for orthopaedic surgeons and other professionals who provide comprehensive health services for the care of athletes and active people of all ages and abilities. We cultivate evidence-based knowledge, provide extensive educational programming, and promote emerging research that advances the science and practice of sports medicine.
AOSSM’s grantmaking is built around orthopaedic sports medicine research, with some of its largest recent awards going to research institutions studying clinical outcomes and injury recovery. The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine awarded $359,548 to Oref in 2025 and $150,000 to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2025, both as research project grants. Those awards sit alongside a broad portfolio that supports evidence-based knowledge, emerging research, and educational programming for orthopaedic surgeons and other professionals caring for active people of all ages and abilities. The foundation’s recent grants show a clear preference for project-specific support to academic and medical centers. Vanderbilt University, Mayo Clinic, NYU Langone Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and Hospital for Special Surgery all appear among the recent recipients, indicating that AOSSM works through established research and clinical institutions. Its active grant programs also include dedicated support for young investigators, annual meeting research awards, and fellowship training, which together point to a funding model that blends research development with professional education. Programmatic awards such as the Playmaker Grant Lab and the Return to Play Clinical Research Grant show how the organization connects grantmaking to defined research questions in sports medicine.
AOSSM funds several distinct but related areas of sports medicine work. In return-to-play research, the society offers a $200,000 clinical research grant to support studies on return to play after musculoskeletal injury. In early-career research, the Steven P. Arnoczky Young Investigator Grants provide $40,000 awards for both basic science and clinical research. For smaller project development, the Playmaker Grant Lab gives $25,000 research grants presented at the Annual Meeting. The organization also supports research tied to specific clinical problems. Its AOSSM-AF Hip Osteoarthritis Grant funds studies on hip pathology and the rapid development of osteoarthritis, and the Osteoarthritis Grant focuses on osteoarthritis and sports medicine research. Education is another recurring theme: the Annual Meeting Resident Scholarship supports U.S.-based orthopaedic surgery residents with meeting attendance costs, while the Traveling Fellowship program provides international exposure for emerging leaders in the field.
$545K
$20.2M
$10.6M
$10.3M
Most grants fall between $20K and $31K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$31K
About 9% of grants go to recipients in NY.
DR ROBIN WEST
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The typical grant size clusters tightly around $20,000 to $31,250, with a $25,000 median and a $31,250 third quartile. That pattern matches a portfolio built around defined, time-limited project support rather than open-ended operating grants. The recent grants list also shows repeat recipients across multiple years, including Oref, Mayo Clinic, Vanderbilt University, The Nemours Foundation, and University of Utah, which suggests recurring relationships rather than one-off awards. AOSSM’s structure includes competitive, award-based funding and program-specific research grants, and several active opportunities accept unsolicited applications.
Grant activity is national, with all recent grants going to U.S. recipients. Tennessee is the top state by grant count, even though the foundation is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois. Recent awards landed in Nashville, Rochester, New York, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Jacksonville, and Boston, showing a spread across major medical and research centers. Illinois accounts for 13% of grants, reflecting some in-state giving but not the main concentration.
Recent grants go to academic medical centers, hospitals, and research institutions, including Oref, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Vanderbilt University, Mayo Clinic, NYU Langone Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and Hospital for Special Surgery. The beneficiary profile is centered on individual researchers, research teams or labs, and academic and research institutions.
The grant-size distribution is concentrated near $25,000. The 25th percentile is $20,000, the median is $25,000, and the 75th percentile is $31,250. Active programs also include smaller awards such as the $1,000 Annual Meeting Resident Scholarship and larger grants such as the $200,000 Return to Play Clinical Research Grant.
Yes. Oref appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Mayo Clinic appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Vanderbilt University appears in 2023 and 2024; The Nemours Foundation appears in 2024 and 2025; and University of Utah appears in 2023 and 2024. That pattern indicates repeat funding relationships.
The foundation supports orthopaedic sports medicine research, clinical education and continuing medical education, fellowship and trainee support, patient resources and outcome measurement, and clinical and translational research. Specific active programs include return-to-play research, hip osteoarthritis studies, young investigator grants, and Annual Meeting research awards.
No. The geographic scope is national, and the recent grants all went to U.S. recipients. The top state by grant count is Tennessee, and Illinois recipients account for 13% of grants.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $96,000 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| OREF | ROSEMONT, IL | $79,900 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $49,941 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI | COLUMBIA, MO | $37,200 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $36,500 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER | DALLAS, TX | $25,000 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $25,000 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE NEMOURS FOUNDATION | WILMINGTON, DE | $25,000 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION INC | ATLANTA, GA | $22,500 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| BAPTIST HEALTH SOUTH FLORIDA FOUNDATION INC | CORAL GABLES, FL | $13,200 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| STEADMAN PHILIPPON RESEARCH INSTITUTE | VAIL, CO | $13,200 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | NASHVILLE, TN | $13,200 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| ROTHMAN ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $13,200 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $13,200 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE UNION MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | BALTIMORE, MD | $13,200 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $13,200 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ORTHOPAEDICS | ST LOUIS, MO | $13,200 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $13,200 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE CAMPBELL FOUNDATION | GERMANTOWN, TN | $12,250 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $8,475 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $8,000 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| OREF | ROSEMONT, IL | $359,548 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $150,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| THE NEMOURS FOUNDATION | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $41,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $25,700 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER | DALLAS, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| NYU LANGONE DEPARTMENT OF ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTRESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM | MILWAUKEE, WI | $25,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO | LOS ANGELES, CA | $24,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $24,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, NY | $15,960 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $13,200 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| MAYO CLINIC ARIZONA | SCOTTSDALE, AZ | $13,200 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| NEW YORK UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $13,200 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $13,200 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| DETROIT EDUCATION AND RESEARCH | DETROIT, MI | $13,200 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| TRIA ORTHOPEDIC CENTER PROGRAM | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $13,200 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| 3B MEDICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $13,200 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MEDICINE FOUNDATION | JACKSON, MS | $13,200 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $13,200 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF UTAH | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $12,500 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| CARILION MEDICAL CENTER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT | ROANOKE, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI | COLUMBIA, MO | $8,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT |
| OREF | ROSEMONT, IL | $259,548 | 2024 | GRANT |
| VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | NASHVILLE, TN | $50,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $42,462 | 2024 | GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF UTAH | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $37,500 | 2024 | GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAN CENTER | DALLAS, TX | $25,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SERVICES | WINSTONSALEM, NC | $25,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
$49,941RESEARCH GRANT
CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
$37,200RESEARCH GRANT
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
RESEARCH GRANT
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
$25,000RESEARCH GRANT
ROTHMAN ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE
$13,200RESEARCH GRANT
THE UNION MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
$13,200RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$13,200RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
$13,200RESEARCH GRANT
THE CAMPBELL FOUNDATION
$12,250RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO
$8,000RESEARCH GRANT
BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
$150,000RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTRESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM
$25,000RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO
$24,000RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
$15,960RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
$13,200RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
MAYO CLINIC ARIZONA
$13,200RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
$13,200RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
DETROIT EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
$13,200RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
TRIA ORTHOPEDIC CENTER PROGRAM
$13,200RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
3B MEDICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC
$13,200RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MEDICINE FOUNDATION
$13,200RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
$12,500RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
$8,000RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
$37,500GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAN CENTER
$25,000GRANT
Current and upcoming funding from American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applicants must be AOSSM members and grant reviewers for an NIH study section. The $5,000 cash award is for first-time reviewers; prior reviewers may receive recognition.
Deadline: Applications are accepted year round and are due July 31; winners are notified by September.
Who can apply: Applications must address viable osteochondral allograft transplantation or meniscus allograft transplantation of the knee.
Deadline: Submission deadline August 1
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