Awards

COMMUNITY INNOVATION AWARD

COF
Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation
Awards

The Community Innovation Award celebrates community-based surgeons and research studies dedicated to improving patient care or musculoskeletal health in their small community.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Applications should be submitted via email to the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation at todd@canorth.org. The email subject line should state: Community Innovation Application – [Last Name].

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION

February 28, 2026.

Application submission will be acknowledged via email within two (2) business days of submission. If you have not received notification by this time, please call the COF at 343-575-2142.

Award Decisions can be expected by late April 2026.

Please read this document in its entirety before submitting an application. For questions or concerns, please email todd@canorth.org or call 343-575-2142.

Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation
PO Box 1036, Toronto, ON M5K 1P2

CRITERIA FOR AWARDS

    1. Applicants must NOT be university academics with a research history and a research staff (applicants with an academic appointment to teach on an occasional basis may be eligible).
    2. One of the principal investigators must be an orthopaedic surgeon working in a small Canadian orthopaedic centre both at the time of application and at the award’s receipt.
    3. One of the Principal or Secondary Investigators must be a COA member or associate member in good standing.
    4. The principal investigator working at a small Canadian centre may have as a mentor an academic from a large Canadian academic centre, but that individual must be an advisor only and not running the study. The community hospital applying for the study must be responsible for the vast majority of the patients involved in the study.
    5. The importance of the question as judged by peers.
    6. The quality of the proposal as judged by peers – for most clinical research this should involve prospective studies with adequate sample size/power calculation or other rigorous/appropriate epidemiologic evaluation/biostatistics if utilizing regional/provincial/national databases.
    7. Research projects previously funded by the COF will not be considered for an award; that is, research projects will not be funded for linear growth. If external funding has been received and the project has not been published, include a budget and summary for the project with your application.
    8. Applicants must be affiliated with institutions or organizations that are registered with Revenue Canada as conducting charitable activities within Canada. Health agencies including hospitals, provincial and municipal government departments and public health units, community groups or associations and non-profit organizations are eligible.

In this proposal, applicants are expected to provide a systematic, logical description of the project or line of research, which demonstrates familiarity with the subject matter and a carefully formulated plan of implementation. The rationale, the project plan, the methods and procedures to be used, and the mode of analysis to be employed should be clearly outlined. In general terms, the proposal describes the work, proceeding from general theoretical considerations to the specific project and must include a budget. The budget qualifies the work in terms of personnel, materials, services or other requirements.

In addition to the quality of the proposal, decisions on awards will also take into account:

  • The intention that Community Innovation Award funds are to be awarded to novel short-term (1-2 years) research projects which could include:
    • New investigator starting a novel research project, possibly paired with an experienced team. (This experienced team must not be running the study.) Experienced non-academic community investigator seeking funding for a pilot project. Experienced investigator should be listed as a secondary investigator on the application, and most research projects should be led by a newer investigator.
    • Previous awards from the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation, specifically the Community Innovation Award, including progress and final reports. (Awards are not intended to provide continuing support for one faculty member or one project; the intention is to fund as many researchers as possible.) When evaluating past performance with these awards, it is recognized that not all research may be entirely successful.
    • Timely reporting on previous grants awarded, and responsiveness to COF administrators.
    • The probable availability of outside funds and/or resources. This may be a function of the experience of the applicant and their existing resources, the amount of the request, the subject matter, or the nature of the research.
    • Applicants who appear to be otherwise well funded, and especially those who propose work which closely parallels other sponsored projects, should comment specifically on the circumstances of their application.
    • Expected publication, further research or creative opportunities anticipated. Finite element models, saw bone models, etc. are not likely to be funded. If an applicant believes there are any special considerations that should be taken into account, these should be noted for the reviewer’s attention.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Amount of Funding

Individual Community Innovation Awards are in the amount of up to $15,000. The total amount of funding and the number of awards each year will be variable. This is a result of the variation of donations each year to the research program. It is the endeavour of the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation to disburse the funds available from the research program each year less expenses incurred.

Deadline

Grant applications must be received via email by February 28, 2026

Number of Applications

It is not the wish of the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation to limit the initiative of individual researchers; however, it is necessary to limit the total number of awards per principal investigator. In addition, among the primary goals of this research competition is the ability to fund individuals or groups who need assistance in starting research endeavours, or who have projects that would not fit easily within other research granting agencies’ policies. In years where more than one research award is available, we propose to limit the number of grants per principal investigator to a maximum of one. The investigator or the co-investigators may wish to submit mulitple applications.  However, it may prove more efficient to concentrate on one or two good projects that have a high potential to be funded.

Review Process

The applications will be reviewed by the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation’s Research Review Panel. Each reviewer will grade the application based upon a number of factors, including: relevance to Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation research criteria; significance of research; ability of applicants to complete research; and the scientific work justifying the proposed budget.

Award decisions can be expected by the end of April, 2026.

Disbursement of Awards

The successful applicants are expected to arrange the method of funds disbursement through the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation. If funds have been awarded but arrangements have not been made for disbursement or utilization of these funds 12 months from the date of awarding of the grant, the funds are to be returned to the COF.

Details

  • Initial installment typically paid within four (4) weeks of award announcement.
  • Final installment paid six (6) months post-announcement upon submission to the COF of a 1-page summary progress report highlighting the research completed, any initial results or complications encountered, and a financial report from the institution holding the grant.
  • A written progress report of the work carried out through the utilization of the grant and a financial report from the institution holding the grant are to be submitted to the COF 12 months from the date of grant award. The progress report may consist of a reprint of a publication that has resulted from grant support, abstract of a presentation at a meeting, or a purpose written summary of ongoing work. The COF reserves the right to request a review of expenses incurred against the grant funds that were supplied.
  • Final written scientific and financial reports are to be submitted to the COF 24 months from the date of the grant award indicating what has resulted from grant support, future directions of the research project and any other significant information.

Administration and Timing

  • The start date of the Community Innovation Award will be the date the award is issued
  • The end date will be two years from the start date.
  • A high resolution head-shot of the recipient, a short bio (approximately 100 words), and a non-technical summary of the body of work for use in the COF’s public material must be submitted by the recipient.
  • It is expected that funds awarded will be spent as allocated within the 24-month period. If funds are remaining, an explanatory request for an extension should be included with the 24-month report. Extension requests will be decided by the COF Research Committee based on the explanation provided. If no extension is requested, the remaining funds are to be returned to the COF.
  • The Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation is a public charitable organization funded by donor contributions and as such informs donors and other interested parties about research grants and awards funded.

INSTRUCTION TO APPLICANTS

These instructions correspond to the numbering on the application.

PART A – GENERAL INFORMATION

THE INFORMATION FOR THIS SECTION (PART A) IS TO BE SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT AS A STAND-ALONE DOCUMENT. IT SHOULD NOT BE COMBINED WITH PARTS B OR C.

  1. Principal Investigator(s). (At least one Principal Investigator must be an orthopaedic surgeon.)
  2. Secondary Investigator(s).
  3. Project Title. Type of project, funding for start-up (start-up funding for a new researcher), a discreet project (funding to complete a single project), or a collaborative project (partial funding for a collaborative work).
  4. Expected starting and completion dates of the work described in the application.
  5. Certifications of Approval for research involving human subjects, animals and/or biohazards is required. Certifications need not be appended at the time of application; however, final funding will not be released until written notification of the necessary approval(s) has/have been received by the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation.
  6. If you have received funding for a similar project from another source, the budget page and proposal summary for that project must be attached.
  7. Report previous Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation funding.

PART B – PROJECT DESCRIPTION and BUDGET

THE INFORMATION FOR THIS SECTION (PART B) IS TO BE SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT AS A STAND-ALONE DOCUMENT. IT SHOULD NOT BE COMBINED WITH PARTS A OR C, AND SHOULD NOT INCLUDE ANY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION SUCH AS INVESTIGATOR NAME(S)/LOCATION(S), STUDY FACILITY NAME/LOCATION, PERSONNEL LOCATION, PATIENT RECRUITMENT LOCATION, ETC.

B1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

To ensure readability and fairness, the Project Description must be formatted in a font size of 12-point, black type. Do not use condensed/narrow font sizes, type density, or line spacing. Smaller text in tables, charts, figures, and graphs is acceptable, so long as it is legible when the page is viewed at 100%. Page margins should be no less than 2 cm (3/4 inch). DO NOT include identifying information in the project description (eg. study performed at XX Hospital; patients recruited from a clinic in [city], etc.).

In three (3) pages or less, describe your research project. While the form and order of presentation of the material may vary according to the nature of the project and in the interests of clarity, the following must be included:

  • Project Title.
  • The problem or subject to be researched. Define the problem clearly and concisely, providing any background information essential to understanding the importance of the work. Include a statement of the potential significance, future use, relevance or application of the results.
  • The hypotheses or theoretical framework. The choice of methodology, data to be collected, the structure and procedure of experiments, analysis to be done, are all to some extent based on assumptions, theoretical considerations or hypotheses. A statement of these is essential to understanding the proposal.
  • Set out and describe the methods and procedures that will be used (how the research will be done), the sequence of events, the resources required (personnel, facilities, equipment, materials, etc.,) which are included in the budget.
  • Describe the outcomes to be used. An essential research instrument, such as a questionnaire, if constituting the basis of the proposed research, must be appended.
  • Provide details of the analysis plan (statistical tests to be employed).
  • Include references in the description, where appropriate, to similar or related work. If the field is largely untouched, this should be indicated.

For clarity, a narrative style should be used with headings. Please note the project description must not exceed three (3) pages. One additional page, to a maximum of four (4) in total, may be added for references only if needed.

BUDGET DETAILS

The budget should be very clear with no capital costs. Costs such as exercise equipment, fitness trackers, etc. are ineligible for funding. Expenses for travel, for the purchase of personal computers, or for indirect or overhead costs (such as heat, lights, etc.) are ineligible. DO NOT include identifying information such as location of study/personnel/equipment, etc.

B2. Summarize the budget in terms of personnel, materials, supplies and other costs

  • Investigators are to provide one paragraph justifying the budget to provide the reviewers with an improved understanding as to how the money provided by the Community Innovation Award will allow the investigators to complete their research project.

B3. Personnel Costs

  • Research assistants should not be expected to do work that appropriately belongs to the principal investigator(s).
  • Indicate the hourly rate, number of hours/week to be worked and duration of employment; include at least 10% for benefit costs (WCC, CPP). A rationale for the hourly rate must be provided. DO NOT include identifying information (eg. hourly rate at XX Hospital, etc.)

B4. Equipment, Materials, Services

  • Itemize
  • Include the basis used to calculate the estimated cost for each item.
  • If equipment is requested, a quotation must be included.
  • Additions of hardware to existing equipment or the purchase of software packages must clearly demonstrate exceptional circumstances.

PART C – CURRICULUM VITAE and EXPERIENCE

THE INFORMATION FOR THIS SECTION (PART C) IS TO BE SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT AS AN INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENT (OR DOCUMENTS).  IT SHOULD NOT BE COMBINED WITH PARTS A OR B.

The information for this section is to be provided by the applicant in the form of attachments and will make up PART C of the application. To ensure readability and fairness, these attachments must be formatted in a font size of 12-point, black type. Do not use condensed/narrow font sizes, type density, orline spacing. Smaller text in tables, charts, figures, and graphs is acceptable, so long as it is legible when the page is viewed at 100%. Page margins should be no less than 2 cm (3/4 inch). PDF documents are preferred. Using the same numbers and headings, your responses must correspond to the sections below:

C1. CURRICULUM VITAE OF PRINCIPAL AND SECONDARY INVESTIGATORS

[One (1) CV summary per Investigator (one (1) page preferred, up to a maximum three (3) pages per Investigator).]

C2. EXPERIENCE AND/OR PRIOR RESEARCH

For each principal and secondary investigator, describe your recent research activities and accomplishments, emphasizing work in the area of the present proposal. [Maximum of two (2) pages for each person.]

These guidelines reflect the response to the increasing number of applications received for limited research funds. These guidelines are meant to make the process fair for all applicants and transparent regarding the decision-making process for awarding of grants.

The Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation is a public charitable organization funded by donor contributions and as such informs donors and other interested parties about its awarded research grants and awards.