Awards

CANADIAN ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH LEGACY (CORL)

COF
Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation
Awards

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

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

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION

February 28, 2026. Application submissions 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 completing an application. For questions or concerns, please email Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation at todd@canorth.org.

Description

CRITERIA FOR AWARDS

  • At least one of the Principal Investigators must be an orthopaedic surgeon working in a Canadian orthopaedic centre both at the time of application and at the award’s receipt.
  • One of the Principal or Secondary Investigators must be a COA member or associate member in good standing.
  • The importance of the question as judged by peers.
  • 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 epidemiological evaluation/biostatistics if utilizing regional/provincial/national databases.

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.
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, 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, culminating in 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 is that CORL 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
    • Experienced 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 received from the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation, specifically the CORL grant, 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 CORL 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 reviewers attention.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Amount of Funding

Individual CORL awards are in the amount of up to $50,000. 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 CORL program and the endowment’s yield. It is the endeavor of the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation to disburse the funds available from the CORL program each year less expenses incurred.

Deadline

Grant applications must be received electronically 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 multiple 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
  • the scientific work justifying the proposed budget.

Award Decisions can be expected by late 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 one-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 CORL Award will be the date the award is issued.
  • The end date will be December 31 two years from the start date.
  • A high resolution headshot 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 within 2 weeks following notification of the award.
  • 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 must 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. University and/or Hospital affiliation.
  4. 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).
  5. Expected starting and completion dates of the work described in the application.
  6. 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.
  7. If external funding has been received, include a budget and summary for the project with your application.
  8. 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

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 also 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 CORL 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, 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). 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 CV summary per Investigator (1 page preferred, up to a maximum 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 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.