Annual Research Grant Program

AACOM's Grants Program offers funding for both osteopathic medical education research and institutional research. Institutional research encompasses a wide range of activities within individual colleges or across multiple colleges within a profession, aimed at supporting informed decision-making and strategic planning. While single institution grants have been typical, collaborative, multi-institutional research studies are strongly encouraged. Grants can also fund pilot studies or serve as a stepping stone for securing additional matching funds at individual institutions. 

Proposals about technology or artificial intelligence (AI) are of importance this year. Additionally, topics related to workforce issues—such as the implications of the expansion of osteopathic medical colleges, branch campuses, additional teaching sites, and class sizes—are of continued interest.  

The AACOM Research Grant is for a period of twenty-four (24) months. Funds will be issued in July 2025 and work should be completed by July 31, 2027.

Available Awards

• Up to $5,000 for single campus study or small collaborative study within single institution across multiple programs
• Up to $10,000 for larger collaborative study spanning multiple institutions or educational programs 

Theme Examples

Please refer to the AACOM Strategic Plan for greater detail on each theme below:

Reimagine the recruitment and admissions process for osteopathic medical students.

• Explore the impact of partnerships with undergraduate institutions, community colleges, high schools, or communities that create pathways from pre-medical education to osteopathic medical education.
• Investigate the influence of new technology, like natural language processing or large language models, on selection of medical students or residency programs.

Strengthen our community of osteopathic role models.

• Focus on recruiting and nurturing a diverse faculty.
• Address the contributions and challenges of the community-based osteopathic education model, supporting evidence-based efforts to sustain teaching, mentoring, and fostering a growth mindset with osteopathic principles).

Develop an ecosystem that supports and promotes osteopathic medical education.

• Examine the distribution of osteopathic students and faculty into ACGME programs and the integration of US and IMG MDs into AOA programs to improve collaboration and healthcare delivery.
• Develop a Networked/Shared Solutions model to address OME challenges, convening stakeholders to advance patient care that incorporates osteopathic principles and practices (OPP).

Strengthen osteopathic representation, voice, and influence to demonstrate the distinct value of OME and osteopathic medicine.

• Establish connections between osteopathic medical education and improved patient outcomes.
• Highlight the value of the contribution of colleges of osteopathic medicine and their graduates to the community and/or the country.

Enhance the diversity of osteopathic medical students to contribute to the development of a culturally competent workforce.

• Explore the barriers to admission to colleges of osteopathic medicine for students from traditionally under-represented groups.
• Analyze the campus experiences of underrepresented students, particularly in rural settings, to improve retention and success in osteopathic education.

Improve trainee readiness to help every osteopathic graduate successfully place into residency.

• Assess the impact of changes to the residency match (virtual interviews, standardized letters of evaluation, signaling, etc.)
• Investigate the prevalence of degree bias in the residency match for US DO students.

Expand GME programs and graduate-level osteopathic training opportunities to help create a physician workforce able to meet the needs of all patients.

• Describe the characteristics of institutions that have started postgraduate training programs with at least 33% enrollment of osteopathic graduates over the past 5 years.
• Explore obstacles faced by colleges of osteopathic medicine as they work to establish or expand affiliated postgraduate training programs.

Expand opportunities for faculty and trainees to participate in academically rigorous research to contribute to the evidence base for OME and osteopathic medicine.

• Identify characteristics of successful faculty research support programs.
• Analyze the barriers and facilitators to faculty research.

Increase the capacity, quality, consistency and desirability of clinical experiences during all years of undergraduate OME to promote excellence in the training of future physicians and ensure the readiness for residency of all students.

• Support COMs in expanding clinical rotations and learning through leadership, pilot programs, partnerships, and preceptor recruitment.

Format

Proposal narratives must be uploaded into the application portal as a Word (or PDF) document with margins of at least 1” on all sides.  The text portion of the application materials must be in 12-point Times New Roman font, with 1.0 line spacing.

Eligibility

The Primary Investigator (PI) must be associated with a pre-accredited or accredited College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) in the United States that is an AACOM member. Developing COMs participating in AACOM’s consulting programs are also eligible. Funds will be issued directly to the affiliated COM.  

Proposal Narrative

The entire document should not exceed 15 pages.  Any proposals exceeding this limit may be automatically rejected.

• No more than 8 pages for items A-J
• No more than 7 pages for items K-M

The proposal narrative should be organized as follows:

1. Specific research aims
2. Background and significance
3. Statement of specific research question
4. Research design and methods
5. SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-delimited)
   Download  How to Write Smart Objectives for effective writing tips.
6. Plan for ‘publication’ of results (journal submission or to Educating Leaders, the AACOM Annual Conference)
7. Sustainability
8. Literature cited
9. Budget (see budget note)
10. NIH-style Bio sketch (or similar style) (limited to PI and/or Co-PI)
11. IRB decision or evidence of submission to IRB (from each institution involved in study).
    Proof of clearance must be obtained prior to funding.
12. Letter(s) of commitment from department chair(s) and external collaborator(s) on institutional letter head, if relevant 
13. Approval by osteopathic college or hospital research office (from each institution involved in study), if relevant

Budget

In the application portal we ask for the contact information of the COM’s Grant Management/Financial official. If accepted, funds are issued to the COM.

The budget is part of the proposal narrative and should detail how the budget. Download sample Excel budget sheet.

• Program budget: Include only direct cost related to the research project.
• Travel Budget: If a travel budget is included, the projected expenditure must represent less than 50% of the total budget and the budget narrative must clearly state how the travel directly relates to the proposed research. Be sure to itemize the expenditures based on destination, number of researchers, etc.
• Funding support cannot be used for capital expenditures such as salaries, rent/utilities, or other indirect costs.

Selection Information

Proposals will be reviewed by a panel of National Academy of Osteopathic Medical Educators (NAOME) Fellows.

Priority will be given to projects that provide the potential for inter-institutional collaboration.  Proposals with specific, feasible strategies for continuing or sustaining the project/activity beyond the grant period will also be given preference.