VOS Research Grant Applications Open August 2025

Research grant applications will open August 1, 2025 for the VOS Hohn-Johnson and Wade O. Brinker Research Awards.

Description: The VOS Hohn-Johnson and Wade O. Brinker Research Awards are grants funding research in musculoskeletal conditions in animals. The one Hohn-Johnson award is limited to $40,000. The two Wade O. Brinker Resident awards are limited to $6,000 per resident. The Wade O. Brinker award is an excellent opportunity for rapid funding of projects for small and large animal surgery residents.

Funding: The Hohn-Johnson award is limited to $40,000.00. The two Wade O. Brinker awards are limited to $6,000.00 per resident. Any additional funds needed to complete the research will have to be secured before the VOS research chairperson will accept the proposal for evaluation. Double funding of projects will not be supported by the VOS and will result in forfeiture of the VOS funds.

Hohn-Johnson Award

Amount: $40,000.00 per candidate. One award available per year.

Accepting applications: August 1st, 2025

Application submission deadline: October 1st, 2025, 11:59 pm EDT

Eligibility: Principal investigator must be an active member of the VOS as of 1st of September in the year of application.

Announcement of results: The recipient will be announced during the 2026 – 53rd Annual VOS Conference, Veterinary Orthopedic Society in Big Sky, Montana, March 14-21, 2026. The funded research project should be completed within 24 months.

Wade O. Brinker Awards

Amount: $6,000.00 per candidate. Two awards available per year.

Accepting applications: August 1st, 2025

Application submission deadline: September 1st, 2025, 11:59 pm EDT

Eligibility: Principal investigator must be enrolled in a small or large animal surgery residency program at the time of application and must be an active member of the VOS as of 1st of September in the year of application.  

Announcement of results: The awards’ recipients will be notified on September 30th, 2025. The funded research project should be completed by the end of the primary investigator’s residency training program.

Review process: The VOS research committee reviews the proposals, which are evaluated using the following criteria:

Relevance to VOS goals and priorities
Scientific and technical quality of the idea
Scientific and technological quality of the methods
Feasibility of accomplishing objectives within the proposed timeline
Relevance of objectives to current literature

Reviewers’ feedback for all applicants will be forwarded to each applicant within a month after the announcement of the awardee(s) for each research award.

Award and reporting: Any requests for extension must be provided in writing to the VOS office. Annual progress reports, due at the end of May of each year, are required until the project is finished. Each awardee is strongly encouraged to present the project, data, and conclusions to the VOS membership in the form of a scientific abstract at an annual VOS meeting. To that end, additional travel funds ($500) are available to the awardee if the final research report is presented first at the VOS annual meeting.

If you have any questions regarding grant submission guidelines, please contact:

Research Chair
Sarah Malek, DVM, PhD
LYNN Hall, 625 Harrison St.
Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine
West Lafayette, IN, 47907
Email: maleks@purdue.edu