Seed Grant Research Award

(The application window for the 2027 program will start later this year.)

As a member of the SSR we invite you to participate in the Research Seed Grant Program. This annual grant is intended to stimulate research on certain topics in Musculoskeletal Radiology considered by the SSR Research and Executive Committees to be important, yet under-represented, in the literature.

Award:

Up to $30,000.00 to Principal Investigator

Eligibility:

All SSR Members (including: Full Members, Members-in-Training, Honorary Members, International Members, and Emeritus Members) in good standing are eligible. Members-in-Training must have an SSR full member sponsor. Grant recipients are expected to remain SSR members for the duration of the award to receive funding. One submission per applicant per grant category.

At least 50% of the funds should be allocated to study infrastructure and operationalization of the study design.

Selection:

Applications will be reviewed by the SSR Research Committee with a final recommendation submitted to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee reserves final approval on all grants and is not required to award the grant annually.

Announcement:

The winner will be announced at the SSR Annual Meeting. Results will be presented by a podium presentation at the following year’s SSR Annual Meeting. Progress during the year will be reported in writing to the Research Committee, which will supply advice and mentorship as needed.

Timeline:

• One-year grant with no penalty option for a one-year extension (maximum total duration of the award of 2 years). No additional funding is provided (and no funding is withdrawn) beyond the initial grant amount if the project receives an extension.
• If work is not completed after one year, winner must submit to the SSR Research and Executive Committee a detailed status update and budgetary information by the one-year mark, before the extension period begins. This will provide an opportunity to obtain feedback to help bring the project to completion.
• Proposed one-time lifetime award (no reapplications)

Required Components:

1. Grant proposal document, containing:
   1. Specific aims (0.5 page maximum)
   2. Research plan (1.5 page maximum)
   3. Summary statement of the clinical impact/need for this research (0.5 page maximum)
   4. Plans for future projects/grant applications (0.5 page maximum)
   5. Timeline of events
   6. Roles of all research team members (0.5 page maximum)
   7. Biosketch of all research team members. Please use NIH Biosketch (Non-Fellowship) Format (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm)
2.  Budget proposal (1 page maximum)
3. Letter of support from Chair or other department leadership

Past SSR Hot Topic Grant Recipients

2025

Maryam Soltanolkotabi, MD
“Development of a Vision-Language Model for Automated Measurement of Adult Degenerative Scoliosis”

2024

Richard Walker, MD, FRCPC
“Posterior Horn Medial Meniscus Root Tears: Weight-bearing CT as Novel in Vitro Imaging Biomarker of Meniscal Function Post Repair”

2023

Rianne van der Heijden, MD, PhD
“Radio-manganese PET/MRI and Shear Wave Elastography as Potential Imaging Biomarkers in Patients with Myofascial Pain”

2022

Ryan Tai, MD
“Evaluating Social Determinants of Health and Demographic Factors in the Utilization of Musculoskeletal MRI in a Large Healthcare System”

2021

Jonathan Samet, MD
“Rapid, Non-sedated, Non-contrast MRI for Acute Musculoskeletal Infection Workup”

2020

Angela Atinga, MB, BChir, BA (MA Cantab), FRCR
“Predicting Response of Osteosarcoma to Chemotherapy Based on Imaging (Radiomic) Features”

2019

Connie Y. Chang, MD
“Automated Detection of Spinal Bone Lesions on Body CTs Using a Deep Convolutional Neural Network”

2018

Naveen Subhas, MD
“Highly Accelerated Knee MRI using a Novel Deep Convoluted Neural Network Algorithm: A Multi-Reader Comparison Study”

2017

Michael Fadell, MD
“Utilization of non-invasive MR imaging to differentiate between infectious and noninfectious fluid in septic arthritis”

2016

Andrew B. Ross, MD; Kenneth S. Lee MD
“Rapid MRI Protocol for the Evaluation of Potential Hip Fractures in the Elderly”