O&P outcomes research has been chosen as one of 56 eligible topic areas for the 2025 Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program, a grant program that will distribute approximately $150 million in funding by September 30.
The inclusion was announced jointly by the O&P Alliance (the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics; the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists; the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association; the Board of Certification/Accreditation; and the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics), the Amputee Coalition, and the Orthotics and Prosthetics Foundation for Education and Research.
The Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes Research Program (OPORP), a component of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), was established by Congress in 2014, but dedicated funding ended in 2023. OPORP was designed to improve outcomes for servicemembers, veterans, and civilians with limb loss or limb difference, and contributed over $120 million to O&P outcomes research, leading the O&P organizations to advocate for reinstatement of the funding.
While the Senate did not reinstate dedicated funding, it included in its appropriations report “very favorable language authorizing the CDMRP program to include O&P outcomes research in a pool of funding for competitively awarded grants,” according to the announcement.
“The inclusion of O&P in the fiscal year 2025 funding bill is a significant win for the profession and a testament to the strength of our unified advocacy efforts. Inclusion of the report language… reopens opportunities for O&P researchers to compete for outcomes research grants that will advance the evidence base for O&P care and improve outcomes for individuals with limb loss and limb difference…. While O&P researchers can strongly compete with researchers in other fields, we will continue to emphasize the importance of restoring a separate, dedicated source of funding through OPORP within CDMRP.”
