This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Orthotic and Prosthetic Education and Research Foundation (OPERF), a nonprofit organization established to raise the standards of research in O&P. Founded with an initial donation from the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists' (the Academy's) College Fund, OPERF was conceived to develop and support promising individuals who have the potential to contribute to the growing base of evidence for our profession. Generous donations from the Academy; the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Pedorthics (ABC); and individual donors have allowed OPERF to support O&P students, residents, educators, and researchers. OPERF's anniversary is an important milestone and serves as a reminder that acquiring and applying knowledge derived from research evidence is a key hallmark of being a profession. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on OPERF's role in O&P and the impact it has had. Over the past ten years, OPERF has awarded nearly $500,000 in research grants and fellowships to dozens of investigators. These awards have helped launch new ideas, projects, collaborations, and careers. OPERF awards have contributed to the growing body of O&P knowledge during a time when research evidence is needed. OPERF-sponsored studies have produced 19 peer-reviewed publications and more than 40 conference presentations. OPERF awards have also stimulated new research and allowed investigators to pursue and successfully obtain funding from external sources, such as the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. OPERF research grant recipients have used their awards to amass nearly $5 million in subsequent funding—a return on investment of 20 to 1. OPERF has awarded nearly $60,000 in educational grants to researchers, educators, and clinicians. Specifically, OPERF has provided grants to advance faculty education to better train the next generation of clinicians; supported dozens of O&P students with annual awards for academic achievement; and provided more than a dozen travel awards to allow residents to share results of their studies at national conferences. OPERF's educational awards allow us to invest in promising individuals at a key time in their careers. In addition to investing in our professional future, OPERF works to acknowledge leaders in the field who have helped create our current foundation of evidence. Generous donations from J. Martin Carlson, CPO, and the family of Carlton Fillauer, CPO, support OPERF's Tamarack and Fillauer Prizes: awards given annually to recognize the contributions of orthotists and prosthetists who have helped to shape the science of our profession. Recipients of these prestigious prizes inspire us all through their dedication to patient care, service, and research. While reflecting on the impact OPERF has had on the O&P profession, it is also important to remember that much remains to be done. Our profession, while strong, needs inspired clinicians to serve those who require our care. Our evidence base, while growing, needs capable researchers to enrich it with results from robust and clinically-relevant studies. Our educators, while dedicated, need new opportunities to learn so they can pass this knowledge along to the next generation of prosthetists/orthotists. It is OPERF's goal over the next ten years to meet these needs on behalf of our profession. To learn more about OPERF and how you can contribute to the continued growth of our profession, please visit <a href="https://opedge.dev/947">www.operf.org</a>. <em>Stefania Fatone, PhD, is a professor at Northwestern University and the Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center (NUPOC). Brian Hafner, PhD, is a professor at the University of Washington and teaches in the O&P program.</em> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Orthotic and Prosthetic Education and Research Foundation (OPERF), a nonprofit organization established to raise the standards of research in O&P. Founded with an initial donation from the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists' (the Academy's) College Fund, OPERF was conceived to develop and support promising individuals who have the potential to contribute to the growing base of evidence for our profession. Generous donations from the Academy; the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Pedorthics (ABC); and individual donors have allowed OPERF to support O&P students, residents, educators, and researchers. OPERF's anniversary is an important milestone and serves as a reminder that acquiring and applying knowledge derived from research evidence is a key hallmark of being a profession. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on OPERF's role in O&P and the impact it has had. Over the past ten years, OPERF has awarded nearly $500,000 in research grants and fellowships to dozens of investigators. These awards have helped launch new ideas, projects, collaborations, and careers. OPERF awards have contributed to the growing body of O&P knowledge during a time when research evidence is needed. OPERF-sponsored studies have produced 19 peer-reviewed publications and more than 40 conference presentations. OPERF awards have also stimulated new research and allowed investigators to pursue and successfully obtain funding from external sources, such as the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. OPERF research grant recipients have used their awards to amass nearly $5 million in subsequent funding—a return on investment of 20 to 1. OPERF has awarded nearly $60,000 in educational grants to researchers, educators, and clinicians. Specifically, OPERF has provided grants to advance faculty education to better train the next generation of clinicians; supported dozens of O&P students with annual awards for academic achievement; and provided more than a dozen travel awards to allow residents to share results of their studies at national conferences. OPERF's educational awards allow us to invest in promising individuals at a key time in their careers. In addition to investing in our professional future, OPERF works to acknowledge leaders in the field who have helped create our current foundation of evidence. Generous donations from J. Martin Carlson, CPO, and the family of Carlton Fillauer, CPO, support OPERF's Tamarack and Fillauer Prizes: awards given annually to recognize the contributions of orthotists and prosthetists who have helped to shape the science of our profession. Recipients of these prestigious prizes inspire us all through their dedication to patient care, service, and research. While reflecting on the impact OPERF has had on the O&P profession, it is also important to remember that much remains to be done. Our profession, while strong, needs inspired clinicians to serve those who require our care. Our evidence base, while growing, needs capable researchers to enrich it with results from robust and clinically-relevant studies. Our educators, while dedicated, need new opportunities to learn so they can pass this knowledge along to the next generation of prosthetists/orthotists. It is OPERF's goal over the next ten years to meet these needs on behalf of our profession. To learn more about OPERF and how you can contribute to the continued growth of our profession, please visit <a href="https://opedge.dev/947">www.operf.org</a>. <em>Stefania Fatone, PhD, is a professor at Northwestern University and the Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center (NUPOC). Brian Hafner, PhD, is a professor at the University of Washington and teaches in the O&P program.</em> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>