The AAO has funded pilot research within the profession for many years. The major purpose of research programs funded by the AAO is to:

• Generate and support research that develops and promotes an understanding of the philosophy, concepts and efficacy of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM); and to
• Develop and maintain the research capacity of the profession through support and training for researchers including all aspects of uniquely Osteopathic research. This is to include but is not limited to bench top physiological models research, educational standards development, practice guidelines research, normative data collection, and clinical research. Equipment development and engineering design research is explicitly excluded from this venue though assistance in obtaining funding from other sources may be obtained through the LBORC

Research Grants
The AAO recognizes the value of all areas of biomedical and educational research. However the resources and facilities of the profession are limited and direct research funding must focus on those areas of research that investigate the unique aspects of osteopathic medicine. The breadth of this research focus may include but is not limited to:

1. Mechanisms of Action of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine treatment
2. Clinical Efficacy of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine treatment
3. Inter- and Intra-rater reliability of palpatory/sensory assessment
4. Cost effectiveness of osteopathic health care
5. Osteopathic physician - patient interactions
6. Methods of teaching palpation, sensing, diagnosis and Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine treatment
7. Collection of normative data in Osteopathic Manipulative Techniques
8. Validation of Osteopathic Manipulative Techniques specific research methodology

Additional funding is occasionally made available for unique circumstances in sponsoring Osteopathically significant professional projects and or interactions that are otherwise not fundable through Profession resources. This may include but is not limited to Travel for American Academy Osteopathy representation at high profile
events, historical preservation of rare artifacts or libraries, and other uniquely osteopathic functions that may not be directly research related. These are decided upon on a case by case basis though there will be a uniform method of submission for review using application materials from the American Osteopathic Association research manual and a modified review process.

For a complete description of the priorities of the AAO Research Grants programs, please consult the AOA Research Handbook and/or consult with the officers of the LBORC. LBORC will not fund machine or equipment engineering R&D.

Grant applications are accepted on an annual basis and have a submission deadline of 2 months prior to American Academy Osteopathy convocation or 2 months prior to American Osteopathic Association Annual National Scientific Seminar. Funding decisions are approved or declined by the AAO Board of Trustees at their meeting following LBORC recommendation. All funding opportunities must clear funding capacity with the Finance committee and the respective research endowment funds of the American Academy Osteopathy prior to disbursement. The LBORC will recommend funding for research proposals with budgets up to $10,000 per year; investigators should not expect to be funded for more than two years on a single project and must provide a budget plan at the time of submission explaining the need for a 2 year time frame and defining the budgetary needs as clearly as possible. At the discretion of the committee, a recommendation of a lower amount for funding may be offered and/or the American Academy Osteopathy BOT may elect to reduce the amount of funding recommended by the committee. Either case will be explained in writing to the grant recipient.

The LBORC will be using the American Osteopathic Association research applications, guidelines and manuals as recommended by the American Osteopathic Association Council on Research (COR). The COR was charged with developing a professional standard set of research tools that would serve as a highly discriminating set and serve to educate our professions applicants as to the type and quality of applications required at a national level of performance.

AOA Research Information

*Grant numbers will be assigned by the LBORC on a “when received basis”. Example grant number will be prefaced by the year submitted- followed by the month initially received as “application complete” with all forms submitted in proper format and- the number of the grant as sequenced by that years submissions followed by PI initials, i.e. LBORC-2009-05-003-CS. This grant application was received and determined to be complete by the LBORC, 5/2009, from Charles Smutny PI, and is the third grant submitted since January/1st of that year.