The North American Spine Society (NASS) offers a comprehensive suite of research grants and fellowships to support spine-related research conducted by qualified investigators at different career stages. The 2025 funding cycle includes Research Grants, Young Investigator Grants, a new Graduate Research Seed Grant, Nontraditional Nonsurgical Treatment Grants, and Clinical and Research Traveling Fellowships. The purpose of these funding opportunities is to promote the highest quality, ethical, value-based, and evidence-based spine care by advancing basic, clinical, and translational science in this specialty.

NASS’s primary objective is to improve the quality of spine care for patients and advance the understanding of underlying disorders. It seeks proposals that address significant research problems in spine care using various scientific methodologies. Basic research should focus on mechanisms of diseases and novel models for prevention or treatment, clinical research on patient outcomes and treatments, and translational research on applying lab discoveries in clinical practice. Research areas of focus include spinal deformity, degenerative disc disease, spinal cord injuries, oncologic conditions, and non-surgical interventions such as physical therapy or pain management strategies.

Funding is available for a range of research topics and varies by grant type. Research and Young Investigator Grants typically range from $20,000 to $40,000 annually, with a ceiling of $50,000. The Graduate Research Seed Grant provides up to $5,000, while Clinical and Research Traveling Fellowships generally range from $3,000 to $7,000. Funding is discretionary and based on the NASS Research Funding Committee’s evaluation of merit, budget availability, and alignment with research priorities. Overhead costs should not exceed 10–15% of the total budget, and certain expenses like investigator salaries and travel to meetings are not covered.

Eligibility is based on grant type. All research grant applicants must be NASS members in good standing. Young Investigator applicants must be within five years post-doctoral training and not have received prior NASS funding. Graduate applicants and their mentors must also be members, with similar restrictions on previous funding. Fellowship applicants are not required to be NASS members but must not have received a prior NASS fellowship. International applicants are eligible for all grants and fellowships.

Applicants must submit a Letter of Proposal (LOP) by February 10, 2025, at 11:59 PM CST. Those invited to proceed will submit full applications by May 12, 2025, which is also the deadline for fellowship applications. Final decisions will be communicated the week of August 18, 2025, and award presentations will occur at the NASS Annual Meeting, November 14–17, 2025. Projects must be completed within three years of award.

The LOP must be submitted via a Microsoft form and include detailed project information, including title, summary, research background, methodology, budget, and investigator details. Supporting documents, such as itemized budgets, eligibility proof, and references, are submitted separately via email. Review criteria include significance, scientific approach, and feasibility. A conflict of interest disclosure is required for all investigators.