MOST Pilot & Feasibility Grant Program

The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study is the longest running osteoarthritis cohort in the world, having recently completed its 20th year in the field. To celebrate this milestone, the MOST Study is pleased to announce the availability of a Pilot & Feasibility Grant Program, which aims to support clinical research opportunities using MOST data.

Key Dates

  • Application Opens: January 12th, 2026
  • Application Due:  April 6th, 2026, at 5 PM ET
  • Funding Start Date: Summer 2026 (exact start date to be determined based on approvals)

Funding Overview

  • Awards Available: 1
  • Total Award: $25,000.00
  • Allowable Costs: Salary, student stipends, supplies, software, publication costs
  • Unallowable Costs: Capital equipment, travel, meals, foreign components
  • Additional Information:
    • A list of measurements collected at each study visit can be found here: MOST Table of Measures (PDF)
    • Any proposals requesting use of data from the 20th year (most recent visit completed in December 2025) will require involvement of a MOST senior investigator; please email MOST@bu.edu to inquire further.
    • Successful applicants will be asked to attend the multidisciplinary Research Accelerator meeting at Boston University remotely or in person to present updates and to receive methodologic input at various stages of their project.
    • IRB approval is not required at the time of application. If your application is selected, funds will be released only after IRB approval is obtained.

Eligibility

  • Due to NIH funding restrictions, this request for proposals is limited to US-based investigators.
  • While all proposals are welcome, applications from investigators who have not previously worked with MOST data are of particular interest for this RFA.

Application Requirements 

Applications must be submitted as a single PDF via the online submission form by Monday, April 6, 2026, at 5pm ET and must include the following components:

  1. Specific Aims (1 page maximum)
  2. Research Proposal (3 pages maximum, not including references)
  3. Detailed Budget and Justification. Please use: PHS-398 fp4-Detailed-Budget.docx.
  4. Study team: list each member and their roles/responsibilities (1 page maximum)
  5. Biosketches for the applicant and study team. Please use: non-fellowship-biosketch-sample.docx.
  6. Letter of Intent signed by an authorized official at the applicant’s home institution (e.g., Office of Sponsored Programs, Office of Research Administration, or equivalent). Please see: BU LOI Example.pdf.

NIH guidelines with regards to formatting must be followed (0.5” margins, 11-point font).

Questions

For questions and additional information, please contact MOST@bu.edu.