American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
For Immediate Release May 08, 2017

AMSSM Announces $300,000 Multi-Site Grant to Address Sports Medicine Research Priorities

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – As a kickoff to the 26th American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, the AMSSM Collaborative Research Network announces $300,000 in funding to support one or more quality, multi-site research proposal(s) to address key priority areas within the field of sports medicine.

The CRN has developed a Request for Proposals that aims to capitalize on promising research ideas in one of five identified priority areas or another topic area of interest with strong potential to make an immediate impact in the field of sports medicine. The five priority areas of research include:

• Bone Health

• Cardiac Screening

• Concussion

• Sports Specialization and Athletic Performance

• Use of Ultrasound within Sports Medicine

"AMSSM has a strong history of supporting sports medicine research," said Anthony Beutler, MD, chair of the AMSSM CRN Leadership Committee. "The goal of this RFP is to assist AMSSM members in building multi-site research collaborations. These collaborations are essential to the multi-site cohort studies that will shape future sports medicine care across all active populations." 

AMSSM Research Director Stephanie Kliethermes, PhD added, "The field of sports medicine is often limited by a lack of evidence supporting the care sports medicine physicians provide to athletes and active individuals. This RFP is an opportunity for the CRN to help grow the body of evidence-based research in topic areas that are not only relevant to the long-term health and well-being of athletes but also vital in advancing the science of sports medicine and ultimately improving patient care."

This RFP, funded by AMSSM and the AMSSM Foundation, is open to all AMSSM members, who are encouraged to connect with collaborators both within and outside of AMSSM. The CRN will award one or more proposals worth up to $300,000 for a maximum of 2 years. The RFP is intended as seed money to provide data for major external grants to follow. In alignment with the mission of the CRN, proposals must include two or more sites. Letters of Intent are due June 30, 2017 and invited full proposals are due November 1, 2017. AMSSM members can view the Research/CRN section of the AMSSM website for details (must be logged in to view RFP).

“The concept of building a CRN for promoting multi-center research within the field of sports medicine dates back to 2008,” said AMSSM President Matt Gammons, MD. “We’re excited to be able to support this new initiative that builds on the success of the AMSSM Foundation Research Grant Awards Program and the long-standing efforts of the AMSSM Research Committee.”

About the CRN: The mission of the AMSSM CRN is to foster collaborative multisite research among our members with a goal of advancing the practice of sports medicine. AMSSM officially launched the CRN in the summer of 2016 to further expand and grow the research presence within the organization.

About the AMSSM: AMSSM is a multi-disciplinary organization of 3,400+ sports medicine physicians dedicated to education, research, advocacy and the care of athletes of all ages. The majority of AMSSM members are primary care physicians with fellowship training and added qualification in sports medicine who then combine their practice of sports medicine with their primary specialty. AMSSM includes members who specialize solely in non-surgical sports medicine and serve as team physicians at the youth level, NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS and NHL, as well as with Olympic teams. By nature of their training and experience, sports medicine physicians are ideally suited to provide comprehensive medical care for athletes, sports teams or active individuals who are simply looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. www.amssm.org

About the AMSSM Annual Meeting: The 2017 conference, with more than 1,800 sports medicine physicians attending from throughout the United States and around the world, explores current decisions, controversies as well as best practices related to Medicine in Motion that defines the clinical practice of sports medicine. The conference features lectures and research addressing the most challenging topics in sports medicine today including overhead athlete care, military medicine, sports performance training, youth sports, professional athlete care, leg pain, mental health in athletes, current sports medicine topics and much more.