The Bone and Joint Decade
Young Investigator Initiative (YII)

Hazel Wood, ED, BJD Canada
Toby King, ED, USBJD

Bone and Joint Decade Canada (BJD Canada) and the United States Bone and Joint Decade (USBJD) have hit a home run with the Young Investigator Initiative (YII). To date, more than 100 young investigators have been accepted into the YII programme covering anatomy, chiropractic, dentistry, endocrinology, kinesiology, orthopaedics, pathology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational medicine, occupational therapy, and rheumatology. More than thirty participants have obtained >$16.5MM in research grants.

This initiative was formed because basic and clinical research in musculoskeletal diseases performed by young investigators had not been keeping pace with the increasing burden of these diseases in North America. The USBJD Research Committee, in collaboration with BJD Canada, developed a programme comprised of a series of workshops and mentoring to provide early-career clinical investigators an opportunity to work with experienced researchers in the field to assist them in securing funding and other survival skills required for pursuing an academic career. The programme does not provide grants, but is aimed at training promising investigators to become successfully funded. Programme mentors' commitment to the programme is significant, and the multi-disciplinary nature of the initiative is an important element as participants benefit from the exchange of cross-disciplinary knowledge and experience.

This workshop series is open to promising junior faculty, senior fellows or post-doctoral researchers who wish to secure funding for hypothesis-driven research. They must be nominated by their department or division chairs and have a faculty appointment in place or confirmed, and have a commitment to protected time for research. It is also open to senior fellows or residents that are doing research and have a faculty appointment in place or confirmed. Young clinical investigators that have a K grant/training award or a foundation award and have not yet obtained R01 funding may apply for the second workshop. Investigators selected to take part in the programme attend two workshops, 12 months apart, and work with faculty between workshops to develop their grant applications. The spring workshops are held in Rosemont, Illinois, and the fall workshops are held in Toronto, Ontario.

The most recent workshops were held in Toronto from October 31 to November 2. Sixteen participants attended Workshop I, and ten returning participants attended Workshop II. Dr. Jane E. Aubin, Scientific Director of IMHA, provided a stimulating keynote address. Dr. Aubin illustrated how researchers must adopt a path with clear focus, while remaining open to opportunities that can shape the specifics of their research. Canadian Faculty consisted of: James P. Waddell, M.D., Dorcas Beaton, BSc OT, MSC, PhD and Steven Robinovitch, PhD. Funding for the workshops was provided by the Institutes of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American College of Rheumatology (ACR), American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF), American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). In kind support was provided by the Canadian Orthopaedic Association (COA), the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation, and The Arthritis Society (TAS). Written and verbal feedback indicates that the workshops were a tremendous success!

By working collaboratively with the USBJD, Canada is leveraging its research dollars to develop young clinical investigators in the area of musculoskeletal diseases and conditions. Applications are invited from investigators in the fields of orthopaedics, rheumatology, rehabilitation, osteopathic, dentistry and physiatry. The trainees develop a multidisciplinary network that enhances future research relevance and funding opportunities. This access is expected to raise the quality of research. This workshop promotes transdisciplinary interactions. It enables researchers to develop new national and international collaborations. Geography is becoming less of a barrier to research collaborations and trainees learn this at the workshop. This workshop brings together new researchers from across Canada and the United States. It includes ample opportunities for both formal and informal interactions. With the potential for broad representation across disciplines and areas of research interest, new researchers are encouraged to consider a wide scope of research priorities and cross-disciplinary priorities. They interact with experienced researchers from a variety of disciplines. They also interact with a larger number of new researchers from more varied backgrounds than can be provided through the traditional training modes. This workshop provides an excellent foundation on which other research training programmes can be built.

For more information about the YII programme, please contact:

Hazel Wood
1.888.323.6861; 416.323.6861 x 222
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