Sponsorship

Instead of approaching orthopaedic companies and other interested corporations on a sporadic basis asking for funds of an erratic size and without the benefit of future planning, the AOA Research Foundation has established a sponsorship program designed specifically to provide an adequate corpus for maintenance of research efforts. The funds will allow a modest expansion over a period of five years and will ensure the continuation of our excellent research projects.

The level of sponsorship is tiered according to the level of contribution guaranteed over a five year period.

In return for sponsorship, the AOA Research Foundation has a number of special initiatives to acknowledge the philanthropic nature and importance of the sponsorship. The AOA Research Foundation values highly a sponsor’s position in a professional relationship.  This contribution to the Research Foundation through the research efforts of Foundation Research Grant recipients may ultimate result in clinical advantages to all Australians with musculoskeletal disorders.

The recipients of funds from the Australian Orthopaedic Research Foundation are obligated to present the findings of the research projected funded by the Foundation in the Research Foundation plenary session at the AOA Annual Scientific Meetings. This session is dedicated to the Foundation and its sponsors.  All sponsors will be named according to presence and contribution level.

In acknowledgement of their contribution, the managing directors of each sponsoring company (or a delegated representative) will be presented with a plaque during the plenary session by the President of the Australian Orthopaedic Association.

In each Australian Orthopaedic Association Bulletin, a whole page is devoted to the activities of the Research Foundation.  Featured prominently and centrally within that page will be an honour roll of the names of sponsoring companies, their contribution level and the support they provide.

For sponsoring companies that submit paid advertisements for forthcoming issues of the AOA Bulletin, the advertisements from those companies will be adorned with a logo which recognises the contributory status of that particular company. The logo will be similar to an 'Australian made' logo or an 'Olympic sponsorship' logo.  All Australian orthopaedic surgeons, recipients of the Bulletin, will be left in no doubt about the high esteem in which the Foundation’s sponsors. Similarly sponsors may use the Foundation sponsorship logo on the company correspondence.

At each Australian Orthopaedic Association Annual Scientific Meeting, there will be an electronic honour board of substantial physical magnitude placed prominently within the trade area listing the names and categories of each sponsoring company supporting research efforts in Australia. In addition, the names of sponsors will be inscribed on a perpetual honour board prominently housed in the head Office of the Australian Orthopaedic Association.

Periodically by way of acknowledgement, managing directors of each sponsoring company (or a delegated representative) will be invited to meet socially with members of the Foundation Board. This will allow informal discussions between the Foundation and parties interested in the advancement of musculoskeletal research in Australia.

The AOA Research Foundation has a Targeted Research policy.  Sponsored research is targeted research done independently for a second party (a sponsor) which nominates the line of research. All aspects of the proposed research are under the direction of the Research Foundation. In proposed research deemed to be suitable, the Foundation may contribute shared or additional funding. This initiative on the part of the Foundation removes any potential for conflict of interest with a known company supporting known research by known researchers.

The Research Foundation values its association with sponsors and sincerely thanks all sponsors for their support of musculoskeletal research. Any company or corporation wishing to become a sponsor of the AOA Research Foundation should contact:

The Chief Executive Officer
AOA Research Foundation
Level 12
45 Macquarie Street
Sydney NSW 2000