Surgical Leaders Announce Creation of Collaborative Spine Research Foundation to Fund Spine-care Research

ROLLING MEADOWS and ROSEMONT, Ill., Nov. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two flagship foundations for advancing spine care through support for research, the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF), announced today a collaborative grant program that will broadly cultivate multidisciplinary clinical spine research. OREF, formed in 1955 by members of three national orthopaedic societies, and NREF, formed in 1981 by the American Association of Neurosurgeons (AAN), will jointly establish the Collaborative Spine Research Foundation (CSRF), which will be formed as a non-profit organization.

The CSRF's activities will center on advancing the science and practice of the highest quality spine care.  The CSRF board of directors, comprising equal numbers of neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons, will oversee the establishment of grant and award criteria; the establishment and enforcement of conflict-of-interest standards; the recruitment of qualified, independent peer-review teams; and the development of strategies to secure financial support from spine-care stakeholders.

"The creation of the CSRF as a collaborative organization furthers the aims of our foundations' mutual emphasis on research," said NREF executive council member and AAN president Paul C. McCormick, MD, MPH, FAANS, FACS. "It will provide much-needed grant opportunities toward research that ultimately benefits patients with spinal conditions."

"This collaboration recognizes the overwhelming advantages of multidisciplinary medicine," said OREF board president S. Terry Canale, MD. "It is a huge step forward for better clinical research."

OREF is an independent, nonprofit fundraising organization that seeks support from companies and individuals for clinically relevant research and education that contributes to improving orthopaedic care and quality of life for patients of all ages. OREF is the leading and most experienced administrator of grants for the advancement of orthopaedic specialty care, having awarded more than 3,800 grants and awards totaling $115 million through September 2011. www.oref.org

NREF focuses on providing a private, non-governmental source of funding for research training in the neurosciences; ensuring continued viability and expansion of neurological surgery; augmenting support for research endeavors; and stimulating learning and enhanced educational opportunities. NREF-supported research-grant funding is possible thanks to generous contributions from AAN members, groups, hospitals, private medical practices, corporate partners and the general public. www.aans.org/en/NREF.aspx

SOURCE Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation