The Advantages of Working with IPSIS on Your Research
The International Pain and Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS) is proud to provide funding for high quality research to help generate definitive evidence and support the interventional pain medicine field. IPSIS has supported research in the
field since 1990, yet much more needs to be accomplished in order to sustain our specialty.
Investigators seeking grant funding should follow the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society's policy below for submitting grant proposals.
Proposals are vetted by the Research Division and funding of research proposals is approved at the semi-annual IPSIS Board of Directors meetings.
Requirements and instructions for the Nikolai Bogduk Young Investigator Grant can be found below.
Requirements
At least one investigator named on the letter of intent/proposal must be a non-trainee IPSIS member.
Multiple grants may be pursued/awarded per year.
The research proposal must be original research that is to be performed and not work that is already completed.
Institutional Review Board approval is mandatory when the study involves human or animal subjects and must be in place for all funded studies. (IRB approval is not required for letters of intent or proposals. At a minimum, letters of intent
and proposals should describe either a plan to apply for IRB approval or the status of an IRB application at the time of submission.)
Applications will be accepted from investigators regardless of national origin or location.
A Letter of Intent is required a minimum of 3 months prior to the Spring (May 1)/Winter (November 1) full proposal deadlines.
Winter Cycle:
Letters of Intent must be received by August 1.
After review by the Research Division, full proposals may be invited by September 1.
Invited full proposals will be due November 1 for consideration at the winter Board of Directors meeting.
Spring Cycle:
Letters of Intent must be received by February 1.
After review by the Research Division, full proposals may be invited by March 1.
Invited full proposals will be due May 1 for consideration at the Board of Directors meeting held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting.
Nikolai Bogduk Young Investigator Grant: Letters of Intent must be received by March 1. Specific requirements and instructions for the Nikolai Bogduk Young Investigator Grant can be found below.
Letters of Intent should be no longer than 3 pages and must include:
Title of proposed study
Principal investigator, co-investigators, and corresponding institutions
Brief background, specific aims, statistical foundation and analysis plan, preliminary data, description of implementation plan, and timeline or estimated study duration
Estimated budget for the study
CVs of all investigators (Do not count towards 3-page limit)
Each investigator must complete the IPSIS online disclosure, located HERE.
Budget Information:
IPSIS does not pay institutional overhead or indirect costs associated with its grants.
There are no limits on the funding amounts that may be requested. Rather, the evaluation focuses on whether the budget is reasonable and the items appropriate for the proposed project.
While IPSIS does not specify an upper limit for grant applications, larger fund requests will be evaluated on the perceived value of a study, taking into consideration the extent to which the study addresses a priority topic and utilizes existing
funding frameworks, i.e. reimbursement available to an institution. Within any budget justification, please provide additional details to support proposed staffing levels.
Full grant applications should follow the format below.
Title page
Title of Project
Principal Investigator’s name and contact information
Collaborators’ name and affiliations, if any
Proposed project period
Abstract page
Abstract/Project Summary (300 words)
Research Proposal - 10-page limit
Objective of Project
Hypotheses
Background Information and Project Justification—Include summary of previous work, including data from preliminary studies (with references, if available.) Explain why the project is unique and appropriate in the context of prior work.
Research Design and Methods
Risks to Subjects and Strategy to Assure Protection
Project Timeline
Project Location
Future Plans Related to Project
References (Do not count towards 10-page limit)
Other Documents
Budget – list total operating budget requirements. If budget is for multiple years, please list each year’s budget separately and in total.
Budget Justification – budgets should include permanent and consumable equipment, statistical analyses, staff salaries, and other direct expenses. Describe other funds available for this project, if applicable, including amount and source.
There are no limits on the funding amounts that may be requested. Rather, the evaluation focuses on whether the budget is reasonable and the items appropriate for the proposed project.
While IPSIS does not specify an upper limit for grant applications, larger fund requests will be evaluated on the perceived value of a study, taking into consideration the extent to which the study addresses a priority topic and utilizes
existing funding frameworks, i.e. reimbursement available to an institution. Within any budget justification, please provide additional details to support the staffing levels.
Institutional Review Board (IRB) – if human or animal subjects are involved, approval by an IRB is mandatory. IRB approval is not required at the time of proposal submission. At a minimum, proposals should describe either a plan to apply for
IRB approval or the status of an IRB application at the time of submission. IPSIS staff will ensure that studies that are recommended for funding and approved by the Board of Directors have IRB approval in place.
Institutional Release of Overhead and Indirect Costs – please have your institution’s administrator complete the paragraph below separately on your institution’s letterhead. Include Name, Signature, and Date.
(Institution Name) is aware that the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society will not pay institutional overheard and indirect costs. I, (Name of Institution's Administrator), have reviewed this application and (Name of Principal Investigator) and I are in agreement that the institutional overhead and the indirect costs will not be deducted from this Research Grant.
Selection process
Full proposals will be evaluated according to a 100-point scoring system:
Scientific Merit, Significance, and Abstract/Background Information (30 points)
Research Strategy - Methodology/Study Design, IRB, Statistical Validity (50 points)
Feasibility (20 points)
Funded Studies
If a proposal is approved for funding by the IPSIS Board of Directors, investigators should allow 4-6 weeks for contract development.
Funded investigators are required to submit semi-annual research update forms and final research findings to the Research Division.
Final results and analysis must be presented at the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society's Annual Meeting subsequent to project completion. Results are also expected to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
IPSIS must be cited as the source of funding in all publications and presentations from the project or its results. A copy of all publications and presentations must be sent to IPSIS.
Are you an IPSIS member within 5 years of your fellowship (or highest degree) and looking to advance your research career? If so, IPSIS established the Nikolai Bogduk Young Investigator Grant just for you.
Potentially
receive:
up to $25,000 to conduct original research;
mentorship from the IPSIS Research Division;
complimentary travel, accommodations, and registration for theIPSIS Annual Meeting when you present your IPSIS-funded research.
The grant honors the continuing legacy of the internationally lauded Professor Nikolai Bogduk, a founding member of the Society, author of over 150 peer-reviewed publications, and editor of the IPSIS Practice Guidelines—the definitive text
on interventional spine procedures.
Challenge yourself to advance the evidence base. See how receiving the inaugural grant is helping Dr. Patricia Zheng realize her potential to advance the evidence base.
Letters of recommendation are encouraged. These help IPSIS determine your potential to fully benefit from collaborative mentorship.
Explain the extent to which your institution is committed to seeing your research plan come to fruition. Will it provide you access to facilities, collaborators, equipment, and additional funding?
Contact IPSIS staff with any questions prior to submitting your letter of intent.
Eligibility
You must be an active physician or researcher (MD, DO, or international equivalent or PhD) within 5 years of obtaining your highest degree at the time of grant submission. (Time taken off for child-rearing does not count in these totals. Part-time
work and other special circumstances will be evaluated by the Research Division.)
You have no history as a Principal Investigator on grants greater than $25,000.
You must be an IPSIS member. Not a member? Join today.
Instructions and Timeline
Email your Letter of Intent to Grants@IPSISmed.org before the deadline. Letters of Intent should be no longer than 3 pages and must include:
The title of your proposed study
The names of the principal investigator, co-investigators, and corresponding institutions
A brief background of the study including your study's:
specific aims,
statistical foundation and analysis plan,
preliminary data,
description of implementation plan,
timeline or estimated study duration,
estimated budget for the study, and
CVs of all investigators (CVs do not count towards 3-page limit).
Early April - invitations to submit proposals issued
Early July - full proposals due
Late August - applicants notified
September - public announcement made at the IPSIS Annual Meeting
Evaluation Criteria
Candidate Merit: The extent to which the applicant has a clear vision of his or her research career and their potential to contribute both to research and IPSIS.
Track Record of Research Interest: Evidence of prior work done in the related area by the applicant, such as publications or presentations.
Mentorship/Career Development: The extent to which the applicant has mentorship in place that will foster successful completion of the research plan and career development. Letters of recommendation are appropriate and encouraged.
Research Plan: The extent to which the research question, design, and methods achieve scientific and technical merit and the extent to which the methods to reduce bias are described.
Institutional Commitment: The extent to which the applicant's institution demonstrates a commitment to the research plan to ensure successful completion (i.e., applicant workload, facilities, collaborators, equipment, additional funding, etc.)
Each month, conducting Bio-Skills Labs requires IPSIS to temporarily outfit a lab with imaging equipment, staff it with knowledgeable techs, and bring in cadaveric specimens for expert instructors to teach physicians interventional
pain techniques.
The Society now has a process in place for members to formally request access to the specimens and imaging tools for research projects. You will either be invoiced for the additional costs associated with the research activities
or receive an IPSIS onsite research grant valued at those additional costs. Click here to download the application form for
more details.
View our upcoming event schedule and take advantage of this IPSIS member benefit when the next IPSIS Bio-Skills Lab is near you.
Collection of data for the purposes of personal research at IPSIS bio-skills labs entails the use of IPSIS resources and as such, requires an application process with evaluation by the Education Division and Research Division.
Principal investigator must be an IPSIS member.
Multiple permissions may be pursued/awarded per year.
Research activities may not interfere with any aspect of the activity’s implementation.
The investigator indemnifies the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society from any and all liability related to the project.
Review Process
A formal application and research proposal will be required for review by both the Education and Research Division leadership. If warranted, the application and research proposal may be reviewed
by the full divisions or Board of Directors. If the request is approved, staff and the course director will implement the logistics of incorporating the research activity into the schedule of the bio-skills lab.
Requests Incurring Direct Costs
The investigator either will be invoiced for the additional costs associated with the research activities or receive an IPSIS ‘onsite research grant’ valued at those additional costs.
Acknowledgements
IPSIS must be cited as the source of research support in all publications and presentations resulting from the project. The International Pain and Spine Intervention Society's name will only be used in the methodology description of the
study to acknowledge the granting of access to IPSIS resources. A copy of all publications and presentations must be sent to IPSIS.
Interventional pain procedures are under attack! Payers cite a lack of evidence or poor quality evidence for the procedures that we know help improve the quality of life for many patients. What can we do to preserve access to these procedures
for patients in need? Do the research and publish the results!
Contributing to the IPSIS Research Fund is an investment in the future of interventional pain procedures. The Society's leadership believes this and
has demonstrated their commitment by establishing a research endowment with an initial $1,000,000 corpus.
Never before have pain interventions come under such scrutiny. This is due in large part to the paucity of high quality studies
on interventional pain procedures. The International Pain and Spine Intervention Society has supported research in the field since 1990, yet much more needs to be accomplished in order to sustain our specialty.
Strategic Plan
The International Pain and Spine Intervention Society is committed to funding high quality research that will generate definitive conclusions to assist in better clarifying the role of pain interventions.
When you contribute to the IPSIS Research Fund, you are funding the critical research that will address the important questions in interventional pain care today. This knowledge will inform our educational initiatives and assist in building
a robust evidence base to support efforts to preserve access to and reimbursement for the procedures needed to help our patients every day.
If you share the IPSIS vision and determination to ensure appropriate funding of the definitive
studies needed to address high priority research over the years to come, show it by making a contribution to the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society Research Fund.
The 5K Fun Run/Walk for Research is a fun and active way to promote interventional pain research at the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society’s Annual Meetings.
Launched in 2014, the event brings together Annual Meeting attendees, family members, and exhibitors to enjoy a 5K run or walk through the meeting’s host city, while raising funds for research studies that will benefit the specialty
and enhance patient care.
Participants do not pay a registration fee to take part; rather, their donation to the IPSIS Research Fund covers their registration. Everyone receives a branded t-shirt to promote both the event as well as their commitment to
research. Participation in this event has increased rapidly over the years, with over 100 participants in 2019 consisting of IPSIS members, their family members, and exhibitors.
The Research Division of the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS) is proud to highlight the recipients of research funding.
To contribute to the IPSIS Research Fund, click here.
Currently Funded Research Studies
Loh, E. Anatomical 3D Reconstruction and Fluoroscopic Correlation Study of Lumbar & Sacral Vertebrae: A Pilot Morphometric Analysis with Implications for Medial Branch Denervation
Rivers, W. A Pilot Study Characterizing Fluoroscopic Parameters and Biomarkers of Lumbar Medial Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy.
Rivers, W. A Pilot Study Characterizing the Effect of Endogenous Opioid-Dependent Analgesia on the Interpretation and Prognostication of Lumbar Medial Branch Nerve Blocks.
Burnham, R. The Safety and Efficacy of Genicular Radiofrequency Ablation for Patients with Persistent Knee Pain Following Total Knee Arthroplasty - A Triple Blinded Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial.
Dos Santos, G. A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial Comparing End-on Versus Parallel Radiofrequency Lesioning for Neurotomy of the Cervical Medial Branch Nerves (EndPaRL).
Levi, D. Bone Marrow Concentrate Intradiscal Injection for Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.
Loh, E. Innervation of Lumbar Facet Joints: Implications for Intervention.
Miller, S. The Effectiveness of Shoulder Terminal Sensory Articular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation for Non-surgical Refractory Shoulder Pain Due to Rotator Cuff Pathology and Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Pilot Study.
Roy, A. Comparison of Intra-articular Platelet Rich Plasma to Corticosteroid Injections for Patients with Zygapophyseal Joint (Z-joint) Low Back Pain Confirmed by Dual Intra-articular Local Anesthetic Injections: A Triple-Blinded
Randomized Controlled Trial.
Schneider, B. Randomized Trial Comparing Parallel Versus Perpendicular Technique for Lumbar Medial Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy.
Zheng, P. Application to Track Longitudinal Outcomes After Spine interventions (ATLAS).
Recently Published Research Studies Funded by the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society
Tran J, Campisi E, Roa Agudelo A, Agur AM, Loh E. (2024). High-fidelity 3D modelling of the lumbar dorsal rami. Interventional Pain Medicine, 3(1), 100401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inpm.2024.100401
Conger AM, Randall DJ, Sperry BP, Kuo KT, Petersen R, Henrie AM, Kendall RW, Bisson EF, Teramoto M, Martin BI, Burnham TR, McCormick ZL (2024). The effectiveness of cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections for the treatment of cervical
radicular pain: A prospective cohort study reporting 12-month outcomes. Interventional Pain Medicine, 3(1), 100379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inpm.2023.100379
Schneider BJ, Ehsanian R, Sherwood D, Gauthier O, Yeh P, Lee A, Dovgan J, Williams T, Van Horn G, Sturos E, Schmitz J. (2023). To swab or not to swab? Isopropanol swabs of common injectate vials does not decrease microbial burden. Interventional Pain Medicine,
2, 100302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inpm.2023.100302
Kennedy, D.J., Plastaras, C., Casey, E., Visco, C.J., Rittenberg, J.D., Conrad, B., Sigler, J., Dreyfuss, P. (2014), Comparative Effectiveness of Lumbar Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections with Particulate Versus Non-Particulate Corticosteroids
for Lumbar Radicular Pain Due to Intervertebral Disc Herniation: A Randomized,Double-Blinded Trial. Pain Medicine, 15:548-55. doi: 10.1111/pme.12325 Read More
Furman, M.B., et al. Efficacy of Fluoroscopically-Guided, Contrast Enhanced, Cervicothoracic Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections: A Pilot Study. (Study completed; publication pending)
MacVicar, J., Borowczyk, J. M., MacVicar, A. M., Loughnan, B. M. and Bogduk, N.(2013), Lumbar Medial Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy in New Zealand. Pain Medicine, 14:639-645. doi:10.1111/pme.12000 Read More
MacVicar, J., Borowczyk, J. M., MacVicar, A. M., Loughnan, B. M. and Bogduk, N.(2012), Cervical Medial Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy in New Zealand. Pain Medicine, 13:647-654. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4637.2012.01351. Read More
Cohen SP, White RL, Kurihara C, Larkin TM, Chang A, Griffith SR, Gilligan C, Larkin R, Morlando B, Pasquina PF, Yaksh TL, Nguyen C. (2012), Epidural Steroids, Etanercept, or Saline in Subacute Sciatica: A Multicenter, Randomized Trial. Ann
Intern Med. 2012 Apr 17;156(8):551-9. Read More
Furman, M. B., Kothari, G., Parikh, T., Anderson, J. G. and Khawaja, A. (2010), Efficacy of Fluoroscopically Guided, Contrast-Enhanced Lumbosacral Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections: A Pilot Study. Pain Medicine, 11:1328-1334.
doi:10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.00926.
Read More
