Grant Opportunities Spark Innovation in Injury Reduction
The Research to Solutions (R2S) grant and MSD Solutions Pilot grant debuted in 2023. Since then, the MSD Solutions Lab has brought back these pioneering grant programs year after year to uncover promising new safety solutions to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs. We are excited to bring these back for another year.
Research to Solutions Grant (R2S)
The MSD Solutions Lab is pleased to announce the Research to Solutions (R2S) grant for 2026-2027. The goal of the R2S grant is to develop, evaluate and/or disseminate effective solutions for MSDs, focusing on occupational injury risk reduction. The R2S grant awards up to $50,000 per approved research project and typically funds four grants each year. It invites academic institutions, businesses and industries to innovate new solutions for MSDs that can be seamlessly integrated across a range of sectors and workplaces. For the 2026-2027 grant cycle, NSC calls upon applicants to support one or more of these key research areas:
● Emerging technologies for risk assessment and mitigation
● Ergonomic interventions for legacy MSD high-risk jobs or tasks
● Advancing non-physical risk assessment and mitigation
● Total worker wellbeing
Letters of Intent for R2S grants are open from Oct. 14 to Nov. 21, 2025.
Active 2025-2026 R2S Grant Projects:
● University of Waterloo is using innovative MSD risk assessment tools to better leverage data from emerging technologies
● Auburn University is testing a new plant-layout organizational tool for MSD control and mitigation
● Texas Tech University is assessing 3D printed head and neck rests for reduced discomfort during overhead work
● George Mason University is developing smartphone computer vision technology for real-time movement assessment to prevent MSDs in emergency responders
MSD Solutions Pilot Grant
The goal of the pilot grant program is to develop solutions for preventing MSDs by matching organizations with innovative technology providers to trial emerging technologies in real-life applications. This year’s grant program involves 10 leading solution providers featured at the 2025 NSC Safety Congress & Expo. Organizations are invited to submit proposals to partner with any of these providers to reduce MSDs caused by forceful exertions, repetitive motions or awkward postures across any workplace. These grants award up to $20,000 per approved project, and typically five grants are funded each year.
Organizations interested in applying for 2026-2027 pilot grants need to be or become members of the MSD Pledge community and are eligible to partner with one of the following 2025 Safety Innovation Challenge semi-finalists:
Applications for pilot grants are open from Oct. 14, 2025, to Jan. 15, 2026.
Learn From Past Projects
Active 2025-2026 Pilot Grant Projects
● dormakaba is partnering with DORN to train employees in MSD risk reduction best practices to improve overall wellness
● Cargill is working with MākuSafe to explore how technology can be used to create risk profiles and provide early hazard identification
● Panduit is teaming with Stroma Vision to help reduce upper extremity MSD risks in cable management and electrical connectivity manufacturing operations
● Northwell is collaborating with Hapo to validate the benefits of a “surgeon exoskeleton” in reducing upper limb strain during long, complex surgical procedures
● US Foods is using IntelliSafe Analytics to identify lifting stress incidents at manufacturing facilities and delivery sites
Special Thanks to Our Champion Donor:
