Don Pedersen Research Grants Program

Are you looking to jumpstart your research career? The program is intended to foster PA faculty development in research. The program encourages research about both PA education and PA workforce issues. It is not intended to fund research on clinical practice.

Grants of up to $10,500 may be awarded, with a total possible allotment of $21,000.

While proposals from all eligible applicants regarding all aspects of PA education and workforce issues are welcome, preference will favor: 

  • PA faculty or full-time PA program staff members who are early-career or new to research who have not been previously funded by another PAEA research grant program
  • PA faculty or full-time PA program staff members who are early-career or new to research who partner with senior researcher co-investigators
  • Proposals that address PAEA’s priority areas:
    • Increasing capacity in clinical education
    • Attracting and retaining students and faculty from diverse backgrounds.

These topics address PAEA Strategic Goals B and C which focus on preparing the next generation of PAs who deliver quality patient care and are representative of our nation’s population and eliminating systematic racism and bias in PA education. 

Submission and Deadlines

You may view a user guide for the application platform here. Learn more about the program, evaluation criteria, and formatting requirements in the submission guidelines. The application cycle will open in Spring 2025.

Questions?

Questions concerning this grant program should be addressed to the Research team.

History

The Don Pedersen Research Grants program initially began in 1997 as the Association of Physician Assistant Programs Research Institute Small Grants program. Pedersen’s first donation to the program occurred that same year. The present endowment, with donations and subsequent board contributions, was created in 2013 to fully fund the program. The name of the grants program was then changed to the Don Pedersen Research Grants program to honor Pedersen’s generous contributions.

Learn about past award winners and their research

  • Exploring the intersection of flourishing and the social determinants of health among medical, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner students: A mixed-methods approach
    Stephanie Neary, MPA, MMS, PA-C, Yale PA Online Program
  • Longitudinal Assessment of Academic Performance Based on Prior Academic Success in Physician Assistant Studies
    Daniel Thibodeau, DHSc, MHP, PA-C, Eastern Virginia Medical School PA Program
  • Read about the recipients here.

  • Pediatric Practice Barriers and Facilitators
    Susannah Jenkins, MPAS, PA-C, George Washington University
  • Facilitators and Barriers to Holistic Equity-Minded Advising: PA Faculty Perspectives
    Lillian Navarro-Reynolds, MS, PA-C, Oregon Health & Science University
  • Read about the recipients here.

 

  • Black Males Applicants in PA Education: A Comparative Review of Applicant Parameters
    Samuel Paik, MSPAS, PA-C, Charles Drew University
  • Read about the recipient here.

  • Investigating Potential PA Program Application Barriers for Underrepresented Minorities
    Mirela Bruza-Augatis, MS, PA-C, Seton Hall University
  • Tolerance of Ambiguity and the Effects of a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program in Physician Assistant Students
    Bethany Grubb, MPH, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA, University of Texas Southwestern
  • Read about the recipients here.

  • Barriers to research: A national survey of physician assistant faculty
    Sara Lolar, MS, PA-C, Wayne State University
  • Professionalism in PA Education as a Predictor of Future Licensing Board Disciplinary Actions
    Carey Barry, MHS, PA-C, Northeastern University
  • Professional identity formation in under-represented minority Physician Assistants 
    Chris Gillette, PhD, Wake Forest University
  • Read about the recipients here.

Online Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training for Physician Assistant Students at Resource- Limited Institutions: A Pilot Study
Shannon Crabtree, MMS, PA-C, Northwestern University 

Impact of Implicit Association Test on Underrepresented Minority Admissions in Physician Assistant Programs
Darin Ryujin, MS, MPAS, PA-C, University of Utah

The Effect of State Scope of Practice Laws on Physician Assistant Wage: An Analysis of United States data from 2007-2017
Virginia Valentin, DrPH, PA-C, University of Utah

Read about the recipients here.

A national and state level analysis of 2016 job openings for physician assistants
Perri Morgan, Phd, PA-C, Duke University

Read about the recipient here.

Diversity within Physician Assistant Education: Assessing Perceptions of Promotion and Tenure Opportunities among Underrepresented Minority Physician Assistant Faculty
Sheena D. Brown, PhD, MSCR, Mercer University

Utilization of Multiple Mini-Interviews (MMI) within Admission Processes of Physician Assistant Programs in the United States
Kassidy James, MHS, PA-C, UT Southwestern Medical Center

How do Physician Assistant Schools Identify and Remediate Professional Lapses in PA Students? A Nationwide study of PA Programs
FJ Gino Gianola, MA, PA, DFAAPA, MEDEX Northwest

Improving Student Interprofessional Team Skills During a Novel Real World Community Pharmacy and Clinic Interprofessional Learning Experience
Stephanie Joseph Gilkey, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA, Wayne State University

Evaluating pedagogical approaches to Motivational Interviewing in Physician Assistant education
Rebecca L. Rebman, PhD, PA-C, Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Preceptors’ Perspectives on Organizational Motivators for Physician Assistant Student Clinical Placements
Heather Bidinger, MMS, PA-C, St. Catherine University 

Expanding the circle: Implementation of an advocacy program to increase physician assistant student clinical site placement in rural Missouri
Genevieve DelRosario, MHS, PA-C, Saint Louis University

2014 Recipients

Factors influencing selection and retention of primary care practice by physician assistants: A mixed methods approach
Jeffrey M. Wiliams, MPAS, PA-C, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Accessing Patient Care in a Changing Environment: Patient Preferences and Perceptions
Margaret Gradison, MD, MHS-CL, FAAFP, Duke University

Preceptors’ Perceptions of Physician Assistant Students’ Interprofessional Interactions and Competencies
Nicholas M. Hudak, MPA, MSEd, PA-C, Duke University

2013 Recipients

Use of the Medical Humanities in Physician Assistant Educational Programs: A National Survey
Tanya Gregory, PhD, Wake Forest

What Procedures Are Performed In Primary Care?
Kristine Himmerick, MS, MPAS, PA-C, Northern Arizona University

The Use of Simulation in Physician Assistant Programs: A National Survey
Donald Coerver, PhD, PA-C, MEDEX Northwest

2012 Recipients

To What Extent Do Physician Assistants Provide Chronic Disease Care?
Bettie Coplan, MPAS, PA-C, Northern Arizona University

The Impact of Patient-Centered Medical Homes on Primary Care Clerkship Experiences: Are PA Students Exposed to Patient-centered Medical Homes More Satisfied With Their Clerkship Experience and Are They More Likely to Consider a Career in Primary Care?
Gerald Kayingo, PhD, PA-C, Yale University

The State of Integration of Inter-Professional Education into PA Programs: A National Survey Study
Ann Schultz, MPAS, PA-C, University of Southern California

2011 Recipients

An Examination of how Physician Assistants Experience Race-based Discrimination in the Workplace
Darron T. Smith, PhD, PA-C, Wichita State University

The Impact of Patient-Centered Medical Homes on Primary Care Clerkship Experiences: A national Cross-Sectional Study
Gerald Kayingo, PhD, PA-C, Yale University

An Analysis of technical Skills Curricula of Physician Assistant Programs
John Mabee, PhD, PA-C, University of Southern California