Call for Don Pedersen Research Grant Proposals

The PAEA Research Council invites PA faculty to submit proposals to the 2015 Don Pedersen Research Grants Program. Several grants of up to $7,000 may be awarded, with a total possible allotment of $20,000.

Submissions are due Monday, August 17. Funding will be distributed immediately after the proposals have been selected, and the principal investigators will be honored during the Awards Luncheon at this year’s Education Forum in Washington, D.C.

Mission:

• The Don Pedersen Research Grants Program is intended to foster PA faculty development in the area of research. The program encourages research both about PA education and workforce issues. The program is not intended to fund research on clinical practice.

Objectives:

1. To promote the development of research skills in PA faculty and
2. To advance knowledge of PA education and workforce issues.

Priority will be given to submissions that demonstrate

• Quality of research design
• Collaboration between experienced and less experienced researchers
• Collaboration between researchers from different institutions
• Researchers new to PA education or who have not been previously funded by the Research Grants Program
• Proposals aligned with the PAEA Strategic Plan

Eligibility Criteria:

• The Principal Investigator must:
  • Be a faculty member at an accredited PAEA member program in good standing
  • Be employed by the program for a minimum of 20 hours per week (0.5 FTE)
  • Not be a reviewer of the Don Pedersen Research Grants Program (Members of the Research Council or its other committees or workgroups are welcome to submit proposals)
  • Have proof of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval or exemption. If the proposal is still under review, please include the most up-to-date correspondence with the IRB and an estimated date by which approval or exemption will be granted.
  • Complete the research project within 18 months of receiving the award, and submit a final project report to the Research Council within 90 days of the end of the study
  • All scholarly work resulting from the funded project (e.g., presentations, publications, or posters) must acknowledge PAEA, the Research Council, and the grants program
  • Submit the findings of their studies for presentation at the PAEA Education Forum one year from the conclusion of the project

• The project must be research oriented. A research question or hypothesis should be the focus of the study. The results of the study must have some application to PA education or workforce issues.
  

The Research Grants Program Supports:

• Equipment
• Supplies/Materials
• Operations
• Labor, personnel, or consulting costs
• Travel or other expenses related to the preparation of posters or presentation of findings (up to $1,000)

Matching institutional support is encouraged, but not required.

The Research Grants Program Does Not Support:

• Indirect or administrative costs
• Capital improvements, construction, or purchasing costs
• General operating expenses
• Fundraising campaigns
• Personal expenses for educational advancement
• Projects that relate to development of new curriculum
• Ongoing projects to improve the classroom
• Software costs more than $1,000 (e.g., survey software licensing, SPSS, or other statistical software packages)

Proposal Format Requirements:

• Proposals and all attachments must be submitted as Microsoft Word documents only, with the exception of IRB documentation, which will be accepted in any format. Documents submitted in other software programs, such as .pdf files, will not be accepted.
• Proposals must be in 12-point type, left justified, with 1.5 line spacing, and have 1-inch left and right margins.
• Proposals must be received electronically no later than 11:59 p.m. ET, August 17, to be considered.
• Appendices should include the principal investigator’s complete and updated CV and a copy of the survey instrument, if one is being used as part of the proposal.
• The principal investigator must submit a blinded copy of the proposal and supplemental documents. Blinded copies must not include any identifying information about the principal investigator, co-principal investigator(s), or principal investigator/co-principal investigators’ programs or institutions. CVs and IRB documentation do not need to be blinded.
• Proposals not submitted according to the guidelines will be disqualified.

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Formatting Details:

Only seven pages will be accepted for the basic proposal, excluding appendices. Content should be formatted as follows:

Title Page:	a. Title of research proposal b. Name of principal investigator (PI) c. Date d. Name of PA program e. PI’s program address, email, and phone number (submit only Title (a.) for blinded version)
Page 2:	Abstract (200 word limit)
Pages 3–5:	Study rationale; research question or hypothesis; study aims; methodology; evaluation; and potential significance of the projectExplanation of collaborative nature of the project: Brief paragraph indicating whether the PI has been funded in the past by this grants program Indicate any collaborative efforts (e.g., between junior or senior faculty or between researchers from different PA programs)
Page 6:	References (may be single spaced)
Page 7:	The budget should specify: Time commitment Activity Cost Other persons participating in the project should follow in the same manner The budget may exceed the $7,000 cap offered by the Research Council but must specify how any additional costs will be covered. The budget should detail how personnel will be used and explain how any other requested expenses will be used.
Appendices: (additional material not included in 7 pages)	PI’s complete, current CV Letter from program director or dean attesting to the PI’s relationship to the PA program Indication of past funding in this grant program Description of any collaborative efforts with other faculty or programs (specify names, credentials and affiliation for any co-PIs) Copy of survey instrument if one is used as part of the proposal. Evidence of IRB submission to the PI’s institution. Documentation will be accepted in any format. (Omit appendices in blinded copy)

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Submission

Proposals (one original and one blinded) must be emailed as Microsoft Word attachments no later than 11:59 p.m. ET, August 17, to Administrative Assistant India Waller at iwaller@PAEAonline.org. If you do not receive a confirmation within two days of submission, please email or call India at 703-667-4344 to confirm that your submission was received. Questions concerning this grants program should be addressed to Research Manager Rachel Hamann at rhamann@PAEAonline.org or 703-667-4332.

Review Process

Primary investigators are subject to anonymous follow-up inquiries from the Don Pedersen Research Grants Program reviewers. Inquiries will be sent via email from India to primary investigators on behalf of the reviewers. Primary investigators will have a specified amount of time to address the question(s) to continue to be considered for an award.