AACOM’s Grants Program includes awards for medical education research and institutional research. Institutional research is a broad category of work done at colleges (and across colleges within a profession) to inform decision-making and planning. Topics related to workforce issues—such as the implications of the expansion of osteopathic medical colleges, branch campuses, additional teaching sites, and class sizes—are of increasing interest.
A generous grant from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation has allowed AACOM to increase its grant offerings. Researchers are invited to request up to $10,000 for collaborative research projects. Researchers may still seek funding of up to $5,000 for single campus research or smaller collaborative studies.
Purpose
To provide topic-specific medical education research and institutional research grants. While collaborative, multi-institution research studies are most appropriate for each year's topic areas, the grant could support a pilot study or serve as the basis for seeking matching funds at individual institutions.
2013 medical education and institutional research topic areas, along with deadlines will be posted in mid-July.
Note: Each grant will be for a period of 18 months and will not be renewable. Quarterly financial statements and a final project summary must be submitted to AACOM at the end of the grant period.
Format
Proposal must be submitted as an electronic Word (or PDF) document – no longer than three to five pages, with margins of at least 1” on all sides. The text portion of the application materials must be in 12 point, Times New Roman font, with 1.0 line spacing. This document and the relevant support letters will be uploaded into the Proposal Form below.
Eligibility
Applicants must be educators at Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, including their OPTI programs.
Proposal Document
Proposals must include:
A. Proposal narrative for research proposals (three to five pages maximum, not including literature cited or biographical sketch):
a. Specific research aims
b. Background and significance
c. Statement of specific research question
d. Research design and methods
e. SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-delimited) objectives
f. Plan for ‘publication’ of results (journal submission or AACOM Annual Meeting presentation proposal)
g. Sustainability
h. Literature cited
i. Relevant professional background of principal investigator(s).
B. Budget – Research grants will be supported to the maximum amount of $5,000 for single educational program study or small collaborative study, or to the maximum amount of $10,000 for larger collaborative studies across educational programs.
Provide a budget justification detailing each budget line item. Include only direct costs related to the research project. Not allowable are capital expenditures, rent/utilities or any other indirect costs.
Support Documents
- Letter(s) of commitment from department chair(s) (and external collaborator(s) if relevant)
- Institutional IRB support document or waiver (from each institution involved in study)
- Approval by college or hospital research office (from each institution involved in study)
Selection Information
Proposals will be reviewed by a panel of Osteopathic Medical Education Research Institute leaders and NAOME Fellows.
Priority will be given to projects that provide the potential for inter-institutional collaboration. Proposals with specific, feasible strategies for continuing or sustaining the project/activity beyond the grant period will also be given preference.