Society of Pediatric Psychology Targeted Research Grants (2015)

Call for Proposals: Society of Pediatric Psychology Targeted Research Grants (2015)

The Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP) is pleased to announce the availability of a Targeted Research Grant program. This annual program was established to fund research projects that will contribute to priority and emerging areas in the field of pediatric psychology and that will allow investigators to collect pilot data to aid in securing additional major grant funding.

For the 2015 award cycle, the priority areas identified are:

1.       Diversity and/or healthcare disparities

2.       Primary care-focused practice or interventions

3.       Research on fathers and father-child relationships in families of youth with chronic health conditions

4.       Health care cost-offset research

5.       Studies of novel measurement/assessment strategies (e.g., validation of new questionnaires

                        focused on patient-reported outcomes, direct behavioral observation)

6.      Research on gene-environment interactions

7.      Neuroscience and neuroimaging research

8.       Technology (eHealth interventions and information/communication technologies)

            9.    Another novel or emerging research area in the field of pediatric psychology. Applicant must

                        demonstrate or document why this area is novel or emerging.

SPP will award up to two grants in the amount of $20,000 each to cover one year of funding to those research proposals demonstrating the greatest merit and potential for success. Although priority will be given to young investigators (within 7 years of PhD), investigators at any stage of career are encouraged to apply for this funding. For example, a mid-career researcher who is moving into a new emerging research area would be eligible to apply. In this case, the researcher will need to document clearly how this research area would constitute a new focus for their program of research. Only sole Principal Investigator applications will be accepted.

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

1. Scientific merit and impact

2. Degree of fit with at least one of the priority research areas listed above

3. The applicant’s demonstrated competence and capability to execute the proposed work

Requirements for Application:

1. The applicant must hold a doctoral degree and have a current faculty appointment at an

 accredited institution at the level of  instructor, assistant professor, etc. (or equivalent)

2. The applicant must be a member of SPP

3. A letter of intent (LOI) must be submitted and the Principal Investigator (PI) must subsequently be

            invited to submit an application based on approval of the LOI.

4. Applicants are responsible for obtaining and documenting institutional approval for the LOI and

            for the full application as per their own institutional policy. Funding must be routed

            through the PI’s home institution.

Letter of Intent:

1. Submissions of LOI’s should be no longer than 1.5 pages (for “a” and “b” below) and must be

            submitted electronically to the Chair of the Committee (Grayson Holmbeck;

            gholmbe@luc.edu) as a single .pdf, .doc, or .docx file by June 1, 2015 (single-spaced, 11 or

            12 point font, 1 inch margins)

2. Include the following sections:

a. Description of Project. Briefly describe your proposed project (limit = 1 page). Include

            Aims, Significance, Innovation, Research Approach, and Fit with Program Priority

            Areas. Applicants proposing a novel research area outside of the identified priority

            areas should clearly demonstrate why the research area is novel or emerging.

b. Future Plans. Briefly describe your future plans (limit = ½ page), i.e., how the pilot
                        funding will be used to support future full-scale research.

c. Biosketch of the PI (using new format: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-15-024.html)

d. Applicants are responsible for obtaining and documenting institutional approval as per

            their own institutional policy

Full Application format:

1. Applications must be submitted in English

2. An application cannot be submitted unless an LOI has been submitted and approved by the

            Targeted Research Grant Committee.

3. The following items must be submitted electronically to Grayson Holmbeck

            (gholmbe@luc.edu) as a single .pdf, .doc, or .docx file by September 15, 2015 (single-

            space page limits are noted, 11 or 12 point font, 1 inch margins)

                        a. Project Summary /Abstract (30 lines), beginning with Project Title, Name of Principal

                                    Investigator (PI), and Institution

b. Research Proposal: 7 pages

i. Specific Aims, Hypotheses, and Fit with Program Priority Areas (1 page max)

                                    ii. Significance/Innovation

iii. Preliminary studies

                                    iv. Approach (Design, Methods, and Data Analysis)

                        c. References (limit to 2 pages)

                        d. A detailed research timeline for the one-year grant period

e. Biosketch of the PI (using new format: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-15-024.html)

            f. Biosketches of all key senior personnel (funded or unfunded), including mentors if

                        applicable

                        g. One year budget and budget justification (3 pages; indirect and student tuition costs

cannot be covered by the grant), including a description of all key personnel and

their roles. Salary support can be included.

                        h. Description of research environment (1 page)

                        i. Letters of support (optional)

4. Do not submit appendices or reprints. Tables and figures must be incorporated within the page

 limits noted above.

5. Applicants are responsible for obtaining and documenting institutional approval as per their own

            institutional policy

            6. Awardees will be expected to submit a mid-year progress report (by July 1, 2016) and a year end

                        final report (by January 31, 2017).

Key Dates:

RFA Released:  March 1, 2015.

Letter of Intent deadline: June 1, 2015

Invitations to Submit Applications will be sent by: July 15, 2015

Application deadline:  September 15, 2015

Award announcement:  December 1, 2015

Award start date:  January 1, 2016

Please contact Grayson N. Holmbeck, PhD (gholmbe@luc.edu) with any questions.

Grayson N. Holmbeck, PhD
Professor and Director of Clinical Training
Editor, Journal of Pediatric Psychology
Loyola University Chicago
Department of Psychology
1032 W. Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL  60660
773-508-2967
fax: 773-508-8713
gholmbe@luc.edu