The SGEA is excited to announce the new Spark Grants for Innovations in Medical Education!
These grants are aimed to provide seed funding for innovative projects that enhance medical education. The mission of the new SGEA Spark Grants is to provide initial funding to help overcome barriers to conducting or starting research. This funding is intended to create an opportunity for rapid implementation of an innovation, teaching activity, or novel assessment method aimed at improving teaching, learning, or assessment at any point along the medical education continuum.
Grants will be awarded to works in progress or to new, innovative projects. Grant funding will support and promote the development of future health professions learners by fostering and sharing creativity, collaboration, and/or the implementation of novel educational methodologies.
Brief 1-2 page proposals should introduce an educational innovation that includes innovative ideas, approaches, or technologies that have the potential to significantly enhance the learning experience of medical students, trainees or faculty.
Awarded projects will be shared at the SGEA conference in the upcoming year. SGEA Meeting registration costs will be covered for the PI.
Applicants may request up to $1,000 toward their project (funds will be allocated based on review of the proposal). Principal Investigators (PIs) should look for creative ways to maximize the funds they are requesting! Funds may be used in any way to support the project with up to 50% allocated for travel expenses to the SGEA conference. In an effort to ensure the maximum number of high quality grants are funded, full funding requests may not be honored.
Between 5-10 projects will be funded each award cycle.
Projects considered for funding must:
- Be a work in progress or innovation that impacts medical education
- Represent a project that can be rapidly implemented and impact evaluated
- Include a PI* affiliated with an SGEA institution
*Each PI is limited to one submission per grant cycle. PIs are invited to submit again in the next cycle.
Expectations for funded projects:
- PIs are expected to attend the 2025 SGEA meeting to present their work
- PIs are expected to reply to a brief check-in by the SGEA committee at the midpoint of the 1-year funding cycle
Application Process: To apply for the Spark Grant, please submit a brief proposal (maximum of 2 pages) that includes the following elements:
- PI Information
- Name
- SGEA affiliated institution
- Brief bio
- Project Proposal
- Problem to be addressed
- What was tried or will be tried to address the problem
- What lessons did you learn or expect to learn
- 1-2 References
- Budget
- Indicate how funds will be utilized within the 1-year
Submit completed proposals to Mariah Rudd, MEd at mjrudd@carilionclinic.org.
The SPARK Grant for Innovations in Medical Education is a competitive process, and only 5-10 projects will be funded each cycle. We encourage applicants to be concise in their proposals while providing enough context to aid in the selection of award winners. Priority will be given to new or junior members of the SGEA community in an effort to enhance their opportunities to engage in scholarly activity.
We invite medical educators from the SGEA region to submit proposals by October 30, 2023. PIs will be notified by early December 2023 with decisions.
If you have any questions or need further clarification, please contact Mariah Rudd, MEd (Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, SGEA Special Projects Chair).