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Collaborative Research Awards Program

Academic Pediatric Association

The Collaborative Research Awards (CRA) Program is a two-year funded research award designed to support a study team spanning at least two academic institutions. The award is intended to be led by two mentor-mentee pairs—one early-career investigator and mentor at the investigator’s home institution, and a second early-career investigator and mentor based at a collaborating institution.

The CRA is committed to supporting the development of early career investigators while encouraging a collaborative approach to research focused on enhancing the health and well-being of all children, particularly those most vulnerable. The program seeks to support a diverse team of early career investigators and mentors, including diversity in lived experience and institutional representation.

Given the collaborative nature of this award, interested investigators are encouraged to begin planning early and to use the question box below to submit any questions regarding the CRA. Research teams should note that up to 80% of the funding can be used for salary support.

The Collaborative Research Awards Program currently offers one funding path for applicants:

Primary Care Strategies for the Promotion of Early Literacy and Early Childhood Development

Letters of Intent (LOI) or Initial Proposals are being accepted June 1 - October 1, 2026.

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Initial Proposal

Please take care in reviewing the following steps before submitting an Initial Proposal:

The Collaborative Research Awards Program currently offers one funding path for applicants: Primary Care Strategies for the Promotion of Early Literacy and Early Childhood Development
Confirm that all team members are current members of the Academic Pediatric Association
Review the Initial Proposal Application Checklist for detailed application instructions

A panel, convened by the APA Research Committee Chair, will review initial submissions and select teams who will be invited to submit full proposals.

Incomplete submissions and application materials that exceed the requested page limits will NOT be considered for review.

Full Proposal

Those who receive an invitation to submit a full proposal will be notified directly with access to the submission portal and a reminder of the deadline.

Please take care in reviewing the following steps before submitting a Full Proposal:

Review the comments that were provided to you during the Initial Proposal review.
Review the Full Proposal Application Checklist for detailed application instructions

A second study section, convened by the APA Research Committee Chair, will review and score the full proposals, and prepare a summary review to be sent to each team. Funding decisions will be based on the results of the study section review. The number of proposals selected for funding will be determined by the funds available for the given year. The awardees will be announced ahead of the annual Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting.

Incomplete submissions and application materials that exceed the requested page limits will NOT be considered for review

Proposal Review Criteria

Alignment of proposal with the APA mission as well as the CRA Program's mission
Alignment of proposal with selected funding path
Mentorship engagement with proposal
Study design and innovation
Study feasibility
Potential for project to support career goals of team members who are early in their career
Potential for project to contribute to evidence base/gap in literature
Diversity of study team's lived experience and institution
Likelihood of applicant's ongoing involvement with the APA

Proposals that do not focus on under-served or vulnerable populations or include research on health disparities will be at a significant disadvantage in peer review.

Collaborative Research Awards will be given with the understanding that the project is initiated and completed within 2 years. Projects kick off at the conclusion of the annual Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting and are expected to close by the PAS Meeting two years later.

All awardees are encouraged to submit abstracts from their projects to a PAS Meeting and to submit a manuscript summarizing the project results to the APA Journal, Academic Pediatrics, for possible publication.

Application Material Templates

The following items are examples of application materials:

Sample Cover Page
Sample Budget and Budget Justification
Biographical Sketch

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong focus on improving child health, especially for vulnerable populations (highest predictor)

This is the most important predictor.

APA explicitly seeks projects that improve:

Child health outcomes
Health equity
Care for underserved children
Pediatric primary care
Community pediatrics
Population health
Nutrition in underserved communities
Health services research

Projects addressing disparities and improving outcomes for vulnerable children are especially well aligned with APA's mission.

2. Commitment to a long-term academic pediatric research career (very high predictor)

A defining objective of the Young Investigator Awards is to support investigators pursuing long-term careers in research and academic medicine.

Competitive applicants typically demonstrate:

Clear academic career goals
Commitment to pediatric research
Research independence potential
Long-term leadership aspirations in child health

Career trajectory is a major consideration during review.

3. Strong mentorship and mentor commitment (very high predictor)

Mentorship is one of the strongest published predictors of success.

Successful applications generally include:

An experienced primary mentor
Active mentor involvement
Structured career-development plan
Ongoing research guidance
Institutional support

APA requires both the applicant and the primary mentor to be APA members for the Young Investigator Award program, highlighting the importance of mentorship.

4. High-quality, hypothesis-driven research proposal

Competitive proposals typically include:

Important pediatric research question
Clear hypothesis
Rigorous methodology
Appropriate statistical analysis
Feasible timeline
Well-defined outcomes

Projects should demonstrate scientific rigor while remaining achievable within the funding period.

5. Early-career investigator potential

The APA Young Investigator Award is specifically designed for early-career investigators.

Reviewers look for:

Research aptitude
Leadership potential
Academic promise
Evidence of future independence
Commitment to child health research

The program is intended to build the next generation of pediatric physician-scientists and health services researchers.

6. Focus on health equity and underserved populations

A distinctive feature of APA funding is its emphasis on reducing disparities in child health.

Competitive projects often address:

Social determinants of health
Health equity
Rural child health
Minority child health
Nutrition insecurity
Access to pediatric care
Community-based interventions

The Nutrition in Underserved Communities Young Investigator Award exemplifies this priority.

7. Strong institutional environment and collaboration

Successful applicants generally have:

Supportive academic departments
Access to pediatric research infrastructure
Multidisciplinary collaborators
Community partnerships
Protected research time

Institutional commitment strengthens both feasibility and career development.

8. Training and trainee development

APA encourages applicants invited to submit full proposals to include trainee engagement plans, such as mentoring medical students or residents during the project.

Applications that incorporate meaningful mentorship and workforce development may receive additional consideration through supplemental funding opportunities.

9. Potential to generate future external funding

The Young Investigator Awards are intended to help investigators establish independent research careers.

Competitive projects often:

Generate pilot data
Lead to NIH career-development (K) awards
Support future NIH R-series grants
Establish sustainable pediatric research programs

The program serves as a stepping stone to larger extramural funding.

Specialties

Pediatrics

Eligibility Requirements

It is required that all proposals be developed and submitted by study teams. Study teams must consist of researchers from at least two institutions and include 2 mentor-early career investigator pairs.

All study team members must be members of the Academic Pediatric Association.

Early career investigators are defined as:

Faculty members no more than 5 years out from completion of all training (fellowship or post-doc)
Fellows
Post-doctoral trainees
Other individuals involved in research aligned with the APA's mission who are within 5 years of completion of training

Exceptions to early career investigator qualifications:

Extended family leave
Job sharing
Military service and deployment
Graduates of APA Scholars Programs that include a focus on research may be granted an additional 3 years beyond completion of the APA Scholars Programs, provided their academic rank is at an Instructor or Assistant Professor-level, or the equivalent.

Applicants requesting extended eligibility should include the following items with their proposal submission:

An additional statement of 3 sentences or less describing their situation and rationale for this request. This statement should be provided on a separate document and does NOT count toward the application page limit.
Their mentor's letter should also support this request for extended eligibility and attest to the applicant's commitment to research.

Receipt of applications is encouraged from individuals who are members of an underrepresented minority (UIM), disabled, or from a socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged background.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Academic Pediatric Association

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 6728 Old McLean Village Drive McLean, Virginia 22101

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