Trialect

+ More Filters

Reset Filters

Title

Funding Organization

Funding Type

Eligible Country

Deadline

Other (Select all that apply)

Show Expired Programs

Show Verified Programs

Verified

E.W. "Al" Thrasher Awards

Thrasher Research Fund

Award Focus

E.W. "Al" Thrasher Awards focus on projects that are changing pediatric clinical care. Each award is a novel approach to problems plaguing pediatrics. The award is open to applications focusing on any disease or topic within the umbrella of pediatrics, both in and outside the United States.

Ideal applications for the Thrasher Award address significant health problems, offering the potential for practical solutions to these problems. Typically, the primary outcome is a health outcome in children. Solutions should be innovative and have the potential for broad applicability with low barriers to implementation. Projects with a shorter distance to clinical applicability are given priority. Hypothesis-driven research is critical, exploratory, or hypothesis-generating research will not be competitive.

For projects focused on improving disease diagnosis, please ensure that there are well researched, effective treatment options available to patients upon diagnosis.

Exclusions

Behavioral science research including classes or counseling on health habits, treatments, stress coping, or mental health
Educational programs including training for patients, caregivers, or hospital staff
Projects focusing solely on disease mechanism or microbiome
Research on human fetal tissue
Research conducted in cell lines or animal models

Application Tips and Requirements

Thrasher's focus is on child outcomes- we want to fund science that will make meaningful progress in the way diseases are diagnosed and treated. Competitive grants often, but are not required to, focus on severe or high incidence diseases. The aims include child driven outcomes, and the proposals are far enough along in the research process to make a clinical difference within a few years.

If the submitted grant includes study sites outside the Principal Investigator home country, applications must include a co-investigator from each country included as a study site. Capacity building and buy in from local leaders and clinicians is critical to our mission for improving child health.

Please feel free to reach out to out Research Managers with inquiries about project ideas or proposal aims. We are happy to discuss specifics and give you an idea of what will be competitive.

Application Process

The Fund uses a two-step process for E.W. "Al" Thrasher Awards. The first step is the submission of a Concept Paper. These Concept Papers are reviewed by the Fund's staff. Applicants whose concepts generally fit with the current priorities of the Fund are invited to submit a full proposal. Applicants have about 10 weeks to submit a full proposal from the date of invitation. Full proposals are reviewed by external peer reviewers with specific expertise in the subject being proposed. Proposals recommended by peer reviewers are considered by the Fund's Committees. The Committees meet to make funding decisions in March and September.

Budget Guidelines

The grant amount is based on the actual budgetary needs of the project. The duration of the project can be up to three years. Indirect costs are no more than 7% of direct costs. In 2020-2025 the median grant was $420,000. Grants are generally not given over $600,000.

Investigators and co-investigators in need of salary support may apply for no more than 20 percent, based on a 40-hour work week. The Fund limits the maximum salary upon which an individual can request salary support. The maximum amount will be based on the NIH guidelines for salary support. Salaries for support staff, students, and others do not have the 20% restriction.

Requests for purchase of major equipment (items >$4,000) are discouraged and rarely funded.

The final budget should be consistent with the budget amount proposed in the approved Concept Paper. All exceptions must be cleared through the Fund.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Direct impact on children's health (highest predictor)

This is the single strongest predictor.

The Fund does not focus on any specific disease area, but every funded project must deal directly with child health and have the potential to improve outcomes for children.

Strong topics include:

Pediatric infectious diseases
Neonatal medicine
Childhood nutrition
Pediatric neurology
Childhood cancer
Pediatric pulmonary diseases
Global child health
Genetic disorders in children
Child health implementation research

2. Clear pathway to clinical impact (very high predictor)

A defining characteristic of Thrasher is its preference for projects with a realistic path toward improving clinical care.

The Fund has explicitly stated that it prioritizes:

Clinical pediatric research
Near-term clinical translation
Practical solutions to important pediatric health problems

Projects focused primarily on biological mechanisms without a clear clinical application are generally less competitive.

3. Important pediatric health problem with meaningful unmet need (very high predictor)

Reviewers evaluate:

Disease severity
Disease burden
Incidence/prevalence
Availability of current treatments
Barriers to implementation

Applications addressing serious pediatric conditions with insufficient existing solutions are particularly attractive.

4. High-quality hypothesis-driven science

The Fund specifically supports:

"clinical, hypothesis-driven research"

Successful applications typically demonstrate:

Clear research hypothesis
Strong rationale
Appropriate study design
Statistical rigor
Feasible methodology

Scientific quality remains a major determinant of success.

5. Strong potential for future independent funding

Both major funding mechanisms are intended to build future research careers.

For Early Career Awards, the stated goal is to support investigators who will become independent researchers.

Competitive projects often:

Generate preliminary data
Establish new pediatric research programs
Lead to NIH, Wellcome, MRC, CIHR, or equivalent funding

6. Outstanding mentor and mentoring plan (especially important for Early Career Awards)

One of the few foundations that explicitly highlights mentorship as a major predictor.

The Fund states that:

Mentor quality
Mentoring relationship
Mentor track record
Prior collaboration between mentor and applicant

are important factors in funding decisions.

For Early Career Awards, a strong mentor can significantly increase competitiveness.

7. Investigator aptitude and research trajectory

For Early Career Awards, Thrasher evaluates the applicant's:

Research aptitude
Long-term commitment to child-health research
Publication record relative to career stage
Prior awards and recognitions
Role in developing the project

The program is designed to identify future leaders in pediatric research.

8. Feasibility and realistic implementation

Reviewers favor projects with:

Achievable aims
Realistic recruitment plans
Appropriate budget
Clearly defined milestones
Practical implementation strategy

Projects must demonstrate a credible path to completion and clinical relevance.

9. Broad applicability of findings

The Fund has historically favored research that can produce findings applicable beyond a single institution or narrow patient population.

Projects with potential to influence broader pediatric practice, guidelines, or public health tend to align strongly with Thrasher priorities.

Specialties

Others

Pediatrics

Eligibility Requirements

Principal Investigators must be qualified in terms of education and experience to conduct research. A doctoral-level degree is required. There are no citizenship or residency requirements. The Fund is open to applications from institutions both inside and outside the United States.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Thrasher Research Fund

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 68 S. Main Street, Suite 400 Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Legal & Affiliation Disclaimer

Affiliation Disclaimer: Trialect operates independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by any sponsors or organizations posting on the GrantsBoard platform. As an independent aggregator of publicly available funding opportunities, Trialect provides equal access to information for all users without endorsing any specific funding source, content, organization, or sponsor. Trialect assumes no responsibility for the content posted by sponsors or third parties.

Subscription Disclaimer: Upon logging into Trialect, you may choose to SUBSCRIBE to GrantsBoard for timely notifications of funding opportunities and to access exclusive benefits, such as priority alerts, reminders, personalized recommendations, and additional application support. However, users are advised to contact sponsors directly for any questions and are not required to subscribe to engage with funding opportunities.

Content Ownership and Copyright Disclaimer: Trialect respects the intellectual property rights of all organizations and individuals. All content posted on GrantsBoard is provided solely for informational purposes and remains the property of the original owners. Trialect does not claim ownership of, nor does it have any proprietary interest in, content provided by third-party sponsors. Users are encouraged to verify content and ownership directly with the posting sponsor.

Fair Use Disclaimer: The information and content available on GrantsBoard are compiled from publicly accessible sources in alignment with fair use principles under U.S. copyright law. Trialect serves as an aggregator of this content, offering it to users in good faith and with the understanding that it is available for public dissemination. Any organization or individual who believes their intellectual property rights have been violated is encouraged to contact us for prompt resolution.

Third-Party Posting Responsibility Disclaimer: Trialect is a neutral platform that allows third-party sponsors to post funding opportunities for informational purposes only. Sponsors are solely responsible for ensuring that their postings comply with copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Trialect assumes no liability for any copyright or intellectual property infringements in third-party content and will take appropriate action to address any substantiated claims.

Accuracy and Verification Disclaimer: Trialect makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided by sponsors. Users are advised to verify the details of any funding opportunity directly with the sponsor before taking action. Trialect cannot be held liable for any discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies in third-party postings.

Notice and Takedown Policy: Trialect is committed to upholding copyright law and protecting the rights of intellectual property owners. If you believe that content on GrantsBoard infringes your copyright or intellectual property rights, please contact us with detailed information about the claim. Upon receipt of a valid notice, Trialect will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the infringing content.

View Funding Opportunity