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Pediatric Hidradenitis Suppurativa Challenge Grant

Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance

Overview

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a devastating chronic inflammatory disease that manifests as recurrent painful nodules under the skin in the intertriginous areas of the body. It is associated with significant impacts on quality of life, psychosocial well-being, and long-term health outcomes of patients as well as consequences for families and caregivers. HS is prevalent, affecting between 1 and 4% of the population beginning in adolescence and persisting into adulthood. Despite the impact of HS, it remains underdiagnosed, undertreated, and understudied particularly in the pediatric and adolescent populations. Contributing to this dynamic are unknowns related to a complex disease etiology, stigma associated with HS symptoms (e.g., sweating, itching, and scarring commonly in the genital region), and limited treatment options to date with even fewer available for children under the age of 12.

To address the needs of children and adolescents living with HS, the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA), HS Connect, and the HS Foundation are offering the 2026 Pediatric HS Challenge Grant to support an early-to-mid career investigator for a one-year project focused on a high-priority, patient-centric research topic.

Focus

Proposals should address one or more of the following high-priority research topics:

Predicting treatment effectiveness and risk utilizing real world evidence and/or experience
Early disease and factors involved in severe disease development
Optimizing surgical and procedural approaches to minimize pain, shorten healing time, and reduce recurrence
Improving recruitment of diverse and representative populations for clinical studies, trials and advanced therapeutics

Proposals may be submitted by a single principal investigator or team of investigators, as they seek to build and sustain a larger scale research program within this critical field of study. Projects may be conducted in the areas of basic science, translational research, clinical research, epidemiology, or technology. Priority consideration will be given to projects led by early-to-mid career principal investigators who are part of multidisciplinary teams including researchers, clinicians, and patient stakeholders. Additional priority will be given to applications that support PeDRA, HS Connect, and HS Foundation’s shared commitments to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion and those that demonstrate a plan to leverage outcomes to form the basis for larger scale future projects.

Important Details

Up to $50,000 to support one year of research
One award anticipated for this funding cycle
Earliest project start date: January 1, 2027
Application deadline: Thursday, July 30, 2026

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong focus on pediatric dermatology and childhood skin disease (highest predictor)

This is the most important predictor across all PeDRA funding mechanisms.

Successful projects are directly relevant to:

Pediatric inflammatory skin diseases
Atopic dermatitis
Birthmarks and vascular anomalies
Genetic skin disorders
Pediatric autoimmune skin disease
Pediatric skin cancer
Rare pediatric dermatologic diseases
Skin health outcomes in children

PeDRA's mission is specifically centered on improving outcomes for children with skin disease, so projects with a clear pediatric dermatology focus have the strongest alignment.

2. Strong potential to improve outcomes for children (very high predictor)

PeDRA repeatedly emphasizes research that can ultimately improve the lives of children and families affected by skin disease.

Competitive projects often demonstrate:

Clinical relevance
Improved diagnosis
Better treatment approaches
Disease prevention
Improved quality of life
Long-term patient benefit

Projects with clear patient-centered impact tend to be especially competitive.

3. Strong mentorship and established pediatric dermatology investigator support (very high predictor)

One of the clearest published predictors is mentorship.

For fellowship programs:

Research must be conducted under an established PeDRA investigator.
Fellowship mentors must be active PeDRA members.
Structured mentorship is a central component of the program.

Strong applications typically include:

Experienced pediatric dermatology mentors
Active research groups
Access to patient populations
Established collaborative networks

4. Early-career investigator development potential

A major PeDRA goal is building the next generation of physician-scientists.

Programs specifically target:

Medical students
Residents
Fellows
Postgraduate trainees
Junior faculty

The William Weston Career Development Award is specifically intended to provide protected time, mentorship, and resources for early-career clinician-scientists pursuing pediatric dermatology research careers.

5. Ability to generate pilot data and future external funding

PeDRA states that its research grants are intended to support studies that might not yet be competitive for larger funding sources.

The Foundation expects funded projects to:

Generate preliminary data
Establish research infrastructure
Foster collaborations
Support future NIH, foundation, or industry funding applications

This is one of the most explicitly stated goals of PeDRA grants.

6. Collaboration and network-building potential

PeDRA is fundamentally a collaborative research network.

Competitive projects often involve:

Multi-center studies
Cross-disciplinary collaborations
Research networks
Pediatric dermatology–rheumatology partnerships
Patient advocacy organizations

The Pediatric Skin and Joint Grant, for example, specifically promotes collaboration between pediatric dermatology and pediatric rheumatology investigators.

7. Engagement with patient advocacy and patient-centered research

An unusual and increasingly important PeDRA criterion is patient engagement.

PeDRA explicitly notes that fellowship applications receive priority consideration when they demonstrate:

Meaningful patient advocacy involvement
Family engagement
Patient-centered outcomes
Collaboration with advocacy groups

This is a distinguishing feature compared with many specialty society grants.

8. Feasible and publishable research design

Successful projects generally demonstrate:

Clear research aims
Strong methodology
Realistic timeline
Achievable outcomes
Publication potential

Reviewers seek projects capable of producing meaningful scientific contributions within the available funding period.

9. Demonstrated commitment to pediatric dermatology research

Applicants who show sustained involvement in the field often have an advantage.

Indicators include:

Prior pediatric dermatology research
Conference presentations
Participation in PeDRA activities
Publications
Long-term academic career goals in pediatric dermatology

PeDRA's programs are designed to cultivate future leaders in pediatric dermatology research.

Specialties

Dermatology

Pediatrics

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants need not be trained in pediatric dermatology but must hold the degree of MD and/or PhD (or equivalent) and be eligible to apply for grants under the guidelines of their host institution. Principal Investigators need not be United States citizens, and the research need not be conducted in the United States. Evidence of IRB or IACUC (or equivalent) approval is required for all studies when relevant.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 205 SE Spokane St., Suite 300 Portland, OR 97202

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