Verified

Young Investigators Grant

North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology

Purpose - The purpose of the grant is to enhance pediatric and adolescent gynecology care and research by encouraging the work of trainees and physicians who recently completed training.
Amount - Two US$1,500 awards per application cycle will be given

How to Apply

Application materials for both grants include:

Study proposal
1. Page 1. Title page (institution, PI, study team)
  1. Institutional address and fiscal authority contact (may be department financial administrator or Office of Grants and Contracts) for funds to be distributed to. The funds cannot be distributed to you directly. For your institution’s knowledge, NASPAG uses bill.com for all of their payments
  2. Page 2. Specific aims (1 page)
  3. Research strategy (maximum 3 pages)
    1. Significance
    2. Innovation
    3. Approach (study design, methods, statistical analysis, expected outcomes, potential problems and alternative strategies, planned timeline)
    4. Future directions (impact on clinical care or how the data will be utilized)
  4. Project Milestones Checklist
    1. IRB submission? Yes/No
    2. Reviewed study design with a statistician? Yes/No/Not Applicable
    3. Patient recruitment started? Yes/No/Not Applicable
    4. Developed data collection form? Yes/No
    5. Data collection started/completed? Yes/No
Budget request and budget justification
1. Eligible budget items: direct costs related to supplies, participant remuneration, statistical support, equipment, travel to present project, publication costs
2. Restricted budget items: salary support for PI or mentor, indirect costs
Current NIH biosketch
1. In narrative, please include how receiving this grant would help achieve short- and long-term career goals.
Mentor letter of support (may be from department chair if out of training) ensuring adequate support and resources
Additionally for the NRN grant, please include the NRN approval letter for multi-institutional study

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Direct pediatric and adolescent gynecology focus ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the most important predictor of fit.

The research should directly concern the gynecologic or reproductive health of:

Children
Adolescents
Teenagers
Young people transitioning to adult gynecologic care

Strong areas include:

Menstrual disorders
Abnormal uterine bleeding
Dysmenorrhea
Endometriosis
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Congenital reproductive tract anomalies
Differences/disorders of sexual development
Adolescent contraception
Adolescent pregnancy prevention
Vulvovaginal disorders
Pelvic pain
Pubertal disorders
Fertility preservation
Gynecologic oncology in young patients
Sexual and reproductive health
Transition from pediatric to adult care

A general adult gynecology study without a specific pediatric/adolescent component would have poor NASPAG fit.

2. Important unmet need ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A competitive proposal should identify an important problem that is not adequately understood or treated in young patients.

Examples:

Delayed diagnosis of endometriosis
Poor management of adolescent pelvic pain
Limited evidence for treatment of menstrual disorders
Gaps in adolescent contraceptive care
Lack of long-term data after pediatric gynecologic surgery
Barriers to reproductive healthcare
Fertility concerns in adolescents with chronic disease
Under-recognized congenital anomalies
Health disparities in access to adolescent gynecologic services

The strongest applications clearly establish:

Unmet need → knowledge gap → research question → solution/clinical benefit

3. Potential to improve patient outcomes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

NASPAG's clinical mission makes patient benefit particularly important.

Strong proposals should show potential to improve:

Diagnosis
Treatment
Quality of life
Menstrual health
Pain management
Reproductive health
Fertility preservation
Mental/social well-being
Healthcare access
Long-term gynecologic outcomes

For example:

Adolescent pelvic pain → earlier diagnosis → targeted treatment → improved school/social functioning and quality of life

is a compelling clinical pathway.

4. Scientific merit ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A strong proposal needs a clearly defined research question and a convincing scientific rationale.

Reviewers should be able to understand:

What is already known?
What remains unknown?
Why does the knowledge gap matter?
What hypothesis will be tested?
What new information will the study generate?
How could the findings change pediatric/adolescent gynecology?

Avoid purely descriptive research unless the descriptive data address a major evidence gap.

5. Methodological rigor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Strong NASPAG research should have:

Clearly defined study population
Appropriate inclusion/exclusion criteria
Validated outcome measures
Appropriate comparator/control
Adequate sample-size justification
Appropriate statistical analysis
Ethical safeguards
Appropriate handling of minors' participation/consent
Defined primary and secondary outcomes

Because many NASPAG studies involve minors, the proposal should pay particular attention to:

consent/assent + confidentiality + privacy + safeguarding + ethical recruitment.

6. Innovation ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

NASPAG-relevant innovation can involve either new scientific knowledge or new approaches to pediatric/adolescent care.

Potentially strong topics include:

Digital health

Telehealth
Mobile menstrual tracking
Digital symptom monitoring
Remote adolescent gynecologic care

Diagnostic innovation

Biomarkers
Imaging
AI-assisted diagnosis
Earlier endometriosis diagnosis

Treatment innovation

Novel approaches to adolescent pelvic pain
Non-pharmacological interventions
New approaches to menstrual management

Patient-centered research

Patient-reported outcomes
Shared decision-making
Adolescent preferences
Quality-of-life interventions

Innovation should always be tied to a specific pediatric/adolescent gynecologic problem.

7. Feasibility ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is particularly important for small society grants.

The project should be realistically achievable using:

Available patient population
Existing clinical infrastructure
Appropriate research personnel
Existing laboratory/imaging facilities
Available statistical expertise
Realistic recruitment targets

A proposal should make clear:

“We can complete this project and produce meaningful results within the award period.”

A small prospective study or pilot may be more competitive than an unnecessarily large multicenter project.

8. Investigator and mentor qualifications ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

The applicant's ability to successfully complete the research matters.

Strong applications demonstrate:

Pediatric/adolescent gynecology experience
Research experience
Relevant publications
Appropriate clinical expertise
Statistical/research support
Strong mentorship for trainees or early-career investigators

For trainee/early-career research, a strong mentor can significantly strengthen the feasibility of the project.

9. Underserved and understudied populations ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Projects addressing populations that are traditionally underrepresented in research can be particularly valuable.

Examples include:

Rural adolescents
Low-resource populations
Racial/ethnic minority populations
Adolescents with disabilities
Young people with chronic diseases
Patients with rare congenital conditions
Underserved LGBTQ+ youth
Adolescents facing barriers to reproductive healthcare

The strongest applications should explain the specific health disparity rather than simply labeling a population "underserved."

10. Potential for future research ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

A small NASPAG award can be particularly valuable if it generates:

Pilot data → publication → larger grant → multicenter study → change in clinical practice

The proposal should therefore explain what happens after the grant.

Specialties

Adolescent Medicine

Pediatrics

Gynecology

Eligibility Requirements

A current fellow in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Adolescent Medicine, Pediatric Endocrinology, Complex Family Planning or related field
A current resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology or Pediatrics or related field, or an early career physician within 2 years of completing training in the above fields
Applicant or mentor must be a NASPAG member. An awardee may join after receiving the award.

Eligible Countries:

Canada

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 221 W. 9th Street, PMB 868 Wilmington, DE 19801

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