2025 Global Health Research Seed Funding Grant
A $25,000 grant will be awarded to provide funds to develop exciting investigator-initiated concepts focused on global health research, which will hopefully lead to successful longer term project funding from the NIH or equivalent funding sources. Examples of global health research include, but are not limited to telemedicine (e.g., remote planning of radiotherapy, or AI-supported automatic cancer prediction from screening data of cancers common in LMIC), development of low-cost technologies for diagnostics and treatment (e.g., auto-contouring of clinical targets applied to clinical trials in LMIC). Inclusion of existing global health research resources (e.g., AAPM GRSIC open source tools, or international clinical trial data).
Applications aligning with AAPM’s strategic priorities are especially encouraged, particularly in the following areas:
- Strategic Priority 1: Global health research in emerging medical physics fields such as radiopharmaceutical therapies and expanding beyond the usual radiology and radiation oncology.
- Strategic Priority 2: Global health research in computational physics integrating AI/ML/DT technologies.
Funding for grant recipients will begin on August 31st of the award year. Research results will be submitted for presentation at future AAPM meetings. The award is not intended to provide salary support for the applicant, however any other research-related expenses, including travel to scientific meetings, will be supported. Funds may be used to partially support salary for students, trainees, lab technicians, etc. to carry out the research. Travel expenses should be included in the submitted budget. Applicants are asked to notify the grant administrator if the same or similar application is submitted to more than one funding source so that the committee can take this into consideration when making final funding decisions. At the end of the 12-month period a report must be forwarded to the AAPM, along with itemized expenses. The award will not support indirect costs. Any unspent funds should be returned to AAPM.
Sponsored by the AAPM International Council through the AAPM Education & Research Fund.
Eligibility:
- 10 years or less since receipt of a terminal research degree or medical physics residency, whichever is later. (Excludes those who have reached Associate Professor level; includes Postdoctoral Fellows with mentors and Research Scientists with mentors.)
- Eligibility extension is possible and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, following similar NIH guidelines.
- Applicants must hold any category of AAPM membership, including pending status at the time of application.
- No previous grants >$50,000 as principal investigator (including institutional startup funding, industrial awards, other external grants).
- Previously funded projects are ineligible.
- Prior Research Seed Funding Grant recipients are ineligible.
Application Requirements:
By March 18: Complete online application to include three key words and upload a letter of intent of your proposed topic. The letter of intent should include: a) title; b) mentor and role in the project; c) a short project description; and d) any COI institutions.
By April 17: Five page description of research project (including figures and tables), separated as follows:
(a) specific aims
(b) background and significance
(c) preliminary results
(d) research plan
(e) literature cited
(f) budget
(g) Letter of support from division/department chair demonstrating support for the project and authorization of time and resources to complete the proposed research.
(h) CV (no more than 4 pages).
Note that sections (e), (f), (g) and (h) do not count towards the five-page limit. Combine all files into ONE PDF and upload.
Review Criteria:
Peer review will be conducted by members of the Global Research Collaboration Sub-Committee of the Global Research and Scientific Innovation Committee (GRSIC). The scientific merit of the proposal will be judged based on significance to global health, qualifications of investigator, innovation, soundness of approach, research environment, and potential for future funding. Applications that include co-investigators from LMIC are particularly encouraged.
Award Duration: August 31, 2025 - August 31, 2026
Application Deadline(s):
March 18, 2025: Complete online application to include three key words and upload a letter of intent of your proposed topic. The letter of intent should include: a) title; b) mentor and role in the project; and c) a short project description.
April 17, 2025: Application submission completed in full | AAPM membership or pending membership required
Recipients notified by: May 30, 2025
Program Contact: grantsandfellowships@aapm.org