2027 AAPM Research Seed Funding Grant

 

The AAPM Research Seed Funding Grant helps investigators develop promising, investigator-initiated research concepts. The grant is intended to support work that leads to successful longer-term project funding from the NIH or equivalent funding sources.

► Sponsored by the AAPM Science Council through the AAPM Education & Research Fund.

► Got questions? Find answers in the Research Seed Grant Frequently Asked Questions.

Program Highlights:

  • Award: $25,000 for a 12-month project period. Funding begins August 31 of the award year.
  • Eligible expenses: Research-related costs, including travel to scientific meetings, and partial salary support for students, trainees, lab technicians and other personnel carrying out the research. Travel expenses should be included in the submitted budget.
  • Not supported: Salary support for the applicant and indirect costs.
  • Reporting: At the end of the 12-month period, recipients must submit a report to AAPM with itemized expenses. Any unspent funds should be returned to AAPM.
  • Presentation: Research results will be submitted for presentation at future AAPM meetings.
  • Other funding sources: Applicants should notify the grant administrator if the same or a similar application is submitted to more than one funding source, so the committee can take this into consideration when making final funding decisions.

Eligibility:

Career Stage

  • At the time of application, applicants must be within 10 years of completing their terminal research degree or a medical physics residency, whichever is later.
  • Applicants must be eligible to serve as a principal investigator.
  • Postdoctoral fellows and research scientists are eligible if they are working under the guidance of a mentor.
  • Applicants who have reached the rank of Associate Professor or higher are not eligible.
  • Eligibility extensions are reviewed case by case, following guidelines similar to the NIH’s.

AAPM Membership

  • Applicants must be AAPM members (any membership category) at the time of application. Non-members and applicants whose membership is pending are not eligible.

  • Applicants who are not yet members should apply for membership well in advance. The process typically takes 2–4 weeks.

Funding History

  • Applicants may not have received a previous grant greater than $50,000 as principal investigator. This includes institutional startup funding, industry awards and other external grants.
  • Previous Seed Grant recipients are not eligible.
  • Previously funded projects are not eligible.

Concurrent Submissions

  • Applicants to the 2027 AAPM Research Seed Grant may not also apply to the 2027 AAPM Global Health Research Seed Grant or the 2027 ASTRO-AAPM Research Seed Grant in the same cycle. Submitting to either of these opportunities will result in automatic disqualification of the applicant’s 2027 AAPM Research Seed Grant application. 

Application Requirements:

Part 1: Due Monday, March 22, 2027

  • Project title
  • Up to three keywords
  • Letter of intent that includes:
    • Project title
    • Mentor and the mentor’s role in the project (if applicable)
    • Short project description
    • Any institutions with a conflict of interest (COI)

Part 2: Due Monday, April 19, 2027

  • Proposal: A five-page description of the research project, including figures and tables (literature cited does not count toward the page limit):
    • Specific aims
    • Background and significance
    • Preliminary results
    • Research plan
    • Literature cited
  • AI use disclosure: Applicants will be asked whether the proposal includes content (text, images, data analysis, etc.) generated or significantly modified by AI tools.
  • Budget
  • Letter of support from the division or department chair, confirming support for the project and authorizing the time and resources needed to complete the proposed research.
  • CV (no more than four pages)

Note:

As the competition for the seed grant is high, eligible applicants are encouraged to also submit their applications for other awards, e.g. www.cancer.gov/researchandfunding/training/.

Review Criteria:

Peer review will be conducted by members of the Joint Working Group on Research Seed Funding. The scientific merit of the proposal will be judged based on significance, qualifications of investigator, innovation, soundness of approach, research environment, and potential for future funding.

Award Duration:

August 31, 2027 – August 31, 2028

Application Deadline(s):

  • Letter of Intent, Project Title and Three Keywords: Monday, March 22, 2027, 11:59 PM ET​​​​​​: Applicants must submit a letter of intent by this deadline to remain eligible to submit a full application.
  • Full Application: Monday, April 19, 2027, 11:59 PM ET
  • Decision Notices: sent on or around June 2, 2027

Program Contact: grantsandfellowships@aapm.org

 

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