Aim

The SPA Global Academic Development Grant would provide funding for up to $5,000 for one or two projects annually for research, education, or quality improvement projects benefitting under-resourced pediatric populations located in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and developing academic expertise for anesthesiologists based in these settings.

Grant Details

• Proposals should be focused on one of three main areas: pediatric anesthesia research, education, or quality improvement.
• Projects should be able to be completed in one-year or less and start within three months after the application deadline.
• Applicants must submit a total budget for the project and any additional sources of funding.
• Collaborative efforts between project leaders and institutions of differing resource levels are encouraged.
• Selection will be based on feasibility, impact, and benefit to pediatric anesthesia care for under-resourced populations and improving pediatric anesthesia capacity in LMICs.

Eligibility Requirements

• The applicant must be an anesthesiologist from a LMIC.
• Applicants who have completed a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship are preferred, but completion of a fellowship is not required.
• The applicant must not have received the same award in the previous three years.
• A mentor who is an SPA member must be identified and included on the application. Collaborative applications pairing one or more partners are encouraged.

Application Requirements

• Applications must be completed in English and include the following: first and last name of applicant(s); first and last name of SPA member mentor; applicant country of residence; applicant primary institution; project title; project summary (as a Word document or PDF).
• The project summary should include the following: specific aims/hypothesis/goals; importance of the project for pediatric anesthesiology in an under-resourced setting; background information and previous data (if available); methods; planned data analysis.
• Candidates requesting proposal writing assistance may seek members from within SPA up to one month prior to the submission deadline. Contact the SPA Global Chair for more information https://pedsanesthesia.org/spa-global-committee/.

Initial Proposal

The initial proposal should include the following and be submitted together by email to the Chair of the SPA Global Committee (Matt Kynes [email protected]).

• Title Page including applicant and mentor names and affiliations
• Two page description of the proposed project

• • Specific Aims/Hypotheses/Goals
  • Importance of this project for pediatric anesthesiology
  • Background information
  • For research and quality improvement projects:
    • Previous data, if any
    • Methods, including sample size analysis (if applicable)
    • Planned data analysis
  • For education projects:
    • Specific deliverables and measures of successful implementation
• CV of the applicant and mentor
• Letter of support from Chair of Department of the applicant
• Letter of support from project mentor
• Letters of support from project collaborators (if applicable)
• Projected budget

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Grant Review Process

• The SPA Global Development Grant Committee will review all applications and make final decisions. Applications will be assessed based on the evidence of the applicant’s ability to complete the project; how the project addresses local needs; how the project advances local research, clinical, and/or leadership capacity; and how the project can impact pediatric anesthesia care in other similar settings.
• Upon review of all the submitted proposals, the Committee may distribute up to two grants to total up to $5,000 each. The Committee may also choose to reduce the awarded amount or not fund any of the submitted projects for a given calendar year.
• Review of initial proposals will be completed within one month after submission deadline.

Grant applications will be scored on the following criteria:

Principal Investigator/Project Leader:

• Does the applicant have the potential to succeed as a mentored investigator or project leader?
• Does the applicant have prior research, quality improvement, education, or scholarly experience relevant to the proposed project?
• Does the applicant show clear promise for development as a physician leader in pediatric anesthesiology, particularly in resource-limited settings?

Mentor and/or Mentorship Team:

• Is the mentor appropriately qualified to support the proposed project and the applicant’s career development?
• Is there evidence of prior or ongoing productive collaborations between the applicant and mentor(s)?
• Has the mentor demonstrated a record of effective mentorship, particularly with early-career investigators or trainees?
• Do the mentor(s) possess the expertise and capacity to address identified gaps in the applicant’s knowledge, skills, or experience?

Significance:

• Does the proposed project address an important problem or unmet need in pediatric anesthesiology, particularly related to quality, access, safety, or workforce capacity in low- and middle-income countries?
• Does the project likely to generate knowledge, tools, or approaches that are transferable or scalable to other similar settings?

Approach:

• For research and quality improvement projects: are the study questions, design, and methodology appropriate, feasible, and methodologically sound? Are potential limitations acknowledged with plans to mitigate them?
• Is the plan relevant to the applicant’s stated career development and scholarly goals?
  For education projects: is there a clear and appropriate plan to evaluate the intervention or outcomes?
• Is the scope and complexity appropriate for the applicant’s stage of academic development?

Institutional Commitment to the Applicant:

• Does the institutional environment provide adequate infrastructure, resources, and support to successfully complete the project and foster the applicant’s professional growth?
• Is there a clear departmental commitment to ensure adequate protected time for the candidate to carry out the proposal?

Successful applicants will be invited to submit a more complete and thorough description of the project, with detailed budget, timelines, plans for analysis, and future development.

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Expectations for Grant Awardees
Grant awardees are expected to steward awarded funds responsibly, execute the proposed project as approved, and contribute to the broader mission of advancing pediatric anesthesiology in LMICs. Acceptance of the award constitutes agreement with the expectations outlined below.

Use and Accountability of Funds

• Grant funds must be used solely for expenses directly related to the approved project and in accordance with the submitted budget.
• Allowable expenses may include research or project materials, data collection, educational resources, local travel, and other costs approved by the SPA.
• Funds may not be used for unrelated activities, personal expenses, or institutional overhead unless explicitly permitted.
• Awardees are responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, including receipts or documentation of expenditures, and must submit financial reports as requested.
• Unused or misallocated funds may be subject to return at the discretion of the funding organization.

Fund Transfer and Institutional Facilitation

• Awardees must work with their home institution or designated fiscal agent to facilitate appropriate and timely transfer of grant funds.
• Required institutional documentation (e.g., banking details, letters of support, or fiscal oversight agreements) must be provided prior to fund disbursement.
• The awardee is responsible for ensuring compliance with local institutional, regulatory, and ethical requirements related to fund management.

Project Implementation and Timeline

• Awardees are expected to carry out the project as described in the approved proposal and within the stated project period.
• Any substantial changes to the project scope, methodology, timeline, budget, or mentorship structure must receive prior written approval from the SPA.
• Awardees should maintain regular engagement with their mentor(s) throughout the project period.

Reporting of Deliverables

• A final report is required at the conclusion of the funding period and should summarize project outcomes, deliverables, lessons learned, and future directions.
• For research and quality improvement projects, reports should include data summaries and preliminary or final results as appropriate.
• For education projects, reports should include evidence of implementation and evaluation outcomes.

Dissemination and Acknowledgment

• Awardees are encouraged to disseminate project findings through presentations, reports, or peer-reviewed publications where feasible.
• All resulting presentations, publications, or materials must acknowledge the funding organization in accordance with provided acknowledgment language.

Ethical and Regulatory Compliance

• Awardees are responsible for obtaining all required ethical approvals (e.g., IRB/ethics committee approval) prior to initiating research involving human subjects.
• Projects must be conducted in accordance with local, national, and international ethical standards.