We are pleased to announce the TCH Educational Scholarship Awards. These funds are available for projects relevant to medical education in pediatrics. Priority is given to projects that target college-level students planning to enter medical school, medical student education in pediatrics, pediatric residency, pediatric subspecialty training, continuing medical education for pediatricians, or education and training for non-physician pediatric health care providers.
The Awards program is administered by the Center for Research, Innovation and Scholarship in Medical Education (CRIS). Funds are awarded on a competitive basis. We anticipate non-salary funding for three large projects up to $40,000 each and six smaller projects up to $15,000 each. The awards are for one calendar year; a 6-month extension, with no additional funds, is available on a case-by-case basis.
The purpose of the TCH Educational Scholarship Awards is (a) to promote educational scholarship among faculty members and (b) to encourage collaboration around education among programs/sections within, and beyond, the Department of Pediatrics.
It is expected that funded projects will be (a) presented at regional, national, or international meetings and (b) published in peer-reviewed journals or on educational websites/repositories. The contribution these projects make to medical education is important not only to the career development of the investigator but also to the reputation of Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital as a leader in educational scholarship.
All applicants to the TCH Educational Scholarship Awards program must submit a Letter of Intent.
Only Baylor College of Medicine faculty members who have a primary appointment in the Department of Pediatrics as an Instructor, Assistant Professor, or Associate Professor are eligible to serve as principal investigators. Faculty members who include education as a part of their faculty appointment are encouraged to apply.
Proposals are reviewed and evaluated by the TCH Educational Scholarship Awards Review Committee, which is composed of Baylor College of Medicine faculty. Final approval for funding is made by the Vice-Chair and Associate Vice-Chairs for Educational Affairs, and the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics.
Of note, members of the Review Committee may not be familiar with the focus of the project; thus, applicants are advised to avoid jargon, to provide definitions, and to explicate clear goals, objectives, and potential impacts.
Awardees are expected to attend 50% of CRIS research seminars, called Works in Progress. These quarterly meetings are opportunities to share "works in progress" and to network with other awardees. Awardees are strongly encouraged to access resources in CRIS, including statistical and writing support.
At the conclusion of the project, awardees must submit an on-line progress report and an account of their award expenditures. Awardees who ask for a time extension must submit a letter that includes rationale for the extension and plans to modify the original project.
By 2 years post-funding, awardees must submit a scholarship document (equivalent to a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal or submission to a reputable on-line repository for educators such as MedEd Portal).
As part of program evaluation, awardees are expected to complete on-line, follow-up reports at 3 years and 5 years post-funding.
Signature of the section chief of the applicant's academic unit (on the summary sheet). An institutional signature is not necessary.
Literature cited (include complete citations).
A brief description (1 page maximum) of the potential impact of the project on medical education in pediatrics or the education community at large must be included.
The budget for the project must be included, along with justification of expenses. Monies can be used for materials (e.g., computer programs, posters, books, etc), technology support, data evaluation, and travel to present findings at a medical meeting, but not for salary support for the principal investigator.
Curriculum vitae (CV) of the applicant must be included; an abbreviated CV is acceptable.
Finally, letters of support from collaborators and a description of their role in the project must be included. These letters should appear after the applicant's CV.
Projects involving human subjects should have appropriate IRB review and approval before funds can be expended. It is not necessary to obtain IRB approval before the application is reviewed.