SAEMF Emerging Infectious Disease and Preparedness Grant

The application period for this grant closes each year in August.

This document provides an overview of this grant. For complete instructions on applying, please see the Detailed Instructions. For submission instructions and SAEMF policies, visit How To Apply. For answers to other common questions, visit our Grants FAQ or email grants@saem.org.

Purpose of the Award

The Emerging Infectious Disease and Preparedness Grant provides up to $100,000 over a one-year period starting July 1 to support emergency care research related to emerging infectious disease, such as influenza, COVID-19, and other bacterial or viral infections. This award is not limited to specific conditions and may study an infectious disease at any point in its epidemiologic trajectory. This award seeks to support an ambitious program of acute care science in emerging infectious disease that may include:

• Diagnostics 

• Patient and provider safety

• Intervention/therapeutics 

• Disaster preparedness

• Other relevant topic areas 

In addition to existing basic, translational, and clinical research methods, projects leveraging innovative methodological designs, such as implementation trials, computational methods and data science are encouraged. While the focus is on self-limited research projects that are impactful in the current or future practice of emergency medicine and can be completed in a one-year time frame, the funds apportioned for this award are provided with the hope for investigators to propose an ambitious program of research that can lead to a sustained program of externally supported funded research.

The goals of the grant align with the mission of the SAEMF to improve emergency patient care through supporting the development of innovative researchers, expert educators and future academic emergency medicine leaders.

Expectations of the Award

The Emerging Infectious Disease and Preparedness Grant awardee is expected to:

1. Attend the SAEM Annual Meeting during the award year.

2. Submit interim and final progress reports in accordance with SAEMF instructions.

3. Submit an abstract reporting the results of the research project for presentation at the SAEM Annual Meeting. As the selection of research abstracts is a competitive process, acceptance is not assured.

4. Publish a manuscript (with awardee as first or senior author) arising from the project in a peer-reviewed journal within two years of completing the Emerging Infectious Disease and Preparedness Grant.

Eligibility for the Award

An applicant for the SAEMF Emerging Infectious Disease and Preparedness Grant must:

1. Be a "faculty" member of SAEM in good standing at application deadline and during the entire award period.

2. Have an advanced/doctoral or terminal educational degree (e.g., MD, DO, PhD, DSc or equivalent).

3. Hold a university appointment in or be actively involved (e.g., have an adjunct appointment) with a department or division of emergency medicine or pediatric emergency medicine at the start of award period. Emergency medicine residents in their final year of residency may apply, subject to the same stipulation of holding a university appointment at the start of the award period. The applicant may work as a clinician at an institution other than the host institution or the institution at which the project will be conducted.

4. Not have received a similar grant for the same purpose as the SAEMF proposal (no overlapping funds).

Applicants for this award are expected to be at different stages of research career development. Applicants may apply as a (1) mentored research scientist or as an (2) independent research scientist. The involvement and availability of mentorship and collaboration appropriate for the applicant’s career stage will be one of the criteria considered by the review committee.

Mentored Research Scientist. Applicants applying as mentored researchers should adhere to the mentor eligibility criteria described in the Eligibility Criteria for SAEMF Grants. For mentored applicants, the review committee will consider whether the mentorship plan is appropriate for the candidate’s career stage, the prior relationship with the mentor, and whether the candidate will be prepared for independent funding after the conclusion of the mentorship plan.

Independent Research Scientist. Applicants applying as independent research scientists must have a track record of high-quality publications or prior funding that demonstrate a career stage appropriate for independent funding. Applicants need not have an identified primary mentor, though evidence of collaboration with senior investigators in the design and conduct of the research plan will be looked upon favorably. For independent research scientists, the review committee will consider whether the investigator and research team, after the conduct of the proposed study, will be able to submit a compelling application for independent federal funding.

Multiple Principal Investigator (PI) applications are accepted for this award. A 1-page Multiple PI Plan must be included. Please see the Detailed Instructions for SAEMF Grant Applications for additional information.

Full Eligibility Criteria, Detailed Instructions, and Additional Information for SAEMF Grants can be found here.

Updated June 4, 2024