Apply for Pediatrics Research Funding

The Leda J. Sears Charitable Trust supports research in pediatric related projects at the Department of Pediatrics Since 1991, the trust has donated more than $850,000 to fund pilot studies.

Dr. Judith Miles, professor emerita of genetics and pathology, received the first-ever Sears Trust gift. Her innovative research resulted in the creation of a multidisciplinary autism clinic, which received large external funding from the National Institutes of Health and evolved into the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, a nationally-recognized center for autism.

Each year, the department awards Sears Trust funding to faculty with primary or joint appointments in the Department of Child Health.

Sears Trust Guidelines:

• The Sears Trust has a year-round, rolling application process; there are two deadlines.
• The proposed research projects (clinical or basic science) must be related to children.
• Researchers can apply for up to $20,000 of funding per research proposal.
• There is no limit to the number of applications each researcher can submit.
• All applications will be reviewed by invited external reviewers, and written feedback will be provided to all applicants.
• The award will be carried over a 12-month period, after which the remaining funds will be returned to the PRD. Formal extension requests may be submitted and will be considered by the PRD director.
• An awardee receiving a Sears Pilot award as the PI may only submit another application after the completion of the initial award. This subsequent application must include proof of an externally submitted award and the outcome of the review for basic science applications and peer-reviewed publications for clinical research Pediatrics.
• The overall objective of the Sears Trust pilot funding program is to generate preliminary data as a prelude to submission to federal funding and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.

How to Apply:

Applicants must use the NIH PHS 398 forms and application must contain the following details:

• Cover Page: Containing the project’s title and information regarding principal investigator(s).
• Research Plan: Typed using 11-point font size and at least 0.5-inch margins. Research applications need to conform with NIH R21 guidelines and include the following sections:
  • Specific aims
  • Research strategy
    • Importance of Research - Significance, Innovation Significance
    • Rigor and Feasibility – Approach (also include inclusions and study timeline for clinical trials) Expertise and Resources - Investigators, Environment
    • How the pilot funding will contribute to advancing the project and path to independence for postdocs and research scientists
  • References (not included in the three-page limit)
• Biographical sketches, preferably in NIH format, for all principal investigators Budget with justification (one page)
  • Budget requests should not exceed $10,000 for this one-year study.
  • Salary and fringe benefits for PIs is not allowable.

Submit applications to Dr. Esma S. Yolcu.

Past Awardees