Opportunities for Educators: Lead, Learn, Disseminate

The Small Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived, with budgets up to $50,000 for projects ranging from one to five years. Applications are accepted two times per year. This program is “field-initiated” in that proposal submissions are not in response to a specific request for a particular research topic, discipline, design, method, or location. The goal for this program is to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education. Please see below for information on applying to the Small Research Grants on Education Program. For information on optional appendices, our review process, frequently asked questions, and other key details, please review the full Request for Proposals in the online portal.

Applications Open Jan. 26, 2026

Full Proposal Deadline April 15, 2026, 12:00 p.m. central time

Program contact: smallgrants@spencer.org

The grants support education research projects that will contribute to understanding and disrupting racial inequality in education and work to reimagine generative possibilities to advance educational equity, with budgets up to $75,000 for projects ranging from one to five years. Intent to Apply forms are accepted once a year.

Applications Open: March 16, 2026

Intent to Apply Form Deadline: May 4, 2026, 12:00 p.m. central time

Full Proposal Deadline: July 1, 2026, 12:00 p.m. central time

Program contact: Maricelle Garcia, racial-equity@spencer.org

The purpose of this initiative is to promote and support innovative educational scholarship that is designed, implemented, and evaluated by COMSEP members. Selected educational grant(s) will be supported for a total of $5,000 each. Grant funding is contingent upon available funds.

Mentorship and its associated feedback and guidance are important to COMSEP and each grant application should include information about the principal investigator’s project mentor, described in greater detail below. The total funding period of the grant is 24 months; hence projects that can be completed in 18 months are advised so that the remainder of the time can be used for data analysis/presentation and manuscript preparation.

• Grant Instructions
• Grants Checklist

Eligibility: The principal investigator of the COMSEP grant and/or any site-investigators must be a member of COMSEP at the time of application and throughout the funding period. Learn how to become a member. The topic of the grant proposal must align with COMSEP’s mission and strategic plan.

Applications will open in April.

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

• Minimum grant size is $100,000
• If a grant request is unsuccessful, an organization must wait a minimum of one year from the date of declination before reapplying
• Grantees must wait a minimum of three years from their grant award date before the Foundations will consider another request
• For more information on our process, please visit the Funding Limitations, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and the Grant Request Evaluation Process pages

There is no deadline for these grants.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Early Career Physicians (SOECP) invites nominations for the 2026 AAP SOECP Excellence in Education Award. One individual or entity of the AAP is awarded the SOECP Excellence in Education Award each year. The award recipient will be honored during an SOECP Networking and Awards Reception in 2026. The award provides full general registration for the 2026 AAP National Conference and Exhibition and a $1,000 honorarium. In addition, award recipients will be required to attend the SOECP Education Program and the SOECP Networking and Awards Reception on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026 (unless a scheduling conflict due to a speaking engagement is disclosed to staff upon acceptance of the award).

Deadline: Sunday, April 12, 2026, 11:59 p.m. central time

The AAP Section on Early Career Physicians (SOECP) invites nominations for the 2026 AAP SOECP Leadership in Advocacy Award.

Deadline: Sunday, April 12, 2026, 11:59 p.m. central time

The AAP Section on Early Career Physicians (SOECP) invites nominations for the 2026 AAP SOECP Advancement in Research Award. One individual or entity is awarded the SOECP Advancement in Research Award each year. The award recipient will be honored during an SOECP Networking and Awards Reception in 2026. The award provides full general registration for the 2026 AAP National Conference and Exhibition and a $1,000 honorarium. In addition, award recipients will be required to attend the SOECP Education Program and the SOECP Networking and Awards Reception on Saturday, October 3, 2026 (unless a scheduling conflict due to a speaking engagement is disclosed to staff upon acceptance of the award).

Deadline: Sunday, April 12, 2026, 11:59 p.m. central time

• April 14-17
• Denver, Colorado

The APPD spring meeting provides pediatric program educators and leaders with the opportunity to network and learn what’s new in medical education curriculum.

• Now accepting reservations for housing
• Registration is now open
• Sponsorship opportunities can be found here

• April 24-27
• Boston, Massachusetts

Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting connects thousands of leading pediatric researchers, clinicians, and medical educators worldwide united by a common mission: Connecting the global academic pediatric community to advance scientific discovery and promote innovation in child and adolescent health. This international gathering offers opportunities for a global audience to share research, explore new ideas, build career opportunities, and collaborate on future projects.

• Registration is now open
• Hotel and travel can be booked here
• Schedule at-a-glance

• June 6-9, 2026
• Augusta, Georgia

The annual conference of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) offers many opportunities for faculty development and networking, bringing together science and education across the continuum of health professions education. This year’s theme is Flourishing Through Change: Adaptability, Innovation, and Growth in Health Sciences Education. The 2026 Conference will offer professional development workshops, focus sessions, oral & poster presentations, and networking opportunities. In addition to the program, the IAMSE Medical Educator Fellowship, IM-REACH, and the Foundations in Health Professions Education course will be offered.

Please review the components of this new action team below and consider applying to join the action team leadership or one of the 5 sub-committees and contributing to this important work!

If you are interested in applying for Leadership or any of the Sub-Committees of PEd-THRIVE, please click here and complete this application form.

Wellbeing Action Team Mission / Goals Mission: Promote wellness of pediatric trainees, faculty, and GME leaders through research, education, and effective training methods.

Goals: Promote wellness of pediatric trainees, faculty, and GME leaders through the following core activities:

1. Continue annual longitudinal assessments of wellbeing of pediatric trainees
2. Provide annual program wellbeing reports to participating PDs and institutions
3. Promote wellbeing of pediatric trainees, faculty and GME leaders through development and dissemination of wellbeing interventions and activities for pediatric trainees, faculty, and GME leaders
4. Enable research and scholarship regarding important factors that impact trainee, faculty, and GME leader wellbeing

Call for papers on:

• Disability in Med Ed
• Palliative care education
• Lifelong learning and patient safety
• Psychiatric education and its challenges
• Clinical reasoning education: advances and updates
• Transnational Medical Education Programs
• The role of medical humanities in Medical Education
• Intensive care education
• Tools for assessment of medical skills
• AI in curriculum development and assessment
• Environmental sustainability across the Med Ed curriculum
• Shaping the future of ultrasound education

The rapid advancement of AI is transforming how physicians are trained. AI offers the potential to personalize learning and improve the efficiency of medical education. In addition, AI algorithms can augment clinical decision making and decrease clinician administrative burden. Given the promise of AI tools, educators and institutions must be prepared to both responsibly and ethically implement them for the purpose of teaching and learning and prepare clinicians to effectively use evolving technologies in their clinical practice, MedEdPORTAL seeks innovative approaches to bridge these gaps.

This call, led by Elissa Hall, EdD and Cornelius James, MD, is designed to highlight the work of educators, learners, and staff who are driving the role of AI education towards the aim of improved patient care.

We seek submissions describing generalizable educational innovations that:

1. Equip educators with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively leverage AI to improve their teaching practices.
2. Promote the responsible and ethical use of AI for teaching and learning, such as AI's role in admissions, evaluation, feedback, assessment, coaching, and faculty development.
3. Prepare learners to effectively use AI in their clinical practice, addressing both opportunities to augment clinical practice and ethical considerations. By sharing strategies, we can collectively advance the field, improve patient care, and prepare the next generation of physicians for a technology-driven future.

To determine if your work is in scope, e-mail mededportal@aamc.org.