Pediatricians improving care through research and innovation
The AMA Section of Pediatrics grants approximately $30,000 annually to practicing pediatricians that are both AMA and Section of Pediatrics members.
Goal of the grants
These grants are meant to enable research projects that improve the health and wellbeing of the pediatric population of Alberta. The size of the funding may support projects that could be used to leverage larger funding opportunities. We will prioritize early career physicians and residents who are looking for seed money to begin their research career.
Topics may include
Research into childhood disease or advocacy. The proposed work should involve testing a specific question in childhood disease or treatment.
Eligibility
Who can apply? You must be both an AMA member and a member of the AMA Section of Pediatrics. To check your membership and section status, please connect with:
- Jennifer Cunningham, Membership and Benefits Team Lead, 780-732-3359; 1-800-272-9680
- Georgina Welch, Membership and Benefits Administrator, 1-800-272-9680
Grant applications from successful applicants (including co-investigators and PIs) from the previous two years will not be accepted.
Residents may apply along with a pediatrician who can receive the funding at their academic institution.
Funding
Total funds to distribute = $30,000. Maximum funding per project = $10,000 to be distributed within one year of the date grant awarded.
Application ranking
The monetary rewards will be determined by:
- The number of requests.
- The requirement of the individual projects.
- The quality of the science.
- The scope of the proposed work (applications with impact provincially and/or with the potential for scale and spread will be ranked higher).
- Resident grants will receive extra points during the review process.
Requirements
Successful applicants will present their work at the AGM of the Section the following year and then provide a project summary and budget explaining fund use at the conclusion of the funding (up to two years after the funds are awarded). The expectation is that the project would be completed within two years of the grant money being distributed, however, an extension may be applied for. The Section of Pediatrics needs to be acknowledged in any publications arising from the grant. Financial reporting on these funds is required at the end of the award term and any unused funds must be returned to the AMA Section of Pediatrics.
Application form, submission and deadline
- Submission: Email completed application to AMA Section Services, [email protected].
- Application deadline: Midnight (MDT) April 1 of each year.
2026 APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 14, 2026
Reported publications funded in part by AMA Section of Pediatrics Research Grants (2022-2025)
Morris H, Mathew E, Bahl S, Villa-Lopez M, Mercimek-Andrews S. Real-world-data for phenotypes and genotypes of rare monogenic genetic epilepsies and genes of uncertain significance for epilepsy. Epilepsia Open. 2026;00:1–16
DOI: 10.1002/epi4.70269
Plant G, Le-Williams K, Kampman R, Feist H, Mahoney M, Gilleland J. Evaluating a novel pediatric critical care outreach program’s impact on ICU transfers and outcomes. Int J Pediatr Adolesc Med 2025; 0:0.
DOI: 10.4103/IJPAM.IJPAM_76_25
Ambrose A, Bahl S, Sharma S, Zhang D, Hung C, Jain-Ghai S, Chan A, Mercimek- Andrews S. Genetic landscape of primary mitochondrial diseases in children and adults using molecular genetics and genomic investigations of mitochondrial and nuclear genome. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2024; 19:424.
DOI: 10.1186/s13023-024-03437-x
Giffin NA, Liedtke R, Poonai N, Holmes A, Wright B, Ali S. Prevalence of pain-related presentations in Canadian pediatric emergency departments. Can J Emerg Med 2024; 26, 650–657
DOI: 10.1007/s43678-024-00729-w
Ginter D, Gilfoyle E, Wade A, Lethebe BC, Gilad E. Hyperchloremia and association with acute kidney injury in critically ill children. Pediatric Nephrology 2023; 38:2233-2242
DOI: 10.1007/s00467-022-05823-8
Connors K, Rashid M, Chan M, Walton J, Islam B. Impact of social pediatrics rotation on residents’ understanding of social determinants of health. Medical Education Online 2022; 27 (1).
DOI: 10.1080/10872981.2022.2057791
Questions?
Please contact Section Services, to the attention of the Section of Pediatrics president: [email protected]
2025 - total awarded $16,770 |
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Recipient(s) (Supervisors) |
Affiliation |
Description |
|
de Caen, Genevieve |
University of Calgary |
Malnutrition in ambulatory neurosciences: nutrition and growth optimization equals screening. |
|
Hay, Sarah (Islam, Bonnieca) |
University of Alberta |
Food insecurity among families admitted to the Stollery Children's Hospital. |
|
Richer, Lawrence |
University of Alberta |
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility in Pediatric Randomized Controlled Trials in Canada: A Meta-Epidemiologic Study. |
2024 - total awarded $23,025 |
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|
Recipient(s) (Supervisors) |
Affiliation |
Description |
|
Andrews, Saadet |
University of Alberta |
Genetic landscape of childhood epilepsy: phenotypes, genotypes and effects of genetic changes on protein structure. |
|
Ali, Samina (Jensen, Katharine) (Ma, Keon) |
University of Alberta |
Understanding caregiver decision making for non-urgent presentations to Alberta pediatric emergency departments: The role of health literacy. |
|
Boctor, Dana (Nwaroh, Chidera) |
University of Calgary |
Stories of Resilience: Using Digital Storytelling as a Tool for Understanding Parental Experience with Caring for a Child with Pediatric Intestinal Failure. |
2023 - total awarded $19,750 |
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Recipient(s) (Supervisors) |
Affiliation |
Description |
|
Schmolzer, Georg |
University of Alberta |
Virtual care for premature infants discharged with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. |
|
Woodward, Kristine and Esser, Michael |
University of Calgary |
Longitudinal outcomes in pediatric patients followed by a tertiary care neurocritical care program. |
|
Hicks, Anne |
University of Alberta |
A-OK: home Air quality Optimization for Kids with poorly controlled asthma. |
2022 - total awarded $30,000 |
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Recipient(s) (Supervisors) |
Affiliation |
Description |
|
Baydala, Lola |
University of Alberta |
Evaluating the Cultural Competency of Pediatric Residents in Providing Health Care to Indigenous Inpatients and their Caregivers. |
|
Gilmour, Susan |
University of Alberta |
Pediatric reference value for sarcopenia determination in childhood. |
|
Ye, Linlei (Ladha, Tehseen) |
University of Alberta |
How equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles are embedded into residency training: a mixed methods study to identify institutional opportunities for action. |
|
Andrews, Saadet |
University of Alberta |
Genetic landscape of primary mitochondrial disorders due to pathogenic variants in the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA identified by molecular genetic investigations. |
2021 - total awarded $36,200 |
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Recipient(s) (Supervisors) |
Affiliation |
Description |
|
Ginter, Dylan (Gilad, Eli) |
University of Calgary |
Is hyperchloremia associated with acute kidney injury in critically sick children? |
|
Giffin, Nicholas (Ali, Samina) |
University of Alberta |
Prevalence of pain-related presentation to two Canadian pediatric emergency departments. |
|
Jacobs-LeVan, Julia |
University of Calgary |
One video says more than 1,000 words: improving the triage process in Alberta! |
|
Sandhu Dhillon, Amonpreet |
University of Calgary |
The development, implementation and evaluation of an after-school virtual drop-in program for South Asian Youth: A pilot program to achieve equity in mental health for a community at risk. |
|
Stoian, Cristina |
University of Calgary |
Family perceptions of inpatient pediatric care in a regional hospital in Alberta. |
|
Zhang, Mona |
University of Alberta |
Exploring barriers to joint reading in immigrant families. |
2020 - total awarded $25,260 |
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|
Recipient(s) (Supervisors) |
Affiliation |
Description |
|
Connors, Kimberly (Islam, Bonnieca) |
University of Alberta |
Themes from written reflections by pediatric residents during their social pediatric rotation. |
|
Kellar, Amelia (DeBruyn, Jennifer) |
University of Calgary |
Prospective validation of the Simple Pediatric Activity Ultrasound Score for the accurate detection of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. |
|
Milenkovic, Jovana |
University of Calgary |
Improving junior resident satisfaction and confidence in making autonomous clinical decisions. |
|
Narendran, Gayathri (Gilleland, Jon) |
University of Calgary |
An evaluation of pediatric emergency team follow-up from emergency department for at-risk patients. |
|
Novak, Christopher |
University of Alberta |
Peds Cases: pediatric education online-website renewal project. |
2019 - total awarded $25,507.77 |
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Recipient(s) (Supervisors) |
Affiliation |
Description |
|
Ali, Samina |
University of Alberta |
Factors influencing caregiver choice of analgesia for children with musculoskeletal injury-related pain in the emergency department: a qualitative study. |
|
Cooke, Suzette |
University of Calgary |
Can you RELATE? Navigating difficult conversations and building trust with parents in the pediatric hospital setting: a workshop and simulation-based curriculum for health care providers. |
|
Long, Lindsay |
University of Calgary |
Less is best in bronchiolitis: reducing low-value testing and treatment in bronchiolitis…going beyond our hospital walls. |
2018 - total awarded $23,235 |
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Recipient(s) |
Affiliation |
Description |
|
Bromely, Mark |
University of Calgary |
KidSONO: Pediatric Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Improving Patient Care through Education. |
|
Guilcher, Greg |
University of Calgary |
SHINE: Cerebral hemodynamic changes in children with hemoglobinopathies after curative hematopoietic stem cell transplant. |
|
Yunker, Warren |
University of Calgary |
Development of a Post-Operative Pain Control Smartphone Application. |