Open Funding Opportunities

The T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion will fund the third cohort of a total of 10-12 first-year School of Medicine, Pharmacy, or graduate Master of Public Health students to initiate extended summer research projects through its Sanford Scholars Award Program. Students interested in conducting research projects related to empathy and compassion are encouraged to apply and are required to identify a UCSD faculty mentor to collaboratively develop the research project. In addition to initiating a research project, Sanford Scholars are required to participate in a summer program that will enhance the overall project efficacy, further develop empathy and compassion skills, and create a cohesive cadre of student leaders in empathy and compassion.

Required Program Activities:

• Research Project – Identify a UCSD faculty mentor and develop and implement a research project related to empathy and compassion. A list of interested faculty is provided via a link below to use as an initial guide, though you may also identify a mentor not on this list.
• Summer Mindfulness/Compassion Training – Participate in a workshop series related to mindfulness, compassion, and self-compassion cultivation.
• Summer Didactic Lectures – Participate in a series of lectures on topics related to empathy and compassion, closely correlated with each of our Sanford Institute Centers, to provide Scholars with a robust and well-rounded foundation of research and learning in empathy and compassion.
• Summer Ethics Workshop – Attend the 4-5 hour scientific ethics workshop for summer medical students to ensure research projects are ethically sound.

Application and Project Timeline:

• January 12, 12-1 p.m. – (Optional) Attend the Sanford Scholars program information session via Zoom to learn more about the application process, program requirements, and ask questions.

          Zoom Link: https://uchealth.zoom.us/j/86952039113

• January 31 – UCSD faculty mentor identified (guidance list found here) and initial interest form completed via this link.
• February 10, 4-6 p.m. – Attend a required virtual pre-review session with your mentor to briefly present your initial research project ideas and receive feedback from Institute staff to help hone your application before final submission.
• February 25 – Applications due by 5 p.m. via the online portal, and will include a research project proposal, budget proposal and justification, and a mentor endorsement form and CV/Biosketch.

  • Submission process

    • Please submit your first stage application at the submission portal located here.
    • Create an applicant account and complete the applicant profile.
    • Click “Get Started” to submit a new application. Under the ‘Program’ menu, select “2022 Sanford Scholars Program”
    • Upload the  Mentor Endorsement Form to the portal.
    • Once the application is complete, please be sure to click ‘Submit.’

• Early April – Sanford Scholar awards announced and projects to commence immediately with IRB submission.
• March 2023 – Project complete and final reports submitted. Interim progress reports will be due periodically before March 2023.

Funding:

All projects will be funded up to a total of $8,000. Of this total award, $6,000 will be provided directly to the student as a stipend, and up to $2,000 will be provided to the mentor to support the research project, including supplies and materials.

For questions, please contact Jenna Tutjer (jtutjer@health.ucsd.edu).

The Center for Empathy and Compassion Training in Medical Education invites applications for medical education project proposals for implementation in the 2022-23 academic year.

The mission of the Center for Empathy and Compassion Training in Medical Education is to develop, evaluate, and disseminate educational programs to enhance empathy and compassion throughout medical training, particularly in the School of Medicine. The focus of this call is the development of evidence-based practices that help to incorporate empathy and compassion training into undergraduate and graduate medical education including those that aim to increase inclusive excellence in healthcare and health care education.

The intention of this seed grant funding is to implement novel medical education projects and evaluate their efficacy; those shown to be effective will be disseminated. The maximum amount of funding available for a single project supported under this call is $50,000 for one year, with a typical budget expected to be $15,000-$25,000.  All budget items must be justified. Proposals should speak to the future sustainability of projects, including departmental resources or the School of Medicine.

First stage applications

The goal of the first stage is to determine whether your project idea is in line with our Center’s mission and appears to be promising for the further development of a detailed project plan.

Please submit an abstract of no more than 1,000 words that will be scored by the review committee. The abstract should include:

1. the project title
2. a list of project team members, their proposed role on the project and why they are appropriate for this role
3. the proposed educational program, including the target audience and timeframe, and expected outcomes
4. the relevance of project outcomes to the goals of the Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, and specifically, the Center for Empathy and Compassion Training in Medical Education
5. proposed methodologies
   1. for implementing the program with an emphasis on practicality and feasibility (e.g., have you received approval in theory for adding your program to existing curriculum)
   2. for scientifically evaluating the outcome of the program (e.g. pre-/post-surveys, comparison condition, observational assessments)
6. audience, groups, or systems targeted for training and intervention
7. a diversity statement that highlights how this project would foster inclusive clinical learning and care
8. a summary of required resources for the project with a budget estimation

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the review, and those selected will participate in an iterative process, working together with the Center’s personnel, to develop the second stage application. The second stage application will involve a more thorough explanation of the project’s methods and a detailed budget and budget justification. The final version of the second stage application can be submitted at any time but must be completed by May 2022 to be considered for implementation in the ‘22-‘23 academic year.  Second stage proposals will be reviewed and approved before funds are allocated. Invitation for the development of second-stage proposals does not guarantee eventual funding, but we hope to create fundable proposals via the iterative process.

Eligibility

Faculty, staff, and trainees are all eligible for funding.  Feasibility of the project given the responsibilities associated with the PI’s primary role(s) must be addressed in the first stage abstract. Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged.

Application deadlines and notices

First Stage Application due date: January 21^st, 2022

Notice of Invitation for Second Stage Application: February 11^th, 2022

Second stage proposal due date: Rolling, with absolute deadline of May 6^th, 2022

Submission process

• Please submit your first stage application at the submission portal located here. You may also access this form from our website at ucsd.edu under the “Funding Opportunities” and “Research Application Portal” tabs.

• Create an applicant account and complete the applicant profile.
• Click “Get Started” to submit a new LOI application. Under the ‘Program’ menu, select “2022 Medical Education Seed Grant Program.”
• Once the application is complete, please be sure to click ‘Submit.’

Questions?

Contact Center Director, Lisa Eyler, Ph.D. at lteyler@health.ucsd.edu.

 The Institute offers frequent opportunities for involvement, including a Journal Club, Compassion Interest Group, Speaker Series, along with opportunities for presentation and other professional development. We encourage appointed Sanford Fellows and their mentors to participate in Institute activities to enhance learning and to interact with the broader community engaged in research related to empathy and compassion. Fellows will present their findings at Annual Fellows Meetings.

AWARD:

Support will be provided for up to two years for Fellows. Renewal for a second year requires submission and approval of a progress report covering the first year. The full cost of stipend/salary will be covered for all Fellows. Tuition and fees will be covered for pre-doctoral Fellows; up to $5,000 will be allowed to support their supplies/reagents. For postdoctoral Scholars up to $15,000 will be provided for supplies/reagents.

ELIGIBILITY:

Any full-time UC San Diego medical student, graduate student, or postdoctoral scholar interested in conducting research related to empathy and compassion is encouraged to apply. We welcome applications for basic and applied research projects. Applicants are required to identify a UCSD faculty mentor to develop the research project collaboratively. The program welcomes as mentor all members of the UCSD faculty, including Adjunct members whose primary affiliation is through the Salk Institute, The Scripps Research Institute, or the Sanford/Burnham/Prebys Institute.

HOW TO APPLY

The application process begins with a letter of intent (LOI) (one and one-half page maximum) listing the project title, names of the applicant and mentor(s), the hypothesis and overall plan of study, expected outcomes, and significance. The applicant and mentor will jointly submit the LOI. An Institute review committee will select LOIs most likely to succeed as full proposals. Those selected will submit a full application (6-page maximum) that follows the Institute’s template.

Submit first stage LOI applications via form on website

(https://empathyandcompassion.ucsd.edu/funding-opportunities/application-portal.html) or https://webportalapp.com/sp/ucsdempathyandcompassion_applicant. All applicants should indicate they are applying for the 2021 Fellows Program on the dropdown.

Once you have completed the LOI application in the application portal, please be sure to click SUBMIT.

DEADLINES

The deadline for the LOI is September 13, 2021.  Interested applicants may direct questions to komerry@ucsd.edu.

Please visit our website to learn more about the Institute and Centers, and to review currently funded research projects.  

2021 Request for Applications addressing either Basic or Applied Research under the Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion

The Center for Research on Empathy and Compassion, operating within the T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, invites applications for one-time, non-renewable seed grant proposals for 2021. The Institute exists to enhance the well-being of healthcare professionals, faculty, and students through elucidation of the neurobiological bases of empathy and compassion and through the application of research advances in novel educational and training initiatives.

The Center for Research on Empathy and Compassion pursues both basic and applied research.  The basic science agenda has a focus on the fundamental features of neural function and behavior in the context of paradigms that engage empathy and compassion.  The applied research agenda focuses on outcomes of interventions carried out in ecologically valid contexts that foster empathy, compassion, alleviation of anxiety and burnout, and, more generally, pro-social behavior.  Projects that directly link training to changes in brain function are of special interest. In turn, we are eager to exploit basic science insights to enhance training programs.

Both subjective and objective measures of outcome are valid. Examples of objective measures include functional and structural MRI, EEG and MEG, and local field potentials and single neuron recordings.  In addition, approaches to the assessment of behavior, social interaction, contextual awareness, and emotional response are encouraged. These include, but are not limited to, measures of facial expression and evaluation of discourse, gesture, and distributed cognition.  The Center encourages the incorporation of measures of physiological function (e.g., heart rate, sympathetic/parasympathetic function, blood, and saliva biomarkers) when projects are designed to help bridge the gap between measures of behavior and neural function.

The Center especially encourages projects that are relevant to patient interactions with health care professionals and their relationship to professional burnout, depersonalization, and emotional fatigue.  This includes systems-level work guided by principles of empathy and compassion to improve physicians’ work experience and well-being and multidimensional innovations that span individual health care professionals, patients, care teams, and the records and equipment with which they interact. 

The Center is interested in cross-disciplinary projects that effectively integrate measures of brain, body, and behavior/social interaction in applied settings that engage and foster empathy and compassion.  Projects may be a proof-of-concept, pilot, or early stage and may be add-ons to existing studies. The level of funding for projects supported under this RFA is expected to be $50,000 to $100,000 for one year, with possible renewal for one additional year.  

FIRST STAGE APPLICATIONS

Please send a 500-word abstract that will be scored by the review committee.  The abstract should include: a) the project title, b) the research question, c) the relevance of project outcomes to the goals of the Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, d) proposed methodologies, e) the groups or systems targeted for training and/or intervention, and f) a list of research team members (please include a NIH or equivalent biosketch for each investigator).  Submit first stage applications via form on website (https://empathyandcompassion.ucsd.edu/funding-opportunities/application-portal.html) or https://webportalapp.com/sp/ucsdempathyandcompassion_applicant. All applicants should indicate whether the proposal is a better fit for the basic versus applied research agendas.  In cases where the proposal can fit under either agenda, the review committee will assign the proposal to the appropriate review panel. If your proposal fits under either, please choose the general research option in the application form.

Once you have completed the LOI application in the application portal, please be sure to click SUBMIT. 

Applicants will be notified as to the outcome of the review, and those selected for further evaluation will be asked to submit a second stage application. The second stage application will allow applicants to more fully detail the hypothesis, preliminary data, scope, and methods to be employed as well as expected outcomes.  A plan for funding of the program after the pilot period should be included with sufficient detail to indicate which funding sources would be approached and a tentative timeline.   A detailed budget will be required together with justification. Allowable expenses will include those normally permissible under NIH funding, including personnel, research reagents, and resources and small pieces of equipment. No renovations will be supported.

APPLICATION DEADLINES AND NOTICES OF AWARDS

First Stage Application due date: July 11, 2021

Notice of Invitation for Second Stage Application: September 1, 2021

Second Stage Application due date: September 30, 2021  November 15, 2021

Notice of award: TBD 

Award start date: TBD