We are pleased to invite applications to the spring 2024 round of pilot grant programs! All applications are due by 4:00 pm April 1, 2024. E-mail Holly Burnside at burnsideh@chop.edu with any questions.

1. Clinical Futures / PolicyLab Pilot Grants
Jointly administered with PolicyLab, the purpose of this program is to promote and support CHOP investigators in a) clinical effectiveness pilot research studies and/or b) policy-oriented health services pilot research studies that will attract external support for larger-scale studies. View the full announcement here. 

2. Implementation Science "Preparatory to Trial" Grants
​​​​Offered by the Clinical Futures new Implementation Science research pillar, the goal of this program is to support CHOP trainees and faculty who have ideas for hybrid effectiveness-implementation trials in pediatrics but require funding to complete preparatory work before they can write a larger proposal to conduct an effectiveness-implementation hybrid clinical trial. View the full announcement here.

3. Clinical Trial Pilot Grants
Offered by the Clinical Futures Clinical Trial pillar and the Clinical Trials Research Affinity Group, the purpose of this program is to promote and support CHOP investigators in pilot research studies that will help establish feasibility, infrastructure, or pilot data for larger-scale clinical trials. View the full announcement here.

A list of past pilot grant award recipients is below. 

Fall 2023

Arthur M. Lee, MD, Michelle R. Denburg, MD, MSCE, Chrissy Burke, MSN, CRNP, Lawrence Copelovitch, MD, and Rui Xiao, PhD
P/paraDIGM - A Paired Pre/post-Dialysis Investigation of Global Metabolomics

Stephanie Kerkvliet, MD and Sandra Amaral, MD, MHS 
Understanding Barriers to Living Donor Pediatric Kidney Transplantation in Families with Non-English Language Preference

Nora Gibson, MD, Sandra Amaral, MD, MHS, Timothy Olson, MD, PhD, Janet Kwiatkowski, MD, MSCE, and Charles Bailey, MD, PhD 
Defining the Epidemiology and Impacts of Iron Overload in Children Undergoing Bone Marrow Transplants for Non-malignant Blood Disorders

Spring 2023

April J. Ancheta, PhD, RN, Nadia Dowshen, MD, MSHP, Catherine C. McDonald, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dalmacio Dennis Flores, PhD, ACRN, FAAN
The Experiences of School Nurses in Caring for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth

Jennifer Whittaker, PhD, Xi Wang, PhD, Rebecka Rosenquist, MSc, Meredith Matone, DrPH
Understanding the Geography and Role of Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Rural Maternal Healthcare Deserts in Pennsylvania

David Weber, MD, MSCE, Jonathan Mitchell, PhD, Jessica Decker, PhD, Rachana Shah, MD
GLP1a Therapy and Effects on Bone Health and Energetic Behavior Profiles in Children with Obesity

Sarah M. Wood, MD, MSHP, Spandana Makeneni, PhD, Charlotte Schluger, BS
Using Natural Language Processing and Clinical Notes to Assess Clinical Guideline Adherence to HIV Prevention Care in Adolescents and Young Adults

Amy Jo Lisanti, PhD, RN, CCNS, Amanda P. Bettencourt, PHD, APRN, CCRN-K, ACCNS-P, Elizabeth Herrup, MD, Abigail Demianczyk, PhD
Examination of Factors Influencing the Implementation of Skin-to-Skin Care in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Funded by the Implementation Science "Preparatory to Trial" grant program, led by the Clinical Futures Implementation Science Pillar

Emily S. Kuschner, PhD, Ariana Garagozzo, PsyD, Colleen Lukens, PhD, Kathleen Rein, PsyD
The BUFFET Program: Leveraging the Single Session Intervention Model to Develop a Brief Treatment for Food Selectivity in Autistic Youth
Funded by the Clinical Trials pilot grant program, led by the Clinical Futures Clinical Trial Pillar and the Clinical Trials Research Affinity Group

Halley Ruppel, PhD, RN, Elizabeth Froh, PhD, RN, Brooke Luo, MD
Re-designing Inpatient Nursing Notes Shared with Families: An Opportunity to enhance Family-centered Care Delivery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Funded by the Healthcare Delivery Science Research grant program, led by Clinical Futures, the Possibilities Project, and the Center for Healthcare Quality and Analytics

Fall 2022

Dori Abel, MD, Chén Kenyon, MD, MSHP, Sabrina Gmuca, MD, MSCE, David Anderson, MD, and Levon Utidjian, MD, MBI
Medication Adherence and Clinical Outcomes in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)

Zoe Bouchelle, MD, Timothy Nelin, MD, Elizabeth Salazar, MD, and Andrea Duncan, MD, MS
A Pilot Study of Cash Transfers to Low-Income Preterm Infants and their Caregivers

Spring 2022

Mary Kate Claiborne, MD, Aaron Chen, MD, Keith Baldwin, MD, and Mike McWay, MD 
Feasibility of Recruitment of Families for the use of Hematoma Blocks for Reduction of Distal Radius and/or Ulna Fractures in Pediatric Patients

Meredith Matone, DrPH, MHS, Doug Strane, MPH, and Katie Wu, MPH
Psychotropic Prescribing Among Pennsylvania Children Enrolled in Medicaid: Trends Following 2016 DHS Guideline Implementation and the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fall 2021

Evan Dalton, MD, Stephanie Doupnik, MD, MSHP, Chris Feudtner, MD, PhD, MPH, Judy Shea, PhD
Staff Perception of Physical Restraint Use at a Children’s Hospital

Sara King-Dowling, PhD, Lisa A. Schwartz, PhD, Alexandra Psihogios, PhD, Jonathan Mitchell, PhD, Allison Barz Leahy, MD, MSCE, Tracey Jubelirer, MD, Kristen DeVirgilio PT, DPT
Piloting an Innovative Methodology for Measuring and Reporting Physical Activity Among Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer

Kate Wallis, MD, MPH, Diana Montoya-Williams, MD, Andrea Duncan, MD, MS, Nia Heard-Garris, MD, MSC
Identifying Consensus Recommendations for Best Practices for Conducting Anti-Racist Pediatric Research

Spring 2021

Kevin J. Downes, MD, Laura A. Vella, MD, PhD, Brian T. Fisher, DO, Sandra Amaral, MD, Leena M. Chehab, MD, Scott Hensley, PhD, Maureen Josephson, MD, Yun Li, PhD
Assessment of Immunity in Immunocompromised Children Following Receipt of COVID-19 Vaccination (AIM FOR COVID)

Halley Ruppel, PhD, RN, Chris Bonafide, MD, MSCE, Elizabeth Foglia, MD, MSCE, Michael O’Byrne, MD, MSCE
Evaluating the accuracy of pulse oximetry in children according to race and skin pigmentation

Yuan He, MD, MPH, Joanne Wood, MD, MSHP, Eugenia South, MD, MSHP
Examining Impacts of Neighborhood Greening Interventions on Neighborhood Child Maltreatment

Ariel Williamson, PhD, DBSM, Ignacio E. Tapia, MD, MTR, Alexander G. Fiks, MD, MSCE, Jungwon Min, PhD, MS, Xuemei Zhang, MS, Di Shu, PhD, MSc, Christopher M. Cielo, DO, MTR
Leveraging insurance claims data to characterize medical and behavioral sleep disorder diagnosis, treatment, care utilization, and health disparities in pediatrics

Fall 2020

Shelby Davies, MD, Nadia Dowshen, MD, MSHP, Deborah Thomas, PhD, Sarah Wood, MD, MSHP
A Multimodal Approach to Understanding the Barriers and Facilitators to Adolescent Menstrual Health Equity

Kate Wallis, MD, MPH, Katherine Kellom, AB, Priscilla Ortiz, PhD, CMI
Experiences in Telemedicine for Children with Suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fairuz Mohammed, MPH, Daniel Corwin, MD, MSCE, Christina Master, MD, and Kristy Arbogast, PhD
Investigating Disparities in Pediatric Concussion Care

Deanna Marshall, MPH, and Xi Wang, PhD
Investigating Disparities in Prenatal Care Access and Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Immigrant Mothers in Pennsylvania

Andrew Kern-Goldberger, MD, Jeffrey Gerber, MD, PhD, MSCE, Christopher Bonafide, MD, MSCE, Yun Li, PhD  
Predictors and Patterns of Subspecialty Consultation Practices Among Pediatric Hospitalist Physicians

Spring 2020

William R. Otto, MD, Brian T. Fisher, DO, MPH, MSCE, Richard Aplenc, MD, PhD, MSCE, and Yimei Li, PhD
Impact of Platelet Level on Risk of Bacteremia in Children Hospitalized for Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Beth Rutstein, MD, Jeffrey Gerber, MD, PhD, Sabrina Gmuca, MD, MSCE, and Alexis Ogdie-Beatty, MD, MSCE
Incidence of Herpes Zoster in the Pediatric Autoimmune/Autoinflammatory Population

Emma Edmondson, MD, Senbagam Virudachalam, MD, MSHP, and Emily Gregory, MD, MHS
Low-income Parents' Perceptions of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax: a Qualitative Study

Robin Ortiz, MD, Atheendar Venkataramani, MD, PhD, Courtney Boen, PhD, MPH, Diana Montoya-Williams, MD, and Katherine Yun, MD, MHS
Toward Understanding the Political Determinants of Health: An Analysis of the Impacts of Sanctuary Immigration Policies on Latinx Birth Outcomes

Fall 2019

Leila C. Posch, MD; Jeffrey Gerber, MD, PhD; and Yun Li, PhD
Postoperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Pediatric Ambulatory Surgery 

Sarah Wood, MD, MSHP; Vicky Tam, MA; and Jungwon Min, PhD
Identifying patient, clinic, and geographic disparities in chlamydia screening for adolescent females **

Joanne Wood, MD, MSHP; Linda McWhorter, PhD; Devon Kratchman, BS; and Emily DePaul, MPH, MA
Making Time for Time Out: Evaluating a Discipline Education Module for Caregivers of Young Children

Nadia Dowshen, MD, MSHP, and Sarah Wood, MD, MSHP
Simulation of Contraceptive Access for Adolescents using a Pharmacist-staffed e-Platform and Medication Dispensing Machines

Spring 2019

Eloise Salmon, MD
Fellow, Division of Nephrology
Parent Experience of Pre-Transplant Evaluation, and Factors Contributing to Time to Completion of Evaluation

Fall 2018

Jamie E. Mehringer, MD
Fellow, Division of Adolescent Medicine
Experience of Chest Dysphoria and Masculinizing Reconstructive Chest Surgery in Transmasculine Youth

Spring 2018

Doug Strane, MPH; Leigh Wilson, MSW, LSW; and Katherine Kellom
PolicyLab
Parental Decisions about Employment Stability and Caregiving for Children with Medical Complexity

Fall 2017

Allison Barz Leahy, MD
PHEOT Fellow, Division of Oncology
Patient-reported symptom and toxicity monitoring in pediatric oncology patients hospitalized for chemotherapy

Spring 2017

Kate Henry, MD, MSCE
Fellow, Child Abuse Pediatrics
Clinical Effectiveness of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Evaluation of Blunt Abdominal Trauma in Young Children

Rachael Ross, MPH
Senior Research Associate, Division of Infectious Diseases
Defining the practice population to inform antimicrobial stewardship interventions in a pediatric primary care network

Jenna Streicher, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Section of Dermatology, Division of General Pediatrics
Inpatient Initiation of Propranolol for Infantile Hemangiomas: A Prospective Cohort Study Utilizing PEDSnet

Fall 2016

Sheila Quinn, DO
Fellow, Division of Adolescent Medicine
Resilience as a Mediator in Healthcare Transitions Among Adolescent and Young Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients

Ruth Abaya, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine
Determining the optimal frequency of dexamethasone therapy in the treatment of young children with intermittent asthma discharged from the Emergency Department

Yeh-Chung (Daniel) Chang, MD
Fellow, Division of Infectious Diseases
The effect of a clinical pathway and rapid influenza polymerase chain reaction testing on rates of readmission to the pediatric emergency department and subsequent hospitalizations

Spring 2016

David I. Chu, MD
Pediatric Urology Fellow
Prospective Detection of Early Chronic Kidney Disease among Wilms' Tumor Survivors: A Pilot Study

Sagori Mukhopadhyay, MD, MMSc
Assistant Professor, Neonatology
Linking Neonatal and Pediatric Records to Form a 5-Year Longitudinal Birth Cohort

Fall 2015

Nic Bamat, MD
PHEOT Fellow, Division of Neonatology
Selecting PEEP in ventilated premature infants by reducing ventilation/perfusion mismatch: a pilot feasibility study

Spring 2015

Sandi Amaral, MD, MHS
Assistant Professor, Nephrology
Using a Mobile Game Application to Improve Healthcare of Self-management in Adolescents with Solid Organ Transplants: A Pilot Study

Laura Figeroa-Phillips, MD
PHEOT Fellow
Development of a Clinical Prediction Model for Pediatric Outpatients at Risk for Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI)

Sabrina Gmuca, MD
Fellow, Division of Rheumatology
Treatment and Outcomes in Neuromyelitis Optica

Fall 2014

Aadil Kakajiwala, MBBS
Clinical Fellow, Division of Pediatric Nephrology
Variability in Measures of Mineral Metabolism in Children on Hemodialysis: Impact on Clinical Decision-Making

Maya Dewan, MD, MPH
Fellow, Critical Care Medicine
Reducing the Risk of Alarm Fatigue through Focused Alarm Management in Safety Huddles

Spring 2014

Andrea Knight, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Rheumatology
Exploring Perceptions, Preferences and Barriers to Mental Health Care in Pediatric Lupus and Mixed Connective Tissue Disease Patients: A Qualitative Pilot Study

Lori Kestenbaum, MD
Fellow, Division of Infectious Diseases
Predictors of treatment regimens and outcomes for pediatric patients diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia

Fall 2013

Beatriz Larru, MD
Fellow, Division of Infectious Diseases
Combination Antibiotic Therapy for Definitive Treatment of Gram-Negative Bacteremia in Hospitalized Children

Erik Jensen, MD
Fellow, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Pilot N-of-1 Multiple Crossover Randomized Trial of Gastric and Transpyloric Feeds in Infants with Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Spring 2013

Gregory E. Tasian, MD, MSC
Clinical Fellow, Pediatric Urology
Renal Parenchymal Area: Development of a Novel Criterion for Predicting Kidney Failure in Children with Congenital Urologic Disease

Fall 2012

Jennifer K. Walter, MD, PhD, MS
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Measuring Parents’ Preferences and Capacities for Shared Decision-Making for Their Chronically Ill Children

Scott L. Weiss, MD
Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pediatrics
SPROUT: Sepsis PRevalence OUtcomes and Therapies – an International Point Prevalence Study of Pediatric Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock to Guide Clinical Trials

Spring 2012

Christopher P. Bonafide, MD, MSCE
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Iterative, participatory design of a mHealth intervention for improving transition readiness among adolescents and young adults with special health care needs

Spring 2011

Todd Florin, MD
Fellow, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Variation in Emergency Department Resource Utilization and Outcomes in Children with Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Fall 2010

Andrea Kelly, MD, MSCE
Assistant Professor, Division of Endocrinology
Effectiveness of Cholecalciferol in Optimizing Vitamin D Status and Effects on Muscle Function in Obese African-American Children with Hypovitaminosis D

Rebecca Ruebner, MD
Fellow, Division of Nephrology

and

Kimberly Lin, MD
Fellow, Division of Cardiology
Assessing the Prevalence of Impaired Kidney Function in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients Using Iohexol Plasma Clearance and Cystatin C, a Novel Kidney Biomarker

Spring 2010

Peter de Blank, MD
Fellow, Division of Hematology-Oncology
Risk Factors for Hospital Acquired Clostridium difficile-Associated Disease Among Children with Malignancy

Michelle Denburg, MD
Fellow, Division of Nephrology
Chronic Kidney Disease and Fracture Risk in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults: A Population-Based Study using The Health Improvement Network (THIN) Database

Fall 2009

Kristen Feemster, MD, MPH, MSHP
Fellow, Infectious Diseases
The Impact of a Mandatory Influenza Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers at a Pediatric Tertiary Care Medical Center

Spring 2009

Christopher P. Bonafide, MD
Fellow, Academic General Pediatrics
Impact of complex chronic conditions on risk of cardiopulmonary arrest, acute respiratory compromise, and urgent ICU transfer in children hospitalized on general inpatient wards

Fall 2008

Susan Duff, EdD, OT, PT, CHT
Clinical Specialist, Division of Occupational Therapy
Early Identification of Asymmetry in Infants at Risk for Unilateral Upper Limb Dysfunction

Spring 2008

Noah Cook, MD
Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology
Pain Assessment in the Neonate (PAIN) Study

Jeffrey Gerber, MD, PhD
Fellow, Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Is Antibiotic Use a Risk Factor for Community-Onset Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infection in Children?

Sheila Nolan, MD
Fellow, Pediatric Infectious Diseases
The Changing Epidemiology of Rotavirus: Determining the effectiveness and maximizing the impact of rotavirus vaccine