Call for Proposals - 2026 Duke AHEAD Education Innovation Grants

2026 Duke AHEAD Education Innovation Grants

As part of our efforts to support the vision, creativity, ingenuity, and scholarly work of health professions educators and educational researchers, we are pleased to offer project funding for members of Duke AHEAD. This competitive funding mechanism is intended to provide critical start-up funds for pilot education research or funding for innovative education projects that will generate new evidence, new ideas, and/or new approaches for improving health professions education. We will prioritize projects positively transform the educational experience of institutional learners and the learning environment in Duke Health and that are replicable in other educational programs at Duke Health.

Innovations may take the form of educational research or pilot programs that allow for the creation, refinement, and/or assessment of innovative ideas in health professions education. Pilot programs might then be used to support recipients’ application for additional intramural and extramural grant proposals aimed at larger-scale implementation.

Project Scope: While we recognize the importance of innovations and research across the health system, Duke AHEAD is only able to support proposals that are in scope with our mission and this call for proposals. Examples of proposals that fall out of scope include:

  • Proposals not focused on teaching and learning in health professions education
  • Proposals focused on improving a narrow skill set in a tightly defined group of individuals
  • Continuations of previously-funded projects
  • Projects that would normally be seen as operational or a core part of a department/program’s functions
  • Incomplete proposals

Please consult Duke AHEAD’s website for examples of previously funded projects. Additional questions can be directed to our co-chairs of the Research and Innovations subcommittee (Megan von Isenburg or Midge Bowers).

Co-chairs will offer virtual Office Hours on the following dates to answer questions and provide guidance:

  • January 9, 7:30 – 8:30 AM
  • January 13, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
  • January 16, 7:30 – 8:30 AM
  • January 20, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
  • January 27, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
  • January 30, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Team Eligibility: This funding is limited to Duke AHEAD members. Each project team must have a School of Medicine, School of Nursing, or Watts College of Nursing regular rank faculty member designated as Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator. Project teams can include trainees, learners, and professional staff. The Principal Investigator and any Co-Principal Investigators must provide a letter of support from their department chair or equivalent chief of service or supervisor who directly oversees their career advancement.

Review Process & Important Dates: Proposals are due by January 30th at 6:00 pm.    

Evaluation: Proposals will be reviewed by a committee that includes educators and prior grant recipients. Proposals will be evaluated for alignment with the mission and goals of Duke AHEAD and for these criteria, recognizing that not all will be relevant to a given proposal:

  • organization and quality of proposal
  • importance of outcomes
  • potential impact to learners at Duke Health
  • collateral benefits beyond project participants
  • rigor of assessment plan
  • dissemination plan
  • potential sustainability of project
  • potential for scholarship, including journal articles, conference presentations, and other forms of dissemination

Funding: We anticipate funding multiple projects with awards ranging from $3,000 - $5,000. Support will be limited to resources and services necessary for project implementation, with up to 25% of the total budget allowed to go towards PI support, if strictly necessary. The grant review committee reserves the right to offer partial awards and/or redistribute funds based on the number of proposals awarded and the relevance of budgeted items. 

Submission: The full proposal should be submitted electronically by January 30th at 6:00 pm. The submission portal will open December 22nd and close at 6:01 PM January 30th. The submission site allows you to work on, save, and submit your proposal over multiple visits. No late submissions will be accepted. You will receive confirmation that your proposal was received.  If you have not received confirmation within 24 hours, please contact Duke AHEAD.

Notice of Award: Applicants will be notified about the status of the award with feedback the week of March 9, 2026.  Grant awardees will be publicly announced at our annual Education Day on March 24, 2026, and PIs should plan to attend or designate a collaborator to attend to accept the award. Project funding will be awarded July 1, 2026 and must be spent by June 30, 2027. 

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