Research

Research and Education Foundation Seed Grant
Guidelines and Submission Procedures

Intent
The Society of Thoracic Radiology offers seed grant support to allow young investigators to pursue novel research in thoracic imaging and related fields. The objective is to support the acquisition of preliminary data that may lead to future funding opportunities.

Eligibility
The principal investigator, or faculty mentor, should be a member of the STR. Preference will be given to Residents, Fellows, and Junior Faculty (within 5 years of completion of fellowship).

Submission Deadline: October 30, 2026, Midnight ET
Selected award winner notification: Anticipated February 2027
Award presentations:  March 2028 | STR Annual Meeting

For administrative questions contact str@thoracicrad.org  For proposal inquiries contact Research Committee Chair dlitmano@bidmc.harvard.edu

Application Procedures and Format

The application must contain a detailed research plan and a one-year budget for the planned research with all the other funding sources indicated.

A letter from the department chair (for faculty applicants) or training program / laboratory director (for trainee applicants) must be provided that indicates approval of the application, comments on the merit of the project, and explains the extent to which the department is supporting the applicant’s research in terms of funding and/or available facilities. It is important that the letter indicates a commitment to provide protected research time and support the salary of the applicant during the research period.

Applications must be submitted by the deadline in a combined PDF format. Incomplete applications and those submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed.

All the items detailed below must be included in the application before it is considered.

  1. Cover Letter: Application must submit a one-page letter detailing the relevance and significance of this proposal to furthering the goals of the Society of Thoracic Radiology.
  2. Title Page: Applicant must submit a one-page lay statement / executive summary of proposed project including individual contact information, brief abstract, beginning and termination dates of the proposed research. Must include project narrative paragraph as an overview description of the project, no more than 3 sentences.
  3. Specific Aims (1 page limit)
    1. One-page summary document??????
  4. Research Plan: Limited to 6 pages and may include text and preliminary data in the form of, tables, charts, and figures.
    1. Background
    2. Significance
    3. Innovation
    4. Approach
    5. 11-point Arial font, .5” margins, PDF
    6. Preliminary data not required but strongly encouraged if available

Must include:

Significance to Thoracic Imaging. Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will this research impact the thoracic imaging?

Innovation. Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?

Approach. Is the overall strategy, methodology, and analysis well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility, and will particularly risky aspects be managed? Must include a statistical analysis plan.

Investigator. Are the PI, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early-Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training or appropriate mentors/collaborators? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced thoracic imaging?

Environment. Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?

  1. References: No page limit. A complete list of references included in the Specific Aims and Research Plan should be included.
  2. Budget Proposal: List budget items in appropriate categories and give details and justification of each item in each category, including requests for materials. Please also share any sources of budget supplementation that will be pursued for the project (i.e., departmental or outside funding sources). Up to one page, justification for budget inclusion items. Specific requests for funding support require approval from the Research Committee and Executive Committee but can include the following:
    1. Budget and Budget Justification Documents Should Include:
      1. Personnel
      2. Consultant Costs
      3. Supplies
      4. Travel
      5. Other Expenses
    2. Budget guidelines:
      1. Funding is up to $50,000 for a duration of one (1) year.
      2. Funds for computers and the development of teaching models will not be provided.
      3. The grant will not pay travel, overhead or indirect costs.
      4. Funds cannot be used for salary support for principal and/or co-investigators at the faculty level.
      5. Up to 50% of the seed grant amount could be used for salary support of the principal investigator if they are a research fellow.
      6. Grant funding support of the salaries of personnel such as a research coordinator, fellow, nurse, statistician, technologist, and/or data manager is not limited.
  • Supporting Documents:
      1. Biographical Sketch of all principal and co-investigators (NIH format)
      2. Letter from Department Chair
      3. IACUC and/or IRB approval if already granted
      4. Resources and equipment

Review Criteria

Applications are judged on merit. Completed applications will be distributed to the members of the STR research committee, and members will be assigned as primary reviewers based on their expertise in the area of the proposed investigation. Funding decisions will be made and approved by the STR Research Committee. Applicants will be notified of application status upon final funding decisions. Award winners will be expected to present their proposals in-person at a designated session during the STR Annual Meeting.

Funding decisions are based on the overall impact/priority score which reflect assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the field of thoracic imaging. The review committee will consider the categories investigator, approach, environment, clinical significance, and innovation.

In addition, the review committee will take the following factors into consideration as applicable to the proposed project:

Budget and Period of Support. Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

Letters of Support. Letters of support from industry and/or memorandums of understanding with collaborators will be taken into consideration.

Payment Schedule

Once grant agreements and documentation of IRB and/or IACUC approval have been submitted by successful applicants, awarded funds will be transmitted to the institution for support of the grant recipient and the project. Funds will be distributed in three installments: 40% at the start of the project, 30% upon receipt of a satisfactory six-month progress report, and 30% upon receipt and approval of a cover letter and the final report in manuscript format.

Reports

This is a rapid high priority award mechanism. Interim progress reports are required with the project. Progress reports are requested as follows:

  • Three months- Study onboarding check-in (one to two paragraphs)
  • Six months- Interim progress report. Acceptance of a satisfactory six-month progress report is included in the payment schedule (one page)
  • Nine months- Study progress report (one page).
  • 12 months- A final report is required within 60 days of the project completion. This report should be a one-page synopsis of the progress, unforeseen problems, and results to date.
  • Final Manuscript written report- Report must be submitted following the project’s completion and will be shared with the STR Board. Included with the report there should be a cover letter that:
    • Indicates the significance/possible impact of the results.
    • States whether the results will be submitted for possible publication, and if so, to which journal.
    • Indicates whether results will be used to apply for additional funding from other sources, and if so, the funding agency and date of application should be included.

Presentations / Publications

A presentation of research results at the STR Annual Meeting in a highlighted research session will be required. The meeting registration fee will be waived for the funded investigator.

It is expected that the recipient will submit findings to a peer-reviewed publication. All posters, oral presentations, and eventual publications must contain appropriate acknowledgement of the STR Seed Grant Funding support.

Cost Extension Policies

Justified no-cost extensions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Research Committee Chair. All extension requests must be submitted in writing to the STR and must include an interim progress report with a rationale for the extension request.

Modification or Termination of Support

STR reserves the right to modify or terminate the amount of any funds granted under the terms of the Research Grant. Generally, such actions would be based on the awardee’s receipt of support from sources other than STR which might (1) limit the ability of the recipient to successfully complete the terms of the award, or (2) obviate the recipient’s need for funding from STR.

If the awardee relocates to a different institution, a request in writing to relocate the grant to the new institution may be made to the STR. The STR will continue project funding provided the awardee is guaranteed support, protected research time, and adequate equipment/facilities from the new institution (i.e., letter from department chair) as well as IRB or IACUC approvals, if applicable. If the new institution cannot provide the necessary support or regulatory approvals for the project, the original institution may appoint a new principal investigator, with STR’s approval, to complete the project. If the project cannot be completed at the new or the original institution, then all unexpended funds must be returned to STR.