Best Grants for Digestive System Health and Diseases in Alabama

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in Alabama and the broader Southern region can seek support for health, medical assistance, and related human services projects. Focused on relieving hardship, the Robinson Foundation invites established charities (3+ years) to request single-year program funding, which may benefit digestive health, poverty relief, education, disaster relief, and other listed priority areas.

American Gastroenterological Association

The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, AGA represents members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice, and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research, and educational programs of the organization.

AGA-Takeda Pharmaceuticals Research Scholar Award in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

This award provides funding for three years to early-career faculty (i.e., investigator, instructor, research associate or equivalent) working toward an independent career in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research.

Objective

The objective of the AGA Research Foundation Research Scholar Award (RSA) is to support early-career investigators working toward independent and productive research careers in digestive diseases by ensuring that a major proportion of their time is protected for mentored research (i.e., a minimum of 50 percent effort dedicated to the proposed project). This award will support junior faculty (not fellows) who have demonstrated exceptional promise and have some record of accomplishment in research pertaining to inflammatory bowel disease.

Review all of the benefits AGA Research Scholar Award recipients are entitled to on the award policies page.

Application Requirements

• Maintain AGA membership throughout the three-year duration of the award.

• Applicants must self-assign their proposal to one of the following categories:
  • Clinical: Research involving direct contact with human subjects or using clinical data to address problems related to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment or outcome of human diseases (e.g., clinical epidemiology). This category also includes research related to health care delivery (e.g., health services, health IT).
  • Basic/Translational: Research with a primary goal of understanding basic biology or disease mechanisms. This category can involve animal subjects, cell culture, human biospecimens or human data as resources for laboratory- or informatics-based investigation.

• Resources allocated through this award are intended to support the career development of the applicant. The applicant must allocate a minimum of 50 percent effort to the proposed project.

• Applicants are required to have a sponsor and mentor for the award; one individual may serve in the capacity of both positions. A sponsor (typically a division chief or department chair) is an individual who takes responsibility for the quality assessment of the proposed research project, the quality of the research environment within which the project will be undertaken, and the experience and expertise of the principal investigator and other key researchers involved. A mentor will supervise the principal investigator’s research activities ensuring timelines and deliverables and will work with the applicant to create a research career development plan.

• The intent of this award is to foster the scientific independence of junior investigators. Applicants whose research activities become incorporated into a grant application from a senior mentor will need to delineate clearly the scientific and experimental distinctions between their respective programs. This requirement applies both to pending applications submitted prior to review of this award and to applications submitted during the term of the RSA. It must also be clearly stated how the work submitted by the applicant is that of the applicant and not that of the senior mentor(s).

• A complete research facilities and resources form must be submitted.

• Biographical sketches for the applicant, mentor and other key personnel must be submitted.

• Applicants resubmitting a revised application from a prior cycle must include a resubmission report describing responses to reviewer feedback and other major changes since the most recent past submission.

• Upon notification of receipt of this award, the recipient must provide institutional approval from the appropriate committee(s) for use of human subjects or animals. If approval is not necessary, then the recipient must provide documentation from the appropriate regulatory committee.

• Recipients must submit scientific and financial progress reports to AGA annually and final reports 60 days after the end date of the award period. Report templates and instructions are provided to awardees at the time of acceptance. Second and third year funding are contingent upon the submission and accuracy of this documentation.

• All publications, presentations, abstracts, and patent applications arising from work funded by this program must acknowledge support of the AGA–Takeda Pharmaceuticals Research Scholar Award in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

• Additional pre-award policies are available on the Research Award Policies page.

Award Overlap

• At the time of application submission, applicants may not hold, or have held, an NIH K01, K08, K23, K99, R00, R01, R21, R29, Veterans Affairs Career Development Award or any award with similar objectives from non-federal sources (e.g., the American Liver Foundation, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation).

• Applicants who have held a K12 or KL2 in the past are eligible to apply. Applicants with an active K12 or KL2 may apply in the final year of their active K12 or KL2 so long as the award will end before the Research Scholar Award term begins.

• If a applicant is granted the award and notified of a comparable award from another agency prior to the first payment of this award, then the recipient must select one of the two awards (i.e., the recipient may not retain both awards).

• If the recipient is notified that a comparable award has been granted after the first payment of this award, then the recipient may retain up to 50 percent of the remainder of his or her AGA award. AGA must be notified by the recipient via email within two weeks of receiving notification of additional funding.

Alabama digestive health researchers and clinicians studying gastrointestinal endoscopy outcomes using GIQuIC data can access funding through the American College of Gastroenterology, co-sponsoring this award with ASGE. Eligible U.S. and Canadian ACG or ASGE member physicians, clinical researchers, and fellows may receive up to US $50,000 for projects improving GI endoscopy quality and outcomes.

U.S. and Canadian ACG-member gastroenterology or hepatology physicians can receive up to US $75,000 for patient-oriented digestive or liver disease health equity research, including work relevant to Alabama. American College of Gastroenterology supports clinical, translational, social science, or health services studies addressing disparities among racial/ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ+ people, and individuals living with disabilities.

Established clinical gastroenterology or hepatology investigators in the U.S. or Canada with lapsed federal funding can apply for up to US $300,000 in bridge support to sustain patient-oriented digestive or liver disease research. ACG members with programs serving digestive system health and diseases, including work impacting patients in Alabama, may be eligible.

Junior gastroenterology and hepatology faculty in U.S. or Canadian institutions conducting clinical research on digestive or liver diseases can apply for up to US $450,000 to secure 50% protected research time over three years. Focused on digestive system health and diseases, the American College of Gastroenterology supports projects with direct clinical relevance, including translational and health services studies.

Research institutions and investigators conducting basic or early translational nonmalignant hematology studies, including work related to digestive system health and diseases, in Alabama and nationwide can apply for this R01 opportunity. With a mission to advance hematology science, the National Institutes of Health provides multi-year support for innovative projects aligned with NIDDK, NIA, and NHLBI priorities.

Registered nurses conducting research or quality improvement projects in pediatric digestive, liver, pancreatic, or nutritional care can access funding through the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition. Grants of US $500 - US $10,000 support studies that advance nursing care; APGNN members in Alabama and other eligible locations may apply.

Early-career MD or PhD investigators conducting pediatric inflammatory bowel disease research at U.S. nonprofit or government institutions, including those in Alabama, can seek mentored career development support through this three-year award. Focused on IBD research, Crohns and Colitis Foundation invites eligible researchers to pursue independent basic, clinical, translational, or epidemiological projects with funding of US $102,500 - US $307,500.

Alabama early-career pediatric gastroenterology researchers can access funding for clinical, quality improvement, translational, or basic science projects on pediatric gastrointestinal, liver, pancreatic, or nutritional disorders. Alabama digestive health investigators meeting NASPGHAN membership and faculty criteria may be eligible for the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition’s George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award, which provides US $150,000.

Medical schools and teaching hospitals in Alabama can support students in digestive system health and diseases through this mentored summer research program, with stipends up to US $4,000 for participating medical students. Grants from North American Society For Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition fund 10-week pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, or nutrition research experiences across the U.S. and Canada.

NIH provides Alabama health and research organizations with funding to develop multi-level interventions addressing disparities in liver diseases and liver cancer. Grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes of Health support projects focused on digestive system health and diseases among populations experiencing health disparities across the U.S., including Alabama and its territories.

General surgery residents and recent graduates conducting clinical or lab research on colorectal diseases can apply for funding that supports digestive system health and diseases, including colon cancer. Focused on colon and rectal surgery, the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons offers US $20,000 for research activities, salary, or living expenses, with potential competitive renewal.

Colorectal surgery residents and colorectal residency–trained surgeons conducting clinical, hypothesis-driven research in the U.S. or Canada can apply for up to US $25,000 from the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons. Focused on digestive system health and diseases, this limited project grant supports investigator-initiated studies that directly improve care for colorectal surgery patients.

Digestive health researchers in Alabama studying colon and rectal diseases can seek up to US $25,000 for one-year, investigator-initiated, hypothesis-driven projects conducted in the U.S. or Canada. The Research Foundation of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons supports projects in colon and rectal surgery, with ASCRS members serving as principal or co-principal investigators.

Nonprofit research institutions and clinical teams working on digestive system health and diseases in Alabama can apply for up to US $20,000 to pilot colorectal surgery and health equity projects. With a mission to support colorectal research, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons provides funding for U.S. and Canadian, investigator-initiated, hypothesis-driven studies.

The Robotic Research Grant, offered by the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, provides up to $150,000 over two years for innovative research in colorectal surgery and robotics. Emphasizing education, health equity, and novel techniques, the grant supports projects conducted in the U.S. or Canada, with a focus on scientific rigor. Applications must be submitted by ASCRS members who are principal investigators, ensuring alignment with ethical research standards.

The NIDDK Disease Research and Translational Core Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional) program invites applications to support innovative biomedical research focused on cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. These centers foster collaboration, provide essential resources, and mentor early-stage investigators, enhancing the research landscape. Funding will support pilot programs and access to shared services, ensuring efficient use of resources while promoting a robust scientific community dedicated to advancing health outcomes.

The NIDDK Disorders of Gastrointestinal Interoception Consortium Clinical Centers (DGIC) aims to enhance understanding of gastrointestinal disorders by expanding the previous Gastroparesis Consortium's research scope. This initiative will include adult and pediatric conditions linked to impaired interoceptive processing, utilizing multidisciplinary approaches to uncover mechanisms connecting GI function to symptoms, identify biomarkers for treatment efficacy, and explore new therapeutic targets for future clinical trials.

The NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IBDGC) Data Coordinating Center aims to enhance understanding of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by coordinating extensive genetic research. By leveraging diverse patient cohorts and advanced data science techniques, the center seeks to identify genetic risk factors, develop predictive biomarkers, and improve IBD patient management. This initiative will facilitate collaboration among various research centers and ensure efficient data collection and sharing to foster advancements in precision medicine for IBD.

The NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IBDGC) aims to enhance understanding of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) through genomic research. By leveraging patient cohorts and advanced data science, the IBDGC seeks to identify genetic risk factors and develop predictive biomarkers for disease outcomes. This initiative will improve medical management and advance precision medicine for IBD patients, addressing the need for effective diagnostics and treatment strategies in this chronic condition.

The NIDDK is expanding its Gastroparesis Consortium into the Disorders of Gastrointestinal Interoception Consortium (DGIC) to explore various GI disorders linked to interoceptive processing. This initiative aims to include multiple Clinical Research Centers and a Scientific Data Research Center, focusing on multidisciplinary approaches to uncover mechanisms connecting GI function to symptoms. The effort seeks to identify biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets for future clinical trials, enhancing understanding and treatment of complex gastrointestinal conditions.

The Silvio O. Conte Digestive Diseases Research Core Centers (DDRCCs) program invites applications to enhance communication and collaboration among researchers in digestive and liver diseases. Funded by the NIDDK, DDRCCs focus on shared resources that foster productivity and innovative research ideas. Each center must revolve around a central theme aligned with the NIDDK's mission, ensuring effective research support while avoiding overlap with other NIH Institutes' funding areas.

The NASPGHAN Foundation Abbott Advanced Fellowship in Pediatric Nutrition offers up to $75,000 for one year of advanced training in pediatric nutrition for members of NASPGHAN. This fellowship aims to enhance pediatric nutrition expertise by supporting a well-defined clinical experience and focused research project. Eligible applicants must be MDs or DOs and members in good standing, with a preference for those seeking training at different institutions. This initiative addresses the increasing importance of pediatric nutrition in child health.

The Kenneth Rainin Foundation seeks to promote innovative research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) by encouraging diverse perspectives from early career investigators and those underrepresented in science. The Innovator Awards do not require preliminary data and are evaluated based on the potential for innovation and scientific merit. Eligible researchers must hold advanced degrees and can apply for funding through their home institutions, fostering groundbreaking ideas that can transform IBD treatment and prevention.

The NIDDK High Risk Multi-Center Clinical Study Implementation Planning Cooperative Agreements (U34 Clinical Trial Optional) supports innovative, hypothesis-driven clinical studies with a focus on diseases relevant to NIDDK. This initiative facilitates early peer review and assessment of study designs while providing essential support for operational documents. Applicants are encouraged to consult with NIDDK staff before submission to enhance the chances of success.

The Limited Competition Small Grant Program for NIDDK K01/K08/K23/K25 recipients offers funding opportunities for pilot studies and feasibility research. This program aims to support researchers transitioning to independent investigator roles by providing resources for small projects that can yield preliminary data for future R01 applications. Key deadlines for applications range from February 2025 through January 2028, with specific dates for standard, renewal, and AIDS-related applications.