Best Grants for Digestive System Health and Diseases in California

Nonprofit charities in California and worldwide can seek funding for humanitarian, health, education, community, and arts initiatives that promote sustainable development. La Roche supports accredited charities through its Corporate Donations and Philanthropy program, prioritizing innovative projects in social development, primary health care, youth services, disaster relief, and related community-focused efforts.

Nonprofit organizations in California working on economic and workforce advancement, safe and affordable housing, or community arts and culture can apply for grants that may support digestive health initiatives within these broader efforts. Grants from US Bancorp Foundation prioritize 501(c)(3)s in designated U.S. Bank communities, especially those led by people of color and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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.

California physicians and clinical researchers studying digestive system health and diseases can apply for the ACG/ASGE Epidemiologic Research Award in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, offering up to US $50,000 for GI endoscopy outcomes research using GIQuIC data. Eligible applicants must be ACG or ASGE members based in the U.S. or Canada.

U.S. and Canadian gastroenterology or hepatology physicians with faculty or community practice appointments can receive up to US $75,000 for patient-oriented digestive or liver disease research advancing health equity. American College of Gastroenterology supports clinical, translational, social science, or health services projects that address disparities affecting underrepresented groups, including work that may involve California digestive health populations.

Established clinical gastroenterology or hepatology investigators in the U.S. or Canada can apply for up to US $300,000 in bridge funding to sustain patient-oriented digestive or liver disease research. This American College of Gastroenterology award supports ACG-member faculty, and California-based digestive health researchers may be eligible if they meet membership and federal funding track record requirements.

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

Academic and research institutions conducting basic or early translational nonmalignant hematology studies, including work related to digestive system health and diseases, in California and nationwide can apply for this R01 opportunity. With a mission to advance hematology relevant to NIDDK, NIA, and NHLBI, the National Institutes of Health provides support for innovative investigator-initiated projects.

Registered nurses conducting research or quality improvement projects in pediatric digestive, hepatobiliary, pancreatic, or nutritional care can apply for grants of US $500 - US $10,000, including those based in California. Grants from the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition support APGNN member nurses in the U.S. and Mexico advancing pediatric gastrointestinal nursing care.

Early-career MD or PhD investigators at U.S. nonprofit or government research institutions conducting pediatric inflammatory bowel disease research can receive US $102,500 - US $307,500 in mentored career development support. Focused on digestive system health, Crohns and Colitis Foundation invites eligible researchers, including those in California, to advance independent IBD research careers.

California 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. North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition awards US $150,000 through the NASPGHAN Foundation George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award to eligible NASPGHAN members in academic institutions across North America.

Medical students interested in pediatric digestive system health and nutrition research can receive up to US $4,000 for a 10-week mentored summer project at sites across the U.S. and Canada. Grants from North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition help California-based students gain basic or clinical research experience under expert mentorship.

NIH provides California health researchers and institutions with funding to develop multi-level and multi-domain interventions addressing disparities in liver diseases and liver cancer. This U.S. Department of Health and Human Services program supports work focused on populations experiencing health disparities, and California-based digestive health projects may be eligible if they target these liver-related inequities.

Focused on digestive system health and diseases, this grant invites California general surgery residents and recent graduates to pursue research on diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus. Eligible residents from U.S. or Canadian programs can receive US $20,000 for one year, with potential competitive renewal, covering research activities, salary, and living expenses.

Colorectal surgery residents and colorectal-trained surgeons conducting clinical, hypothesis-driven research in the U.S. or Canada can apply for the Eugene Salvati, MD, Limited Project Grant, awarding up to US $25,000 for one year in direct costs. Focused on digestive system diseases, the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons supports projects that improve colorectal patient care, including work benefiting California patients.

Digestive health and colorectal surgery researchers in California can seek funding for investigator-initiated, hypothesis-driven projects related to colon and rectal diseases. The Research Foundation of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons offers Limited Project Grants up to US $25,000 for one year, for studies conducted in the U.S. or Canada with ASCRS members as principal investigators.

Healthcare researchers and ASCRS-member investigators can seek up to US $20,000 for pilot, hypothesis-driven projects improving colorectal surgery care and outcomes in the U.S. or Canada. With a mission to advance colorectal disease research, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Research Foundation supports work on health equity, access, and disparities, which may benefit digestive health initiatives in California.

With a mission to support colorectal disease research, the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons provides U.S. and Canadian colorectal surgery researchers with US $150,000 for robotic surgical technology projects. Eligible projects must be led by ASCRS members and may cover supplies and limited salary support, including work relevant to digestive system health in California.

Amgen is a leading biotechnology company dedicated to advancing medicine through Independent Medical Education (IME). It funds accredited educational programs that empower healthcare providers to enhance patient care. IME funding supports critical areas such as oncology, bone health, cardiovascular education, and more. Amgen's commitment ensures that these educational activities remain unbiased and compliant with applicable guidelines, fostering innovation and improved health outcomes for patients worldwide.

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.