1. What is the PAEA Research Grant Program?
2. Who is eligible to submit a PAEA grant?
3. May I apply if I am not a full-time PA faculty member?
4. Who makes the funding decisions?
5. What is the best way to obtain funding?
6. What are the most common mistakes that applicants make?
7. Why do I need to submit my grant to my Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
8. I applied to an earlier grants cycle and was turned down. May I apply again?

1. What is the PAEA Research Grant Program?
 The PAEA Research Grant Program is sponsored by the PAEA Research Institute (RI). Its purpose is to encourage faculty who may be new to grant writing and research to become more skilled in performing research and analyzing outcomes and to generate information about PA education and the profession. The PAEA Research Grant Program, with a $20,000 program max, awards up to $7,000 per funded proposal as part of its annual summer program. In contrast, the AAPA/PAEA Research Grant Program, with a $20,000 program max, may award up to that amount per funded proposal in its annual winter/early spring cycle. The guidelines are different for each grants program.

2. Who is eligible to submit a PAEA grant?
 Any faculty member from an accredited PAEA member program and employed by the educational institution for a minimum of 20 hours per week for the duration of the project may apply.

3. May I apply if I am not a full-time PA faculty member?
 The principal investigator (PI) must be a faculty member at an accredited program and employed for at least 20 hours per week. If you do not meet these criteria, you should partner with someone who does, and that person must be the PI.

4. Who makes the funding decisions?
 Grant applications are reviewed by PAEA staff for completion and then blinded and forwarded to the PAEA Research Grant chair and subcommittee. Each member reviews the grant proposals and completes an evaluation rubric for each. The subcommittee, with the committee chair, then meets and discusses all the grants and comes to a decision for awarding funds.

5. What is the best way to obtain funding?
 Follow the instructions very carefully. In addition, creating a research idea that is interdisciplinary or one that includes several PA programs or varying levels of experience among the PI and coauthors may strengthen the possibility of being funded.

6. What are the most common mistakes that applicants make?
 Not following the instructions is the most common mistake. Another common weakness is a research idea that is too narrow in focus or applicable to only one PA program. The committee is looking for projects that will increase knowledge or skills for all members or outcomes that may be generalized to many programs. Another common mistake is a proposal with an undeveloped or undefined research question or hypothesis.

7. Why do I need to submit my grant to my Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
 The RI wishes to fund proposals that will receive local IRB approval and requires assurance that authors have worked with their IRBs before they submit their projects. New researchers who fulfill all aspects of the IRB process find it is a learning skill, one that demonstrates commitment to the research project. To design a research project in compliance with IRB requirements lends credibility to the process and project.

8. I applied to an earlier grants cycle and was turned down. May I apply again?
 Certainly. The RI members are glad to give you feedback and help you improve your application, if possible.