Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What types of items should be included in proposed budgets?

It is strongly suggested to include statistical consulting. In-kind contributions such as faculty staff which includes the Mentor and PI should also be included in the budget. Reference the Pedersen Webinar Handout for more details on creating a budget.

Q: What's a typical number of applications that are reviewed each year? How many end up being disqualified? What's been the primary reason for an application being disqualified?

The primary reason an applicant might be disqualified is ineligibility. The number of applicants each year can vary widely but averages between 7-13. The eligibility criteria are on two of the Grant Guidelines.

Q: What letters of recommendation are required for the application?

A letter of recommendation is required from the Department Chair or Dean attesting to their support for the proposed research and which verifies the PI’s relationship and appointment to PA program. No other letters are required.

If the PI has a co-Investigator an additional statement is required from the PI, which should the collaborative efforts with other faculty or programs and include specific details each member’s roles and contributions to the project. A statement that is signed by all and attests to this collaboration indicates a strong application.

A statement of the PI’s prior PAEA grant funding history is required. If the project has co-investigators, the statement should outline the co-investigators’ PAEA grant funding history as well.

Q: When will the applicants be notified whether their proposal has been awarded a grant, and when would the 18-month timeline begin and end?

Each applicant will be notified in writing whether their project has been selected for an award, 2-3 months after the application period closes, although this may vary. The 18-month timeline will be determined after grantees are notified of their decisions and will be in the award agreement.

Q: Are there any specific recommendations for the type of research question?

Regardless of your chosen topic the research question should be novel, or address gaps in knowledge. PAEA’s specific research priority areas for this award can be found in the Don Pedersen Research Grants guidelines. You may email the Research Team at research@PAEAonline.org with ‘Don Pedersen’ in the subject for specific ideas, or to request feedback from an RMAC mentor.

Q: How many applications are allowed from one program?

An institution may have multiple applicants from PA faculty. All eligible applications will be reviewed. If multiple applicants from the same institution submit strong and fundable proposals, each may receive an award.

Q: Can collaborators be outside of the PA profession but in the education field?

Yes, an applicant’s co-investigator(s) may be outside of the PA profession. This is encouraged especially when the co-investigator will bring added experience in research design and statistical analysis.

Q: Is preference given to applications that have co-investigators at other institutions?

No. While no bonus points are given for co-Investigators from different institutions, our reviewers tend to prefer multi-institutional (vs. single site) studies.  Don Pedersen Research grants preferences favor (1) faculty who are early career, new to research or have not been previously funded by any PAEA research grant program (2) PA faculty who partner with senior researcher-co Investigators and (3) Proposals which address PAEA’s 2019 priority areas.

The above FAQ questions were collected from a live webinar, which can be viewed in its entirety on the PAEA Research webpage.