AGA Pilot Research Award

Eligibility

      APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY

• Applicants for this award must hold an MD, PhD and/or equivalent degree (e.g., MBBS, MBChB, DO) and a full-time faculty or equivalent position at an institution in North America (United States, Canada or Mexico).
• AGA membership is required at the time of application submission. Please visit the AGA membership page or call 301-654-2055 for membership information.
• Applicants performing any type of research (basic, translational, clinical) relevant to digestive disorders are eligible to apply.

• Applicants who are physician-scientists, female or from racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in biomedical research are strongly encouraged to apply

  BUDGETING REQUIREMENTS

• Applicants must submit a budget narrative justifying expenses in the budget.
• The following expenses are allowable:
  • Salary and benefits of the principal investigator.
  • Salary and benefits of research assistants, laboratory technicians and/or other key personnel.
  • Biostatistics support.
  • Supplies, animals, equipment or other materials necessary for the proposed research.
• The following expenses are not allowable:
  • Salary and benefits of the mentor.
  • Indirect costs.
  • Travel costs.

Summary

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this AGA Research Foundation Pilot Research Award is to provide funds to early career investigators to help establish their research careers or to support projects that represent new research directions for established investigators.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• The proposed research must be relevant to gastroenterology or hepatology.
• Early career investigators are required to have a mentor for this award. The mentor will supervise the principal investigator’s research activities ensuring timelines and deliverables.
  • MD applicants are considered early career if no more than seven years have elapsed following the completion of clinical training (GI fellowship or its equivalent) at the start date (i.e., April 2026) of this award.
  • PhD applicants are considered early career if no more than seven years have elapsed following the awarding of the PhD degree and the start date (i.e., April 2026) of this award.
• For all applicants at the instructor or assistant professor level, a letter of recommendation from their division chief or department chair that outlines support of the applicant and their research project is required.
• Established investigators who are applying for this award should state explicitly how the proposed research is different from their previous line(s) of investigation.
• The application must indicate how the principal investigator will use the pilot data as an extension of their work that will allow them to apply for additional funding through another agency, such as NIH.
• A complete research facilities and resources form.
• Biographical sketches for the applicant, mentor (if applicable) and all key personnel must be submitted.
• A list of the applicant’s current and pending other support.
• Upon notification of receipt of this award, the recipient must provide approval from the appropriate institutional committee(s) for use of human subjects or animals. If approval is not necessary, the recipient must provide documentation from the appropriate regulatory committee.
• Recipients must submit scientific and financial progress reports to AGA upon completion of the award and as needed at the request of the AGA Research Foundation.
• Additional pre-award policies are available for reference.

Overhead

Indirect costs are not supported for this grant. 

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

How to Apply

The application deadline is Sept. 18, 2025. Applications are only accepted through the AGA Grants Management System. Click the “Apply Now” button to create an account and/or submit an application. Applicants may preview the application as it will appear in the AGA Grants Management System. Please note that this template is for reference only; all applications are completed online by selecting the “Apply Now” button.

AWARD OVERLAP

At the time of application submission, applicants may not hold awards directly related to the proposed research from another organization (e.g., government agency, foundation, academic institution, professional society). If the applicant is granted the award and notified of a comparable award from another agency prior to the first payment of this award, the recipient must select one of the two awards (i.e., the recipient may not retain both awards).

SELECTION CRITERIA

The recipient will be selected based on the following criteria: significance, investigator, innovation, approach, environment, evidence of institutional commitment, relevance to AGA’s mission and the overall likelihood that the project will lead to subsequent, more substantial grants.

REVIEW PROCESS

A selection committee comprising members of the AGA Research Awards Panel will review the proposals and select the award recipients. Applicants will receive a status notification on or before January 31, 2026, and funding will commence in April 2026.

Additional Resources

Using RMS:

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award LOI

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application

Support for projects involving Indigenous Research:

Support with the development of your grant application is available internally through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST). Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage.

Support for Knowledge Engagement:

Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation is available internally through the Knowledge to Impact Team. Applicants can reach out by email to the KTI team at knowledge.impact@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information, please visit the KTI team webpage.

Support for Research Data Management:

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@libanswers.ucalgary.com and/or visit https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/researchdatamanagement.

Support for EDI in Research:

RSO can provide resources and support to research teams on the integration of equitable and inclusive practices in research design and research practice. Contact Erin.OToole@ucalgary.ca for more information.