Emergency Medicine Interest Group Grant

The application period for this grant opens in October and closes in January of the next year.

The SAEM Foundation recognizes the valuable role of emergency medicine medical student interest groups (EMIGs), and awards grants to support these groups' educational activities.

The goals of the SAEM Emergency Medicine Interest Group grants are:

To promote growth of emergency medicine education at the medical student level,
To identify new educational methodologies advancing undergraduate education in emergency medicine, and
To support educational endeavors of an EMIG.

Given these broad goals, there are few limitations on the nature of eligible proposals. Proposals should focus on educational activities or projects related to undergraduate education in emergency medicine. Grant monies may be used for supplies, consultation, and seed money. Faculty salary support is excluded.

Duration of the Award

July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027

Financial Award

An award of up to $1,000 is provided for one year. Awardees may apply for subsequent years of funding on a competitive basis. Funding cannot be used for salary or institutional overhead.

Eligibility

Applicant: Established or developing EMIGs, located at medical schools with or without emergency medicine residencies, are eligible to apply. This grant must be submitted with the support of your medical school or university sponsored programs office! An authorized signing official at the school/university is the only individual able to accept this award on the school/university’s behalf.

Medical students should serve as primary applicants with a faculty co-applicant also listed. Students should have a substantial role in preparing the application with guidance from the faculty co-applicant. Applications will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Clerkship Directors of Emergency Medicine (CDEM) an Academy of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. Each application will be judged according to educational merit, significance to emergency medicine, originality, methodology, institutional support, applicant qualifications, and appropriateness of budget. Final recommendations of grant awards will be made by the CDEM Executive Committee. The applicant must submit letters of support if the proposed project utilizes facilities not routinely available to or directly under the supervision of the sponsoring program.

Mentor: The faculty advisor of the grant proposal must be a "faculty" member of SAEM at the time of the grant application deadline.

Evaluation of Applications: Applications will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Clerkship Directors of Emergency Medicine (CDEM) an Academy of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. Each application will be judged according to educational merit, significance to emergency medicine, originality, methodology, institutional support, applicant qualifications, and appropriateness of budget. Medical students can serve as primary applicants if a faculty co-applicant is listed. The faculty advisor of the grant proposal must be a "faculty" member of SAEM at the time of the grant application deadline. Final recommendations of grant awards will be made by the CDEM Executive Committee.

Educational Merit: Educational objectives are clearly defined and achievable. The project is new or innovative for the institution. The project advances the knowledge and skills of EM for the participants and the institution.

Applicant Qualifications: The applicant has shown a real interest and commitment to EM. The applicant and mentor have demonstrated success in similar projects. The applicant will be actively involved in the project.

Institutional Support and Budget: There is appropriate mentorship for the project to be successful. The institution is actively involved in supporting and guiding the development of the project. The budget is clearly defined and reasonable. Are the budgetary items requested from SAEM Foundation essential to the project’s success?

Approximate Timeline 2026 EMIG Grant

Application deadline for EMIG Grants – January 31, 2026
Application review and recommendations to CDEM Executive Committee – March 2026
Approval by CDEM Executive Committee – March 2026
Approval by SAEMF Board of Trustees – March 2026
Award letters sent to selected EMIG grant applicants – March 2026
Grant Period – July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027

Terms of the Grant

Duration: An award of up to $1,000 is provided for one year. Awardees may apply for subsequent year/s of funding on a competitive basis. Funding cannot be used for salary or institutional overhead.

Support Facilities: The applicant must submit letters of support if the proposed project utilizes facilities not routinely available to or directly under the supervision of the sponsoring program.

Publications: All discoveries resulting from work supported in part by SAEM should be made available to the public and scientific community through approved scientific channels such as national meetings and peer-reviewed journals. Publications will acknowledge the support of SAEM with the statement: "This study has been supported by a grant from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine." Two reprints of each publication should be forwarded to SAEM. Publications are encouraged, but not required, to be submitted to Academic Emergency Medicine.

Liability: SAEM assumes no financial or legal responsibility for the proposed project.

Reports and Surveys: At six months and at the end of the grant period the applicant should submit a summary report of expenditures and accomplishments (e.g., scientific presentations, publications) relative to the grant. Following completion of the funding period, awardees will be surveyed periodically regarding continued success of the educational program, subsequent grants, scientific presentations, and publications.

Updated February 12, 2025

Announcing The David E. Wilcox, MD, FACEP Emergency Medicine Interest Group Grant

SAEMF is grateful to Dr. David Wilcox for his visionary endowment established to support emergency medicine education at the medical student level through support for the emergency medicine interest group grants program. Through his generosity, one grantee will be distinguished as recipient of The David E. Wilcox, MD, FACEP Emergency Medicine Interest Group Endowed Grant each year, in perpetuity.