UCLA Simulation Center Work-in-Progress Bridge Grants

UCLA Simulation Center Work in Progress Bridge Awards 2025

Applications are being accepted for Work-in-Progress Bridge Awards of up to $5,000.

Who Should Apply: Applications are being accepted from UCLA DGSOM faculty, fellows, resident, nurses, and medical students. Applicants that are funded must have work in progress, with preliminary data that focuses on medical simulation training and have a plan for sustainability. Project and all funds must be used by June 30, 2025.

Funding Amount Available: Two (2) awards of $5,000 will be available for faculty, fellows, residents or nurses. Three (3) awards of $1,000 will be available for medical students in their Discovery year with support from their faculty mentor.

Focus of Projects: The UCLA Simulation Center, is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to advancing healthcare education through innovative simulation-based training. The center's mission is to leverage simulation, teamwork, technology, innovative research, and best practices to improve patient outcomes and healthcare education. Its vision is to create a safer, kinder, and more equitable health system through simulation experiences. The center utilizes advanced simulation technology, including high-fidelity simulators, standardized patients, procedural task trainers, and virtual simulators, to provide realistic hands-on experiences. The work-in-progress projects should focus on training, evaluation, or improving outcomes using any simulation modality.

Application Timelines:

By 5:00pm Friday, January 24, 2025, applicants must submit a single PDF of all required documents to sim@mednet.ucla.edu.
On Friday February 7, 2025, candidates will be notified by email.
By June 30, 2025, funds will be used.

Application Submission and Required Documents: Applicants must complete and submit the following required documents by 5 pm, Friday January 24, 2025

Formatting: all documents must be single spaced, A single-column letter formatted to an 8 ½" x 11" page. Provide at least one-half inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) for all pages. Include applicant name, titles, and Headings (e.g., Significance, Innovation, Preliminary Work, Sustainability) within the text of your attachments limited to a maximum of two pages
Project Title: Enter the title of your research project, using up to 200 characters.
Project Abstract: A ½ page summary or abstract of your research project.
Project Activities: Page Limit: three (3) pages. Description of proposed project including a brief description of the design and data to be collected or used in the pilot project.
- The plan should include: specific hypothesis/hypotheses and/or a list of the specific aims and/or objectives that will be pursued; a description of the methods/approaches/techniques to be used for each aim, and an analytic plan to be used on the data generated by your approach. Literature citations are not included in the three (3) page limit.
- Preliminary work, and current funding for the proposal is required.
- Budget: describe how the award ($1,000 or $5,000) will be used.
- A specific statement about how the proposed project will be sustained after the bridge funding must be included.
- A brief timeline that documents the feasibility of completing the work-in programs in the 6-month time frame.
- Proposed mentors and their title and affiliations along with a statement about their involvement and the role they will play in conducting the pilot project is mandatory.
Mentor Letter of Support: Two (2) page maximum letter of support from mentor detailing their support and mentorship plan. ONLY FOR TRAINEES, NOT REQUIRED FOR FACULTY.
Application Scoring and Selection Process: Application will be scored based on the following criterion:
- Overall Impact
- Project proposal
- Preliminary work and sustainability beyond bridge funding
- Timeline (feasibility)
- Mentorship (for trainees)
- Alignment with UCLA Simulation Center mission and vision