SOPT Funding and Awards

The Anne E. Dyson Child Advocacy Award is supported by the Dyson Foundation and celebrates the outstanding efforts of residents as they work in their communities to improve the health of children. This award seeks to showcase projects that are designed and implemented by residents with the aim to improve the lives of children. We hope that rewarding exemplary resident-driven efforts will promote increased advocacy efforts by residents in the future and provide an opportunity for residents to help each other to plan future advocacy programs. 

Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Resident Grants  support pediatric residents in the planning and/or implementation of community-based child health initiatives. Grants of up to $2,000 are awarded annually on a competitive basis for pediatric residents to address the needs of the underserved children in their communities. Applications are available November 1 and the deadline for submission is January 15.

To ensure project completion, residents who are in their 1st or 2nd year of residency on the application submission due date are eligible to apply; 3rd-year residents may apply as co-applicants, or as primary applicants if they will be chief resident in their 4th year. Also eligible: PL-3 or below in medicine-pediatrics residency and PL-4 or below in triple-board residency. Fellowship trainees are eligible for up to $10,000 and must elect to apply for either a Planning Grant or an Implementation Grant.

Other resources: Community Pediatrics Funded Projects

The SOPT has held an annual "Clinical Case Competition" since 2003. Fellowship Trainees, residents, and medical students can submit abstracts of interesting cases they have come across in their training through the Academy's online abstract submission process. The abstracts are judged by a committee of pediatric trainee leaders, and the top fifty (50) authors are invited to present their case in poster format at the National Conference and Exhibition. The first-place medical student, resident, and fellowship trainee winners are determined prior to the conference by the Editor-in-Chief of Pediatrics in Review (PIR) based on the abstracts alone. The Editor-in-Chief announces the winners at the SOPT program and following the peer-review process, will publish the cases in PIR as an Index of Suspicion article the following September.

Each academic year the AAP will designate several $1000 awards split in two cycles (number awarded per cycle will be at the discretion of the review committee). These awards will be given to residents and fellowship trainees who wish to complete a clinical pediatric elective in the developing world during training. Applicants must be a member of the AAP Section on Global Health (SOGH). For more information about SOGH, please click here. If you are not currently a member of SOGH, please go to the ShopAAP Membership page to join the Section.

The AAP Advocacy Conference takes place annually in Washington, DC. During the conference, participants will learn how to become effective child health advocates through interactive workshops and in-depth training sessions, while networking with pediatricians and trainees from across the country.

To enhance the development of research skills among physicians in training, the AAP administers the Resident Research Grant (RRG) Program. This program is designed to give pediatric residents with limited research experience an opportunity to initiate and complete research projects related to their professional interests. Grants of $2000 are available. Applicants must be pediatric residents in a training program (categorical or combined) AND have a definite commitment for another year of residency or chief residency (not fellowship) in a pediatric program accredited by the Residency Review Committee. Canadian citizens are eligible to apply. Previous RRG recipients are ineligible to apply. 

The Program Delegate Award is available to residents who serve as National Program Delegates (NPD) to the AAP. This award supports the NPD's travel to the Section on Pediatric Trainees (SOPT) meeting at the annual AAP National Conference and Exhibition.

The Pediatric Interest Group of the Year Award recognizes an exceptional domestic and/or international medical student pediatric interest group. Applicant schools are judged in a number of areas, including interest group programming and involvement in the annual AAP SOPT advocacy campaign. The awardees will be recognized with a certificate during the SOPT educational program at the AAP National Conference. The selected school/s will also receive a $500 honorarium that can be used to help support future Pediatric Interest Group projects/initiatives. Pediatric Interest Groups at medical campuses across the various districts, as well as international medical schools, are encouraged to apply. Winners will receive up to two $300 travel grants to support attending the AAP National Conference.

This award recognizes individuals who have inspired, supported, mentored, and coached students and trainees in varying capacities. We’re looking to celebrate advisors on advocacy projects, influential educators, community collaborators and more! Winners receive an honorarium, as well as registration and travel support for the AAP National Conference.

Past recipients include:

2024: Lynn Smitherman, MD, FAAP

2023: Heather Hsu, MD, MPH, FAAP

2023: Sasha Ondusko, MD