NASPGHAN Foundation grants can help turn an idea into an opportunity to advance your research, your work, and your career.
This page is designed to make the grant process easier to navigate – from exploring available opportunities and finding the right fit to understanding the application process and hearing and learning from members who have successfully received NASPGHAN funding.
Whether you’re considering your first grant or your next one, start here.
REAL MEMBERS. REAL STORIES. REAL IMPACT.
Hear From NASPGHAN Grant Recipients
What can a NASPGHAN Foundation grant make possible? Hear directly from members who have received Foundation funding and learn how the experience supported their research, opened new opportunities, and helped shape their careers.
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My NASPGHAN Foundation award has been instrumental in supporting my early career as physician-scientist. The preliminary results I have generated from my award work has helped me build an NIH grant application.
Sindhu Pandurangi, MD
Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Dallas, TX
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION/GEORGE FERRY YOUNG INVESTIGATOR DEVELOPMENT AWARD (2024)
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Beyond the project itself, the grant gave me confidence — it showed me that my ideas were worth investing in and that I could contribute meaningful work to my field.
Matthew Edwards, RD
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
NASPGHAN Foundation/CPNP Nutrition Research Grants (2021)
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NASPGHAN has given me the opportunity to pursue my dream of advancing the care of children with eosinophilic GI disorders.
Matthew Adrian Buendia, MD
Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION/SANOFI/REGENERON YOUNG INVESTIGATOR DEVELOPMENT AWARD FOR THE STUDY OF PEDIATRIC EOSINOPHILIC GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDER (2025)
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Research from my NASPGHAN Foundation award directly positively impacted children and their families affected by food insecurity. As a result we established universal screening in our clinics, partnership with Feeding America and a Food Rx program.
Nicole Misner, MS, RD
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION/CPNP NUTRITION RESEARCH GRANTS (2022)
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By funding time for critical thinking in the lab, the NASPGHAN Foundation award contributed to laying the foundations for a rigorous approach to research and applying basic science thinking to moving clinical and translational fields forward.
Valérie McLin, MD
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
NASPGHAN/CDHNF Young Investigator Awards (2007)
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The tremendous support helped launched my research career. We have translated our findings to the bedside and are conducting a R01 clinical trial now based on the data generated during this first grant. Thank you!
Phillip Minar, MD
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
NASPGHAN Foundation/Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America Young Investigator Development Award (2014)
See More Grant Stories
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The NASPGHAN funding was crucially important in providing protected time, opportunity, and collaboration on important research that grew my portfolio as well as led to additional insights supporting NIH awards
Matthew Egberg, MD, MPH, MMSc
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
NASPGHAN Foundation/George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award (2020)
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The NASPGHAN grant was helpful in adding a translational component to my research. It was pivotal to keeping my research going when funding was slim.
Rachel Rosen, MD
Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
NASPGHAN Foundation/AstraZeneca Research Award for Disorders of the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract (2014)
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This award allowed me to get started on a research career in pediatric nutrition that I would have otherwise had a very difficult time getting off the ground. This funding led to further funding (an AGA award, a K08 from the NIH) that will further launch an independent career. Recent research is demonstrating a significant loss of physician scientists in all fields, but there’s an even more precipitous loss in pediatrics. Supporting young investigators in this field is critical for stemming this loss of talent. We need to keep this research going, and to keep raising future investigators, for the sake of all kids in the future.
Yanjia Jason Zhang, MD, PhD
Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
NASPGHAN Foundation/Reckitt Mead Johnson Nutrition Research Young Investigator Development Award (2022)
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Changes clinical practice with diet approach to abdominal pain
Anna Peters, MD
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION/TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS AMERICA, INC. RESEARCH INNOVATION AWARD (2025)
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The awards I received from NASPGHAN made possible a research career that has led to changes in care that have improved the outcomes of children with IBD and uncovered new pathways for future treatment.
Nicola Jones, MD, PhD
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
NASPGHAN Foundation/AstraZeneca Research Award for Disorders of the Upper GI Tract (2016)
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Game changer to develop dataset that has yielded publications with many more to come (single cell)
Joshua Wechsler, MD
UCSF Children’s Hospital, San Francisco, CA
NASPGHAN Foundation/Takeda Pharmaceutical America, Inc. Research Innovation Award (2019)
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My NASPGHAN Foundation-supported translational research focused on understanding how gut oxygen levels shape the intestinal microbiome in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. By investigating the relationship between oxygen availability, microbial community composition, and intestinal inflammation, we identified mechanisms that contribute to disease onset and progression. This research has the potential to improve child digestive health by informing the development of microbiome-targeted therapies and biomarkers.
Lindsey Albenberg, MD
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION Fellow to Faculty Transition Award in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (2012)
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Most importantly, the first NASPGHAN foundation award allowed me the time and resources to devote to basic science. Particularly at the start of a research program, this time is of massive consequence and truly laid the foundation for the 15 years that followed, and for eventual independence. NASPGHAN’s unique focus on Peds GI meant they understood the impact of a rare pediatric GI disease.
Mamata Sivagnanam, MD
Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA
NASPGHAN Foundation/QOL Research Award for the Study of Disorders Associated with Carbohydrate Maldigestion/Malabsorption in Children (2021)
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NASPGHAN funding helped translate findings on specific macrophage immune cell subsets to the mouse model of biliary atresia. This critical work has laid the foundation for mechanistic studies in the mouse model that can be translated back to human disease. In the future we hope this work will lay the foundation for clinical trials to improve patient outcomes in BA.
Sarah Taylor, MD
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Gerard Odell Prize (2016)
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Spawned a clinical trial to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis.
Sohail Husain, MD
Yale University Medical Center
CDHNF Young Investigator Award (2006)
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NASPGHAN is the leader in research regarding pediatric gastrointestinal and liver health. There is no other National foundation or institution committed to this mission. The funding from NASPGHAN provides start-up funds and protection for young investigators and the workshops allow for multiple collaborations.
Matthew Ryan, MD
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
CDHNF Young Investigator Award (2006)
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The incidence and prevalence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) have significantly increased since its initial description approximately 25 years ago. The disease burden for children and adolescents with EoE is intensified by frequent endoscopic procedures to monitor treatment efficacy and substantial lifestyle modifications, including extensive elimination diets to mitigate symptoms. Regrettably, there are few targeted therapies available for children diagnosed with EoE due to current scientific limitations in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of pediatric EoE. Support from the NASPGHAN Foundation has been instrumental in enabling my long-term research objectives as an independent investigator, focusing on advancing understanding of EoE pathogenesis by identifying potential biomarkers and innovative treatment approaches, thereby improving the quality of life for children and young adults affected by EoE.
Dominique Bailey, MD
Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
NASPGHAN Foundation/George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award (2019)
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This young investigator award has been critical to my career, allowing me to pursue research in the field of pediatric cholestatic liver diseases. My research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of bile acid induced liver injury to help identify future potential therapeutic targets for these diseases. As of now, we have no known drugs that significantly alter the outcomes for most of these diseases, leaving the field to rely on liver transplantation for most of these patients. New therapeutics are urgently needed and this NASPGHAN Foundation award has supported research to discover these new druggable targets and also allowed me to be successful in obtaining additional funding to further this goal.
Alyssa Kriegermeier, MD
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
NASPGHAN Foundation/George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award (2022)
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The NASPGHAN Foundation award was a pivotal investment in my early career as an independent investigator. Beyond providing protected time to conduct research, it gave me the opportunity to establish an independent research program, generate preliminary data, and demonstrate my ability to successfully compete for extramural funding. This early support was instrumental in securing subsequent grants, including NIH funding, allowing my research program to grow and address important questions in pediatric gastroenterology. In my experience, NASPGHAN Foundation awards have a multiplier effect—they are not simply grants that fund a single project but investments that enable young investigators to build sustainable research careers. By helping investigators establish a track record of productivity and funding success, these awards ultimately “pump-prime” future grants from NIH and other agencies, leading to larger, more impactful research programs. The research supported by my NASPGHAN Foundation award has contributed to the development of novel nutrition-based therapies aimed at improving outcomes for children with gastrointestinal diseases. More broadly, the award has helped build a research program dedicated to advancing innovative, evidence-based treatments for children with digestive and nutritional disorders, with the goal of improving health and quality of life for pediatric patients.
Sam X. Cheng, MD
Yale University School of Medicine
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION Fellow to Faculty Transition Award in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (2011)
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The major focus of my NASPGHNA award was to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying bridging fibrosis and cholangiocyte senescence in biliary atresia (BA), a chronic liver disease found in infants. There is no definite therapy to treat BA other than liver transplantation. The cause of BA is not known. Therefore, it is critical to understand the molecular drivers of chronic inflammation and progressive liver fibrosis in diseases such as BA. Our ongoing research has identified multiple novel factors that may have clinical implications for the progression of BA, and we hope that, in the future, we can advance some of these discoveries into clinical care to manage liver fibrosis in BA patients. The NASPGHAN Foundation grant would immensely help young investigators to begin their careers and provide a strong foundation for their career advancement. More importantly, the NASPGHAN award would have an immense impact in establishing new research programs addressing chronic diseases in children and thereby developing novel therapies.
Nirmala Mavila, PhD
Cedars Sinai, Los Angeles, CA
NASPGHAN/NASPGHAN Foundation/George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award (2014)
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Research related to the immunopathogenesis of biliary atresia results in identification of novel treatment targets.
Cara Mack, MD
Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
NASPGHAN Foundation/Takeda Pharmaceutical U.S.A., Inc. Research Innovation Award (2017)
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The award allowed our VEO-IBD program better depict the importance of correcting malnutrition and disease activity. We were able to demonstrate the importance of nutrition in very early onset IBD. We were also able to analyze nutrition related labs and create materials for the VEO IBD patients
Natalie Stoner, RD, CSP, LDN
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
NASPGHAN Foundation/CPNP Nutrition Research Grants (2020)
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This award provided the resources to support obtaining foundational data regarding intestinal stem cell population kinetics and their impact in health and disease
Camilla Richmond, MD
Boston Children’s Hospital
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION/Nestlé Nutrition Research Young Investigator Development Award (2012)
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The NASPGHAN foundation awards are a critical body of funding opportunities for researchers and clinician scientists in pediatric GI and hepatology. These are competitive awards that are funding top notch science and encouraging leaders in our field to continue in research that will positively impact the health of children and move our field forward. The other GI societies also have competitive funding opportunities however the applicants and research topics are heavily weighted towards areas important to adult GI and hepatology so topics critical to pediatric health and disease are often overshadowed. The NASPGHAN foundation therefore fills a critical need for promoting research and researchers focused on pediatric GI and liver health and disease. Importantly, the award I received allowed for the development of important data that led to a successful NIH K application and award.
Calies Menard-Katcher, MD
Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
NASPGHAN/NASPGHAN Foundation George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award (2015)
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Imperative for advancing the field of pediatric IBD and VEOIBD and more specifically gaining a better understanding of the drivers of disease and means to offer effective personalized interventions.
Jodie Ouahed, MD, MMSc, FRCPC, FAAP
Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation/NASPGHAN IBD Young Investigator Award (2019)
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I am working to build a research program to investigate innovative ways to evaluate and improve medications for EoE to develop precision therapeutics for these patients. This funding supported a study looking at pharmacogenetics of patients with EoE taking budesonide. The results from this study are going toward obtaining funding for a prospective study to further elucidate reasons for treatment failure in patients with EoE.
Rachel Chevalier, MD
Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO
NASPGHAN Foundation/George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award (2021)
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I consider my research career to be in an early phase, but believe the NASPGHAN Foundation award will be crucial in setting the foundation to identify new therapeutic targets within neuro-signaling pathways that maintain intestinal health. In the long term, these discoveries could lead to innovative treatments for children suffering from debilitating digestive diseases such as motility disorders, pancreatitis, and refractory inflammatory bowel disease.
Melissa Musser, MD, PhD
Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION/ALCRESTA RESEARCH AWARD FOR THE STUDY OF PANCREATIC DISEASE IN CHILDREN (2024)
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Standard discharge protocol for kids with feeding tubes.
Melba Williams-Haberland, PNP
University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION/APGNN SUSAN MOYER NURSING RESEARCH AWARD (2024)
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The training grants are a critical piece for many pediatric gastroenterologists that wish to pursue advanced fellowship training as it provides the necessary funding that can not be offset by the typical funding mechanisms of providing outpatient or inpatient adult GI service time.
Alexander Coe, MD
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
NASPGHAN Foundation Advanced Fellowship in Pediatric Endoscopy (2023)
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Programmatic development has helped me bring minimally invasive therapeutic procedures to children at Children’s Wisconsin.
Diana Lerner, MD
Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
NASPGHAN Foundation Teri Li Young Educator Award (2018)
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Our research has the potential to help kids with chronic pancreatitis who have chronic pain. Currently there are few therapies that are easily accessible with minimal risk to pediatric patients.
Olawale Odur, MD
UAB Medical Center/Children’s of Alabama, Birmingham, AL
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION ADVANCED FELLOWSHIP TRANING IN PEDIATRIC ENDOSCOPY (2025)
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This funding has provided me with opportunities to continue doing our work despite decreases in funding. It has allowed me to mentor other pediatric gastroenterologist to pursue a career in research. The work we have done has not only informed my practice of pediatric GI care but also has helped to develop a possible therapy for IBD.
Edwin de Zoeten, MD
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
CDHNF/NASPGHAN Fellow to Faculty Transition Award in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (2006)
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This research explores how stress influences colitis through changes in the microbiome and metabolite profiles, with the potential to identify novel pathways for prevention and treatment. The findings may help advance more targeted, personalized approaches to improving outcomes and quality of life for children with inflammatory bowel disease.
Ross Maltz, MD
Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
NASPGHAN Foundation/Fellow to Faculty Transition Award in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (2016)
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Helped drive better understanding of eosinophilic esophagitis and dedicate resources appropriately to this common disease.
Jacob Robson, MD
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
NASPGHAN Foundation Innovations in Clinical Care Grant (2018)
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Research from our NASPGHAN foundation award helped support the development of the TransNasal Endoscopy Skills Assessment Tool (TNE‐SAT), a video‐based tool designed to assess clinician competence in performing unseated transnasal endoscopy (uTNE). The TNE-SAT represents a promising tool to guide training, support performance improvement, and contribute to the development of quality standards for pediatric uTNE. As the use of uTNE continues to expand, tools like the TNE‐SAT will be critical in ensuring that endoscopists are equipped to deliver safe, effective, and high‐quality care.
Lisa Mahoney
Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
NASPGHAN Foundation/EvoEndo Medical Research Award for the Study of Unsedated Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Endoscopy in Children (2023)
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The NASPGHAN grant played a foundational role in my career by enabling early hypothesis generation and data development that would not have been feasible otherwise. This early investment translated into sustained scientific contributions, including subsequent leadership in clinical development programs and continued focus on addressing unmet needs in gastroenterology. The grant’s impact extended well beyond the initial project, shaping both my career trajectory and the programs I now lead.
Edaire Cheng, MD
UT Southwestern
NASPGHAN Foundation/AstraZeneca Research Award for Disorders of the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract (2012)
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By funding research that uses induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) to model Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis (PFIC), the NASPGHAN Foundation directly accelerates the development of personalized therapies for children facing severe genetic liver disease. Because human primary liver cells cannot be sustainably grown in a lab, this innovative approach bypasses a major research bottleneck by converting a patient’s own cells into functional, genetic-matched human hepatocytes to study complex disease mechanisms like cellular polarity and tight junction breakdowns. This scalable, patient-specific model replaces slow and inaccurate animal testing with a high-throughput drug screening platform, allowing researchers to safely test thousands of compounds directly on human cells and pave the way for precise CRISPR gene-editing treatments that could one day eliminate the need for high-risk liver transplants.
Akihiro Asai, MD, PhD
Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
NASPGHAN/NASPGHAN Foundation George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award (2016)
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Improving outcomes for post liver transplant children.
Alaa Abdelghani, MBBS
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, San Francisco, CA
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION INNOVATIONS IN CLINICAL CARE GRANT (2025)
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The voice of the patient is critical when we evaluate new therapies; patient-reported outcomes are key tools to include as key outcome measures in clinical trials evaluating new therapies, the NASPGHAN Foundation grant helped in the early stage of development of a new PRO for pediatric Crohn’s disease.
Anthony Otley
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Development and Study of Clinical Outcome Assessments for use in Clinical Trials in Children with IBD (2014)
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Established paradigm for studying murine Paneth cells which is now being applied to characterize their role in a spectrum of human GI diseases.
Ajay Gulati, MD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CDHNF/Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America Young Investigator Development Award (2010)
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This grant has provided the protected time and funds to develop as a physician scientist and could lead to novel therapies for rare but severe GI disorders.
Casey Johnson, MD
Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION/GEORGE FERRY YOUNG INVESTIGATOR DEVELOPMENT AWARD (2025)
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This grant helped us establish the evidence for a new whole food based approach to food allergy treatment for children that we have implemented at our site and has directly impacted patient quality of life and nutritional status, as many of the treated patients have developed tolerance to their food allergens.
Brock Williams, MSc, RD
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
NASPGHAN Foundation/CPNP Nutrition Research Grants (2020)
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We discovered new ways to stimulate tissue regeneration from this grant which was not being pursued previously.
Dean Yimlamai
Boston Children’s Hospital
NASPGHAN/NASPGHAN FOUNDATION George Ferry Young Investigator Award (2012)
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The NASPGHAN Foundation awards provide opportunities to lay a strong foundation underneath promising physician scientists so that these individuals can become the next generation of leaders driving clinical, translational, and basic discovery that ultimately improves the health of children with digestive, nutrition, and liver disorders.
Bruno Chumpitazi, MD
Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX
NASPGHAN Foundation/AstraZeneca Research Award for Disorders of the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract (2018)
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This award allowed me to collect the data necessary to prove to payors that LDLT is cost-effective. This will directly impact patient care.
Amy Feldman, MD
Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
NASPGHAN Foundation Mid-Level Career Development Award (2023)
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NASPGHAN Foundation awards support early-career investigators by providing them with resources to pursue important scientific questions at a critical juncture of the research career.
Geoffrey Preidis, MD, PhD
Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX
NASPGHAN Foundation/Nestlé Nutrition Research Young Investigator Development Award (2015)
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As a prior NASPGHAN Foundation award recipient, the funding provided critical early support for my career as a pediatric hepatologist‑scientist. It enabled foundational work on mechanisms of liver injury, particularly lipotoxicity and endothelial dysfunction in pediatric liver disease. This research has advanced identification of novel therapeutic targets and translational approaches for conditions such as MASLD, while positioning me for sustained NIH funding and enabling mentorship of trainees.
Samar Ibrahim, MBChB
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
NASPGHAN Foundation/Nestlé Nutrition Research Young Investigator Development Award (2016)
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My research from my NASPGHAN award is one of the first studies to use multi-omic technology to deepen our understanding of food-microbe interaction in the gut to improve our feeding approaches in short bowel syndrome.
Wenjing Zong, MD
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
NASPGHAN Foundation/Nestlé Nutrition Research Young Investigator Development Award (2021)
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Without grant support, I would not have been able to conduct my research which has lead to significant improvements in our institution and hopefully others to identify and treat anemia in newly diagnosed pediatric IBD, my current research is hoping to improve identification of patients with IBD who are at risk for ARFID which and hopefully lead to sooner treatment and improved outcomes.
Jennifer Smith, MS, RDN, LD
Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
NASPGHAN Foundation/CPNP Nutrition Research Grants (2019)
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This research will help guide more accurate medication decisions for children with IBD, in an era in which clinical trial results are often not available for pediatric treatments.
Ruben Colman, MD
Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
NASPGHAN Foundation/QOL Research Award for the Study of Disorders Associated with Carbohydrate Maldigestion/Malabsorption in Children (2023)
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Without this award I would not be doing any research in pediatric GI.
Anthony Guerrerio, MD, PhD
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
NASPGHAN/NASPSGHAN FOUNDATION George Ferry Young Investigator Award (2011)
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The award was transformative in providing financial support for and positive affirmation of my goals to advance the understanding of GI neurobiology to improve gut health. It was essential during the vulnerable fellow to early career faculty stage to have this kind of financial and moral support.
Meenakshi Rao MD, PhD
Columbia University Medical Center
NASPGHAN Foundation George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award (2013)
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This research has highlighted the varying genetic risks for celiac disease in Down syndrome and has impacted the diagnostic approach to this patient population.
Marisa Gallant Stahl, MD, MSCS
Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
NASPGHAN Foundation/George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award (2023)
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Receiving a research grant from NASPGHAN has led to the opportunity to learn if a length mat is as accurate as a length board, and if there is a difference in malnutrition diagnosis based on these different measuring methods. Accurate lengths are fundamental to a child’s nutrition health. Accuracy in measurement of length is needed to assess adequacy of growth, body proportions via weight for length measurements, and energy requirements. Length is also used to estimate severity of illness, calculate drug dosages, assess fluid balance, and to determine medical equipment and resuscitation settings.
Caitie Hessenthaler, BS, MSP
Children’s Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION/CPNP NUTRITION RESEARCH GRANT (2025)
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Changes clinical practice with diet approach to abdominal pain.
Anna Hunter, MD
Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR
NASPGHAN Foundation/QOL Research Award for the Study of Disorders Associated with Carbohydrate Maldigestion/Malabsorption in Children (2022)
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NASPGHAN gave me the seed funding and confidence to move forward to a sustainable and successful career as a physician-scientist.
Rohit Kohli, MD
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
George Ferry Young Investigator Award (2007)
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Celiac disease is a serious immune-mediated condition that receives little funding. The NASPGHAN Foundation award was crucial in helping to establish me, and my team’s, growth in the area of screening for pediatric celiac disease. This work would not have been possible with the Foundation award. Now, our internationally renowned team is able to pursue additional avenues within screening to hear directly from the youth and families impacted by screening so that we can help those screened in the future access the healthcare they need to obtain an accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment.
Monique Germone, PhD, BCBA
Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
CELIAC DISEASE FOUNDATION/NASPGHAN FOUNDATION PILOT GRANT (2025)
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NASPGHAN Grants are the necessary gateway to get additional funding to be able to stay in the field as a physician-scientist. This grant gave me protected time I needed, and convinced my division chief that paying for my lab technician was a good investment!
Naomi Tjaden, MD, PhD
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
NASPGHAN Foundation/Reckitt Mead Johnson Nutrition Research Young Investigator Development Award (2023)
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These grants open doors and help make connections that would otherwise be nearly impossible for new gastroenterologists. This research is incredibly important to impact the future of GI care for children.
Erin Alexander, DO
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
NASPGHAN Foundation/Abbott Nutrition Advanced Fellowship Training in Pediatric Nutrition (2020)
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Children with celiac disease face unique challenges when it comes to maintaining a safe and nutritious gluten-free diet. Many gluten-free products are ultra-processed and rely heavily on rice-based ingredients, raising concerns about long-term health impacts. As awareness grows around the need for more balanced dietary guidance, research plays a critical role in identifying healthier solutions. The support for my project, Gluten-Free Nutrition Optimization through Ultra-processed food Reduction and Improved Strategies for Health (GF-NOURISH), tackles a critical challenge in pediatric celiac disease: improving the overall quality of the gluten-free diet. The study explores how adapting the Canadian Gluten-Free Food Guide (GFFG) for use in the United States can help children with celiac disease eat healthier and feel better in the long term.
Nan Du, MD
Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
NASPGHAN FOUNDATION/CELIAC DISEASE FOUNDATION CELIAC RESEARCH YOUNG INVESTIGATOR DEVELOPMENT AWARD (2024)
Coming Soon: NASPGHAN Foundation “Get Started” Grants Webinar
Interested in applying for a NASPGHAN Foundation grant but not sure where to start?
We’re developing a webinar designed to take the mystery out of the grant process and help members feel more confident about applying.
The webinar will explore available NASPGHAN Foundation grant opportunities, how to determine which grant may be the right fit for you, what to expect from the application process, and practical advice for preparing an application. You’ll also hear insights and experiences from members who have successfully navigated the process.
Whether you’re considering applying for the first time, have applied before, or simply want to learn more about the opportunities available, we hope you’ll join us.
Interested in attending?
Email kregan@naspghan.org and we’ll let you know when the date and registration information are available.
Interested in sharing your experience?
Have you received a NASPGHAN Foundation grant or have experience with the grant application process? We’re also looking for members who may be interested in sharing their experiences, practical advice, and lessons learned during the webinar. Email kregan@naspghan.org to let us know you’re interested in participating.
