Emerging Issues grant

In response to rising workloads and the evolving health care landscape, this Emerging Issues grant opportunity is aimed to award grants to projects that address critical workforce challenges in radiology while simultaneously maintaining or enhancing quality of care.

Research objectives and scope

Objectives

The purpose of this grant is not intended to discuss the existence or presence of workforce challenges, but rather to provide a framework for mitigation and dissemination of specific strategies.

Scope

While all proposals addressing the overarching theme of workforce challenges in radiology are welcome (including proposals to increase recruitment of other job roles in radiology beyond radiologists), research proposals should address one or more of the following areas:

• Workforce pipeline development: Strategies to increase interest in radiology careers.
• Workforce diversity initiatives: Efforts to increase representation of underrepresented minorities in the radiologist workforce.
• Emerging practice models: Strategies to incorporate technology (including AI) and research on innovative workflows and staffing models, including the incorporation of non-radiologists.
• Addressing radiologist workforce issues in safety net hospitals
• Research on radiologist workload optimization that incorporates measures of productivity, quality and noninterpretive tasks into total work output and benchmarks.

Industry partner collaborations are encouraged.

Selection criteria

Applications will be reviewed on the following criteria:

• Innovation
• Expected impact of the intervention on the investigators’ institution/s radiology operations, patient population/s and on the general public
• Knowledge of and experience within the specific topic
• Investigators with affiliation or demonstrated collaborative efforts with community partners
• Well defined and researched needs-assessment that articulates current gaps
• Metric-based outcomes analyses that demonstrate achievement of objectives
• Scalability/expandability
• Content monitoring, update strategy and sustainability
• Timeline and milestones to completion (will be used to determine if subsequent funding is merited)

Eligibility

Applicants (principal investigator) of all levels are welcome to apply, including residents and private practice members. Applicants must be an RSNA member (at any level) at the time of application and throughout the duration of the award. If the applicant is a non-dues paying member, one or more of the co-investigators must be a dues-paying member.

Other investigators may include:

• Co-PIs from the same or other institutions
• Individuals outside of radiology
• Community partners
• Other professionals as needed

Budget and award period

Application budgets with direct costs of up to $100,000 will be considered.

Grants will be awarded for a one-year period. While applications for subsequent funding are welcome, approval will be dependent upon successful completion of milestones.

Application process and requirements

Applications should include well-defined aims and measurable indices of radiology practice both pre- and post-proposal, and may employ key driver diagrams and demonstration of progress-to-goal using run charts or other quantitative tools.

View all requirements   Apply now

This grant focuses on assessing radiology’s environmental impact and sustainability. According to the Journal of Clinical Medicine, medical imaging is responsible for 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

How can radiology spearhead addressing climate change and increasing our value in health care systems? What links exist or could be explored between addressing the environmental impact of radiology and health care disparities? What strategies can be explored to increase radiology sustainability while preserving quality and safety?

While data gathering may require collaboration with institutional resource management departments, industry partners and equipment/supply vendors, the principal investigator (PI) will solely lead the project. Industry involvement will be limited to collaborator and support roles, with the PI primarily responsible for research performance and project ownership.

Grant applications should be designed to have an accelerated timeline (relative to current R&E Foundation research grants) to enable funding for this urgent need.

Research objectives and scope

Objectives

Specific objectives include:

• Assessing the current state of the environmental impact of radiology
• Raising awareness of sustainability issues among radiologists and health care providers
• Developing strategies to reduce the environmental impact of radiology practices

Scope

Research proposals should address one or more of the following areas:

• Energy efficiency: Develop innovative methods to reduce energy consumption in radiology practices, such as optimizing imaging protocols and utilizing energy efficient equipment.
• Waste reduction: Implement strategies to minimize waste (e.g., supplies, equipment and medications) from diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology procedures, including increased use of reusable equipment and promotion of recycling programs.
• Imaging appropriateness: Establish measures that link sustainability and environmental impact to guidelines and decision support tools that promote value-driven imaging.
• Eco-friendly imaging techniques: Explore the use of imaging technique modalities and/or utilization to address radiology’s environmental footprint.
• Environmental health care disparities: Address patient access to radiology services while mitigating the environmental impacts of such access.

By promoting sustainable practices in radiology, we can address the significant impact of health care on the climate, reduce our environmental impact, conserve resources and protect human health.

Selection criteria

Applications will be reviewed on the following criteria:

• Innovation
• Expected impact of the intervention on the investigators’ institution/s patient population/s and on the general public
• Knowledge of and experience within the specific topic
• Investigators with affiliation or demonstrated collaborative efforts with community partners
• Well defined and researched needs-assessment that articulates current gaps
• Metric-based outcomes analyses that demonstrate achievement of objectives
• Scalability/expandability
• Content monitoring, update strategy and sustainability
• Timeline and milestones to completion (will be used to determine if subsequent funding is merited)

Eligibility

Applicant (principal investigator) must be an RSNA member (at any level) at the time of application and throughout the duration of the award. If the applicant is a non-dues paying member, one or more of the co-investigators must be a dues-paying member.

Applicants must hold a faculty or equivalent position in a department of radiology, radiation oncology or nuclear medicine within an educational institution.

Other investigators may include:

• Co-PIs from the same or other institutions
• Individuals outside of radiology
• Community partners
• Other professionals as needed

Budget and award period

Application budgets with direct costs of up to $100,000 will be considered.

Grants of one year will be awarded. Funding for a subsequent year will be dependent upon successful completion of specific project milestones.

Application process and requirements

Applications should include well-defined aims and measurable indices of radiology practice both pre- and post-proposal, and may employ key driver diagrams and demonstration of progress-to-goal using run charts or other quantitative tools.

View all requirements   Apply now