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Awards & Funding

The Society for Pediatric Research® (SPR) offers a range of prestigious awards and funding opportunities for members and prospective members. These awards recognize excellence in pediatric research and provide recipients with the opportunity to share their work at international conferences.

SPR also collaborates with leading pediatric organizations, such as the American Pediatric Society (APS) and the Federation of Pediatric Organizations (FOPO), to honor deserving child health scientists.

SPR Individual Awards

SPR honors individuals whose impactful work has advanced the field of pediatrics and driven forward the mission of SPR. These nine awards recognize outstanding achievements in mentorship, service, innovation, and scientific excellence across a range of disciplines in child health.

Speaker presenting at a podium during PAS 2025 conference, wearing a light-colored blazer and dark top, with a microphone and water bottle visible; the podium displays the text “PAS 2025 Society for Pediatric Research” and a red curtain is in the background.

The SPR Award in Honor of E. Mead Johnson is the most prestigious honor given by the Society. Established in 1939, this award recognizes outstanding achievements in pediatric research across clinical, translational, laboratory, and health services research. It celebrates a diverse community of investigators making lasting contributions to child health.

Sponsored by Mead Johnson Nutrition, the award honors E. Mead Johnson’s legacy of research excellence and impact on child health that continues to inspire the pediatric community.

Submission Timeline: August 15 – September 30

Mead Johnson Nutrition

Established by the SPR Council in 2002, the Thomas A. Hazinski Distinguished Service Award honors individuals who have provided exceptional, long-term service to SPR. This award celebrates dedicated leadership, commitment, and contributions that have advanced the Society’s mission and strengthened the pediatric research community.

Nominees are identified and recipients are selected by the SPR Council.

Established in 2003, the Maureen Andrew Mentor Award honors the legacy of Dr. Maureen Andrew and her profound contributions to child health research. The award recognizes an individual who demonstrates outstanding leadership as a mentor, inspiring creativity, scholarships, and academic excellence among future leaders in pediatric science.

Submission Timeline: August 15 – September 30

Established in 1983, the Young Investigator Award honors the early achievements of scientists and physician-scientists engaged in discovery-based research focused on diseases and development in children. This award recognizes a rising star whose outstanding scientific research accomplishments help to unravel the mysteries of childhood development or disease.

Submission Timeline: August 15 – September 30

SPR recognizes new members who have made high-quality contributions to scientific research and continue to demonstrate a strong trajectory of impact to academic pediatric research.

The Douglas K. Richardson Award for Perinatal and Pediatric Health Care Research recognizes the lifetime achievement of an investigator who has made substantial contributions to child health. Established in honor of Dr. Richardson, this award celebrates leadership in child health services, perinatal and pediatric research and the longstanding support of SPR.

Submission Timeline: August 15 – September 30

Established in 2025, the Nutrition Research Advocate Award honors a member of the SPR community for their outstanding contributions to nutrition services research. This award, sponsored by Abbott, provides recognition of excellence in nutrition research.

Submission Timeline: August 15 – September 30

Abbott

The Promotion of Fellows‘ Pediatric Research (PROSPER) Award supports fellows from underrepresented in medicine (URiM) backgrounds who are pursuing child health research. This competitive award provides material support and mentorship for a one-year research project that strengthens an academic, research-focused career trajectory.

Submission Timeline: August 15 – September 30

Established in 2017 by the SPR Council, the SPR Awards to Enhance Diversity in the Workforce supports talented child health researchers from underrepresented backgrounds (as defined by the NIH) or life experiences that increase diversity. This award provides Pediatric Academic Society (PAS) Meeting registration for one recipient from each of the SPR Regional Societies.

Submission Deadline: March 1

Funding Opportunities

SPR provides funding to support the professional advancement of pediatric researchers and enable continued scientific discoveries.

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Established in 2016, the SPR Bridging to Success Award supports transitioning pediatric physician-scientists and other researchers involved in pediatric research who have submitted a NIH funded Career Development Award, which although not funded, may be potentially competitive on resubmission (including a 3rd submission) to the NIH.

Submission Deadlines: September 2 and March 2

Abstract-Related Awards and Funding for Trainees

The Society supports several abstract-based awards and funding opportunities for trainees to present their research at the annual Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting. These awards recognize clinical and basic science research and provide financial support for attendance and presentation at the PAS Meeting.

These awards must be applied for at the time of PAS abstract submission.

The House Officer Research Awards are presented annually by SPR to recognize outstanding research conducted by house officers. These awards encourage early-career physicians to pursue careers in academic pediatrics.

The Student Research Awards are presented annually by SPR to honor exceptional research conducted by students at various educational stages. These awards encourage pediatricians-in-training to pursue careers in academic pediatrics.

The Fellows’ Clinical Research Awards are presented annually by SPR to honor fellows engaged in pediatric clinical research. These awards encourage pediatricians-in-training to pursue careers in academic pediatrics.

Established in 1988 by colleagues, trainees, and friends of Dr. Richard D. Rowe, the Richard D. Rowe Award in Clinical Research honors his commitment to academic excellence, personal integrity, and humility. The recipient is selected among the SPR Fellows’ Clinical Research Award applicants whose abstract has been accepted for a platform session.

The Fellows’ Basic Research Awards are presented annually by SPR to honor fellows engaged in pediatric basic research. These awards encourage pediatricians-in-training to pursue careers in academic pediatrics.

Established in 2000 by colleagues, trainees, and friends of Dr. David G. Nathan, the David G. Nathan Award in Basic Research honors his achievements in every aspect of academic pediatrics. The recipient is selected among the SPR Fellow’s Basic Research Award applicants whose abstract has been accepted for a platform session.

Collaborative Awards

SPR partners with leading pediatric and international societies to offer four collaborative awards that promote global exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration, and fellowship among the societies.

Two individuals stand together at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2025 Meeting, one holding an award plaque.

The FOPO Joseph W. St. Geme, Jr. Leadership Award, presented by the Federation of Pediatric Organizations (FOPO), was established in honor of Dr. St. Geme, to recognize a pediatrician who is a role model for others to emulate as a clinician, an educator, and/or an investigator.

Recipients of this award have had a record of broad and sustained contributions to pediatrics that have had or will have a major impact on child health. Most importantly, the award recognizes those individuals who have “created a future” within the field.

Established in 2013, the Mary Ellen Avery Neonatal Research Award honors Dr. Avery’s outstanding lifetime achievements and seminal contributions to neonatal health. The award recognizes a pediatric investigator who has made important contributions to neonatal health through basic or translational research.

Submission Deadline: June 23, 2025

The European Young Investigator Exchange Program invites one European Society for Paediatric (ESPR) young investigator to present their research at the annual Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting, where they are awarded for their achievements and given the opportunity to share their research with academic pediatric leaders.

In exchange, SPR selects one of its Fellow Research Award recipients to attend the annual ESPR meeting.

The JPS Fellow Exchange Program invites three Japan Pediatric Society (JPS) young investigators to present their research at the annual Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting, where they are awarded for their achievements and given the opportunity to share their research with academic pediatric leaders.

In exchange, JPS hosts SPR Emerging to Established (E2E) Section members at the JPS Annual Meeting.

2025 RecipientS