Family Medicine Resident Research Grant Competition launches
The Department of Family Medicine and the Centre for Studies in Family Medicine are excited to launch the first Family Medicine Resident Research Grant Competition this academic year. The competition is open exclusively to PGY1 family medicine residents at Western, with up to $5,000 of funding awarded each year to support high level primary care research.
Spearheaded by Lawrence Yau (PGY2 – Mt. Brydges), the competition is a great opportunity for residents to use as a stepping stone for much larger national level grants in the future.
We discussed with Yau how the competition came to be, and what he hopes it will accomplish.
What was the inspiration? Why did you want to create it?
Developing a strong set of research skills during residency is important for family medicine residents who are looking to work at an academic centre or incorporate research into their future practice. A challenge that physicians often face early on in their academic careers is obtaining grant funding for their projects. Because grant writing is often not taught during medical school or residency, we hope that creating this grant competition will help family medicine residents at Western gain more confidence and experience developing this valuable skill. For those who end up winning, this will also be a great opportunity to use it as a stepping stone for much larger national level grants in the future.
For anyone who wants to apply, is there anything you’d like them to know?
We really encourage everyone to take advantage of the amazing resources and support available through CSFM. In particular, Dr. Maria Matthews from Centre for Studies in Family Medicine will be developing a series of online lectures to help guide residents through the grant writing process and she will also be hosting an information session this fall on how to write a successful proposal. To get involved or for more information about the competition, please contact Adrienne Wakabayashi (Adrienne.wakabayashi@schulich.uwo.ca).
