Family Medicine Discovers Rapid Cycle Scientific Discovery and Innovation (FMD RapSDI)

Building research capacity for family medicine scientific discovery by funding practicing family physicians to generate new evidence and innovative models for “what works” in real-world primary care settings.

Family Medicine Discovers Rapid Cycle Scientific Discovery and Innovation (FMD RapSDI) is a signature primary care research program funded by the AAFP Foundation in collaboration with the AAFP National Research Network (AAFP NRN).

How the FMD RapSDI Program Works

FMD RapSDI supports short-term innovative and high-impact research projects led by practicing family physicians. No previous research experience is required. Physicians selected as FMD RapSDI Scholars will serve as Principal Investigators for their projects, and will receive support and mentorship from AAFP NRN staff to develop and refine a research protocol, perform project activities, and conduct data analysis. Scholars have the opportunity to participate in one or more research conferences/meetings and author a manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal.

Two practicing family physicians will be selected as 2023 FMD RapSDI scholars. Each scholar will receive a $40,000 grant for project associated costs and/or to offset time/salary required to conduct research. The AAFP Foundation does not provide grant funds for indirect or overhead costs, including facility and administration costs.

Meet the 2022 Scholars

The 2022 RapSDI scholars, Allene Whitney, M.D. and Capt. Michael Arnold, M.D., were announced in June. Learn more about their projects and how they'll make a difference in primary care.

RapSDI Application

The 2023 FMD RapSDI application is open July 1 through August 23, 2022 (application portal closes at 5:00 p.m. CT). Application submissions are divided into two competitive rounds. All complete Round 1 submissions will be reviewed, and four finalists will be selected and invited to participate and submit a Round 2 application. Round 1 decision notifications will be sent in November/December 2022.

If invited to submit for Round 2, selected applicants will work with a mentor to develop a research plan and budget. If an applicant has not identified a mentor at the time of application, they will be matched with an AAFP NRN staff member and/or outside research mentor. Round 2 applications are due March 15, 2023.

"The process of applying was inspiring. Round two was a mentorship opportunity, and it gave me a set of skills for developing research design and how to apply for a grant. When I became one of the four finalists, I felt I had already received a gift that carried immense value.” - Allene Whitney, MD, 2022 Family Medicine Discovers RapSDI Scholar

RapSDI Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, the applicants must be:

AAFP member
Practicing family physician
Any stage of career, post-residency
Willing to serve as Principal Investigator (PI) of proposed project over 12-month timeline
Preference will be given to qualified applicants with no/little previous research experience.

Proposed projects must meet the following requirements:

Topic or clinic-inspired question should be relevant to family medicine, and generalizable or scalable.
Project scope feasible to achieve in less than 12 months and within available budget ($40,000).

2023 Application

The Cycle 4 application for the Family Medicine Discovers RapSDI program will be open until Aug. 23, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. CT.

Key Dates

July 1, 2022 | Round 1 application period opens
July 20/July 26, 2022 | Online information sessions
Aug. 23, 2022 | Round 1 application period closes at 5:00 p.m. CT
Nov./Dec. 2022 | Round 1 decision letters sent to applicants
March 1, 2023 | Round 2 application due
May 2023 | Two scholars selected and notified
July 1, 2023 | Expected 12-month project start date

RapSDI Scholar Deliverables

Complete project/intervention as outlined in proposal submitted during
Round 2 application.
Prepare brief quarterly reports due September and December, and March and June of the project cycle year.
Write a final report, which may be in the form of a manuscript for a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Present a research poster or presentation on project results at an appropriate meeting or conference.
Allow AAFP to feature Scholar and project in promotions for FMD RapSDI.
Participate in 1-3 professional development activities as appropriate for Scholar’s career goals.

Volunteers

The AAFP NRN is seeking volunteer peer reviewers and mentors for FMD RapSDI.

Peer Reviewers: Peer Reviewers will review applications and provide constructive comments for improvement. Timeframe for review is Sept. 1-27, 2022. Each reviewer will review no more than six applications. The expected time commitment for application reviews is 15-30 minutes per application. Sign up to serve as a peer reviewer.

Mentors: Mentors will assist RapSDI scholars in developing a research proposal, protocol, and budget, as well as in identifying professional development opportunities in line with Scholar goals. Read more about mentor expectations.

Mentorship Application: The time commitment will be from December 2022-March 2023.

Scholar Project Mentorship: The time commitment will be dependent on project performance period. Each project will be a maximum 12 months in duration.

If you're interested in serving as a mentor to a RapSDI finalist or scholar, contact us at nrn@aafp.org.

Meet Previous Scholars

The AAFP National Research Network is proud to introduce past FMD RapSDI Scholars. Learn more about the 2020 and 2021 scholars.

Dr. Lauren Ciszak: Medically Tailored Meal Kits as a Means of Decreasing ED Visits and Hospitalizations in Primary Care Patient with Chronic Disease.
Dr. Vijay Singh: Adapting Evidence-Based Male Intimate Partner Violence Perpetuation Interventions for use by Family Medicine Clinics and Patients.
Dr. Iman Majd MS, L.Ac: Feasibility of implementing and evaluating group Auricular Acupuncture (AA) for chronic pain management in a primary care setting
Dr. Sanjay Batish, FAAFP: Can the SaFETy score predict an adolescent-young adult’s gun violence exposure over a six-month period when conducted in a non-urban primary care setting?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I propose more than one topic or idea? An applicant can submit multiple topics, but each idea/topic must be submitted in a separate application. Applicants can submit a maximum of three topics/questions. The personal statement in each application should match the idea/topic. If more than one topic is submitted, each questions must be distinct and unique from the other questions (i.e. questions can't be similar with a different practice settings.) If you have questions about this, contact program staff at nrn@aafp.org.
Do I need to be an AAFP member to apply? Applicants must be an AAFP member. A membership number is required to submit application. Learn how you can join the AAFP.
If I am graduating from residency in June 2023, am I eligible to apply for this round of FMD RapSDI? No, you must be a practicing family physician in order to apply to the first round. You are eligible to apply in July 2023 for 2024 RapSDI Scholars.
Do I need to identify a research mentor in Round 1? No, you do not need to identify a research mentor in Round 1. Application reviewers will not see responses to this question during the Round 1 selection phase. This question is included in the application to help the FMD RapSDI assemble a mentorship team for the four candidates that advance to Round 2. If you do not have someone to serve as a research mentor, the FMD RapSDI team will help identify researcher(s) to assist you in developing an application based on topic and/or methods.
What is expected of my research mentor? A research mentor will be asked to help refine and develop your research question, protocol, instruments, and budget. They will be asked to have regular meetings with you to discuss your research plan. They may also be asked to connect with FMD RapSDI staff on a monthly basis during the Round 2 application phase.

Email nrn@aafp.org for more information.