2026 GESA Paediatric Gastroenterology Grant

Purpose

The purpose of the GESA Paediatric Gastroenterology Grant is to support collaborative research in Paediatric Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Hepatology. The successful applicant will have a demonstrated interest in the research of health and disease related to the broad field of Gastroenterology, Nutrition or Hepatology in children or adolescents including areas across basic science.

Grant

The Grant is for an amount of $50,000 (exc. GST).

Conditions of grant: The project is to be completed within twelve months of receiving funding. 

Eligibility

The application should be submitted via the GESA Grants Portal. 

The primary applicant is required to:

• be an Australian citizen or hold a valid Australian work visa for the duration of the award;
• be a financial member of GESA at the time of award distribution.
• hold a relevant post-graduate research degree (MD, PhD or equivalent)
• hold a position in a Paediatric Gastroenterology position or currently undertaking research in Paediatric Gastroenterology.
• Attend the next Australian Gastroenterology Week (AGW) & Research Workshop following the notification of the award.
• Not hold an award of a GESA Research Grant in 2025.

Note: Applicants may apply for both the Paediatric Grant and the Project Grant. 

Assessment Criteria

The applications will be judged according to the following criteria:

 Co-sponsorship/co-funding will be viewed favorably.

Assessment

Applications will be assessed by two reviewing panels:

1. The Research & Grants Committee (RGC).
2. A research awards panel of Paediatric Faculty members. 

Application Process

Please submit an expression of interest (EOI) in the first instance. The reviewing panels will assess and rank the EOIs and invite full applications to be assessed in the second round.

EOI format - First Assessment Round

The format of the EOI should be maximum 2 pages, A4, 12 pt font, 2 cm margins, and should briefly cover these sections in the following order:

1. Applicant's Name

2. Project Title

3. Investigator Team (Chief Investigator and potential Associate Investigators)

4. Lead Investigator Career Stage (Early-Career Researcher, Mid-Career Researcher etc.)

5. Project Summary

6. Impact Statement

7. Budget

8. A table summarising grants awarded in the last 3 years. Include grant title, role (e.g. CIA, CIB etc), amount of funding, years funded, amount of the grant funding allocated to the investigator if not the full grant amount, and justification of need for this additional funding. 

9. Co-funding availability (Yes/No) 

The EOI must be a PDF file. Inclusion of figures is permitted, given that there is space to include a clear legend or fully describe the figure in the text.

Full Application Format - Second Assessment Round

The format of the full application should be three A4 pages (excluding references), 12 pt font, 2 cm margins and should cover the following sections in the following order:

1. Project title

2. Investigator Team (Chief Investigator and potential Associate Investigators, incl. GESA membership number)

3. Background/rationale

4. Study originality/innovation

5. Project aims/methodology/experimental plan

6. Research facilities and environment

7. Expected outcomes/significance/impact

8. Detailed budget

9. Grant promotion

The full application must be a PDF file. Inclusion of figures is permitted, given that there is space to include a clear legend or fully describe the figure in the text.

Reporting and Communication 

Grant recipients must provide GESA with:

• A synopsis of the project to be provided to GESA (GESA will provide the proforma for your report if you have a successful grant application).
  • This is likely to be published on the GESA website and for other promotional uses.
• A clear explanation of how the funds were used.
• If requested, a presentation of the work at its completion at Australian Gastroenterology Week (AGW) Research Workshop 2027 to report progress and Research Workshop 2028 to present final project. 
• You may be required to participate in a press release or video presentation should your grant report be selected.
•  Publication of the final project on GESA Website.

N.B. In the event the research is published, appropriate acknowledgement of GESA as the funder should be undertaken. GESA will also require a PDF copy for citation on the GESA website.

To make an application

1. Log in/Register a New Account via the GESA Grants Portal.

2. Submit the application and required associated documentation. All updates, outcomes, and notification of acceptance or rejection of your application are to be received via the GESA Grants Portal. You can log in at any time to view the status of your application.

Payment Terms
Full payment of the grant funds will be made by GESA after:

1. Receipt of the Letter of Acceptance of the terms and conditions
2. A Letter of Thanks, and
3. An invoice from the sponsoring institution.

Please note: The grant funds are intended primarily to support reagent or equipment costs, but salaries may be included if appropriate and necessary to complete the project. However funds are not to be used for institution administration fees.

Questions
If you have any questions about the requirements, please contact the GESA Research & Grants team via researchcommittee@gesa.org.au

Closing date: Refer to the grants listing on the GESA Grants Portal Home page.

Begin a new application for this grant here.

Review your existing application(s) here.