UChicago Medicine Innovation Grant Program

UChicago Medicine Innovation Grant Program is sponsored by The University of Chicago Medicine. This program supports impactful projects that use research-quality methods to design, implement, and evaluate innovative solutions to health system operational challenges within UChicago Medicine.

UChicago Medicine Innovation Grant Program - HDSI Innovation Grant Program Submission Deadline: September 8 Building Trust & Choosing Wisely Challenge Submission Deadline: September 8 Quality & Safety Symposium Poster Submission Deadline: September 8 UChicago Medicine Innovation Grant Program Home | UChicago Medicine Innovation Grant Program UChicago Medicine Innovation Grant Program Kathryn Reget 2026-05-04T22:04:22-05:00 Apply Here for the Fall 2026 Innovation Grant Where Operational Innovation and Research Intersect UChicago Medicine Innovation Grant Program supports impactful projects that use research-quality methods to design, implement, and evaluate innovative solutions to health system operational challenges.

UChicago Medicine aims to identify and develop clinical investigators, to provide seed support for critical projects that improve quality and safety at our health system and create value for our patients. Innovation Grant ideas ought to align with UChicago Medicine’s Annual Operating Plan . All UChicago Medicine staff, trainees and faculty are eligible to apply.

Research teams must include members of more than one discipline. One or more members of the team should have research experience that is skilled enough to design an intervention and carry out a rigorous evaluation of the targeted innovation. Staff and trainees should work with a faculty mentor.

Recipients of the Innovation Grant must be prepared to offer a 1-year commitment to their UChicago Medicine-centered project. The Innovation Grant funding is generously supported by a private philanthropist with matching support from the Office of the UCM President.

The Center for Healthcare Delivery Science & Innovation will fund up to $50,000 for each one-year project, plus access to data with an analyst using the MDClone tool, biostats support, human-centered design mentorship and project management.

Budgets should take into consideration appropriate salary support, supplies, costs associated with fulfilling CRI data requests and/or project management and statistical needs beyond what HDSI will provide. Preference will be given to proposals that align with the health system’s identified topics of interest.

Keep in mind, proposals will be reviewed based on their relevancy to current trends, research methods and our operational priorities. Most importantly, proposals should explicitly describe the projects goals, resources required, describe methods and how outcomes will be achieved.

Improve patient throughput and care efficiency Provide safe, patient-centered and goal-concordant care Reduction of waste and cost to care delivery Patient, staff and faculty ease of access to UChicago Medicine resources Your proposal will be evaluated based on the following criteria: Significance (problem, impact, knowledge) Does this project align with an operational priority at UCM?

(See UCM 2026 Annual Operating Plan Goals or the Clinical Effectiveness Quality Scorecard) In what way will the project create value for UCM patients and/or the delivery system? How will our understanding of healthcare delivery be improved by achieving the aims outlined? Are the results of this project likely to be generalizable to other areas or institutions?

Could they result in additional grant funding in the future to further explore the area? Has consideration been made to diversity, equity and inclusion in the intervention design? Is the proposed project original and innovative?

Does it challenge current processes or approaches to care delivery at UCM? Does this project employ novel concepts, approaches, processes or tools? Approach (methods, process, analysis) Are the clinical frameworks, study design, methods, and analyses well-described, well-reasoned, and appropriate to the aims of the project?

Is there a plan for engaging end-users (providers, patients and/or caregivers, support staff) and stakeholders (leaders, implementers, administrators)? Does the approach address relevant dimensions of health equity affecting UCM’s patient population? Have limitations been adequately addressed?

Feasibility (team, timing and resources) Does the team contain the relevant skills and expertise to complete the project? Does the team contain diverse perspectives? Is the team multidisciplinary?

(Teams that consist of only one discipline of provider/investigator are less likely to be funded.) Do team members have a track record of successful implementation? Can this project be completed in a one-year period and within the allocated budget?

Application, Support and Guidance Grant proposals should be provided in 11-point Arial font, 0. 5 inch margins, and single-spaced (follows the National Institute of Health (NIH) standard formatting) Grant submission PDFs and filenames One PDF should include be the written application. Name your application file: LastName_FirstName_Grant26.

One PDF should include the detailed budget. This is the only file that should include salary information. Name the budget file: LastName_FirstName_Grant26_Budget.

Application Format and Structure Specific Aims –1 PAGE max Provide a clear overview of the problem your project intends to address, the measurable goals of your proposed innovation, and your plan for implementing and evaluating the impact of your innovation.

Clearly list the specific aims of the project proposed (e.g., to create a novel design, to solve a specific problem, to challenge an existing clinical practice, to address a critical barrier to healthcare or operations).

Project Narrative –3 PAGES max Organize the Project Narrative using the following headings Significance (problem, impact, knowledge) Approach (methods, process, analysis) Feasibility (team, timing, resources) Describe your plan for disseminating results from this project, including any ideas for publishing in a peer-reviewed journal, presenting at specific national meetings, etc. Budget Narrative- 1 PAGE max Provide an overview of the total direct costs associated with planning, implementing, and evaluating your project.

Describe your budget by category (i.e. supplies, personnel, services, data fulfillment, analysis, etc.) and the assumptions used to allocate these funds. Provide information about the role for each individual supported in the budget. Do not include any salary information in the budget narrative.

Timeline and Plan for IRB Approval- 1 PAGE max Provide a timeline for the project that includes key milestones around planning, implementing, and evaluating your innovation. This timeline should include a proposed deadline for completing the analysis and preparing a manuscript. Include your plan for acquiring IRB approval OR formal Quality Improvement Determination .

CV, Resume or Biosketch 5-PAGES max PER PERSON Include information for key personnel (Co-Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator and any external collaborators) being supported through the grant. List of all Project Members- 1 PAGE max Provide a list of all team members participating in project. Include their Name, Title, Role, and Discipline (e.g. John Doe MPH, Senior Quality Analyst, Project Analyst, Data & Analytics).

References Cited- 1 PAGE max Provide references for any articles cited in the grant application or consulted when developing this project. Letters of Support- 3 LETTERS max; 1 PAGE EACH Include letters of support from any department heads, senior managers, or operational leaders that will be impacted or involved in your project. Include a letter of support from your supervisor or manager.

Residents and Fellows should submit a letter of support from the faculty member overseeing their project as well as from their training program director. Detailed Budget (Confidential)- 1 PAGE Provide a short, detailed budget identifying proposed funding allocation to salary support, supplies, data fulfillment, data analysis, and other expenses. If you have questions, please reach out directly to the HDSI team .

If the success of your project depends on use of (or change in) existing UCM staffing, data collection, new technology or other interventions, HDSI encourages and will prioritize the Innovation Grant submission for review: PRIOR (Pilots, Research & Innovation Operational Review) consultation process introduces investigators to operational leaders to provide guidance and coordination during the project design phase.

If applicable, the following individuals are available and may be consulted as you design your research project: Designing Services and Systems Around People’s Needs: Kim Erwin, MDes Director, Equitable Healthcare Lab; Associate Professor, Institute of Design; Visiting scholar, UCM Research methods and analysis: Rachel Baccile, MPP Senior Research Analyst at CHeSS, HDSI partner Julie Johnson, PhD, MPH, RN Executive Director of Clinical Research Informatics Access to data and changes to health system IT devices: John Moses, MS Director, IS Clinical Systems & Research Shariq Ata , Executive Director Data Analytics, Architecture, Integration & Innovation Past Innovation Grant Winners The Impact of Medical Debt Relief on Utilization and Outcomes for Patients Betsy Cliff, PhD, Joseph Bruch, PhD Evaluating the Integration Feasibility of a Cloud-Enabled AI Biomarker for Thyroid Cancer Diagnostics within UChicago Medicine OPTIMIZE-ICU: Optimizing Protocols for Timely Implementation of Mobilization in ICU Barriers and Facilitators of Implementing a Digital Health Remote Monitoring Tool After Major Abdominal Surgery Using the Existing Electronic Health Record versus a Commercial Application Evaluation of a Beta-Lactam Allergy History Program to Optimize Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Surgery Patients Integrating Electronic Health Record (EHR)-Based Rapid Dietary Assessment and Counseling with Embedded Clinical-Decision Support for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Awareness, agreement or ability?

What’s the barrier: Increasing Accessibility to Skilled Therapies for Persons with Dementia Evaluation of the effectiveness of TailorMed Financial management program to address financial toxicity & access clinical and implementation outcomes Health & Housing: A Solution for Patients Experiencing Homelessness Frailty Screening in Preoperative Surgery Clinics to Identify At-Risk Patients and Implement Interventions Maria Lucia Madariaga, MD Using Technology to Address Disparities and Promote Healthcare Equity in Type 1 Diabetes Using Digital Navigation to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates, Improve Bowel Preparation Quality During Colonoscopy and Decrease Colonoscopy No-Show Rates Reducing Compassion Fatigue in Ucmc Health Care Workers Examining the Post-Crash Wreckage: Finding the What, Why, and How Behind Medication Error ACT VALUE Program for Asthma and COPD: Ambulatory Care Transformation Using Value-Based Assessment and Learning or Under-Recognized Etiologies: Asthma & COPD Implementation of Point-of-Care Pharmacogenomic Decision Support In Postoperative Pain Management Managing Diabetes to Gain Opportunities for a More Active Life (My Diabetes Goal) Elbert Huang, MD, MPH, FACP Optimizing Our Ileostomy Outcomes Through Pathways and Protocols Improving End-of-Life Care for Oncology Patients at UCM Implementing Computerized Adaptive Testing and Embedded Care for Depression Screening and Management in Primary Care Effect of a Goal-Directed Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Clinical Pathway on Hospital Readmission and Cost of Care “Prudence” Surgical Cost Reduction Initiative Improving the Health of Our Patients: The COPD Readmissions Intervention You are now leaving hdsi.

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