SSH Discovery Award

The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) is proud to announce the inaugural award cycle for the new SSH Discovery Award. As the Society has grown in its support of research in healthcare simulation, the importance of funding larger, longer-range projects led by experienced researchers in the field has been recognized. Beginning with the 2025 Award Cycle, The Society has added the SSH Discovery Award to its highly successful research award program.  

Funding Available

One research award of $30,000 will be awarded. 

 Submission Instructions                                            Submit Here

Research Priorities to Consider 

Below are priorities identified by the Research Committee for the 2025 year’s funding cycle; however, the Committee does not restrict funding only to these priorities and will consider high-quality proposals that advance theoretical and applied knowledge in healthcare simulation research. 

• Studies that consider and investigate the balance between physical realism and resource utilization (cost, sustainability, and scalability) in simulation education.  
• Studies comparing factors related to high vs. low-fidelity simulations and simulators.  
• Studies investigating simulation-based factors (debriefing method, fidelity, learning modalities, etc.) that lead to optimization and acceleration of competency and learning in teams. 
• Studies investigating optimal dose, frequency, and interval of simulation training sessions for competency-based training. 
• Studies comparing variables (faculty presence, feedback methods, etc.) that influence and inform the setting of standards and assessment methods used in competency-based training. 
• Studies that investigate the relationship between simulated participant methodology and emerging technologies, including hybrid strategies. 
• Studies measuring the impact (emotional, learning, retention, etc.) of in situ simulation events on participating professionals, care teams, and patients not involved in the event. 
• Studies comparing Extended Reality (XR) based simulation with non-XR based simulation modalities, as it applies to training effectiveness/efficiency, learner outcomes, and mitigation of learner cybersickness. 
• Studies comparing the effectiveness of various debriefing techniques on learner competency, retention, or other psychometric parameters. 

Award Announcement

The winning project will be announced at the 25th International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH 2025), held in Orlando, Florida, USA, from January 10 to 14, 2025. 

Award Stipulations

Period of Funding

The project must be completed within 24 months of receiving the award funds. 

Progress Report

Principal Investigators receiving this Award must submit a progress report at 12 months and a final report at the end of the 24 months. 

Publication Requirements

Manuscripts resulting from awarded studies must be submitted FIRST to Simulation in Healthcare, the official journal of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. If a manuscript is not accepted to Simulation in Healthcare, the authors can submit the project to other journals. 
Any presentations resulting from the project must be submitted to either an SSH-sponsored educational meeting or be presented via an SSH-sponsored educational webinar. 

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants must be prepared to list all sources of grant funding received in the past. Indicate on your CV if the funding sources were internal or external. 
Only one project submission will be accepted by each principal investigator. 
Co-investigators other than the project mentor are encouraged, though optional. 

Scope of Project

Innovative studies with solid potential to positively impact the simulation field are encouraged.  
This award is appropriate for PILOT projects that may lead to more extensive investigations. 
A comprehensive range of sound empirical research methods (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, and mixed) is appropriate. 

Evaluation of Applications

Evaluation criteria of submitted proposals include: 

• Degree of the proposal's innovative nature 
• The perceived likelihood that the approach will lead to ground-breaking discoveries 
• Potential for successful research publication, attributable to the Discovery Award Funding and potential new extramural funding sources.  
• Principal investigators’ qualifications and research track record 
• Feasibility, importance, and innovation of the Research Plan 
• The project’s potential to make transformative discoveries.

Exclusions to Funding

• Award funding is not intended for current or future academic research required for degree completion (e.g., master’s level, PhD) 
• Studies in receipt of additional funding from non-SSH sources will not be considered.  
• Award funding is not intended for review projects (e.g., scoping reviews, meta-analysis, systematic reviews).  
• Award funding is not intended for projects related to curricular development in simulation. 

Budget Parameters

The SSH Discovery Award is designed to be the only external funding source for submitted projects. Projects for which non-SSH funds are being used in addition to external funding sources are not eligible. 

Internal institutional support is allowed and must be reported to SSH.
 
Award funding may be used for the following: 

• Personnel costs - up to 40% (e.g., stipends for faculty/staff/graduate students/trainees, research assistants, project managers, statisticians, data analysts, subject matter experts, consultants, Simulated participants (SPs). 
• Equipment/material costs - up to 50% (e.g., VR headsets, task trainers, wearables, computers, software, printing, paper, cloud storage, questionnaires, licensed tools) 
• Study participant support - up to 20% (e.g., gift cards, food and beverage support, parking) 

Award funding may not be used for:

• Travel 
• Conference and event fees 
• Membership fees 
• Professional development fees (e.g., tuition for educational programs or certification) 
• Indirect costs (e.g., organizational and administrative support, equipment, rental of space, utilities). 

Letter of Intent (LOI) Requirements

Submission Process

Applicants are required to enter the Letter of Intent into the SSH Presenter Center using this link: SSH Presenter Center. 

To access the LOI submission form, applicants must log in to the SSH website at ssih.org. Membership in the Society is not required to apply for the award program.
 
Applicants will receive a confirmation email when the submission has been completed and readied for peer review. Only complete LOIs will be forwarded for peer review. 

Ethics Review and Human Subject Protection

All proposals must include evidence of submission to the Institutional Review Board or Ethics Board at all institutions where the proposed work will occur, regardless of whether human subjects are used. Documentation of approval or exemption of the project by the IRB or Ethics Board is not required at the time of proposal application but will be required before the project funding. For human subjects’ usage definition and guidelines, please refer to Part 2 of the NIH PHS398 instruction set (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.doc). 

Background

Include a brief overview of the field to be studied, including what is known about the topic and what remains to be explored.  Describe how and why the proposed research will advance understanding in the field or bridge gaps in knowledge. Any supporting theoretical or conceptual frameworks should be included. 

Research Question

Clearly describe the Research Question driving the project and the need for the project within the field of healthcare simulation. List the goals and objectives of your study (i.e., to test the hypothesis of your research questions). The hypothesis must be clearly stated for quantitative research. A hypothesis is unnecessary for qualitative research, but guiding research questions should be stated instead. Specific aims should also be clearly stated. 

Research Methodology

Clearly describe the methodology planned for the project, including the research framework intended. It is often helpful to organize this section by listing each aim and the specific methods used. Other essential components include proposed inclusion and exclusion criteria for subjects, well-defined outcome measures, proposed statistical testing, anticipated sample size, and the overall data collection and management strategy.  

Project Timeline (2,000-character limit includes spaces)

Please provide a timeline of critical steps that demonstrates that you can feasibly complete the project within the 24-month award period. 

Budget (4,000-character limit includes spaces)

A high-level budget summary must be included, followed by a justification explaining how the award funds will be used specifically. The budget justification must demonstrate that adequate support and time will be dedicated to completing the goals. Applicants are reminded that the Award will be up to $30,000.  

Key References (Up to 10 for the LOI)