E.W. "Al" Thrasher Awards
Forecasted
The E.W. "Al" Thrasher Awards from the Thrasher Research Fund support innovative, clinically focused pediatric research with the goal of improving child health outcomes.
Funder: Thrasher Research Fund
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2026 (Full proposal) | January 2027 (Concept paper) | April 2027 (Full proposal) | July 2027 (Concept paper)
Funding Amounts: Awards generally up to $600,000 (median ~$420,000) for up to 3 years; indirect costs capped at 7%.
Summary: Supports innovative, hypothesis-driven pediatric research projects with potential for significant, practical improvements in child health outcomes.
Key Information: This is a forecasted opportunity; dates are projected and may shift.
Description
The E.W. "Al" Thrasher Awards from the Thrasher Research Fund support transformative, hypothesis-driven research projects in pediatric clinical care. The program aims to fund studies that address critical health challenges in children and seek practical, broadly applicable solutions with a clear path to clinical impact. Projects may focus on any pediatric topic or disease, with a preference for those nearing clinical application and likely to significantly improve child health outcomes. Both U.S. and international research sites are eligible, and the program encourages multi-site and collaborative studies.
Projects must be innovative, close to clinical translation, and designed to yield advances in diagnosis or treatment. Exploratory or hypothesis-generating studies are not competitive. There are specific exclusions, including behavioral science, educational programs, studies solely on disease mechanisms or microbiome, research on human fetal tissue, and studies conducted only in cell lines or animal models.
