CPD Research Scholarship Program

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The Stanford Center for Continuing Medical Education (Stanford CME) advances excellence in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) by cultivating rigorous, practice-impactful scholarship that improves clinician performance and patient outcomes. The CPD Research Scholarship Program supports Stanford Medicine educators, clinicians, and interprofessional teams to design, study, and disseminate innovations in accredited CPD.

Competitive proposals will address a meaningful practice or learning problem and demonstrate academic rigor with well-articulated aims, a feasible activity plan, a sound research/evaluation design, an implementation timeline, a clear dissemination strategy, and an appropriate budget. Pending annual budget availability, awards prioritize projects that strengthen equitable, team-based care, link CPD to behavior and system outcomes, and contribute publishable evidence to the CPD field.

Projects should be anchored in a Stanford CME/CPD activity or initiative and advance scholarship that measurably improves clinician performance and/or patient outcomes. Priority will be given to proposals that demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Clear linkage to practice or system outcomes (e.g., behavior change, care quality, or patient impact).
• Equity and ethics considerations in CPD design, delivery, or evaluation.
• Methodological rigor (evidence review, robust data collection/analysis) is appropriate to the research question.
• Interprofessional education or team-based learning approaches within Stanford Medicine.
• Dissemination plan targeting recognized CPD journals (e.g., Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, Medical Education, Journal of CME)

The Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing scholarship, innovation, and professional development in continuing education for health professionals. SACME fosters research, evidence-based practices, and collaboration to enhance clinician performance, patient care, and public health. You can learn more about SACME at sacme.org.

In 2025, SACME-led sessions form the program backbone. Attendance at SACME 2025 is encouraged; the program culminates at SACME 2026. Key dates:

• Session 1: SACME Annual Meeting (hybrid) — March 16, 2025
• Session 2: Equity & Ethics in CPD — April 8, 2025 (online)
• Session 3: Evidence Review — May 13, 2025 (online)
• Session 4: Methods — June 10, 2025 (online)
• Session 5: Collecting Data — July 8, 2025 (online)
• Session 6: Analyzing Data — September 9, 2025 (online)
• Session 7: Other Methods — October 14, 2025 (online)
• Session 8: Writing Your Article — January 13, 2026 (online)
• Session 9: SACME Annual Meeting — March 2026 (hybrid)

Current Stanford Medicine faculty (UTL, MCL, NTLR, or CE appointments) with a demonstrated interest in CME/CPD scholarship and a commitment to collaborate with the Stanford CME office and participate in SACME’s coaching/mentoring program.

• The proposed study must be anchored to a Stanford CME/CPD activity or project aimed at improving healthcare education, clinician performance, and/or patient outcomes.
• Close collaboration with the Stanford CME team is expected from design through dissemination; scholars will present interim or final findings at the 2026 SACME Annual Meeting. Attendance at SACME 2025 is encouraged but not required.
• A manuscript submission to a CME/CPD-relevant peer-reviewed outlet (e.g., Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, Medical Education, Journal of CME, or another appropriate journal) is expected.
• If the project involves human subjects or learner/clinician data, applicants must obtain required approvals (e.g., IRB and Stanford CME data-governance) prior to data collection.

Applicants can apply for up to $15,000. Additional expenses, if any, would need to be covered by the other funding sources available to the faculty member.

Allowable uses (examples)

• Research design and evaluation support (e.g., data collection/analysis, survey platforms, transcription)
• Personnel effort for research assistants/analysts; limited specialized consulting (e.g., biostatistics)
• Participant incentives where appropriate and approved
• Project-related software, supplies, and small equipment (<$5,000)
• Dissemination costs (e.g., SACME travel/registration, page charges/APCs when justified)

Not allowed (examples)

• PI salary support, general administrative overhead, or non-project travel
• Capital equipment (≥$5,000) or routine departmental expenses

Administration

• Typical project period: up to 12 months; extensions considered with justification
• Disbursement and purchasing follow Stanford CME/University procedures (primarily reimbursement or internal transfer with receipts)
• End-of-project closeout requires a brief report and proof of submission to a peer-reviewed outlet