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The Stepping Strong Innovator Award supports research and innovation to prevent traumatic injury before it occurs, to improve the treatment and care of traumatic injury when it does occur, and to ensure its associated recovery. Up to four (4) awards in the amount of $100,000 each will be granted for a one-year period, inclusive of up to 20% indirect costs.

Stepping Strong Center leadership works closely with Innovator Awards recipients to provide them with strategic guidance, access to the Stepping Strong Center network, and assistance promoting their work.

2024 Cycle Important Dates

  • February 15, 2024, at 11:00 pm: Letters of intent due
  • February 23, 2024: Invitations to submit full proposal sent to applicants
  • April 4, 2024, at 11:00 pm: Full applications due
  • May 3, 2024: Finalists notified
  • May 14 and 15, 2024: Finalist presentations to review committee (finalists attend one session)
  • May 24, 2024: Award recipients notified
  • July 1, 2024: Earliest funding start date

Eligibility

  • Healthcare professionals, including clinicians, academic researchers, nurses, allied health professionals, and post-doctoral fellows, along with private-sector researchers and inventors, are invited to apply. Research can be conducted jointly between the public and private sectors.
  • At least one collaborator must have their primary affiliation at a Mass General Brigham institution.
  • Previous applicants of the Stepping Strong Innovator awards are eligible to re-apply. Previous Innovator Award recipients may re-apply two years after receiving their initial award.
  • Applicants may serve as the Principal Investigator (PI) on only one proposal but may serve as co-I on multiple proposals.
  • U.S. and non-U.S. citizens are welcome to apply.
  • If an application advances to a finalist presentation, at least one team member must be available to participate in the presentation session to which the application is assigned (sessions are scheduled for May 14 from 4-5 pm and May 15 from 3-4 or 4-5 pm).

For additional information, view the full RFA here or contact Cheryl Lang, Stepping Strong Center Senior Program Manager at steppingstrong@bwh.harvard.edu.

2023 Innovator Awards Recipients
Saef Izzy, MD, MBChB

Saef Izzy, MD, MBChB

Novel immune therapy to promote neurological recovery after traumatic brain injury

James A. Lederer, PhD

James A. Lederer, PhD

Restoring Immune Homeostasis and Recovery in Trauma by Trained Immunity

Geoffrey A. Anderson, MD, MPH and Juan P. Herrera-Escobar, MD, MPH

Geoffrey A. Anderson, MD, MPH and Juan P. Herrera-Escobar, MD, MPH

Beyond Surviving: Implementing the “Transforming Recovery After Injury for the Long-term (TRAIL) Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital”

Mahdi Ebnali, PhD

Ryan Harari, PhD

An Augmented Reality (AR) Smart Decisions Support System to Advance Trauma Care at the Point of Injury

2022 Innovator Awards Recipients
Brian Wainger, MD, PhD

Brian Wainger, MD, PhD

Spinal Motor Neuron Transplantation to Enhance Reconstruction Strategies Following Traumatic Nervous System Injury

Rebecca Robbins, MMSci, PhD, MS, and Chana A. Sacks, MD, MPH

Rebecca Robbins, MMSci, PhD, MS, and Chana A. Sacks, MD, MPH

Sleep Superheroes: Cultivating healthy sleep behaviors for youth impacted by gun violence

Shan Liu, MD, SD

Shan Liu, MD, SD

A Novel Design for an Emergency Department Virtual Observation Fall Prevention Program

Michelle Joseph, MBBS, BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD, FRCS

Michelle Joseph, MBBS, BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD, FRCS

Development of the Integrated Military Partnerships and Civilian Trauma Systems (IMPACT) Framework

2021 Innovator Awards Recipients
Justin Brown, MD

Justin Brown, MD

Traction neurogenesis for overcoming large nerve gaps

Peter T. Masiakos, MD, MS and Cornelia Griggs, MD

Developing and evaluating an avatar/virtual reality-based gun violence prevention training program for clinicians

Jenna Galloway, PhD

Jenna Galloway, PhD

Harnessing single cell RNA-sequencing technology for tendon regenerative medicine strategies

Nakul Raykar, MD

Nakul Raykar, MD

Civilian walking blood banks for hemorrhagic shock when stored blood is unavailable

2020 Innovator Awards Recipients
Yi Lu, MD, PhD

Yi Lu, MD, PhD

Developing treatments for progressive visual impairment following traumatic brain injury

Jeffrey C. Schneider, MD

Jeffrey C. Schneider, MD

Digital Phenotyping: A Novel Way to Assess Outcomes for Burn Survivors after Hospitalization

Arvind von Keudell, MD

Arvind von Keudell, MD

Optimizing orthopaedic trauma surgical procedures with personalized implants and augmented reality

2019 Innovator Awards Recipients
Shailesh Agarwal, MD

Shailesh Agarwal, MD

Using Biologic Agents to Regenerate Muscles After Traumatic Injury

I. Leah Gitajn, MD

Improving Outcomes for Patients with Fracture-Related Infections

Bharti Khurana, MD

Making the Invisible Visible: Bringing Intimate Partner Violence into Focus

Feodor Price, PhD

A Cell Therapy Platform for Treating Skeletal Muscle Trauma

Marc Wein, MD, PhD

Marc Wein, MD, PhD

A Novel Approach to Stimulating Bone Regeneration and Repairing Fractures

2018 Innovator Awards Recipients

Natalie Artzi, PhD (left)

Using Gene Therapy and Antibiotic Delivery to Treat Bone Infections

Jenna Galloway, PhD, and Jessica Lehoczky, PhD

Identifying Drugs to Expedite the Healing of Orthopaedic Injuries

Mathias Kolle, PhD

Revealing Optimal Pressure in Compression Therapy using Color-changing Fibers

Yi Lu, MD, PhD, and Zhigang He, PhD

Locomotion Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury

2017 Innovator Awards Recipient

Omid Farokhzad, MD

Multifunctional Scaffolds that Promote Bone Healing and Regeneration

Giorgio Giatsidis, MD, PhD

Mitigating Damage to Injured Limbs After Tourniquet Application

2016 Innovator Awards Recipients

Reza Abdi, MD

New Hope for Trauma Patients with Severe Burn Injuries

Michael J. Weaver, MD

21st Century Tools to Measure Bone Healing

2015 Innovator Awards Recipients

Edward J. Caterson, MD

Healing Injuries in the Traumatized Extremity: Protection, Decontamination, and Regeneration

Omid Farokhzad, MD

Healing Bones with Nanodrones: The Next Frontier in Orthopedic Trauma Surgery

Bohdan Pomahac, MD

From Battlefield to Bedside: A Portable Device for Rescuing Limbs

Su-Ryon Shin, PhD

3D Bioprinting: A New Approach to Healing Muscle Trauma

2014 Innovator Awards Recipients

Matthew J. Carty, MD

Recovering Limb Function: A New Surgical Approach For the 21st Century

George Dyer, MD

Repairing Large Traumatic Fractures: Using Silk-Based Orthopedic Implants to Promote Healing

Indranil Sinha, MD

Using Stem Cells to Regenerate Injured Muscle.

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