ImproveCareNow Research Awards - Request for Proposals

The 2026 ImproveCareNow (ICN) Research Awards support innovative, investigator-led research designed to advance remission and sustained remission for children and young adults living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Through this competitive funding opportunity, ICN care centers can leverage one of the world's largest pediatric IBD datasets, representing nearly 33,000 patients, to generate insights that improve outcomes and strengthen the future of IBD research.  

Two awards of up to $45,000 each will be funded for one-year projects.  

Link to the Full Request for Proposals

Timeline

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Important Dates:

• October 16, 2026 - Deadline to Submit Proposal
• December 1, 2026 - Anticipated Grant Award Notification
• January 1, 2027 - Project Kickoff

Research Priority Areas 

Applicants should propose projects aligned with one of the following research domains: 

1. High-Risk Patient Identification 

Identify and characterize high‑risk pediatric IBD subgroups and evaluate early (6-12 months diagnosis) predictors of poor outcomes  

2. Health Equity & Outcome Disparities 

Identify demographic, socio‑economic, and access‑related drivers of disparities in outcomes  

3. Disease Burden & Patient Journeys 

Quantify disease burden, patient journeys, and healthcare utilization in high‑risk populations  

Who Can Apply? 

Applicants must: 

• Be a faculty-level investigator (including junior faculty) at an ICN-affiliated Center
• Submit through their Center as the contracting entity
• Demonstrate appropriate research, analytics, and data management support at their institution  

Application Requirements At-a-Glance 

Applicants will submit a digital application containing:

• Career development goals
• Research plan (Significance, Innovation, Approach)
• Data and ICN access plan
• Project timeline and deliverables
• Letter of support from divisional leadership  

Ready to Submit? 

➡️Proposal Submission Portal 

Applications must be submitted through the ICN submission portal by October 16, 2026, at 11:59 PM local time. Late or incomplete submissions cannot be reviewed.  

Questions? 
Contact: [email protected]