Request for Proposals: 2026-2027 CEO Clinical Learning Environment Innovation Awards Program!
(due Friday, October 2 at 5 pm)

The Cambridge Health Alliance Senior Leadership Team, Academy of Educators, and Graduate Medical Education Committee announce the opening of the 2026-2027 CEO Clinical Learning Environment (CEO-CLER) Innovation Awards Program! 

The program aims to enlist graduate-level trainees in improving their clinical learning environments at CHA. All graduate level trainees in CHA-sponsored health professional education programs are eligible to apply. The award grants up to $2,000 of support to initiatives that will make positive change at CHA. Applicants who wish to continue a previously awarded CEO CLER project are eligible to apply for a grant of up to $1,000. However, new initiatives will be prioritized for funding.

See what kinds of initiatives have previously been funded.

In the 2026-2027 program, we are soliciting proposals for change projects (which may include QI initiatives, curricular programs and/or wellbeing activities, among others).  

Projects may have one or more of the following aims: 

1. Supporting a High Reliability culture, including patient and staff safety 

2. Nurturing trainee well-being

3. Improving the patient and family experience of care

4. Improving patient quality of care, including reducing health disparities, waste and cost of care

5. Cultivating clinician engagement, professionalism and teamwork

Project selection criteria include:

• Expected project contribution to the clinical learning environment for trainees, staff, patients and/or families in at least one of the five aims above

• Clarity of the proposal including a well-articulated aim, a practical change idea, and a viable measurement strategy that demonstrates how the change leads to improvement

• Feasibility of the project with a scope right-sized for available time and resources

• Evidence of engagement with key stakeholders and support from appropriate leaders

• A plan for sustainability of the effort beyond the end of the academic year

Trainees are encouraged to collaborate across training programs, with multidisciplinary colleagues, and with patients and families. Trainees might consider using a CEO-CLER Innovation Award to join an ongoing existing improvement initiative at CHA. We suggest reaching out to faculty and program directors for project ideas and to discuss ideas with program directors ahead of submission. For projects related to well-being, you may consult with Dr. Paula Gardiner (pgardiner@challiance.org) to obtain mentorship. For QI projects, consider consulting Dr. Maren Batalden (mbatalden@challiance.org) who may assign a mentor from the QI department. For Education projects, you may consult Dr. Bonni Stahl (bstahl@challiance.org) who can identify mentors with education expertise.

Though we recognize that the distinction between research and an improvement project can be nuanced, note that the aim of the proposal should be linked to making institutional change at CHA. Tools and resources related to systems improvement that may be helpful in conceptualizing your project are available on our CHA PI website.  Grantees are expected to present their works-in-progress at the CHA Academic Poster Session in Spring 2027. The student(s) and faculty mentor(s) will be invited to participate in project development sessions through the CHA Academy of Educators. 

Deadlines and application instructions:

Friday, October 2nd at 5pm - Proposals due (late submissions will not be accepted)

• New Projects: Submit your proposal here
  Continuing Projects: Submit your proposal here

• Three attachments are required with the proposal: 

• Budget template:

• As you build out your budget, please reach out to oaa@challiance.org for approved vendors. Of note: if your project is accepted, you must contact our office ahead of purchasing to ensure appropriate procedures and policies are followed

• Funds cannot be used to purchase gift cards or to provide trainee salary support

• For printing of materials / handouts: The CHA Storefront (Copy Center) can print at no cost. Search “Storefront” on Staffnet

• Project timeline template

• Learner/mentor agreement

By Friday, October 16th- Notifications sent to applicants and faculty sponsors

• Acceptance letters may include detailed formative feedback intended to strengthen the project.

• The Selection Committee may provisionally approve a project and request that the grantee incorporate and respond to feedback.

Questions? Contact the Office of Academic Affairs (oaa@challiance.org) or Dr Bonni Stahl (bstahl@challiance.org).

Maren Batalden, Carolyn Fisher, Richard Pels, Elizabeth Gaufberg; CEO-CLER Innovation Grants Program: Empowering Residents as Clinical Learning Environment Change Agents. J Grad Med Educ 1 February 2019; 11 (1): 72–78. doi: https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-18-00278.1