Research Grants

Dr Stella de Silva Research Grant

Dr Stella De Silva was an outstanding paediatrician (1918- 2012) who served the children of this country and rendered immense service to the SLCP. She was a past president and also an emirates Editor of the SLJCH.

The family of Dr Stella Gertrude de Silva has created an endowment fund which facilitates funding of research projects from life members of SLCP. A total of 500,000 will be disbursed annually among 2 or 3 research projects deemed satisfactory and achievable during the stipulated period (Approximately Rs. 150,000 per project). 

 

Requirements for application

  1. The Principal Investigator or Supervisor or Senior Researcher must be an SLCP Life Member.
  2. Research projects that complete within 2 years is given preference.
  3. The research project must be completed within the prespecified time period. In situations where timely completion is not possible due to reasons beyond the control of the investigators, the Research Committee may consider the approval of 2 extension periods of 6 months. In exceptional circumstances, this may be further extended on the decision of the Research Committee.
  4. Progress Reports must be submitted annually.
  5. Research findings must be presented at the SLCP/ SLMA/ CCP or Annual Scientific Congresses of any professional colleges registered in Sri Lanka or any other International Conference related to paediatrics or paediatric subspecialties. Publication of the research findings is preferred and will be a consideration, when supporting a second research grant to the principal investigator. Prof Stella de Silva research grant should be acknowledged in all presentations and publications.
  6. A brief report summarizing the research should be submitted once completed. A brief report will be generated from these submitted summaries to be sent to the editors of SLJCH for consideration for publication as a brief report in the SLJCH, once every year.
  7. Ethics approval will be required to be submitted for funding to be released. Detailed Guidelines is available in http//slcp.lk

Documents required for submission (by email to researchslcp@gmail.com)

  1. Covering letter addressed to the President, Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians, signed by the Principal Investigator
  2. Completed Application form and Research Proposal which includes a detailed budget and a GANNT chart. The expected duration of study (Approximate starting date and completion dates) should be clearly stated.
  3. Curriculum Vitae of each investigator
  4. Details of ethical approval
  5. Supplementary material (if required/relevant to the project)

Annual SLCP Research Awards

Guideline for Awarding Annual SLCP Research Awards

 

1. Background and the Objective

The Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians (SLCP) proposes to establish Annual Research Awards to promote paediatric research among its membership, with particular emphasis on encouraging junior members and trainees to engage in structured, supervised, high-quality research. The Research Awards will be supported through the SLCP Research Fund, which is to be developed from the College’s financial surplus, subject to approval by the Council, Finance Committee, President-Elect and Vice President.

The objective of the awards is to support high-quality, feasible and clinically relevant paediatric research that contributes to child healthcare in Sri Lanka. The awards should also strengthen research capacity within the College, encourage younger researchers, and promote presentation and publication of locally generated evidence, nationally as well as internationally.

 

2. Sources of funding

The research awards will be supported by a dedicated SLCP Research Fund. A defined proportion (10%) of the College’s financial surplus will be allocated to this fund annually. The final funding model should be determined after consultation with the President-Elect, Vice President and Finance Committee. The SLCP Research Grants will be advertised at one time point (December each year). The proportion will be based on funds generated and surplus income available after closing accounts, as presented at the AGM of the relevant year. Any donations made by any well-wishers directly to the fund are acceptable but the SLCPO would keep them as anonymous donations.

The existing Dr Stella de Silva Research Grant will continue as a separate small-scale research grant, supported by its established fund and operative protocol. Applications for this grant may continue to be advertised annually during May – June and awarded by the first day of July each year.

 

3. Categories of Research Awards

The SLCP Research Awards may be offered under two categories:

3.1 Junior Research Award

This category is intended to encourage early-career researchers, including junior members and eligible Paediatric Postgraduate Trainees. Trainees may apply if the project is supervised by a SLCP member who accepts responsibility for guiding the work.

A junior is a person registered in the PGIM in MD Paediatrics Training Programme or within 3 years of his or her return to Sri Lanka after completing foreign training. If the person is not a Life Member of the college, he or she needs to become an Associate Member, Ordinary Member or Life Member and renew membership till the completion and disbursement of the final instalment.3.2 Senior Research Award

This category is intended for established Life Members of the College undertaking larger or more advanced research projects relevant to paediatrics and child health.

A senior is defined as a person who is a Life Member of the SLCP with 5 years after completion of Board Certification

 

4. Eligibility criteria

Applicants should be members of the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians, depending on the category of the award. Trainee applicants must apply with a named supervisor who is a Life Member of the College. The supervisor should provide written confirmation that the project is feasible, ethically acceptable, and likely to be completed within the proposed time frame.

Applicants who have previously received an SLCP Research Award may not reapply for a defined period, for example, five years, unless otherwise approved by the Research Committee. This is intended to allow equitable distribution of funding among members.

 

5. Frequency of application calls

Applications will be called at least once each year (November – December to be awarded on the first day of January)

 

6. The Value of the Awards

The maximum value of each Research Award will be decided annually by the Council and Finance Committee, at the beginning of the term, depending on available funds presented at the last AGM. A ceiling of approximately LKR 500,000 per award may be considered, subject to the merit of the application and the number of suitable applications received.

The committee may decide whether to award the full available amount to one outstanding proposal or divide the fund among several meritorious proposals. Priority should be given to scientific merit, feasibility, relevance to child health, and potential impact.

 

7. Application requirements

Each application should include:

  1. Title of the proposed Research Project
  2. Names, designations and affiliations of investigators
  3. Category of application: junior or senior
  4. Background and justification
  5. Research question, aim and objectives
  6. Methodology
  7. Study population and setting
  8. Ethical considerations and status of ethical approval
  9. Proposed timeline (Gantt Chart)
  10. Detailed Budget with justification
  11. Expected outputs, including presentation and publication plans
  12. Supervisor’s statement, where applicable
  13. Declaration of other sources of funding

Declaration that the same project is not fully funded by another source.

 

8. Selection criteria

Applications should be assessed using a structured marking scheme.

Suggested criteria include:

Criterion Suggested weightage
Relevance to paediatrics and child health in Sri Lanka
20%
Scientific merit and clarity of the research question
20%
Methodological quality
20%
Feasibility within the proposed timeline and budget
15%
Potential impact on clinical practice, policy or child health outcomes
15%
Capacity building, especially the involvement of junior researchers
10%

The Council may modify the weighting depending on the category of award on the recommendation of the Research Committee.

 

9. Review and awarding process

Applications should be reviewed by the SLCP Research Committee or by a three-member panel appointed by the Research Committee. Reviewers should declare conflicts of interest before assessment. No applicant, co-investigator or supervisor should be involved in the evaluation of the applications.Awards should be granted based on merit. If no application meets the expected standard, the committee may decide not to award the grant in that cycle, and the funds may accumulate and carried over to the next year.

 

10. Payment structure

The grant may be released in two instalments:

  • First instalment: 50% of the approved amount after signing the grant agreement and submission of ethical approval, where applicable.
  • Second instalment: 30% after submission of a satisfactory progress report or completion report on the research project, as well as a financial report with relevant documents (receipts of payments), as determined by the Research Committee.
  • Third instalment: remaining 20% after presenting at a National or International Scientific Conference approved by the Research Committee and submission of a manuscript for publication.

The committee also encourages a balance of supervisor oversight with researcher responsibility, particularly for trainees, so that young researchers develop grant management skills, including finances.

 

11. Responsibilities of the awardee and supervisor

The awardee is responsible for conducting the project according to the approved protocol, maintaining accurate records of expenditure, submitting progress reports, and completing the project within the agreed time frame.

For trainee-led projects, the supervisor must provide active oversight and ensure that the project is completed responsibly. The committee specifically noted the need for safeguards to prevent non-completion of funded studies and proposed that supervisors should be formally bound to the project completion timeline.

 

12. Completion, presentation and publication

All grant recipients must submit a final report to the Research Committee within the agreed time frame. Recipients should present their completed research at the SLCP Annual Scientific Congress or any other appropriate National or International Academic Forum approved by the College.

Publication should be preferably in the Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health or another recognised peer-reviewed journal.

 

13. Misuse of funds and non-completion

The grant agreement should include clear clauses on misuse of funds, non-completion of the project, or failure to submit reports. If the project is abandoned without acceptable justification, or if funds are misused, the College may request a return of the funds in full or in part.

Future eligibility for SLCP grants may be restricted for awardees who fail to complete projects or fail to submit required reports without a valid reason, as decided by the council on the recommendation of the Research Committee.

 

14. Reporting to the College

The Research Committee should submit an annual report to the SLCP Council, and tabled at the AGM summarising:

  • number of applications received,
  • number of awards granted,
  • names of recipients and project titles,
  • amount awarded,
  • progress of ongoing projects,
  • completed studies,
  • presentations and publications arising from funded work.

 

15. Review of the guideline

This guideline should be reviewed periodically, preferably every three years, or earlier if required, based on the availability of funds, feedback from applicants, completion rates, and research outputs.

The SLCP Annual Research Awards are intended to promote a sustainable research culture within the College, support clinically relevant paediatric research, and strengthen the involvement of junior members and trainees in academic activity. The awards should be administered transparently, with clear eligibility criteria, structured review, accountable fund disbursement, and mandatory dissemination of completed research.

 

7th June 2026
Research and Travel Grants committee
Dr B J C Perera, Prof Jithangi Wanigasinghe, Prof Heshan Jayaweera, Prof Sachith Mettananda, Dr Jagath Ranasinghe, Dr Chamidri Naotunna

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