SmartTots Request for Research Grant Applications!

December 7, 2021

Deadline: February 28, 2022

SmartTots, a Public-Private Partnership between the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is a multi‐year collaborative effort to increase the safety of anesthetic drugs for the millions of infants and children who undergo anesthesia each year.

Background
Laboratory animals exposed to most anesthetic and sedative drugs early in life show changes to the brain and nervous system that can interfere with memory, learning, and behavior. Accumulating clinical data in young children suggest alterations in behavior but not cognition in single and multiple exposures. All of the human studies to date have had significant limitations that make it impossible to conclusively determine whether anesthesia, surgery, hospitalization, or pre-existing conditions caused the observed effects. Additional research is needed to assess the effects of anesthetics and sedatives on the developing human brain.

Request for Applications
SmartTots is accepting applications aimed at continuing the ongoing work to advance the knowledge and understanding of the effects of anesthetics on the developing brain and address current unknowns. Both clinical and preclinical projects are welcome. New projects continuing the work of an earlier study are encouraged. Pilot projects will be considered.

Find eligibility criteria, specific questions of interest, and a link to the application here: https://smarttots.org/awards.