2026 Latin American Grant Program of National Board of Medical Examiners®

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

The application has two components: (1) content that will be submitted via question prompts in Submittable and (2) content that should be uploaded as a single combined PDF document in Submittable. 

TO BE COMPLETED IN SUBMITTABLE

Applicant Institution

The primary applicant institution must be a medical school/training program providing medical education at either the undergraduate and/or the residency level. 

Institution Contact / Principal Investigator

This individual will be responsible for submitting the application and will receive notifications regarding application status.

Institution’s Authorized Representative 

This individual or office contact has responsibility for reviewing and signing contracts and is usually an organization’s contracts or grants administrator. 

Acknowledgement of Non-Commercialization

As part of NBME’s philanthropic programs, the Latin American Grant Program supports the medical education and assessment communities to drive future innovations. The Program is not intended to support work to develop commercialized assessment products or services. The Latin American Grant Program selection committee will not consider any such proposals for funding. 

Abstract (350 word maximum)

• Describe the specific aims of the proposed project as well as any other applicable long-term objectives. Include a brief description of the research design and methods for achieving the stated goals. 
• Write in plain language, so a reviewer without a research background will be able to understand the importance of the project.

DOCUMENT UPLOAD

Please upload a single PDF which combines the following documents together.

1. Program Description. (Maximum of 6 pages.) 

2. Proposal Budget. (See template at https://contributions.nbme.org/contribution/applying-latam)

3. Detailed Project Timeline. (Maximum of 1 page.)

4. Bio Sketch from each member of the team. (See template at https://contributions.nbme.org/contribution/applying-latam)

5. Existing IRB approvals or any IRB applications in process, as applicable.

6. Letter(s) of Support from institutional leadership. 

1. Program Description

Describe your proposed project according to the prompts below. The description should be double-spaced and written in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. If references are cited, this will not be considered part of the page count. 

(Maximum of 6 pages.)

Introduction and Project Aims

• Why is the topic important to medical education assessment in your discipline, institution, country or region? 
• Please cite literature on what is already known about the topic and how this identifies the existing gap.
• A clear statement of specific aims (if a research study) or a clear description of project scope and purpose (if an implementation project)

Methods and Materials (Data Collection)

• Description of a methodology that is appropriate to the question(s) or project plan. 
• A clear and detailed study design / implementation plan including elements such as: a description of population to be studied or involved, the types of instruments or techniques planned for measurement with a rationale, including any validity evidence for the instruments selected, and if instruments or materials are to be developed, how this is feasible for the scope and timetable of the project. 

Data Analysis and/or Program Evaluation

• An evaluation plan that is appropriate for the study design and one that links to the anticipated outcomes and results.
• Rationale for the evaluation(s) or statistical methods selected. 

Anticipated Outcomes and Results

• Discussion of the anticipated primary and any relevant secondary outcomes and how they will contribute to improvements in medical education assessment at institutional and/or systemic levels. 
• Please include plans for generalizability, sustainability, and scholarly dissemination of your proposed project.  

Collaboration and Mentoring

• A description of the proposed collaboration among institutions. Explain what each institution will bring to the project and/or will gain during the project.
• A description of the proposed collaboration among individuals. Explain what each member of the research team will bring to and/or will gain during the project.
• Explain how you will involve diverse stakeholders (e.g., organizations, students, educators, perspectives) in this process (if applicable).
• Highlight any mentoring relationships among the project team, as applicable. 

Future Steps

Description of the next steps (for example, wider distribution or further research potential), generalized use of the project results or findings, or potential integration into other learning settings. 

Citations

• Use any format for reference citations.
• This section does not count toward the program description page limit.

2. Budget 

Please use the template to create a clear breakdown of the budget, including itemized expenses and justification for each cost. Indirect costs may not exceed 10% of the total requested grant amount. 

3. Detailed Timeline 

Please include a project plan outlining key milestones, activities and deliverables, preferably as visual timeline. The timeline should not exceed one page. 

4. Bio Sketch

Please complete the bio sketch form for each member of the research team. We ask that you limit the bio sketch to no more than 2 pages per team member.

5. Existing IRB approvals or any IRB applications in process

Please include any documents related to IRB application or approval.

6. Letter(s) of Support

Please include one or more letter(s) of support from institutional leadership (Division/Department Director, Dean, other program leader, etc.) from each institution involved in the project and for endorsement of the institution's and PI’s involvement in the project. 

PROPOSAL EVALUATION 

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following factors:

• Feasibility of achieving the project’s intended aims, including demonstration of the appropriate skill level of the proposed team, available technology, resources, and program evaluation plan.  
• Potential for meaningful impact at the institutions and beyond, including scalability within medical education. 
• Collaboration among institutions, regions, or countries. Additional consideration will be given to collaborations that include meaningful mentorship for medical students, residents, and/or junior faculty.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR COMPLETED PROPOSAL 

All documents to be uploaded should be in PDF format and submitted as one document. You are required to submit both a blinded and an identified copy of your proposal to NBME’s platform, “Submittable.” Blinded versions should redact or omit any identifying names of individuals and institutions.

If you have not previously used Submittable, please create a profile by clicking here: https://nbme.submittable.com/signup. Once you have completed this step, complete the application form and follow the instructions for uploading your information and application document.

If you have previously used the Submittable platform for other grant or review work for NBME, your submissions were connected to the user email address on file. Your submissions will appear on your dashboard labeled with the title of your submission and previous submission ID number. That information may be accessed here: https://nbme.submittable.com/login

All submissions are due by Monday, February 23, 2026 at 11:59 pm (Eastern US)

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email NBMELAGGrants@nbme.org. 

Medical Student Organization Assistance Initiative

The Medical Student Organization Assistance Initiative will support medical student organizations in the form of individual awards up to $7,500 per organization. The initiative aligns with NBME's Learner Support strategy. This work specifically aligns with NBME’s vision of advancing the healthcare workforce through development of future healthcare leaders and also responds directly to needs expressed by the student community.  Funds will support critical projects and/or events acknowledging organizational milestones such as significant anniversaries of student groups.  Student organizations that are officially recognized by their institutions are eligible to apply.