One of the ways ACEP pushes for the advancement of emergency physicians is by encouraging and promoting innovative research that makes an impact on daily practice. You may already be familiar with the Emergency Medicine Foundation and ACEP’s annual Research Forum, but those are only a couple ways to get involved with emergency medicine research. Whether you’re an investigator, participant, or consumer, there is a role for everyone.

Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF)

For a deep dive into emergency medicine (EM) research, we should start with the Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF). Founded in 1973 by ACEP leaders, EMF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that has awarded more than $18 million in research grants.

In 2022, EMF is expected to award $1.3 million in funding to EM researchers, including $250,000 in new grants to support research on current issues: the EM workforce, the value of emergency medicine, and physician wellness. This year’s awardees will be announced in the summer and projects will begin in July. To get a better understanding of the grants funded by EMF, visit https://www.emfoundation.org/grantee/grantees-2021-2022/ to meet the 2021-22 grant recipients and learn more about their research projects. To learn how you can support EMF’s mission and contribute to the funding of research that drives emergency medicine forward, visit emfoundation.org.

Research Forum

It’s time to submit your ACEP22 Research Forum abstracts! The Research Forum, held annually in conjunction with the ACEP Scientific Assembly, is emergency medicine’s premier research event. The Research Forum typically selects more than 400 abstracts per year, presented live and virtually during the event. To be considered for the 2022 Research Forum, held Oct. 1–3 in San Francisco, submissions are due May 18 at acep.org/rf.

While the Research Forum is an excellent opportunity for investigators to present their research, it’s also a popular event for ACEP22 attendees who want to hear about new findings, discuss advances in the specialty and understand practical applications for new data. Top abstracts are featured during its three plenary sessions, the State-of-the-Art sessions feature conversations with prominent research leaders, the Brooks F. Bock Lecture features new advances and exciting research, and the Editor’s Pearls workshop provides tips for progressing from an abstract to a peer-reviewed publication. Planning is well underway for the 2022 Research Forum—look for a more detailed schedule in August.

Research Abstracts On-Demand

Last year was an especially prolific year for the Research Forum because of the addition of a special edition forum dedicated to COVID-19 research. Both events contained high-quality abstracts, many of which are now available on-demand in ACEP’s Online Learning Collaborative.

EM Basic Research Skills (EMBRS)

For early researchers who want to hone their skills, the EM Basic Research Skills Conference is the right spot. EMBRS is a nine-day, two-session program (fall and spring) providing a broad overview of the basics of research, from idea to IRB approval to final presentation and publication. The course includes an introduction to statistics and statistical software, plus sessions on publishing and presenting. Save the date for the next EMBRS sessions: Oct. 17–22, 2022 and April 13–15, 2023. Learn more.

EM Practice Research Network

If you want to support emergency medicine research without actually doing the research, EMPRN could be the perfect fit for you. By joining this network, you’re committing to completing up to four research surveys per year covering an extensive range of subjects within our specialty. Participating in these surveys is a way to help investigators reach REAL emergency physicians, giving you a voice on issues critical to emergency medicine. Join the practice research network.

ACEP Research Committee

Comprised of ACEP members appointed by our president-elect, the Research Committee works on objectives that advance emergency care research and foster innovation in EM practice. The committee supports the development of investigators, promotes the value and importance of research, communicates advances in EM research, and encourages support for research funding. If you’re interested in serving on the Research Committee, apply by May 15.

Research, Scholarly Activity and Innovation Section

ACEP’s Research, Scholarly Activity and Innovation Section is a community for networking, sharing ideas and collaborating on resources to help the emergency medicine research community. You’ll find many resources developed by the section on ACEP’s research web page, including:

• Emergency Care Research Primer, a digital guide covering research topics, mentoring, research training, grant writing, presenting, publishing, and other aspects of successful research careers.
• Resident Research and Scholarly Activity Primer, a new digital book to help residency and research leadership implement scholarly activity to engage and inspire future generations of EM researchers.

Research Publications and Podcasts

Keep updated on new research through ACEP’s peer-reviewed journals and journal podcasts.

• Annals of Emergency Medicine is the number one journal in emergency medicine and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year (annemergmed.com). Listen to the Annals of Emergency Medicine Podcast, hosted by Ryan Radecki, MD, FACEP, and Rory Spiegel, MD, on all major listening platforms.
• JACEP Open, the official open access journal of ACEP, is a complementary publication to Annals (JACEPopen.com). Find the JACEP Open Podcast, hosted by Matthew DeLaney, MD, FACEP, and Jeffrey Jarvis, MD, FACEP, on all major listening platforms or visit acep.org/podcasts to see the full podcast family.