FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PILOT STUDIES

THE RESEARCH IN PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE COMMUNICATION AND TRAINING (RESPECT) CENTER

Indiana University

The mission of the Research in Palliative and End-of-Life Communication and Training (RESPECT) Center is to build a collaborative, interdisciplinary scientific community of researchers and clinicians to work together to advance the science of communication in palliative and end-of-life care across the lifespan. As part of that initiative, we are pleased to announce the availability of funds for pilot projects with a starting date of July 1, 2011.

Pilot grant proposals are due Friday, May 20, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. (EST)

Purpose:

These pilot grants are offered to encourage the development ofresearch focused on improved communication and decision-making for patients facing serious or advanced illness. These grants will support research projects of the highest merit and will allow:

  • Accelerated development of innovative descriptive and intervention research trials relevant to communication and decision-making.
  • Testing of innovative hypotheses and interventions which might have important implications or yield significant results for Palliative/End of Life (P/EOL) communication.

Mechanism:

This pilot grant program provides a funding mechanism for any of the following research:

  • Projects to generate the preliminary data necessary for submission of a research grant by NIH or similar mechanisms.
  • New investigators or senior investigators who are new to the area of P/EOL communication.
  • Supplementalfunds for ongoing projects focused on P/EOL communication.
  • Opportunities to test highly creative or original hypotheses about P/EOL communication that are unlikelyto be funded through more traditional mechanisms.

It is expected that the results obtained through this funding will provide preliminary data that will facilitate investigators competing successfully for extramural research funding.

Period and Amount of Funding and Reporting Requirements:

  • Funding is available for an initial period of one year beginning July 1, 2011 and ending June 30, 2012. Funds will be released once IRB approval is obtained.
  • The budgetis limited to a maximum of $15,000 in total costs. This grant will not fund indirect costs. Up to 3grantsof $15,000 each will be funded this funding cycle. Funds may be requested for personnel (including PI’s salary), supplies, services, travel and other costs (not equipment). The RESPECT Center is open to considering proposals that combine support from other funders but investigators considering this approach need to consult with a RESPECT Co-Director prior to submission.
  • A final progress report on the study and plans for next steps must be submitted by July 15, 2012. Pilot funding recipients will also be required to present their research at a statewide conference to be held in Spring,2013. Any publication or presentation regarding research from this award must acknowledge support from the RESPECT Center and the IU Signature Center Initiative.

Eligibility Requirements:

All teaching and research faculty at IUPUI who are eligible to apply for NIH funding are eligible to apply for this pilot grant opportunity. Preference will be given to new investigators and to research that fosters transdisciplinary collaboration.

Application:

Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to contact one of the Co-Directors (Susan Hickman: , Greg Sachs: , or Joan Haase: ) early in the grant development process to verify the proposed study is consistent with the mission of the RESPECT Center.

Applicants are encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI)to the three Co-Directors by Wednesday, April 20, 2011. The LOI may be an e-mail containing the descriptive title of the proposed research, name of the principal investigator and names of other key personnel.

To facilitate the application process for subsequent funding from NIH or other agencies, the RESPECT application format and review criteria mirrors those of the NIH.

The application should be submitted as an email attachment to Molly Donovan at . Upon submission, you will be sent a receipt of the email. Final submission is due by 5:00 p.m. (EST)on Friday, May 20, 2011.

Format:

The application should be formatted with 1-inch margins, single-spaced, and size 12 Arial font.

1. Applicant information

Name, department, contact information

Current Biosketch in NIH format

2. Project Abstract (300 word maximum)

Concisely state the hypothesis, approach, potential outcomes and the significance of the study regarding the field of P/EOL communication.

3. Research Plan

The Research Plan should include the following:

Specific Aims(1 pagemaximum, single spaced,)

State concisely the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed research will exert on the research field(s) involved.

List succinctly the specific objectives of the research proposed, e.g., to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a critical barrier to progress in the field, or develop new technology.

Specific Aims are limited to one page.

Research Strategy (5 pages maximum, single spaced)

Organize the Research Strategy in the specified order and using the instructions provided below. Start each section with the appropriate section heading—Significance, Innovation, Approach.

(a) Significance

  • Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress in the field that the proposed project addresses.
  • Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice in one or more broad fields.
  • Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field will be changed if the proposed aims are achieved.

(b) Innovation

  • Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms.
  • Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or intervention(s) to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methodologies, instrumentation or intervention(s).
  • Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions.

(c) Approach

  • Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Unless addressed separately, include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted as well as any resource sharing plans as appropriate.
  • Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to achieve the aims.
  • If the project is in the early stages of development, describe any strategy to establish feasibility, and address the management of any high risk aspects of the proposed work.

4. Budget and Budget justification

Provide a narrative justification for all study-related expenses.

For any additional application questions please contactMolly Donovan:

Review and Processing:

Application receipt deadline is Friday, May 20, 2011 at 5:00 PM(EST)

1. Proposal reviewers will be assigned based on the focus and methods of the study.

2. For the initial review,NIH review criteria will be used, including the 1-9 scoring system for each section.

Overall Impact

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score and comments to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s).

  • Scored Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider each of the five review criteria (Significance, Investigators, Innovation, Approach, and Environment) in the determination of scientific and technical merit, and give a separate score for each.

  • Reviewers will be requested to provide sufficient feedback to enhance strengths and address weaknesses in the application.

3. Following this initial review, applications maybe returned for minor corrections prior to a final decision being made on funding. The funding period starts on July 1, 2011. The investigator will receive funds once IRB approval is approved and submitted to one of the Co-Directors.