Department of Pediatrics Research Application and Review Guidelines

Purpose: The Committee recognizes the need to provide "seed" money for new, promising research projects developed by Department members. Also, the Committee is aware that established investigators often experience periods without extramural funding. Thus, the following criteria have been established to aid the Research Committee in awarding Department funds for beginning grants, as bridging monies, and to allow completion of ongoing studies.

The department is prioritizing support for investigators who are researching topics that have direct relevance to children and young adults.  For all proposals that do not propose to undertake studies in individuals less than 20 years of age, a rationale for why funding is being requested from the Department of Pediatrics needs to be explicitly stated. 

  Grant Application Guidelines

1. Principal Investigator on grant must be full-time, 0.5 FTE or greater, member of the Department of Pediatrics.
2. All proposals must be submitted with a cover page containing the following information:

• Title

• Name of P.I., Division - Please note if this is a mentorship grant.

• Total Dollars requested

• Other Support. List all internal and external sources of support applicable to the current proposal.

• Indication of involvement of human subjects or animals in research protocol. 

• Percent effort on project.

Note: Where applicable, principal investigator must obtain HRRC approval or ARF approval prior to initiation of protocol and distribution of funds.

3. The grant body should be nor more than five pages in length and follow a PHS/NIH format.    Please use Font of Times New Roman or Arial, font size no less than 11, spacing no less than ½ inch around all margins, and a page number in the upper right-hand corner.

Section 1: An introduction paragraph, followed by a clearly and succinctly stated hypothesis.

Section II:  The aims of the research project.  What disease(s) or disorder(s) would be better understood, diagnosed, or treated?

Section III: The background information, research significance, and potential applications of the project.

Section IV: The methods. What specific tests of studies are proposed to develop the data?  If human participants are planned, please provide preliminary evidence that the number required can be recruited from our community.

Section V: Please provide a timeline and a plan for how completion of the research project would lead to external funding.

Section VI: References cited.

Additional Pages

Appendix A: All grants must be accompanied by budget justification, and a list of all active grants and pending proposals.

Appendix B: Using up to four additional pages, please provide a standard NIH four-page format CV for the primary investigator(s).  Please download the Biographical Sketch Format Page from: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html.  Include this form in your application.

Appendix C: Letter of support from division chief; proof of HRRC, HIPPA and PI Training must be attached.

Appendix D: Optional: please provide your survey, protocol, technological tool or other means by which you will gather data for your research project.

4. All grant applications will be ranked by committee at meeting utilizing the following criteria:

• Feasibility

• Likelihood for continued (outside) funding

• Significance

• Budget Justification (faculty salary will only be considered if they work on soft money.)

5. Require update/annual report/ research seminar of all awardees.  Participation with an oral or poster presentation at Pediatric Research Day.
6. Research Committee will be available to pre-review applications to aid new investigators in the development of proposals. Additionally, applicants can ask the Committee to recommend a mentor to aid in the development and completion of a research project.
7. The Committee reserves the right to retract funds if spending activity is not initiated within nine (9) months of approval or if proper proof of HRRC, HIPPA or PI Training are not provided.  Transcripts can be found at:

http://learningcentral.health.unm.edu/elms/learner/login.jsp

Grant Review and Approval Guidelines

1. Process of review

• If a member of the committee is involved in a grant application, he/she should not review any grant applications and should not attend the meetings where proposals are discussed.

• Applications will be divided among the committee members so that each proposal will be reviewed by three (3) people.  They will then be reviewed according to the following criteria and prioritized.

• Proposals will be discussed at a Pediatrics Research Committee meeting and given a priority score.

• Up to 4 grants will be recommended for funding.

• Comments to the PI will be compiled and forwarded soon after the review.

    2.  Criteria to use in establishing priorities.

• Applications will be reviewed, discussed, and either approved or disapproved (with recommendations).

• The following criteria will be used to establish a priority score:

** The numerical ranking goes from 1(poor) to 5 (terrific)

• Individuals whose grants are not approved or who are asked to clarify/change/re-think some aspects of the grant are encouraged to re-submit and ask for whatever assistance they may wish to have in their own review before either submission or re-submission.

Contingencies of Funding

The money supplied with funded grants is expected to be used for the approved research project.  If the Principal Investigator wishes to use the money for some project other than that funded, a written request must be submitted to the Pediatric Research Committee BEFORE a different project is undertaken.  The Pediatric Research Committee reserves the right to disallow the use of money for a new or ancillary project not approved by the committee.  In such instances, the unused portion of the funded money will be returned to the Department of Pediatrics.

The following must be submitted to The Pediatric Research Committee prior to finds being released:

1.                Proper HRRC approval documentation.

2.                HIPPA Certification

3.                Proof of PI Training.

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