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2024-2025 Request for Applications
ITHS Research Innovation Award
ITHS Research Innovation Award
2021-2022 RFA
ITHS is offering a Research Innovation Award to support specific clinical or translational research questions that can also act as a vehicle to develop new methods, policies, or procedures that will aid in the conduct of research.
Examples might include a new type of clinical trial design, statistical method, or a participant recruitment instrument to improve the conduct of clinical trials. The research project is a vehicle by which the new method can also be developed, tested, and validated.
This pilot award will provide up to $100,000 in total costs for 1 year. No-cost extensions are not permitted.
Application Period Closed
Key Dates
The following key dates apply to this funding opportunity:
- Letter of Intent Deadline
July 10, 2023 - Notice of Invitation to Apply
By July 31, 2023 - Application Deadline
September 1, 2023 - Awardees Notified
Early December 2023 - Period of Performance
March 1, 2024 – February 28, 2025
The research project is a vehicle by which the new method can also be developed, tested, and validated. Reviewers will focus on 3 primary questions. 1) Does this project address a barrier to translational research? 2) Could the methodology or approach be generalized to other disciplines in clinical or translational research? 3) Could this methodology or approach be disseminated widely?
Guidelines
Guidelines
- Successful applications will describe plans to develop, evaluate and disseminate an innovative approach that could improve participant engagement in clinical trials.
- Project proposals could seek to
- Improve patient or community awareness of or interest in translational research
- Engage patients, communities or special populations as active partners in
- Identifying community health needs and priorities,
- Providing input on relevant research questions,
- Contributing to appropriate research design and methods,
- Developing culturally sensitive and ethical proposals,
- Enhancing the recruitment and retention of research participants, or o Implementing and disseminating research findings more effectively.
- Project proposals could seek to
- Whenever possible, applicants should propose an experimental approach. Projects should not only address a specific translational research question, but also provide insights that could be generalizable to other projects. Projects are expected to yield improved methods of engaging subjects for enrollment and full participation in clinical trials. Metrics to evaluate this outcome may include the numbers of individuals approached, proportions of approached individuals who consent to participate, proportions of enrolled participants who complete trial-related activities, proportions of anticipated data actually obtained from each participant, or costs of recruitment per enrolled participant. All metrics should be evaluated by comparing different approaches in a controlled way.
- Plan to spend your money in 1 year. No-cost extensions will not be allowed. ITHS faculty or staff may be listed as active research contributors on a case-by-case basis. Please consult with ITHS (contact below) prior to application submission if your proposal includes ITHS faculty or staff.
Eligible Investigators
Eligible Investigators
Faculty members at ITHS Partner Institutions, including the University of Washington, Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, and other academic institutions affiliated with the ITHS in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region are eligible to apply for this pilot award. Collaborations may extend outside the WWAMI region; however, funds may not be transferred outside the United States. ITHS-funded faculty (those who receive salary or stipends from ITHS) and staff are ineligible to apply. An acting faculty member or instructor is eligible to apply only if the Department head provides a letter supporting the applicant’s eligibility to serve as PI.
All Investigators on the research team must be ITHS Members in order to apply. Membership is free. To become a member, please complete the ITHS Membership Form.
Application Process
Application Process
A. Letter of Intent
The letter of intent form must be submitted through the ITHS website before submission of the application. The form includes information on the applicant and any Co-Investigators, project title, and abstract (250 word maximum). Investigators who are invited to submit a full application will receive notice within two weeks.
B. Application
The application must be submitted through the ITHS website.
Applications will follow National Institutes of Health (NIH) formatting guidelines (see FAQ) and include:
121 KB1) Cover Page2) Abstract (250 word maximum)
3) Research Plan, 6-pages (references do not count toward page limit)
57 KB4) Project Timeline – 1-page
3) Research Plan, 6-pages (references do not count toward page limit)
5) Budget and Budget Justification29 KB5a) Budget 37 KB5b) Budget Justification
6) Letters of Support – Letters of Support are not required unless you are an instructor or acting faculty member. If you are an instructor or acting faculty member, you will need to include a letter supporting your eligibility to serve as PI from your Department head (or equivalent).
35 KB7) NIH format Biosketches for all investigators (senior/key personnel)
Not included in the above document:
Suggested Reviewers – You will also be asked to provide five suggested reviewers, including the following information for each: 1) Name, 2) Title, 3) Institution/Organization, and 4) Email Address.
A general note about conflict of interest: A reviewer would have a conflict of interest if they are the applicant’s mentor, dept. chair, spouse, or close relative; or if they currently work together on manuscripts, grants, or business ventures. Simply being in the same department or division is not, in and of itself, a conflict of interest.
C. Timeline
- Letter of Intent Deadline – July 13, 2020
- Notice of Invitation to Apply – July 27, 2020
- Application Deadline – August 31, 2020
- Awardees Notified – December 7, 2020
- Period of Performance – March 1, 2021 – February 28, 2022
ITHS is funded through a CTSA grant from NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). NCATS requires the review and approval of all pilot grants involving human subjects research before funds are released. Therefore, if your proposal is awarded funding and involves human subjects research, additional documentation will be required. NCATS review and IRB review can be concurrent, but final NCATS approval is contingent upon IRB approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
Research Innovation Awards
How could I find out whether my project is a good fit for this award?
All investigators considering whether to submit an application for this award are encouraged to contact Lindsie Boerger (see below). ITHS can provide referrals to possible collaborators and consultants who could assist with the development of your project.
Are there any restrictions on indirect costs applied to these awards?
Applicant institutions must use a rate no higher than the approved, federally recognized indirect cost rate negotiated between the applicant institution and the federal government. ITHS would like to maximize funds to directly support the investigator’s research and encourages investigators to work with their Office of Sponsored Programs to obtain a waiver to reduce indirect costs on the project.
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children’s have agreed to consider requests for indirect cost waivers for ITHS pilot awards from their faculty.
- ITHS members whose research program is based at Fred Hutch, who wish to apply for ITHS pilot awards are required to go through the standard institutional procedure for requesting a waiver of facilities and administrative (F&A) costs, as described here: http://centernet.fhcrc.org/CN/depts/osr/policies/forgonefaa/
- ITHS members whose research program is based at Seattle Children’s, who wish to apply for ITHS pilot awards are required to go through the standard institutional procedure for requesting a waiver of facilities and administrative (F&A) costs, as described here: http://www.seattlechildrens.org/pdf/RIA-410.pdf
No, this is an internal grant and does not need to be routed through OSP and does not require an eGC1.
Are supplemental documents allowed?
No, supplemental documents are not allowed.
Are there any formatting requirements?
Applications will follow National Institutes of Health (NIH) formatting guidelines (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm), including the following:
Font (size, color, type density) and Line Spacing
- Font size: must be 11 points or larger (smaller text in figures, graphs, diagrams and charts is acceptable as long as it is legible when the page is viewed at 100%).
- Type density: must be no more than 15 characters per linear inch (including characters and spaces)
- Line spacing: must be no more than six lines per vertical inch.
- Text color: must be black (color text in figures, graphs, diagrams, charts, tables, footnotes and headings is acceptable).
- We recommended the following fonts, although other fonts (both serif and non-serif) are acceptable if they meet the above requirements:
- Arial
- Garamond
- Georgia
- Helvetica
- Palatino Linotype
- Times New Roman
- Verdana
Citations
- We do not require a specific citation format.
Paper Size and Margins
- Use paper size no larger than standard letter paper size (8 ½” x 11”).
- Provide at least one-half inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) for all pages. No applicant-supplied information can appear in the margins.
Do figures and references count toward the 6-page Research Plan limit?
Figures DO count toward the 6-page limit, but references can be in addition to the 6-page Research Plan.
No, only faculty level investigators are eligible to apply.
Can non-faculty apply as a Co-PI or Co-I?
Yes, however the main or Contact PI must be a faculty member at an academic institution.
ITHS requires the applicant to designate one of the PD/PI(s) as the Contact PD/PI. This person is responsible for communication between the PD/PIs and ITHS, but has no special authorities or responsibilities within the project team. In many ways, a contact PD/PI is analogous to a corresponding author on a publication. The Contact PD/PI must serve as a member of the PD/PI team and must meet all eligibility requirements for PD/PI status. In those projects where there is an identified project coordinator, the coordinator could serve as Contact PD/PI or that role could be assigned to another PD/PI. It will be possible, and may even be desirable, for the grantee institution to periodically designate a change in Contact PD/PI. For example, it may be desirable to rotate the role of Contact PD/PI among the multiple PD/PIs on an annual basis at the time of grant renewal. Note that the Contact PD/PI must be associated with the applicant/awarde institution.
Do you expect the PI or Co-PI to have a specific amount of effort committed in the form of salary?
ITHS will follow NIH Policy: Each PD/PI must have measurable effort (greater than zero), and the level of effort must be adequate to achieve the proposed goals. The PD/PI and other individuals who contribute to the scientific development or execution of a project in a substantive, measurable way, whether or not they receive salaries or compensation under the grant. Typically these individuals have doctoral or other professional degrees, although individuals at the masters or baccalaureate level may be considered senior/key personnel if their involvement meets this definition. Consultants and those with a postdoctoral role also may be considered senior/key personnel if they meet this definition. Senior/key personnel must devote measurable effort to the project whether or not salaries or compensation are requested. “Zero percent” effort or “as needed” are not acceptable levels of involvement for those designated as Senior/Key Personnel.
Can there be more than 2 Co-PIs or Multiple PIs?
Yes, you may have more than 2 PIs, however 1 person will be identified as the Contact PI for administrative purposes.
Can a community or industry partner be my collaborator?
Yes, but the main, or Contact PI must be a faculty member at an academic institution.
Could an investigator apply for this program with a pending faculty appointment?
Pilot recipients must be a faculty member at an academic institution by July 1, before the period of performance. For example, if the period of performance is March 2022-February 2023, the appointment must be by July 1, 2021.
I have previously been awarded funds by the ITHS. Am I still eligible to receive this award?
Yes, previous ITHS awardees are eligible to receive additional funding.
Does the NIH cap apply to this application?
Yes, these funds come from the NIH through the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and so the NIH cap does apply.
Can funds be dispersed prior to IRB approval to aid the application process?
No, funds cannot be dispersed until IRB approval is confirmed. Applicants will have the opportunity to provide Just-in-Time approvals prior to the start date.
ITHS is funded through a CTSA grant from NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). NCATS requires the review and approval of all pilot grants involving human subjects research before funds are released. Therefore, if your proposal is awarded funding and involves human subjects research, additional documentation will be required. NCATS review and IRB review can be concurrent, but final NCATS approval is contingent upon IRB approval.
Contact Us
For information regarding this pilot program, contact:
CARLY ROWE, MSW
Project Manager
Institute of Translational Health Sciences
850 Republican Street, Box 358051, Seattle, WA 98109
carowe6@uw.edu / www.iths.org
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