Grants>Quality Improvement

Call for Nominations: Rawls-Palmer Progress in Medicine Award

The Rawls-Palmer Progress in Medicine Award was established in 1978 by Dr. W. B. Rawls to further his commitment to continuing medical education and its impact on patient care. This award was founded through the generosity of the late Dr. and Mrs. W.B. Rawls, and honors the memory of their parents.

The goal of the Rawls-Palmer Progress in Medicine Award is to incorporate the efforts of modern research in patient care and to help bridge the gap between the results of research and its application in patient care.

Eligibility

The candidate must be an investigator who is actively involved in high-quality clinical pharmacologic research and capable of delivering an engaging, comprehensive lecture on recent developments in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics.

Prize and Presentation

The Rawls-Palmer Progress in Medicine Award is presented at the ASCPT Annual Meeting. The recipient will present a lecture focusing on recent developments in clinical pharmacology. In addition, the recipient will receive a $1,000 honorarium and a plaque. Travel expenses, hotel expenses and meeting registration will be reimbursed by the Society.

The nomination deadline is Thursday, June 27, 2013.

To submit a nomination, please complete the online nomination form. Please send CVs, letters of support, and other supporting documents to ASCPT at meetings@ascpt.org.

American College of Cardiology Foundation/Merck Research Fellowships in Cardiovascular Disease

Four one-year fellowships will be awarded to support research in adult cardiology. Preference is given to individuals who have had no more than two years of prior full-time experience either in clinical or basic research. Recipients will be expected to pursue a full-time project in clinical research during their year of supported training.

Research Focus: In selecting applications, proposals addressing CVD and Cardiometabolic disorders are encouraged. Included are proposals that address pathophysiology, molecular genetics, metabolic abnormalities leading to cardiovascular disease, hypertension, heart failure, hyperlipidemia, inflammatory mechanisms and new pathways for drug discovery. Proposals focusing on clinically relevant outcomes as a result of the metabolic syndrome, diabetes or obesity are also encouraged. Outcomes studies should focus on clinical/and or systems of care (e.g., quality improvement) interventions, and use outcomes measures of importance to both patients and society, including mortality, significant morbidity or quality of life changes, or economic effects.

Preference for one award will be given to applicants focusing on disparities of care.  Despite increased attention to health disparities at the national, state and community levels, relatively little progress has been made in achieving the vision of eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities.  Since the rates of cardiovascular mortality in the United States are significantly higher for these patients and this is, in fact, the leading cause of death in this demographic, innovative approaches to eliminating these disparities are critical.  In an effort to encourage and support research in this area, proposals will be encouraged that focus on gender, race, geographic, and economic inequalities in cardiovascular care.

Eligibility: Anyone currently in an adult cardiology fellowship training program recognized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association and who has the recommendation and agreement of his/her training program director and institution.

Selection: Judging will be by the ACCF/Research Fellowship Awards Committee. Criteria for selection will include:

• Scientific quality of the project;

• Relevance to the research focus as described above;

• Qualifications and commitment of the applicant; and

• The quality of the training environment.

Successful applicants may pursue this protected year of research either within or following their three years of required training. Preference will be given to individuals who:

• Will pursue clinical research training and experience directly involving patients or human subjects.

• Have had no more than two years of prior full-time research experience either in clinical or basic research.

• Will not hold another major external fellowship or salary award, (e.g., from the National Institutes of Health or the American Heart Association) during the ACCF/Merck funded year.

The Award: Four fellowships in the amount of $70,000 each, to be used for salary support, for one year of research to begin July 1, 2014 and run through June 30, 2015.

Funding Source: The ACCF is grateful to the Merck Company Foundation for their continued financial support for these awards.

Deadline: September 23, 2013

For more information: Email Julia Berman or call 800-253-4636, ext. 6648.

Society for the Advancement of Blood Management-Haemonetics Research Starter Grant

$20,000 one-year Patient Blood Management grant

Application deadline August 1, 2013

Funding to begin October 1, 2013

The SABM-Haemonetics Research Starter Grant is intended to advance the field of patient blood management by supporting a young investigator who intends to study methods of promoting blood conservation. This one-year grant provides starter funding to further scientific inquiry and clinical knowledge in the field of patient blood management. Preference will be given to junior faculty who will be advised by an experienced mentor. It is anticipated that the funded study will generate results that can be used as pilot data or preliminary findings to support future grant applications focused on methods to improve blood management and to promote blood conservation. It is expected that all applicants will be members of SABM, or will become members of SABM for at least one year.

Information regarding the application process is available at the SABM website (www.SABM.org and click research tab or at http://www.sabm.org/research-projects). Applications will be due by August 1, 2013. The awardee will be informed by September 1, 2013 and it is mandatory that the grant recipient be able to attend the SABM annual meeting September 19-21, 2013 to be formally recognized. Funding will begin October 1, 2013. The $20,000 does not include any extra funding to cover indirect institutional costs. Scholarly activity generated by this grant will be presented to the SABM members at subsequent annual meetings and, hopefully published in peer-reviewed journals. There will be a designated SABM liaison who is a member of the SABM research committee. A progress report submitted to the SABM research committee is expected 12 months after the funding is issued.

Areas of research that will be considered are:

Process Improvement

Anemia management, blood conservation (preventing transfusion overuse, education, transfusion guidelines), cost/benefit analysis, point of care testing, blood utilization data collection and presentation

Scientific Inquiry

Pharmaceutical advances, surgical technology, blood salvage, physiology, pharmacology as it relates to patient blood management, point of care testing (thromboelastography and/or platelet mapping), outcome data in relation to blood utilization and blood conservation

WHO CAN APPLY

Applications are open to fellows and junior faculty (three years or less out of training and at a rank no higher than Assistant Professor). Applications are also open to nurses, pharmacists, perfusionists, and blood management or bloodless program coordinators.

Practice Research Training Fellowship

Sponsored by the American Brain Foundation and the American Academy of Neurology

Application Deadline: October 1, 2013

The American Brain Foundation, the foundation of the American Academy of Neurology, is pleased to announce a two-year fellowship to support training in clinical practice research, which is defined as “clinical research that evaluates translation of evidence into best clinical practice.” This may include evaluation of health services, quality of care, implementation of proven therapies, physician performance, or patient adherence. It is intended to create unique training opportunities, previously difficult to access for neurologists.

The fellowship is supported by the American Brain Foundation and the American Academy of Neurology and will consist of a commitment of $55,000 per year for two years, plus $10,000 per year for tuition to support formal education in clinical research methodology at the applicant’s institution or elsewhere. Supplementation of the stipend with other grants or by the fellowship institution is permissible, but fellows may not accept other fellowships, similar awards, or have another source of support for more than 50 percent of their research salary during the first
year of an American Brain Foundation Clinical Research Training Fellowship. If similar awards are obtained after completion of the first year of the American Brain Foundation Clinical Research Training Fellowship, fellows are required to submit a revised budget for review by executive members of the American Brain Foundation Research Committee or may need to forfeit the rest of the American Brain Foundation award.

ELIGIBILITY

1. Research must be directed to care in the clinical neurosciences and must meet the definition of clinical practice research. For example, clinical trials of therapies would not meet the definition of clinical practice research but trials of methods to improve physician adherence to guidelines would.

2. Must be an AAN member interested in an academic career in clinical practice research.

3. Must identify a mentor who is a proven clinical practice researcher. This person does not have to be a neurologist, and the proposed research may be distinct from that of the mentor. For example, an expert in patient adherence or quality improvement in general medicine might be an excellent mentor for a fellow interested in studying these issues in the clinical neurosciences. Other appropriate mentors might include health services
researchers, health economists, or health policy experts.

For More Information

Kristin Roehl

Grants Program Manager
kroehl@aan.com
(612) 928-6082

Call for Nominations: Association of Rehabilitation Nurses Role Awards

To nominate a member for the role award, you must submit the application to ARN by June 1, 2013. A supervisor, colleague, family member, or rehabilitation nurse can submit a nomination.

Exceptional rehabilitation nurses deserve recognition for their contributions to rehabilitation nursing.  ARN Role Awards recognize colleagues in each of the categories below.  Supervisors, colleagues, or family members can submit nominations-and ARN members can nominate themselves!

In addition to receiving special recognition at the ARN Annual Educational Conference, role award winners receive one free year of ARN membership.

Role Awards are available in the following categories.

Advanced Practice Nurse

Case Manager

Doctorate Prepared Researcher

Educator

Masters Prepared Researcher

Nurse Executive

Nurse Manager

Staff Nurse

Request for Grant Proposals: Association for Surgical Education Foundation

The Foundation Board's annual Call for Proposals deadline is June 1 for grants to be approved at the October Board meeting. To be considered for full committee review, proposals must meet the proposal format guidelines and be submitted no later than June 1.

The Association for Surgical Education Foundation was established by the Association for Surgical Education (ASE) as a non-profit foundation in 1993. Its mission is to raise and disseminate funds to support innovative research and education projects and programs which will advance surgical education in North America. The Association and the ASE Foundation are separately-incorporated organizations.

Because of the importance of its unique mission, the ASE Foundation has experienced significant growth in the last five years. By securing operating, project and endowment support from the Association itself, several generous corporate partners, all past presidents of the Association, many surgery department chairs, and dozens of individual supporters, by 1998 the Foundation's assets and fund raising capabilities had grown to the point where the Foundation could make its own grants to deserving investigators. This strong financial base, combined with an especially generous three year grant from U.S. Surgical in 1999, allowed for the development of the Center for Excellence in Surgical Education, Research and Training (CESERT).

CESERT and the Foundation's Board of Directors are located at the offices of the ASE at the Department of Surgery of Southern Illinois University in Springfield, Illinois.

Since October 1999, the Board of Directors of the ASE Foundation had made available grant funds of up to $100,000 per grant for research projects which addressed the ASE's and CESERT's primary areas of interest. Proposals may be submitted for one- to two-year research projects. The maximum amount to be awarded for any CESERT grant proposal will now be $25,000 regardless of length of study.

CESERT funds are intended to support excellence and innovation in surgical education research.The Foundation's Board of Directors has outlined grant-making priorities that would most effectively advance the mission of the ASE and its Foundation. CESERT funding will be allocated to those priorities. Given the diversity of the surgical profession and its many specialties, grant categories are necessarily broad.

1. Innovations in Surgical Education that Improve Patient Care Research projects that aim to develop and test content methods that yield improvements in patient care in surgery.

2. Innovations in Performance Evaluation and Assessment
Research projects that aim to develop and validate new methods of performance assessment across competency domains required for quality patient care.

3. Innovations in Student Programs
Research projects that aim to develop and improve surgical education programs for medical students.

4. Innovations in Resident and Faculty Development
Research projects that aim to develop and enhance professional development, retention, and reward of faculty and residents who teach and mentor learners in surgery.

5. Innovations in Educational Administration
Research projects that aim to develop and test new methods, resources and programs for improving performance and accountability relevant to the administration of surgical education.

Research studies could include teaching techniques, performance evaluation methods, instructional and curriculum design, and educational program design. A proposal requesting support for development of new educational programs (including new methods and/or materials) will only be considered if it meets EACH of the following criteria:

a) the proposal is theory-based;

b) it includes a research component;

c) it includes a plan for evaluation of program efficacy.

ELIGIBILITY

The Foundation is promoting the availability of these grant awards to active ASE members OR to members of other national surgical associations. However, members of the ASE will be given priority consideration in the Board's decision making process. If a non-ASE member wishes to apply for a grant, the non-member investigators must work in collaboration with, or have their project endorsed by, an ASE member.

GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS

Investigators are encouraged to submit succinct proposals outlining their project's goals, costs, personnel, and applicability to other surgical education programs throughout North America. The applicant institution's plan and ability to implement the results of their project or program will be important considerations for the Grants Review Committee. This proposed plan should include elementary dissemination of information and findings via professional journals and presentation at local and national meetings.

The Foundation utilizes a variety of opportunities to publicize the results of its grant-making, it is expected that authors of funded proposals will give credit in all subsequent publications and presentations to the ASE Foundation for the support provided to underwrite their work.

Summer 2013 - Mentored Clinical and Population Research Award

Application deadline: July 18, 2013

Award Activation Date:  Jan. 1, 2014

Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. CDT on the deadline date.  The system will shut down at 5:00 p.m. CDT.  Early submission is encouraged.  Your institutional Grants Officer (GO) has the final responsibility of submitting your completed application to the American Heart Association.  It is important that you check with your GO for his/her internal deadline.

Objective

To encourage early career investigators who have appropriate and supportive mentoring relationships to engage in high quality introductory and pilot clinical studies that will guide future strategies for reducing cardiovascular disease and stroke while fostering new research in clinical and translational science, and encouraging community- and population-based activities.

This grant does not fund basic science or support senior researchers, but encourages mentoring of early career investigators.

Science Focus

Funding is available for research related to cardiovascular disease and stroke prevention or treatment, or to related clinical and public health problems, including multidisciplinary efforts.  Proposals are encouraged on provider behavior, patient behavior, behavioral outcomes, risk factor outcomes, disease outcomes, cost benefit analyses, efforts to evaluate outcomes of patient care delivery and patient/provider and/or system compliance and adherence to recommendations, as well as pilot clinical research studies that may provide preliminary data for larger-scale investigation. Studies using existing databases are also encouraged.  Ancillary studies or a clearly defined sub-study of an ongoing clinical research study are also encouraged. There must, however, be clear justification that the proposal is a sub-study and not a piece of an already funded project.

Target Audience

• Healthcare professional with a masters or post-baccalaureate doctoral degree, including M.P.H., R.N., Pharm.D., M.D., D.O. or Ph.D. 

• Interdisciplinary research teams are eligible.

Individuals are not eligible to be the principal investigator if they hold or have held:

• Certain NIH awards (such as RO1, R21, PO1)

• Certain AHA awards (BGIA, SDG, EIA, GIA); or

• An award equivalent to any of the above (an independent investigator award)

Citizenship

At the time of application, must have one of the following designations:

• U.S. citizen

• Permanent resident

• Pending permanent resident.  Applicant must have applied for permanent residency and have filed form I-485 with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and have received authorization to legally remain in the U.S. (having filed an Application for Employment form I-765)

• E-3 Visa - specialty occupation worker

• H1-B Visa - temporary worker in a specialty occupation

• F-1 - Student Visa - temporary worker in a specialty occupation

• J-1 Visa - exchange visitor

• O-1 Visa - temporary worker with extraordinary abilities in the sciences

• TN Visa - NAFTA Professional

• G-4 Visa - family member of employee of international organizations and NATO

Awardee must meet American Heart Association citizenship criteria throughout the duration of the award.

Applicants are not required to reside in the United States for any period before applying for American Heart Association funding.

Sponsor

All applicants must  identify a sponsor with an earned doctorate and a track record of high quality clinical investigation.

Annual Budget - National

Salary/Fringe:   Up to $35,000 per year for salary and fringe of the principal investigator, collaborating investigator(s), and other participants with faculty appointments, including an allowance of up to $5,000 for the sponsor.

Institution may supplement stipend.

Indirect:  10 percent ($7,000)

Project Support:  Project-related expenses, such as salaries of technical personnel, consultative services, supplies, equipment, computer/electronics, travel, volunteer subject costs, publication costs, within the following limits:

• Travel - $3,000 per year; international travel must have prior AHA approval.

• Computer purchase - National allows $5,000 for computer equipment/electronics. 

Maximum Annual Award Amount:  $77,000

Award Duration:  Two years

Total Award Amount:  $154,000

Barry A. Shapiro Memorial Award for Excellence in Critical Care Management

The Barry A. Shapiro Memorial Award for Excellence in Critical Care Management recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the design and/or implementation of evidence-based practice which has significantly impacted clinical, operational, or fiscal outcomes within their area of responsibility.  The award will be presented annually to a Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) member in good standing. 

Eligibility Criteria and Submission Requirements

The nominee must meet the following criteria:

• Be an SCCM member in good standing

• Show a history of employment and be currently engaged in a clinical environment in a position of leadership as evidenced by leadership roles they have held or currently hold related to the clinical practice of critical care

• Submission of a current curriculum vitae

• Submission of a nomination letter (self-submission or by SCCM member)

• Submission of at least three letters of support from individuals from more than one institution who were involved with the activity(ies), noted above, emphasizing how the nominee has demonstrated leadership in support of the award criteria. 

Award Amount:

• Honorarium of $500.00

• A plaque

• Complimentary Congress registration (not inclusive of pre-courses, tours, etc.)

Award Selection and Criteria

A subcommittee of the Board of Regents will be established to select the award recipient.  The subcommittee reports directly to the SCCM Awards Committee.

Candidates must be nominated by an SCCM member in good standing or may self-nominate for the award.  The selection committee will rank all of the qualifying submissions.  The nominee with the highest ranking will be selected for the award.  In order that the award be meaningful, the selection committee may not present an award in a given year should it find that no candidate meets minimum criteria.

The Board recommendation will be forwarded to the Executive Committee for final review. 

Criteria considered by the selection committee will include:

1)  Has the nominee met all of the eligibility criteria noted above?

2)  Does the submission demonstrate the nominee made a significant contribution(s) to the design and/or implementation of evidence-based practice?

3)  Does the submission demonstrate the nominee has significantly impacted clinical, operational, or fiscal outcomes?

4)  Does the submission demonstrate the use of the multiprofessional team in achieving the stated outcomes?

5)  Does the submission demonstrate the “Learn It, Deliver It, Measure It, and Improve It” quality improvement paradigm in regular use at the institution?

6)  Does the intensive care unit meet the Leapfrog Group’s ICU Physician Staffing standard (IPS)?

7)  Is the nominee a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine (FCCM) in good standing?

Hospitals fulfilling the IPS Standard will operate adult or pediatric general medical and/or surgical ICUs and neuro ICUs that are managed or co-managed by intensivists who:

1. Are present during daytime hours and provide clinical care exclusively in the ICU and,

2. When not present on site or via telemedicine, returns pages at least 95% of the time, (i) within five minutes and (ii) arranges for a FCCS-certified physician or physician extender to reach ICU patients within five minutes.

Timetable:

• June 1, 2013 – Advertising of availability of award begins

• August 1, 2013 – Deadline for receipt of required submission materials

• November 1, 2013 – Award winner notified

• January 2014 - Award winner announced at awards presentation during SCCM's Annual Congress

Society of Critical Care Medicine Dr. Joseph and Rae Brown Award

The Dr. Joseph and Rae Brown Award recognizes an SCCM member who has significantly advanced multiprofessional quality care for critically ill and injured patients at the regional or local level.   The award was established to honor the Browns for their work in organizing and sustaining the Pennsylvania Society of Critical Care Medicine (PASCCM), which later became the Pennsylvania Chapter of SCCM. 

Application/Nomination Deadline: August 1, 2013

Notification Deadline:  December 1, 2013

Amount: $500 cash award

The criteria for this award must include one or more of the following:

1.  An SCCM member who has made extraordinary contributions of time, energy, and resources to chapters and/or affiliate matters during the previous year.

2.  An SCCM member with dedication, commitment, and outstanding contributions to the field of critical care at a regional or local level during the past year.

3.  Exceptional leadership contributions that have furthered the vision and mission of chapters and/or affiliates over a period of time.

4.  Innovation or meritorious contributions that improve the care provided to critically ill and injured patients and their families in the recipient's country, state, or region.

5.  An outstanding clinician/teacher and a role model of excellence in both the teaching and clinical practice of critical care in the regional or local area (not just their institution).

Nominations should include a summary of the nominee's accomplishments in critical care at the local or regional level and must be submitted to the Pennsylvania Chapter's Executive Committee by August 1, 2013 in care of Carol Prendergast at cprendergast@sccm.org

Lesbian Health Fund Research Grant Program

Application Receipt Deadlines: May 15 and October 15

The Lesbian Health Fund (LHF), a program of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality, was established in 1992 to define, study, and educate lesbians and their health care providers about lesbian health issues. LHF's mission is to improve the health of lesbians, other sexual minority women (SMW) and their families through research.

Research areas include:

Understanding social, family, and interpersonal influences as sources of stress or support

Eliminating inequalities in health care, including barriers to care, and improving quality of care and utilization rates

Development and testing of interventions to address mental and physical health needs of lesbians and other SMW, including but not limited to depression, identity related issues, eating disorders, substance abuse, obesity, cancer risks, cardiovascular disease and sexually transmitted infections

Sexual and reproductive health, including family & parenting issues

The deadlines for receipt of applications are May 15 and October 15.

Applications will be evaluated using the following 100 point scale:

Research design - 35 Points

Feasibility of accomplishing the project - 20 Points

Investigators' qualifications - 15 Points

Significance of the project to the lesbian community - 15 Points

Probability for Significat Future Funding - 15 points

In general, investigators are notified by mail approximately two months from the application deadline of its approval for funding. Grants range from $500 to $10,000. Grant award checks will be made to the primary institution identified on the application cover page. You may not begin your proposed research until you have received funding from LHF. Grant money is NOT awarded for completed research or for projects in progress.

Interim and final reports are to be submitted by the principal investigator. Upon completion of the project the investigator will be expected to present the results at either the annual Women in Medicine conference or the Annual Conference of GLMA. Within six months of project completion, the investigator is expected to submit a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. A copy of the manuscript is to be sent simultaneously to the LHF Program Manager.

Grant Application Format

1. Cover Page

2. Abstract of the Project in 500 words or less (This should be a word document.)

3. Detailed Plan of Project:

maximum of six double spaced typed pages

includes hypotheses, goals and specific objectives of the project, a brief discussion of relevant background information, the relationship of the proposed project to other work already accomplished in the field, methods, sample size calculation with power analysis, and the significance of the project to the lesbian community

4. Itemized Budget:

supplies and expenses with justification (budget $750 for presentation at a conference)

support from other resources for this project for this fiscal year

total amount requested for the project from Lesbian Health Fund. The Lesbian Health Fund does not cover personnel costs (salary and benefits) for the Investigators or indirect institution costs.

5. Study protocol as approved or submitted to the Institutional Review Board of the investigator's institution if animals or humans are involved in the project

6. Curriculum Vitae of Principal Investigator (PI), Co-Investigator, and Faculty Supervisor if the PI is a student, and of any other project member mentioned by name in the application. If a faculty supervisor is involved, submit letter of support from that faculty member for supervising the project. Current LHF grantees may not participate in a new grant as PI or Co-Investigator until LHF receives their written Final Report.

7. Signed statement by the Investigator and, if applicable, by the Co-Investigator that:

all publications resulting from the research conducted from the award will acknowledge that the project was funded by the Lesbian Health Fund of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association

the abstract of the grant will be publicized with the names of the Principal and Co-Investigator if the grant is funded

8. Evidence of the primary institution's tax exempt status

9. OPTIONAL: Articles or publications of direct relation to the proposed project.

Please number all pages and send 1 copy of each item as a email attachment to:

Amy Fielder, LHF Program Coordinator at lhf@glma.org

Questions? Email lhf@glma.org or call 202-600-8037 ext 303.