WCH FOUNDATIONRESEARCH PROJECT GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH COMMENCING IN 2009

COMPLETE GUIDELINES

1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVESThe primary purpose of the Children, Youth and Women's Health Service (CYWHS) is to promote, maintain and restore the health of women, children and young people.

The CYWHS Research Grants Committee (RGC) exists to serve the aims and objectives of the CYWHS and the WCH Foundation. These are:

1. To support research in respect to women's, young people’s, children's, prenatal and neonatal health, in accordance with the primary purpose of the CYWHS.

2. To promote and foster research in the areas of women's, children's and young people's health.

3. To provide an assessment procedure for applications for research grant funding submitted by CYWHS, Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) and Child Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC) staff. In addition current CYWHS employees who are transferring to SA Pathology are eligible to apply in 2008.The process adopted must be clear, readily understood and be seen to be fair and at the same time fulfil the Board's expectations of high standards of accountability.

2. RESPONSIBLE TO:The CYWHS Research Grants Committee (RGC) will be responsible to the WCH Foundation and the Executive of the Children, Youth and Women's Health Service.

3. PROCESS3.1 The calling of applications for research grant funding within the CYWHS will usually be

made in May of each year, with the completion of the grant allocation process in the 4th quarter of the year. The fundamental principles for consideration of an application for funding will be excellence of the research grant application, the study design, track record of the applicants, and potential benefit of the research study program to the overall health of women, young people and children, as described in the primary purpose statement of the CYWHS.

An important goal might be to support a new idea or a new area of endeavour for research workers so that the work and worker can, in time, compete nationally. This aspect could be considered a means for encouraging the development of new research and new researchers. Similarly the granting body should be able to take into account the experience of the research worker.

Applications will be accepted from staff who hold paid or other appointments at the CYWHS, WCHRI or CNRC including those employees transferring to SA Pathology from 1st July 2008. Applications will not be accepted from individuals who do not hold an appointment, who hold an informal affiliate status or who undertake casual contract work with the CYWHS, WCHRI or CNRC, although such individuals may be co-investigators on research grant applications. The committee would not take this to exclude applications

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where the main investigators are CYWHS, WCHRI or CNRC staff but some of the investigation is occurring at other institutions or in conjunction with expertise outside of the institutions. Similarly, members of the CYWHS’s core University Departments who are located at other sites may submit applications for support. It is accepted also that a young research worker might have to approach more senior workers from other institutions when expertise is not available in his or her own institution.

In addition, two grants will be awarded as “seed” grants to new researches, defined as those researches who have not received previous funding from the WCH Foundation, are post graduates who have completed a doctoral degree within the last five years and are up to, but not more than 40 years of age.

3.2 Each proposal should have a minimum of two appropriate scientific assessors. Two members of the RGC will be selected as spokespersons for each application and will be responsible for written feedback to the applicants at the end of the allocation process. In general, reviewers' comments (ensuring anonymity) will be provided to applicants, as well as the applicant’s RGC score and the cut-off score at which funding was recommended.

3.3 Research proposals cannot be undertaken until there is appropriate Research Ethics/Biosafety Committee clearance of the research project.

3.4 Recommendations for funding allocation for research projects funded through the RGC will be entirely at the discretion of the RGC. The recommendations will be submitted to the WCH Foundation for endorsement.

3.5 Successful applicants will undertake to perform research in accordance with the Children, Youth and Women's Health Service Code of Conduct for Research (available electronically on the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) website). They will also undertake to provide a final research project report at the completion of their research project and a financial statement, to be submitted to the CYWHS Research Secretariat. Copies of the reports will be forwarded to the WCH Foundation. Copies of any peer-reviewed publications that appear subsequent to the final report must be submitted to the CYWHS Research Secretariat.

3.6 Successful applicants will also undertake to provide appropriate information as required for CYWHS and WCH Foundation research reports, and at other times as required by the RGC, CYWHS administration, etc.

3.7 Research applications and criteria for funding (eg conditions of award, salaries) shall be according to the guidelines established by the National Health & Medical Research Council, or, where appropriate with respect to employment conditions, according to the South Australian Government guidelines.

3.8 The RGC will be provided with administrative support by the CYWHS Research Secretariat, and will be supported by the WCH Foundation and relevant Executive Directors with respect to its functions and processes.

3.9 The RGC will report at least annually on all of its activities and will keep records which will allow it and the WCH Foundation to evaluate the overall progress of the committee and its functioning.

3.10 Research applications must include full budgetary details on all consumables, maintenance, equipment and support staff requirements.

3.11 The WCH Foundation will act as the internal advisory body to the RGC. The Chair or nominee of the WCH Foundation may attend meetings of the RGC core/executive

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committee and (if necessary) the full RGC meeting in an advisory capacity but as a non-voting attendee.

3.12 The senior administrative support provided to the RGC and the core/executive, will be of a high level (if possible with a research background) to assist in the functions of the committee, administrative and other tasks appropriate to the application process and award of research grant funding, and to ensure appropriate outcome assessments for the functions of the RGC.

4. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE4.1 All members of the RGC will be external to the CYWHS. The Committee will normally

comprise:

• an independent Chair with a high level of expertise in research and in research policy formation

• up to ten further members who can provide expertise in one or more of the following:

paediatricsobstetrics and gynaecologylaboratory scienceepidemiologynursing/midwiferypsychiatrysurgerymolecular genetics

In general, those with expertise in paediatrics or surgery and possibly one or two other committee members will be from interstate to ensure they are truly external to CYWHS.

• an additional one or two members may be appointed to provide expertise in areas identified by the Chair. The appointment of additional members can be on an 'as needs' basis, usually for one year only. All additional members shall be external to the CYWHS.

• up to 50 grant applications per year may be expected and this work load must be taken into account in determining the number of members

• the proposed membership of the Research Grants Committee will be recommended to the WCH Foundation for endorsement by the WCH Foundation Directors.

4.2 A working structure for the RGC will comprise:A core/executive consisting of the Chair, or Deputy Chair, 2–3 other members of the Committee, the administrative officer to the committee and a senior administrator from CYWHS. This core/executive will deal with process matters, determining dates for opening and closing of applications, format of applications, selection of spokespersons for applicants and establishing a mechanism for selecting referees and spokespersons for applications, establishing dates for meetings of the full committee and dates for notification of the results of applications. The core/executive committee should, where possible, include a senior research scientist and an individual with academic affiliation among its membership.

4.3 Research achievement will be the fundamental criterion for membership of the RGC. Members who take the role of core/executive members of the committee will be appointed for three years in the first instance. Other members will be appointed for two years in the first instance. Duration of membership will be reassessed after the first year of activity of the committee.

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4.4 Expenses for interstate members of the committee will be met, and committee members will receive a sitting fee.

5. GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS5.1 Applications shall follow NHMRC project application format, using application forms

available at: http://www.wch.sa.gov.au/research/funding/index_wchfgrants.html .

5.2 Grants will be up to a maximum of $50,000. Therefore, applications must be realistic in the amount of work that can be achieved in the time frame and within the budget requested.

5.3 The WCH Foundation cannot provide funding for projects that overall have insufficient funding and other resources. Applicants are asked to provide details of other funding and infrastructure that will be available to them in order to ensure the project can be completed successfully.

5.4 Industry funding that contributes to the project should be identified. However, in recognition of the complexity surrounding industry funding, members of the Research Grants Committee will be advised that the primary spokesperson for a grant can direct questions on the issue of industry funding to the chief investigator no later than two weeks before assessment so that the chief investigator can respond.

5.5 The WCH Foundation will not fund projects that form part of the core activity of another funded grant, particularly NHMRC program or project grants. The chief investigator must convince the Grants Committee that the proposed project does not form part of the core project of the funded grant and certify that this is the case. Where the chief investigator on the program/project grant is also the chief investigator on the application for WCH Foundation funding, the certification must be given by another chief investigator on the funded grant.

5.6 Funding will be for a 12 month period only. Requests for funding for two years or more will be rejected.

5.7 Assessors employed by, or associated with, the CYWHS, WCHRI or CNRC cannot be nominated / selected.

5.8 One application ONLY per chief investigator will be considered. However, other researchers in a group may apply for a grant in their own right as chief investigator.

5.9 Applicants must specify the category (‘laboratory’ or ‘clinical’) which best describes their research proposal (refer to Appendix A on Partitioning of Funds).

5.10 Specific aims and milestones must be outlined in the application form enabling evaluation of the achievement of these milestones at the end of the grant period.

5.11 The salary of a chief investigator will not be supported. A chief investigator may only hold a grant if his/her salary is guaranteed for the period of the grant.

5.12 The time proposed to be devoted by applicants should be clearly adequate to support the project to a successful conclusion.

5.13 Applications must be prepared using either Times New Roman or Arial font, size 12, with standard margins of 2.5cm, and stapled. Applications that do not conform to the guidelines or to instructions in the application form will NOT be accepted.

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5.14 The original hard copy application, coversheet/checklist, 11 hard copies, an electronic copy (preferably a PDF file), and an electronic Word version of the plain English summary (Section 2.3 of the application form), must be emailed to the CYWHS Research Secretariat cywhs.resgrantsofficer@cywhs.sa.gov.au . All documentation must be lodged with the CYWHS Research Secretariat by 4.00 pm on the closing date.

Late applications will NOT be accepted.

6. GENERAL INFORMATION

6.1 Proposals may be in any area relevant to research into the health of women and children, prenatal or postnatal research. Applications must be submitted on the appropriate forms.

6.2 The aims and objectives of the proposal should be clearly stated in the light of existing knowledge of the subject area. Similarly, relevant hypotheses will be judged in relation to the description of other research. The description of the methods should be concise, yet contain sufficient information to enable the reviewers to judge the feasibility and appropriateness of the project in relation to its objectives or hypotheses. Evidence will also be sought to ensure that the applicants will be able to establish the methods for their research. Experimental design will be scrutinised to ensure that it is based on sound statistical principles. Any statistical method used in preparation of the application should be detailed. Statistical methods not commonly used should be supported by references.

6.3 An assessment will be made of the budget requested in terms of the level of support proposed for staff, maintenance, consumables, etc. It is not the policy of the committee to recommend funding for materials which might normally be expected to be provided by the hospital's allocation for goods and services. Research applications and criteria for funding (eg conditions of award, salaries) shall be according to guidelines established by the NHMRC, or, where appropriate, with respect to employment conditions, according to SA government guidelines.

6.4 All applicants will be required to supply information regarding the title and aims of current applications made to external organisations such as the NHMRC. Normally a proposal funded externally will not be recommended by this committee for funding. However, to assist and encourage researchers, CYWHS funding will not be reduced if the external grant is up to half of the amount funded by the CYWHS Foundation. In exceptional circumstances, where the external grant exceeds this amount, a researcher may resubmit the proposal to the RGC for consideration of assistance. Nevertheless, applicants are encouraged and expected to seek funds elsewhere wherever possible.

6.5 Project proposals must include the support of the relevant Chief of Service, evidence of submission to the CYWHS Ethics/Biosafety Committees, and other Ethics/Biosafety Committees as appropriate, and nomination of referees. Each application will be subjected to a careful review by the RGC which will submit its recommendations to the WCH Foundation. The RGC’s decision on each application will be regarded as final.

6.6 While applicants are invited to nominate external reviewers, the RGC is empowered to seek other independent advice as considered necessary. Applicants should NOT forward copies of their application to their nominated reviewers.

6.7 All successful proposals submitted must receive approval from the appropriate Research Ethics/Biosafety Committee(s) of the CYWHS AND the institution where the work is to occur, if it is not carried out at the CYWHS. The CYWHS Research Secretariat must be notified of the approvals by 31 March 2009 otherwise funding will be withdrawn. Evidence must be provided of approval.

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6.8 All research work funded by the WCH Foundation must be acknowledged explicitly in any presentations or publications arising from the research.

7. CARRY OVER OF GRANT FUNDING

7.1 Uncommitted and unexpended funds required to be used during each grant year may, without the need for specific approval by the WCH Foundation Board of Directors, be carried over into the next grant year provided that the amount of the carry over does not exceed 5% of the annual grant.

Although WCH Foundation approval is not required, grant holders intending to carry over < 5% of their grant must submit in writing their intention to carry over their funding. This must be submitted to the WCH Foundation via the CYWHS Research Secretariat.

7.2 Notwithstanding the above, the WCH Foundation Board of Directors may, subject to such conditions as may be decided, approve the carry over of funds in excess of 5% of the annual grant to the following year, provided that an application to carry forward these funds shall be made through the CYWHS Research Secretariat not later than 31 March of the following year and shall specify the amount involved. Applications received within the specific timeframe will be considered by the WCH Foundation Board of Directors at the next appropriate meeting date.

7.3 Funds unspent or uncommitted at the termination of the grant shall be returned to the WCH Foundation within eight weeks unless the WCH Foundation Board of Directors otherwise approves.

7.4 The responsibility for the application for or notification of carry over funding lies with the Chief Investigator.

7.5 For any grants extended beyond 12 months, in addition to the annual project report and financial statement, the Chief Investigator is required to submit a final project report and final financial statement at the completion of the research project. These are to be submitted to the WCH Foundation via the CYWHS Research Secretariat.

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GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSORS

1. ASSESSMENT PROCEDUREIn assessing applications, the Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service (CYWHS) Research Grants Committee (RGC) gives consideration to:

• the original application• external assessors' comments• expert comment from CYWHS Research Grants Committee members

2. ASSESSMENT REPORTThe report should provide comment relating to the scope and scientific/medical merit of the proposal, in particular its:

• hypothesis, aims and originality• adequacy of the research methodology • likelihood of achieving significant progress with the stated resources (eg staffing, budget and

equipment requests)• relevance to the aims of the CYWHS and its vision• track record of the applicant(s)

Your review is of invaluable assistance to the RGC when it prioritises applications for funding. It also enables the individual researchers who receive your (anonymous) assessment to give constructive thought to their project. Your full justification of the comments you make is therefore much appreciated.

You may previously have assessed this application for another granting body. If this is the case, you are requested to consider the application afresh as it is possible that the researchers may have modified the application subsequently in line with reviewers' comments.

It is recognised that preparation of a comprehensive assessment report is a time-consuming undertaking. Every endeavour is made to send applications to individuals with appropriate expertise, or where it may not fall exactly in their area of expertise, if it is believed that they will be able to provide a helpful perspective on the application. There may be occasions when a selected referee does not feel competent to provide comment and in such circumstances early advice with, if possible, suggested names of others who might have more relevant expertise, would be helpful.

A speedy decision is of importance to the applicant and early responses from the referees are appreciated. If at all possible, assessors’ reports labelled 'confidential' should be emailed to cywhs.resgrantsofficer@cywhs.sa.gov.au

Assessors will be asked to score applications for scientific merit, and to provide an assessment report. The names of external referees will remain confidential to the committee. Acceptance of this confidentiality is a condition that must be met before a proposal is submitted to the RGC.

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WCH FOUNDATIONRESEARCH PROJECT GRANT APPLICATIONS for 2009

APPENDIX A

PARTITIONING OF PROJECT GRANT FUNDS–2009

For the 2009 funding cycle, the CYWHS Research Grants Committee (RGC) has continued the partitioning of available funds for project grant applications. The purpose of this partitioning is to assist in providing a balance of funding for differing types of research grant application.

One-third of funding will be allocated to the highest ranked predominantly laboratory-oriented applications; one-third to the highest ranked predominantly clinically-oriented (ie non-laboratory) applications; and the remaining one-third to those applications next ranked when considered together. In addition two grants will be made available to new researchers.

Applicants will be required to nominate their project grant application for consideration in only ONE of the two categories (ie either as a clinically-based application, or as a laboratory-based application). The nomination of category will be done on the cover sheet accompanying the application.

In most cases the classification of your proposal into either the ‘Laboratory’ or the ‘Clinical’ category will be self evident. However, there will be other cases in which this decision will be complex. In such cases, in arriving at your decision as to which category you believe your proposal should be considered, you should reflect on the following points:

Whether the principal investigator normally spends more than 50% of their time in either laboratory or clinical (non-laboratory) work. The term ‘clinical’ is broad ranging and encompasses all project grant applications that do not have a primary laboratory focus.

Whether the research work will be performed principally within the laboratory or elsewhere within a clinical (non-laboratory) setting.

Whether, for the project in question, the principal investigator will be spending the majority of their time engaged in the work within the laboratory or the clinical setting.

The RGC will not know the category selected by applicants until ranking and budget considerations have been finalised. If it considers that the application has been incorrectly categorised, the RGC will transfer the application to the appropriate category.

As in the past, all research proposals received will be sent for external peer review, and will then be evaluated by the independent RGC. The RGC will rank all proposals which are found to be of sufficient quality to justify funding.

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