| RSDSA Research Grant Application
The RSDSA Pain Research Fund supports clinical and basic
research activities. The purpose of the Fund is to facilitate
the completion of relevant research that will improve our
understanding of the epidemiology, natural history, pathophysiology,
pathomechanics, diagnosis and treatment of RSD/CRPS-1.
RSDSA Research Granting Cycle
Research Grants are funded from July 1 through June 30 of
each calendar year. The deadline for submission of a Research
Grant Application is November 1 of the previous calendar
year. The final decision on Research Grant funding is made
by the RSDSA Board of Directors at its December meeting (generally
the first week in each December). Applicants are notified
of the Board's decision within 5 business days.
Periodically, RSDSA is asked to support a very promising
research initiative that does not adhere to this solicitation
and review timetable. The Chairman of the RSDSA Scientific
Advisory Committee, at his discretion, convenes the Scientific
Advisory Committee or an ad hoc committee to review such a
Research Grant Application and advises the Board of Directors
on the suitability of funding the proposed research.
Research Grant Application Submission
| Mail |
RSDSA - Research Grant Application
99 Cherry Street Milford, CT 06460
(203) 877-3790 |
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If printed on 8 ½ x 11 paper, include
three copies. |
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As a MSWord document on a CD-ROM. |
| E-mail |
as an attachment in MSWord, to: info@rsds.org |
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Subject heading should read: Research
Grant Application. |
Research Grant Application Review Process
Research Grant Applications are reviewed by the RSDSA Scientific
Advisory Committee, medical professionals and scientists with
experience in clinical and basic research. We reserve the
right to seek outside technical consultation as necessary.
Research Grant Applications are graded for scientific interest,
originality, methodology, the qualifications of the principal
investigator and the host institution, and the financial proposal.
The Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee makes funding
recommendations to the Board of Directors, whose decisions
are final.
RSDSA observes the highest standards of conduct to insure
that conflicts of interest do not influence the Research Grant
Review process and that the confidentiality of Research Grant
Applications is secure.
Basic Requirement for Research Grant Applications
The proposed research will improve our understanding of the
epidemiology, natural history, pathophysiology, pathomechanics,
diagnosis and/or treatment of RSD/CRPS-I.
The principle investigator is a health science professional
with a career interest in the study and/or treatment of painful
conditions. Applicants who are residents, fellows and PhD
candidates are under the direct sponsorship and supervision
of a senior scientist or faculty member.
The Financial Proposal may not exceed US$50,000 per year.
Research Grants are not limited to US citizens or US institutions;
however, all funds requested must be in US dollars and will
be paid in US dollars. The amount of the Grant will remain
fixed even if rates of exchange fluctuate.
We will only fund one year of a multi-year research project
at a time. An interim report and new application will be required
for the Board of Directors to consider funding each subsequent
year of a multi-year research project.
The application is accompanied by the following documents
(where applicable):
| 1. A letter of support from the Department
Chair, the Director of Sponsored Projects, the Dean or
the Vice President for Research, the Medical Director
or an appropriate authority of the host institution. |
| 2. Copies of approved documents from the
host institution's Ethics Committee, Institutional Review
Board (IRB), or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
(IACUC). |
| 3. A copy of the proposed Informed Consent
Form, if not included in the IRB or Ethics Committee documents. |
| 4. If the applicant is a resident, fellow,
or PhD candidate, a letter from the department chair indicating
the career development plans of the applicant. |
| 5. The RSDSA Research Grant Application
Declaration, signed by all investigators, indicating their
commitment: |
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a. to acknowledge the support of the RSDSA Pain Research
Fund in any presentation or publication of the research
results |
| b. to submit a progress report after six (6) months
of the funding period and at the end of the funding period
or accompanying a Research Grant Application for continued
funding of the research |
| c. to submit a final report at the conclusion of the
research |
d. to submit an itemized financial report |
| e. to present the results of the research at a national
or international pain meeting |
| f. to submit a manuscript of the research report for
publication in a peer reviewed journal |
g. to scientific integrity by disclosing any conflicts
of interest related to the proposed research |
The Formatted Research Grant Application
The Research Grant Application consists of three parts:
| Face Sheet (one[1] page) |
| Scientific Proposal (no more than four [4]
pages) |
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Scientific Proposal Abstract (one [1] page) |
| Validation of Methods (two [2] pages) |
| Investigators and Institution Description
(one [1] page) |
| Financial Proposal (one [1] page) |
Research Grant Applications that exceed SIX (6) pages in
length will not be reviewed.
Style requirements: 1 inch margins. Minimum type font = 11pt.
Page One(1): Face Sheet
The Face Sheet includes applicant information, host institution
information and a Research Grant Application check list. Use
the form provided.
Scientific Proposal
Page Two(2): Research Proposal Abstract:The Abstract must
conform to the following format. Narrative Abstracts will
not be reviewed.
| Scientific Proposal Abstract Format: |
| |
Summary of Background Data |
| Purpose |
| Hypothesis/hypotheses |
| Study Design |
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Study Subjects |
| Study Sample |
| Stratification of the Study Sample |
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Main Outcome Measures |
| Methods |
| Analysis |
Compositional Guidelines
| Summary of Background Data |
Include prior research that is relevant
to the proposed research. Avoid a lengthy discussion of
what is known and what is not known about RSDS/CRPS-1
in general. |
| Purpose |
A single phrase, beginning: "to study
the effect of….", "to validate the efficacy
and safety of…", "to determine (or to measure)
the…", etc. |
| Hypothesis/hypotheses |
State in one sentence, each, the primary
hypothesis of the research and two (2) secondary hypotheses
(if any). |
| Study Design |
e.g.: "randomized, blinded, placebo
controlled clinical trial", "observational cohort
study", "controlled trial in an animal model",
"case controlled observational study", etc. |
| Study Subjects |
The population from which subjects are selected
or the animal/laboratory model.
|
| Study Sample |
List inclusion and exclusion criteria. State
the sample size. |
| Stratification of the Study Sample |
State how subjects will be assigned to the
experimental and control subsamples. State blinding techniques
for both subjects and observers. |
| Main Outcome Measures |
List all that apply to the hypothesis or
hypotheses |
| Methods |
Describe the methods of measurement for
each outcome variable. This should be a brief summary
statement. The details are presented in the Validation
of Methods section of the Scientific Proposal. State the
anticipated duration of the research along with the minimum
period of follow-up observation. |
| Analysis |
State how the outcome measures will be analyzed,
including the statistical methods to validate or refute
the hypothesis or hypotheses. Describe patient safety
monitoring and procedures. |
Pages Three and Four (3 and 4): Validation of Methods
This section cites specific prior research on the topic of
the proposed research and, if necessary, a brief critique
of that work. Justify the methods of subject selection or
the choice of the animal or laboratory model. Validate by
citation or justify the techniques for stratification and
blinding. Specific citations validate the methodology for
outcome measurement and reference alternative methods that
have been rejected for the proposed research. Cite and annotate
work by the investigators on the topic of the proposed research.
Page Five (5): Investigators and Institution
A complete curriculum vitae is not required but may be appended
to the Research Grant Application. This section gives a brief
narrative description of the academic, clinical practice and
research experience of the investigators relevant to the proposed
research. A description of the host institution includes IRB,
Ethics Committee and/or IACUC functions, institutional history
of research support, academic and technical support (statistical
consultation if a statistician is not among the investigators),
facilities, grant administration, etc.
Financial Proposal
Page Six (6): Financial Proposal
| Direct Costs |
| 1) Salary support should be itemized as
a "percentage of effort" for each funded investigator
or technician. |
| 2) Funding for materials and supplies should
be itemized on a "per subject" basis. |
| 3) Durable equipment (DE) support is calculated
according to the following formula: |
| |
Support = (Cost of DE x [Duration of Study
/ Expected Life of DE]) x (Study Sample / Total DE Utilization) |
| e.g.: If the DE costs $1000 (including upkeep
and programmed service), with an expected life of 4 years,
and if the duration of the study is 1 year, and if the
DE will be used for 50 study subjects as well as for 50
non-study subjects; then the request for durable equipment
support is: 1000 x 0.25 x 0.5 = $125. |
| 4) If RSDSA is the sole funding source,
travel expenses may be requested to support one investigator
to report the results of the research at a national or
international (North America) professional or scientific
meeting. |
| 5) What percent of the total
expense of the study is the RSDSA portion? |
| Indirect Costs |
| If RSDSA is the sole funding source, indirect
costs and overhead may be supported to a maximum of 10%
of the total award. |
RSDSA Research Grant Application
Declaration
| In accordance with the requirements of The
RSDSA Research Grant Application, the applicants declare
their commitment: |
| h. to obtain approval of the host institution's Ethics
Committee, IRB or IACUC, if approval is not given prior
to application |
| i. to acknowledge the support of the RSDSA Pain Research
Fund in any presentation or publication of the research
results |
| j. to submit a progress report after six (6) months
of the funding period and at the end of the funding period
or accompanying a Research Grant Application for continued
funding of the research |
| k. to submit a final report at the conclusion of the research |
| l. to submit an itemized financial report |
| m. to present the results of the research at a national
or international pain meeting |
n. to submit a manuscript of the research report for
publication in a peer reviewed journal
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Signatures and Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
| Investigator |
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Conflict of Interest
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| Signature |
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| Investigator |
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Conflict of Interest
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| Signature |
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| Investigator |
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Conflict of Interest
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| Signature |
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Please print this sheet, fill in the information, and return
it to RSDSA.
Face Sheet
Type or print clearly
| Title |
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| Amount Requested (US dollars) |
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Applicant Information (Investigator to whom correspondence
should be sent)
Name |
Tel #1 |
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| Address |
Tel #2 |
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| Fax |
E-mail |
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| City/State/Country |
Zip or postal code |
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| Institution |
Applicant's Signature:
Application Check List: [x] = Included, [o] = Not Applicable
| [ ] |
Scientific Proposal Abstract |
| [ ] |
Validation of Methods |
| [ ] |
Description of Investigators and Host Institution |
| [ ] |
Financial Proposal |
| [ ] |
RSDSA Research Grant Application Declaration
Form |
| [ ] |
Letter of Support from an Appropriate Authority
of the Host Institution |
| [ ] |
Documentation of Ethics Committee, IRB and/or
IACUC Approval |
| [ ] |
Informed Consent Form |
| [ ] |
Career Development Plan for Fellows, Residents
and/or Ph.D. Candidates |
For RSDSA Use Only: Date received:
[ ] Approved [ ] Not Approved Date Applicant Notified:
Updated September 13, 2007
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