The 2013 AST Grants Program is now closed

The deadline for grants submissions was 11:59 PM PACIFIC TIME on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2012. No applications or supplementary documents are accepted after the deadline.

AST Allied Health Professionals Grant

A. General Information

This is a two-year grant ($5,000/year) awarded for studies that focus on topics related to transplant candidate and recipient outcomes and well-being, quality of life, compliance, and aspects of transplant-related drugs that affect patient care (including dosing, side effects, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacogenetics). Studies should be designed to answer specific question(s). Preference will be given to prospective studies. Note the distinct eligibility requirements compared to the other faculty grants.

B. Research Focus

The AST supports a wide range of basic and clinical research topics. Research topics that involve under-represented areas including minorities, women, and pediatrics are strongly encouraged. The AST also encourages applications from women and minority researchers. Under-represented minority investigators are defined as individuals belonging to a particular ethnic or racial group as determined by the NIH. Established AST members are encouraged to bring this funding opportunity to the attention of new faculty members performing transplantation research at their institutions and to support their applications.

C. Eligibility Criteria

Please pay particular attention to the eligibility requirements, as requirements vary for different AST Grants.

Appointment and Institutional Resources
At the time of application, the applicant must have a staff position at an accredited medical center or institution of higher learning and be an established member of the transplant team. The applicant must submit a letter from the Department Chair that stipulates that the applicant has the institutional resources for conducting independent research (office space, computer, statistical back-up, access to medical records). Additionally, the letter must also specifically stipulate the amount of protected research time should this grant be awarded.

AST Membership
The applicant must be an active member of the AST or have submitted a completed membership application by the submission deadline, with expectation that membership will be active before the grant review occurs. The applicant’s membership dues must be paid to date by January 1, 2013; otherwise, the application will not be considered for funding.

The proposed work is to be performed in a North American Medical Center.

Education
The applicant must hold a degree and have completed any advanced training commensurate with their position at the time of the application. Allied Health Professionals include, but are not limited to: Transplant Coordinators (CCTC), staff nurses (RN), nurse practitioners (RN, NP, CRNP, FNP, ACNP); clinical nurse specialists (CNS); physician assistants (PA-C), social workers (MSW); and Doctors of Pharmacy (PharmD). PhD’s who are staff members of a clinical department who do not hold an MD, and are performing clinical research (e.g. PhD’s in psychology, sociology, nursing, epidemiology, or public health), are also eligible. Allied Health Professionals must have sufficient advanced training and experience to perform the proposed work. Collaborations between Allied Health Professionals to provide optimal expertise, is permissible.

Citizenship
The applicant must be either: a) US, Canadian, or Mexican citizen; b) a lawfully admitted permanent resident foreign national of the US, Canada, or Mexico with a valid visa during the award period; or c) a foreign national admitted lawfully for residence in the US, Canada, or Mexico during the awarded period. Funding will not be released until visa status is confirmed.

Previous Funding
An individual cannot apply for an AST Allied Health Professionals Grant if he/she has been awarded this grant in the past or if the applicant serves as the PI on a previous or current RO1, project on a PO1 grant, VA Merit award or comparable non-mentored award. However, an applicant may have current or previous Career Development Awards or Grants-in-Aid. Applicants can apply for an AST grant at the same time he/she is applying for an NIH RO1, PO1, or any equivalent independent research award and may retain AST funding if an NIH RO1, PO1, or any equivalent award is received after the initiation of their AST grant, if they can justify that the projects are distinct or that the grants fund different aspects of a related project. Applicants who receive an RO1, PO1, or equivalent grant are requested to send their Specific Aims from both grants to the AST office along with an explanation for how the two projects are different.

The AST Allied Health Professionals Grant project must be distinct from that of any concurrent award. Moreover, this work should not directly overlap with funded projects of other faculty/staff members within the same Section or Department. Note: An Allied Health Professional may only hold ONE new AST Grant per year as either a PI, or as mentor/sponsor of a Fellowship Grant. If more than one grant from a given Allied Health Professional is submitted and deemed competitive for funding, the AST will determine which grant to fund.

D. Application Process

All applications will be stored in a secure, password protected environment. At any time in the application process, the applicant will be able to save the application and return to the site to complete it at a later date, prior to the deadline. Applicants must complete the application process online. The various components of the application, listed under application requirements below, should be generated as individual document files that will be uploaded and compiled into a single .PDF file during the application process.

E. Specific Application Requirements

Use font Arial/Helvetica, size 11 pt., no less than 0.5 inch margins. Applications which do not conform to these guidelines will be returned without review.

1. Title: must be entered into the appropriate space on the contact information page.
2. Abstract of the proposed research plan: This document should concisely summarize the project in 400 words or less. The abstract should introduce the project and note its relevance to transplantation. It should describe the long-term objectives and specific aims, research design and methods for achieving these goals.
3. NIH-type Biosketch: This document may not exceed four (4) pages and must include:
   • Applicant name
   • Position Title
   • Education/Training: beginning with baccalaureate or other initial profession education, such as nursing, and include post-doctoral training, institution and location, degree, year(s) of completion, field(s) of study.
   • Positions and Honors: list in chronological order previous positions, concluding with your present position. List any honors including present membership on any Federal Government Public Advisory Committee).
   • Selected peer-reviewed publications (in chronological order). Do not include publications submitted or in preparation.
   • Research Support: list selected ongoing or completed, during the last three years, research projects, federal and non-federal support. Briefly indicate the overall goals of the projects and your role (e.g. PI, Co-Investigator, Consultant) in the research project, total amount of grant and amount of funding for the year the AST grant may be awarded. The applicant should explain any specific or budgetary overlap with the grant and in the case of pending applications, how these will be resolved in the event the funding is received from more than one agency. The final resolution of any funding conflicts will be decided by the AST.
4. Statement of career goals (no more than one page): explaining the applicant’s short and long-term career goals and how the grant will enhance these plans. The career statement should also include alternative means of support and activities that may be available should the applicant be unsuccessful in receiving the grant.
5. Complete proposed research plan: This document cannot exceed six pages; references are not included in the page limit. It should summarize the proposed research project as well as any simultaneous training that will be obtained during the period of grant support. The Aims should include the key questions posed or hypotheses to be tested, followed by a brief Introduction providing the rationale for the research, Preliminary Results supporting the research plan, and a Research Plan explaining how the questions or hypothesis will be studied with emphasis on experimental design over the details of the specific methods to be used. Anticipated results and potential pitfalls and alternative approaches should be briefly discussed. Specific research (and, if applicable, training) goals to be reached at the end of the grant should also be provided.
6. Letter from the Department Chair: stipulating that the applicant has institutional resources for conducting independent research (office space, computer, statistical back-up, access to medical records). The letter must also specifically stipulate the amount of applicant's protected time, should this grant be awarded.
7. Two (2) letters of recommendation: from two individuals who are familiar with the applicant’s potential as a research investigator. Electronic copies with original signatures on institutional letterhead must be uploaded to the website as part of the application. Originals must be mailed to the AST National Office and postmarked by the submission deadline.

Letters of recommendation with original signatures must be included in the electronic file as part of the uploaded application. Original letters of recommendation must also be mailed to the AST National Office, postmarked by the submission deadline and have an original signature on institutional letterhead.

Mail original letters of recommendation to:

Dr. Daniel Salomon
Senior Chair, AST Grants Committee
AST National Office
Attn: Beth Maher
Suite C, 15000 Commerce Parkway
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054, USA

F. Review Process

All complete applications received by the submission deadline will be reviewed and scored by the AST Grants Committee comprised of a broad panel of researchers from a number of institutions who have widespread expertise in transplantation.

The committee will place primary emphasis in evaluating applications based on scientific strength of the applicant, preparation of the applicant for the proposed research and scientific excellence of the proposed research. The AST Allied Health Professionals Grant is a distinct grant category and will be funded independent of review of the other categories provided that high quality applications are received and budget constraints allow.

All applicants will be notified of the application status in March 2013. Grant recipients will be recognized at the AST Grants Ceremony during the 2013 American Transplant Congress, May 18-21, 2013 in Seattle, WA. Recipients are expected to attend the 2013 ATC and must register for the congress. Registration is NOT included as part of the AST grant.

Applicants (whether accepted or not) will receive a brief paragraph on the strengths and weaknesses of their grant application.

G. Funding Guidelines

1. Two grants from the same group or from the same institution with significant scientific overlap will not be funded regardless of score. The discretion as to which grant will be funded will be made by the AST Grants Committee at the time of review.
2. The AST Allied Health Professionals Grant is $5,000/year, paid in quarterly installments to the institution of the successful applicant.
3. The funding for any grant is contingent upon having qualified applicants apply.
4. The funding of any grant and total number of grants awarded by the AST is dependent on budgetary constraints in a given year.
5. Funding will not be released until visa status is confirmed.
6. Grant funding is not transferable from one recipient to another. If the grantee relocates, the AST will determine if the grant can be transferred.
7. Research must begin on July 1, 2013.
8. Applicants holding an NIH RO1 or any equivalent award are not eligible for an AST grant. However, an applicant can hold a K series grant (or equivalent) mentored grant. An applicant can apply for an AST grant at the same time he/she is applying for an NIH RO1, PO1 or any equivalent independent research award and may retain AST funding if an NIH RO1, PO1 or any equivalent award is received after the initiation of their AST grant if they can justify that the projects are distinct or that the grants fund different aspects of a related project. Applicants who receive an RO1, PO1, or equivalent grant are requested to send their Specific Aims from both grants to the AST office along with an explanation for how the two projects are different. For applicants who hold other types of grants not mentioned above, please click here for additional information.
9. No indirect costs are permitted.
10. The AST must be acknowledged as a funding source in all manuscripts and presentations derived from the funded research by using the following statement: “This work was supported by a research grant from the American Society of Transplantation”. Copies of these publications must be submitted to the AST National Office.
11. Funding of the second year of the grant will be contingent upon submission of a progress report by the applicant. The progress report must confirm additional sources of funding. The progress report will be requested from the applicant approximately three months prior to the beginning of the second year of funding and second year funds will not be released until this information has been received and reviewed.
12. A final report of the results of the funded research must be submitted to the AST National Office.