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IRT RESEARCH FOUNDATION GRANTS 2014

BACKGROUNDThe IRT Research Foundation funds research initiatives that seek to improve the mind, mobility and lifestyles of senior Australians, and that will assist older people achieve their optimum quality of life.

The priority for the 2014 Grants Round is research proposals that address one or more of the 30 research priority topics listed in the National Community Care Research Agenda, 2010 (www.aag.asn.au) developed by Aged and Community Services Australia, the Australian Association of Gerontology and the ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Ageing Well.

Applications for grants are invited from Australian researchers and institutions with expertise on topics affecting older Australians. IRT Research Foundation will consider applications for projects of up to three years in duration, requesting total funding up to $200,000 (excluding GST). Larger grants (above $100K) will only be considered for significant research projects that will make a considerable impact on the lives of older people. We ideally will award a variety of larger and smaller grants, however we are unlikely to award more than one larger grant.

Grant payments will be made to the institution of the Primary Investigator (the ‘administering institution’), which is usually a university. In general, the proposal should be consistent with the standards of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) or Australian Research Council (ARC).

TIMELINE FOR ASSESSMENT OF APPLICATIONS

Thursday, 1 May 2014 Applications open

Monday, 30 June 2014 Applications close 5pm EST

Early September 2014 Notification of successful and unsuccessful applicants

October 2014 Public announcement of successful applicants

NATURE OF FUNDINGSuccessful projects are subject to an agreement between the Foundation and the administering institution that specifies financial support for specific researchers to undertake a defined research project.

The 2014 research grant commitment may be drawn down on a basis to be agreed between the Foundation and the administering institution and will be contingent upon the applicant(s) meeting agreed research milestones.

1IRT Research Foundation Grant Application 2014IRT Research Foundation (a division of Illawarra Retirement Trust) ABN: 52 000 726 536

http://www.aag.asn.au/

http://www.aag.asn.au/news-publications/aag-publications

Grant funding may be used for the following purposes:

Direct research expenses attributable to the proposed research, which may include the salary of appropriate research personnel. The primary investigator may use the award to cover up to 50% of his/her own salary.

Equipment necessary for the proposed research.

Other purposes described in the proposal at the discretion of the Foundation.

Travel for specific research related activities. Please do not include travel for presenting to the Foundation in your application, as that will be negotiated separately for successful applicants.

Funding for general departmental and institutional overheads, infrastructure, building maintenance, service and repairs will not be supported.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIAApplications will be subject to a review process by the IRT Research Foundation Committee along with external experts where relevant. Final approval of any grant or grants rests with the IRT Research Foundation Committee.

Before submitting an application, researchers should consider the following questions:

Does the research project attempt to answer (fully or partially) any of the questions listed in the National Community Care Research Agenda, 2010?

Will the research have an impact on the quality of life of older people?

What is the extent of the problem the research hopes to address – how many people does it affect and how many people will potentially benefit from this research?

How will the outcomes of the research be applicable to older people in general through practice or policy and in what time frame?

Is the funding amount requested relative to the impact of the potential research outcomes and is the project likely to represent a sound investment for IRT Research Foundation?

The following criteria will be considered in selection:Scientific quality

The clarity of the research hypotheses and objectives.

The strengths and weaknesses of the project’s design.

The feasibility of the research plan.

Significance and/or innovation Alignment with the research priority topics listed in the National Community Care

Research Agenda, 2010.

Potential of the research to be extended into further research of significance.

2IRT Research Foundation Grant Application 2014




The degree to which appropriate financial and scientific governance is applied to the project.

Feasibility of the translation of research findings to practice and/or policy.

Track record of investigators and evidence that the investigator/s have the skills and experience to achieve the aims of the research.

Institutional support Support (financial and in-kind) from the administering institution and collaborating

institutions (if applicable) to maximise the outcomes of the research.

PARTICIPATION OF OLDER PEOPLEIf your project will require the participation of older people, please ensure that the requirements for participation are practical. You may wish to do some early consultation with your potential participant base to gain valuable feedback about your subject matter.

IRT has a number of existing commitments to research projects and is unlikely to have capacity in 2014 to give permission for its residents or service users to be considered as potential subjects for research projects.

The Foundation will look favourably on applications that:

Clearly define recruitment strategy and sources.

Demonstrate that the required sample size can be recruited in a timely manner.

Describe, where possible, opportunities for older Australians to be more actively involved in the research project.

Show methods to adequately compensate participants for travel expenses.

Show how participants will be informed of the outcomes of the research project, in a timely manner.

Show how findings will be communicated to the broader community.

ELIGIBILITY1. Researchers working in any field of research relevant to older people are eligible to apply.

2. The Primary Investigator must be based in an Australian educational institution.

3. A maximum of four co-investigators may be listed on the application.

4. Funding cannot commence until all relevant ethical and other approvals have been obtained and evidence of these provided to the Foundation. If these approvals have not been obtained by the project commencement date, the Foundation reserves the right to withdraw the offer of funding.

5. The successful applicant must commence the research no later than six months after notification of a successful grant submission.

6. Institutions can submit more than one application.


7. The application is complete and adheres to all instructions/guidelines including word limits and formatting.

8. The administering institution accepts responsibility for indirect costs of the research and for grant administration.

9. Applicants must be willing to enter into a Research Funding Agreement, a reference copy of which can be obtained by contacting the Foundation Officer on [email protected].

10.Half-yearly progress reports must be completed by the Primary Investigator upon commencement of funding. The final report will be due three months after the project concludes.

11.Research findings must be submitted for publication within six months from the final report date with expected publication in a peer reviewed journal or journals no later than 12 months from the Final Report Date.

12.Key research personnel will be required to present brief reports to the Foundation, or other parties, up to four times per year. Researchers must be available for media appearances and website updates during the project and in the 12 months following the research period.

13.Key research personnel must be available to attend up to four functions during the project and up to two functions in the 12 months following the research period, as requested by the Foundation. Travel costs will be negotiated on a case by case basis.

14.The Foundation reserves the right to withhold all or part of the grant.

HOW TO APPLYApplications open on 1 May 2014 and close at 5pm (EST) on Monday, 30 June 2014. Late applications will not be accepted. All applicants will be notified by email in early September 2014.

Applicants should complete the application form included in this document by entering responses directly into the Word document; paper size is to be A4. Ensure that the Coversheet (Part 6, Attachment A) appears as the first page of the application. Other Attachments (detailed in Part 6 of this document) should be included along with the completed application form. Acceptable font size is 10pt; 8pt for references. No specific font style is required.

Submission of the application: An electronic and hard copy of the completed application, including the cover sheet are required.

Electronic submission: An electronic copy of the fully completed application form with attachments in PDF format should be submitted via email to [email protected]. If you are submitting more than one electronic file for the application, all files must be attached to one email message. You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of the application. Once submitted, the application will be considered final and no changes will be accepted.

Original signatures are only required for the hard copy of the certifications page.


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Hardcopy submission: In addition to electronic submission, one hard copy of the completed application must be sent to:

IRT Research Foundation GrantsLevel 3, 77 Market StreetWollongong NSW 2500

Please note the hard copy of the application, plus attachments, can be received up to close of business on Wednesday, 2 July 2014, provided the electronic application has been received by 5pm (EST) on Monday, 30 June 2014.

PRIVACYThe information you submit with your grant application will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. It is our commitment to you not to disclose any information to any persons other than those directly related to the administration of your grant application.

A full copy of IRT’s Privacy Policy is available on request.

NOTIFICATION OF APPLICATION OUTCOMEThe Primary Investigator and the administrative contact will be sent an email regarding the outcome of the application in early September 2014.

Due to the high volume of applications likely to be received, we are sorry that we will not be able to provide specific feedback regarding unsuccessful applications.

Success rates from previous competitive grants rounds:

Year Total number of applications received

Total number of grants awarded

Total funding approved

2010 11 3 $118,470

2011 43 3 $57,125

2012 107 5 $705,020

2013 57 4 $347,626


PART 1: APPLICANT INFORMATION

DETAILS OF APPLICANTSA maximum of five Investigators may be listed on the application. The role and contribution of each Investigator must be described in this application.

The Primary Investigator will be considered the point of contact for the grant, and their institution will be the administering institution.

Primary Investigator

Surname First name Title

Qualifications (including year and awarding institution)

Current appointment

Institution Department

Postal address

Phone numbers

Email Fax

Are you an Australian citizen or permanent resident?

Previous appointments (insert additional rows if necessary)

Appointment and level Department Organisation Dates

Co-Investigator 1

Surname First name Title

Qualifications (including year and awarding institution)

Current appointment

Institution Department


Postal address

Phone numbers

Email Fax

Previous appointments (insert additional rows if necessary)

Appointment and level Department Organisation Dates

Please insert tables for up to four additional investigators.

ADMINISTERING INSTITUTION DETAILSName of Administering Institution

Address

ABN Website

Is the administering institution registered as an Administering Institution with the NHMRC and/or the ARC?

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONSFunds will be released to the successful administering institution when appropriate ethics approvals have been obtained.

Has the project attained ethical approvals?

Yes No

If ethical approvals have not yet been obtained, please explain how and when this will be done.


PART 2: PROJECT DETAILS

PROJECT TITLE

SHORT PROJECT TITLE (suitable for media and publishing, suggested max 10 words)

PROJECT SUMMARY (250 words max)

MEDIA SUMMARY (plain English summary of project, 75 words max)

CONFLICT OF INTERESTPlease describe any actual or potential conflict of interest that exists in relation to this research for each of the Investigators. For example, please declare any support received from, or being sought from the tobacco or pharmaceutical industry and affiliated agencies or subsidiaries.


PART 3: RESEARCH PLAN Please include a research plan of no more than five pages using the headings below.

PROJECT TITLE

AIMS AND BACKGROUNDProvide a clear statement of the aims and objectives of the proposed research, research question and/or hypotheses to be tested. Provide the context and background to the proposed research project. Indicate how the primary research subject and approach fit with existing knowledge and other research currently being undertaken.

MILESTONESMilestones for the research should be identified with dates so that progress of the project can be measured. Presentation in the form of a table is preferred. Please indicate a suggested start and completion date for the project, based on a public announcement date of October 2014.

APPROACHReferring to milestones, please describe the approach to the research, including its design, sampling, techniques, protocols, data analysis procedures (including statistical tests and power calculations, if appropriate). Also describe the procedural checks/auditing that will be used to ensure compliance with the study protocol.

Projects must be feasible and realistic within the available timeframe and budget. Project proposals should outline a clear research plan, and include consideration of potential project risks and mitigation strategies. The capabilities of the research team and availability of time and necessary infrastructure will also be considered.

Where the project requires access to participants or subjects, a clear recruitment strategy should be defined. Applicants are advised that IRT residents or customers can only be proposed as a significant source for research subjects if this has been discussed with IRT’s Head of Research and Advocacy PRIOR to the submission of the application.

OUTCOMES AND SIGNIFICANCEDescribe the expected outcomes of the research, including expected outcomes for older people and (if relevant) how these outcomes relate to the research priority topics listed in the National Community Care Research Agenda, 2010. Describe the ways in which the proposed research is innovative and/or quantify the significance of the research topic (e.g. what is the prevalence of the problem within the community and how many people will potentially benefit from this research?) If possible, show some preliminary results or relevant material from


previous research to support your hypothesis.

IMPACT OF RESEARCH ON THE AIMS OF IRT RESEARCH FOUNDATION

How will this research further the aims of IRT Research Foundation to improve the mind, mobility and lifestyle of senior Australians? Explain how and why the problem is important and if the research topic will improve the quality of life of older people. (250 words max)

What will be the measures of your success?

How will the project’s findings be translated through practice or policy?

REFERENCESReferences should be no longer than two pages. 8 point font is acceptable.


PART 4: BUDGET

BudgetPlease add additional lines as needed. If funding is sought for more than one year, provide separate tables for each year.

The IRT Research Foundation will only fund direct costs of the research project. Funds may only be used for the purposes approved and recorded in the Research Agreement.

Funding may be requested for:

Personnel (for each personnel request, include details of level and percentage of time on project).

Equipment that is essential for the project to succeed. The grant will not fund the purchase of computers unless they are of a specialised nature required for the operation of laboratory equipment.

Travel (specify whether for data collection, collaboration and/or dissemination). Please do not include travel expenses for presenting, including IRT requested presentations. As per clause 4.3a of the “Funding Agreement” any travel involved for the presentation of research findings for IRT will be negotiated separately and allowances should not be included in the budget.

Other research costs including research materials.

PROJECT TITLEResearch Project BudgetIn the budget table, show the cost of individual items excluding GST.

QTR 1

QTR 2

QTR 3

QTR 4

Project Total IRTRF Funding Request

Staff

Project Manager

Research Assistant/s

In-kind Staff

(Please include all relevant project personnel)

Consumables

Focus Groups

Surveys

Educational Materials


(Please provide fund allocation details as appropriate)

Travel

Equipment

Other

Additional Costs

(Please provide details)

Other In-Kind

Administrative Support

Total Funds as per Project Budget (excl. GST)

Project Funding (excl. GST)

IRT Research Foundation Funding Request $

In-Kind Contribution $

Other Funding Sources (please give details) $

Total Project Funding (excl. GST) $

Budget JustificationPlease provide a detailed explanation of budget items. (500 words max)


What other funding sources have been, or are currently being pursued? Please provide details. (250 words max)

What procedures are in place to ensure financial accountability for the project? (250 words max)

PART 5: EVIDENCE OF INVESTIGATOR/S CAPACITY TO CONDUCT THE RESEARCH

For each Investigator, complete the following sections.

PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR: Please provide details of research output since 2009, including publications.

Details of previous and existing grants and/or other funding since 2009 (sources, project title, duration of funding and level of funding).

Evidence of impact and contribution to the field. (500 words max)

Description of how the Investigator’s previous research has benefited older people. (500 words max)


CO-INVESTIGATOR 1 Please provide details of research output since 2009, including publications.

Details of previous and existing grants and/or other funding since 2009 (sources, project title, duration of funding and level of funding).

Evidence of impact and contribution to the field. (500 words max)

Description of how the Co-Investigator’s previous research has benefited older people. (500 words max)

Please add details for additional investigators as necessary.


PART 6: REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS

These attachments must be provided with the completed application form.

Attachment number

Requirement Instructions

Attachment A Coversheet Attach this to the front of the completed application.

Attachment B Ethics clearances

Please attach copies of human, animal or bio-safety ethics clearances, if available.

Attachment C Certifications Please ensure that all relevant signatures have been obtained, as required in the Certification form at the end of this document


IRT RESEARCH FOUNDATION GRANT APPLICATION COVER SHEET

Project Title: Click here to enter text.

Short Project Description (250 words max): Click to enter text.

Principal investigator:

E-mail:

Contact Phone:

Other Investigators:

Institution:

ABN/ACN:

Department (if applicable):

Administrative contact: NameEmailPhoneAddress

Total grant amount requested (ex GST):

Project duration (months):


IRT RESEARCH FOUNDATION GRANTCERTIFICATIONS

Primary InvestigatorI, the Applicant, hereby certify that:

All the details in this application are true and complete; I agree to abide by the funding agreement to be signed should the application be successful; I understand and agree that all statutory requirements must be met before the proposed research

can commence; Any actual or potential conflicts of interest have been declared in this application and have been

made known to the Administering Organisation; I will notify the IRT Research Foundation and the Administering Organisation if there are any

changes in my circumstances which may impact on my eligibility to participate in, or ability to perform, the project subsequent to the submission of this application.

Name (printed)

Signature Date

Certification by Head of DepartmentI agree that the project can be accommodated within the general facilities in my Department/Centre and that sufficient working and office space is available for any proposed additional staff;I am prepared to have the project carried out in my Department/Centre under the circumstances set out in the application.

Name (printed)

Position

Department/Centre Institution

Signature Date

Certification by Head of Administering Institution (or nominee)I certify that this application for an IRT Research Foundation Grant meets the requirements of this Institution, and that this Institution has established administrative processes for assuring sound scientific practice in accordance with the Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statements and Guidelines on Research Practice.

Name (printed)

Position

Institution

Signature Date


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