Request for Applications

2003-2004

DIABETES RESEARCH BRIDGE GRANTS

New York State Health Research Council
New York State Department of Health

Issued May 16, 2003

Application Deadline: July 14, 2003

Background

According to the National Center for Health Statistics of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes is the 8th leading cause of death, nationally. Diabetes is also a leading cause of disability, blindness, limb loss and end stage renal disease. It is associated with half of all heart attacks. Diabetes affects more children than any other serious disease. It is estimated that the approximately 16 million people in the US afflicted with diabetes account for more than $105 billion of annual health care costs. Estimates indicate that currently 1.5 million New Yorkers have been diagnosed with diabetes, while another 500,000 people in the State are either at high risk for developing it, or are undiagnosed. An estimated $8.7 billion in direct and indirect costs result from New Yorkers who are diagnosed diabetics. In 1997 alone, there were 1,096 new cases of diabetes-related blindness and 285,127 diabetes-related hospitalizations in New York. An estimated 12,177 residents of New York died as a result of diabetes in 1997.

Because of its high toll in morbidity and mortality, the New York State Legislature established a special program of research regarding diabetes mellitus, in 1985. Section 2796, Article 27-H of the Public Health Law of New York seeks, among other things,

"to promote scientific investigations with respect to the causes, prevention and treatment of diabetes."

The New York State Health Research Council of the New York State Department of Health administers appropriations to this Diabetes Research Program.

The Diabetes Bridge Grants Program

The Health Research Council's Diabetes Bridge Grants Program is a competitive program of interim funding for diabetes-related biomedical research, established in 1993. Eligible researchers are those conducting research in New York State whose current competitive renewal application was deemed highly meritorious by their respective funding agencies, but not funded. The Council will award up to four, six-month, non-renewable bridge grants of $35,000 each. Studies concerning the causes, prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus are eligible as outlined below. The Bridge Grants Program will provide temporary support to selected researchers and their clinical and basic research projects while they are pursuing renewed support for their studies. Investigators may use the time of Bridge Grant funding to revise their applications for resubmission, respond to reviewers’ comments, compile additional laboratory results and continue essential project components of their study laboratories.

Eligibility

Only applicants who meet all of the following three conditions are eligible to apply:

• They are researchers at New York non-profit academic and biomedical research institutions, (including agencies of New York State and New York local governments), • whose biomedical diabetes research study has been until recently the recipient of external, peer-reviewed funding, and, • who have received official notice that their application for competitive renewal did not reach the pay line of their funding agency.

Projects that have not been previously funded are ineligible. Awards will not be made to individuals. Applicant organizations must have acceptable experience in monitoring the expenditure of public funds, maintenance of project accounts and the ability to fulfill other fiscal management and hiring requirements of New York State.

Two categories of previously funded projects are eligible to apply for funding:

Federal Proposals. Proposals that were submitted during the preceding 12 months to a federal funding agency and that received excellent priority scores but no funding.

Non-Federal Proposals. Proposals that were submitted during the preceding 12 months to a non-federal funding agency or association and were not funded.

How to Apply

Letter of Intent. An investigator planning to submit a proposal should send a brief letter of intent on institutional stationery to the program director listed below by June 16th, via mail or Fax. The letter of intent is not binding and is optional, but will assist program staff in estimating the likely proposal review workload.

Federal Proposals. Investigators should submit the application reviewed by the federal agency together with a copy of the (pink) rating sheet.

Non-Federal Proposals. Investigators should submit the reviewed application together with reviewer comment sheets. Non-federal applications must provide detail equivalent to that required by federal funding agencies. (Form 398, Public Health Service Research Grant Application, contains appropriate forms and instructions and is available at www.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html or by request from the National Institutes of Health).

IF RESUBMISSION HAS ALREADY OCCURRED, PLEASE INCLUDE COPIES OF BOTH THE PRIOR AND THE REVISED COMPETITIVE RENEWAL APPLICATIONS.

In addition to submitting the aforementioned proposal and rating or comment sheets, the original budget must be modified so as to indicate how the Bridge Grant of $35,000 would be spent. [Funding subject to passage of appropriation in the 2003-2004 NYS Budget. Budgets of awarded grants may require minor adjustment to meet available program funds]. Use Appendix B to record the Bridge Grant budget. Funds may be used for project salaries, supplies, travel and equipment, but, not institutional overhead or to supplant other funds received for the same research. The cost of equipment may not exceed $8,000.

Applications must also contain a Workplan in the form of a Timetable clearly describing major project milestones and the dates of their anticipated completion.

SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION WILL BE CONSTRUED AS CONSTITUTING ACCEPTANCE OF THE CONDITIONS OUTLINED IN THIS RFA AND THE ENCLOSED NYS CONTRACT APPENDICES. HOWEVER, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF APPENDIX B, THE APPLICANT SHOULD READ BUT NOT COMPLETE THE OTHER APPENDICES AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION.

In addition, investigators must provide the following information:

Current Support: List all current, active grants. Include the name of the granting agency, the grant number, the title of the project, the amount of the award and the time period of the award.

Pending Support: List all applications submitted to granting agencies and currently being reviewed. Include the name of the granting agency, the title of the application, the amount requested, and the projected time period of the award.

Planned Support: List any applications that you plan to submit during the next 12 months.

Six (6) copies of the complete application, including all supporting materials, must be received by 5:00 PM, July 14, 2003. Applications should be sent to:

Martin D. Sorin, Ph.D., Program Director Diabetes Research Bridge Grant Program New York State Health Research Council New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Center Empire State Plaza, Rm. C450 Albany, New York 12201-0509 (518) 474-7760 FAX: (518) 474-3439 mds01@health.state.ny.us

Selection Process, Proposal Evaluation and Timetable

Eligible applications (see Eligibility on p.3) will be reviewed using a written rating system by an advisory board composed of scientific researchers appointed by the Executive Director of the Health Research Council, using an NIH-like scale and form, which will making funding recommendations. Ineligible applications will not be reviewed.

In making awards, the Council will rely on the following evaluation criteria, weighted to yield a maximum possible score of 100% and a minimum score of 0%. Applications with the highest scores will be funded, until all available funds are used:

* Scientific merit of the proposed research, including its relevance to diabetes, novelty of the idea, experimental approach and likelihood of successfully responding to reviewers’ comments. (50% of score)

* Investigator qualifications, including tangible evidence of the investigator's experience in diabetes research as shown by relevant peer-reviewed scientific publications. (15%)

* Quality of the institutional research environment. (15%)

• Budget allocations. (20%)

Questions and Answers

All potential applicants who have submitted a Letter of Intent are eligible to submit written questions concerning the RFA between June 16th and June 30th. Questions should be submitted by email or Fax to the Program Director. (See previous page of this RFA for name and address/Fax number). Answers will be provided on the Wadsworth Center website on Thursday, July 3rd (www.wadsworth.org) and by mail to all who have provided a Letter of Intent. There will not be a bidders conference.

Timetable:

Distribution of RFA: May 16, 2003
Letters of Intent Due: June 16, 2003
Applications Due: July 14, 2003 (received by 5:00 PM)
Notification of Awards (unofficial): September 2, 2003
Contracts Start (earliest date): November 3, 2003

Program-Specific Requirements of Award

Administration and Records. The institution as grantee must maintain a separate financial account for the Bridge Grant and this must be available for audit. Reports of expenditures by line item must accompany each quarterly voucher in order for payment to be approved. The final voucher, must be filed no more than 45 days following the final date of the contract and must be accompanied by a brief final report indicating how the funds assisted in the furtherance of the research, key developments and findings, a list and copies of any publications and manuscripts resulting from Bridge Grant funding and whether and what other support was obtained for the funded research.

Publications. Publications, manuscripts and abstracts of conference presentations and posters supported by a Bridge Grant, must carry the following acknowledgment: "This research was supported in part by a Diabetes Bridge Grant from the New York State Health Research Council of the New York State Department of Health, Grant No. ________."

Biohazards and Protection of Animal and Human Subjects. No project that involves biohazards, laboratory animals or human subjects may proceed until reviewed and approved by the appropriate institutional committee.

Grant Transferability and Termination. Bridge Grants are not transferable to another institution without the prior approval of the Health Research Council following a written request of the investigator received 3 months before the date of the proposed transfer. Subcontracting is not permitted.

A grant may be terminated by written request of the institution or investigator prior to completion of the contract period. Unexpended funds received must be returned to the New York State Health Research Council and any unpaid balance of the award will be canceled.

THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESERVES THE RIGHT TO:

1. Reject any or all applications received in response to this RFA.
2. Award more than one contract resulting from this RFA.
3. Waive or modify minor irregularities in applications received after prior notification to the applicant.
4. Adjust or correct cost or cost figures with the concurrence of the applicant if errors exist and can be documented to the satisfaction of DOH and the State Comptroller.
5. Negotiate with applicants responding to this RFA within the requirements to serve the best interests of the State.
6. Modify the detail specifications should no applications be received that meet all these requirements.
7. If the Department of Health is unsuccessful in negotiating a contract with the selected applicant a contract with the selected applicant within an acceptable time frame, the Department of Health may begin contract negotiations with the next qualified applicant(s) in order to serve and realize the best interests of the State.

-----------------------

“Diabetes is a serious public health problem that

can be controlled with early detection, self- management and education. Managing and monitoring this disease is absolutely critical…
That is why this funding is so important.”

Governor George E. Pataki