AuSPEN Research Funding for 2011
The Australasian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (AuSPEN) offers research grants for assistance in performing research projects. Successful grants have been awarded annually by the AuSPEN Research Sub-Committee. After adjudication and ranking of all applications, $5,000 has been awarded to successful projects in previous years. In 2010, there was the possibility of offering $10,000, but none were of suitable standard.
The AuSPEN Council has also awarded larger amounts of funding to 2 research programs – the AuSPEN Critical Care Nutrition Research program and the AuSPEN Hospital Malnutrition program. Both of these were awarded ad hoc funding, which was essentially seed funding for development of these programs.
AuSPEN now wishes to set up a process of funding of AuSPEN-related research activities, which require a greater amount than can be offered through the current Small Project Grants. AuSPEN will continue to grant funding for 2 Small Project Grants and this will be increased to a total of $20,000 annually (ie. $10,000 each). In addition a further $20,000 will be available for the funding of one Substantive Project Grant annually for a project that relates to clinical nutrition. This will mean that up to $40,000 may be awarded in each 12 month period by AuSPEN (through the combination of Small Project Grants and Substantive Project Grants).
Applicants for the Small Project Grants should submit using the application form available on the AuSPEN website. Rating of the expression of interest will take into account (1) scientific quality, (2) track record, (3) significance to AuSPEN (noting that AuSPEN is a multi-disciplinary society), and (4) feasibility (including budget).
Applicants for the Substantive Project Grant should initially submit a formal expression of interest using the application form available on the AuSPEN website. If the application is rated at a suitable level (after formal adjudication by 3 members of the Research Committee) the applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. Rating of the expression of interest will take into account (1) scientific quality, (2) track record, (3) significance to AuSPEN (noting that AuSPEN is a multi-disciplinary society), and (4) feasibility (including budget). If a full submission is required (no more than 3 will be selected for a full submission), this should be submitted no later than 2 months after the expression of interest was deemed acceptable. This will be judged by all members of the Research Sub-Committee who do not have a conflict of interest. It will be scored on the same criteria above. A final decision will be made on which Substantive Project Grant application is successful.
The following rules must be noted by all applications:
- Small Project Grant applications must be submitted by 31st July, 2011.
- Substantive Project Grant applications must be submitted by 31st August, 2011.
- Applications will only be considered for clinical research projects (ie. human subjects) in the field of clinical nutrition.
- Multi-disciplinary research is encouraged and the chief investigator and the majority of the co-investigators must be members of AuSPEN. There should be no more than six Chief Investigators.
- Institutional Ethics Committee approval must be obtained. If this is not done prior to the funding application, funds will not be made available until this is done.
- The main institution coordinating the research must be located in Australia or New Zealand.
- Recipients of funding must provide an annual progress report (until study completion) to the AuSPEN Council (submitted c/o AuSPEN Secretary in September of each year) until study completion. This report should summarise the key findings of the project. If the project has not yet been completed, then the report must include its current status, progress to date, and plans/timelines for completion.
- The results of the research should be presented at an Annual Scientific Meeting of AuSPEN. Some topical projects will be invited to present in the main ASM program or the subsidiary AuSPEN research meeting (this may include research in progress), but all projects should be submitted as an abstract after completion, at the bare minimum.
- Any presentations or publications related to this research project must include an acknowledgement of the funding provided by AuSPEN.
Andrew Davies
Chair, Research Committee
AuSPEN
June 2011