Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists

SCA / IREF Research Starter and MidCareer Grants
Eligibility & Application Format
(New Award Deadline and Criteria)

Eligibility
1.   Member of Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists.
2.   M.D. or Ph.D. degree.
3.   Rank of Associate Professor, or less.
4.   Principal Investigators on active NIH grants (or other national peer-reviewed grants) are not eligible.
5.   Previous SCA Research Starter Grant recipients are eligible.
6.   Previous SCA / IREF Research Mid-Career Grant recipients are not eligible for additional awards.
7.   Eligible research projects should be completed within three years after award of grant.
8.   Grants will be judged compared to peers (starter versus mid-career).

Requirements
1.   Title Page.
a. Title of research plan.
b. Proposed starting date.
c.   Name of applicant, academic degrees, faculty rank.
d. Name of co-investigators, academic degrees, faculty rank.
e. Sponsoring institution in which research will be performed.
f.   Name, address, and telephone number of responsible department chief.
g. Name, address, and telephone number of responsible financial officer of the sponsoring institution.
2.   Curriculum Vitae of the applicant, including other grant support.
3.   Letter from the department chief indicating the following:
a. Assessment of the applicant’s research and other professional accomplishments.
b. The availability of institutional/departmental support. This may be in the form of matching funds or may take the form of salary support of personnel (other than the primary investigator), supplies, animals, special and permanent equipment, and other necessary expenses, as well as salaries for technical personnel.
c.   The availability of suitable facilities and/or patients.
d. A guarantee that the principal investigator on the application should have at least 40% nonclinical (research) time, should the “grant” be awarded.
e. The agreement to return all unused funds if the applicant fails to complete the project within three years.
4.   Letters of support should be provided by all co-investigators.
5.   All active and pending (applied for or received) research support for all projects must be detailed on a separate page(s). Detail potential areas of overlap with current grant. (Questions should be addressed to the Chairman of the Research Committee.)
6. For Starter Grants: Letters of support should be provided by the scientific mentor(s). Obtaining a scientific mentor is encouraged, but not mandatory.

Budget
1.   The budget should not exceed $40,000 ($20,000 per year for a maximum of two years). One-year projects (for a total of $20,000) and two-year projects (for a total of $40,000) will be considered.
2.   The budget should list all proposed expenditures for the project and indicate the amount and breakdown for specific items requested from the SCA/IREF, and the amount and breakdown for specific items provided by the institution as matching funds.
3.   The budget may include salary support for technicians, research nurses, and other research personnel, equipment, and/or supplies. Other costs must be itemized and justified.
4.   No part of the grant may be used for salary support of the principal investigator (or fellows or residents), travel or tuition expenses of the principal investigator, patient costs (except to pay for pertinent laboratory studies), consultant costs, alterations and renovations. Ideally, institutions should not request overhead costs.

Research Plan
(limit to 7 double-spaced pages, not including references)
1. Introduction (1-2 pages).
a. Objective and specific aims of the research proposal.
b. Background. What are the reasons for undertaking this study and what need will it fill? Any preliminary research of the principal investigator should be explained. Significant publications related to the applicant's project should be cited.
c. Rationale of the applicant's approach to the objective described above, and justification of this approach as the best way to answer this question.
2. Methods/Design (3-5 pages)
a. Indicate the specific techniques, animal species, etc. that will be used.
b. Explain the types of experiments to be done.
c. Sample size calculation (power analysis) - list and justify the number of each type of experiment that will be required.
d. Note the type of data that will be obtained and the methods of statistical analysis.
e. Point out the problems and limitations that may develop.
3. Significance (1 page). Summarize the importance of this research and indicate the potential for further studies and future applications of the derived information.
4. Study Approval (1 page). Include a statement of approval of studies involving human or animal subjects by the appropriate institutional committee. (The application may be submitted before approval is obtained, with a letter of explanation. However, no award will be made until notification of institutional approval is received.)
5. Related Studies (1 page). Include a listing of all other studies being performed on the study population.
6. Other Grants (1 page). Include a listing of all grants received, pending, or proposed as an investigator or co-investigator. Include a statement of the relationship to the present grant.

The original and ten copies of the application should be postmarked no later than March 15. The award will be announced at the Annual Meeting. The grant period of 12 or 24 consecutive months can begin on any date from July 1 to July 1 of the next year.

Send applications to:
Chairman, Research Committee
Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists
2209 Dickens Road / P.O. Box 11086
Richmond, VA 23230-1086
Phone (804) 282-0084

Newsletter