Research Awards on Ageing Frequently Asked Questions, June 2015 (Last updated 19 June 2015) This awards programme is co-funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Health Service Executive (Health and Wellbeing Division). 1 CONTENTS CONTENT PAGE NUMBERS CLOSING DATES 3 SCOPE OF THE CALL 3 RESEARCH PROJECT 4 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS 4-5 SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION 5 EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT 5-6 CRITERIA ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 7-8 RESEARCH TEAM / ENVIRONMENT 8-9 COMPLETING THE APPLICATION 10 WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW? 11 -12 KEY DATES 12 CONTACT INFORMATION 12 This document will be regularly updated to reflect the questions most frequently asked during the Research Awards process. Potential applicants, and their institutions, should read this document before seeking advice. 2 CLOSING DATES What is the closing date for submission of the Expression of Interest? All Expression of Interest forms must be submitted by Wednesday, 8 July 2015 by 5pm. What is the closing date for submission of applications? All applications must be submitted by Friday, 11 September 2015 by 5pm. SCOPE OF THE CALL Is there any thematic steer for proposals in the current research awards? Submissions are invited for research under the following research themes as defined in the guidance notes: 1. Participation 2. Health and Wellbeing 3. Security. Further information is available from the guidance notes and the National Positive Ageing Strategy (NPAS) on these themes. The NPAS document is available from: http://health.gov.ie/blog/publications/national-positive-ageing-strategy/. How many awards per theme will be granted? It is anticipated there will be one award per theme depending on the quality of proposals. What is the value of the funding? There is a total of €300,000 available in this first call. How many awards will be funded? It is anticipated that up to three awards will be made with the exact number depending on the quality of applications. Once the amount of the award has been agreed, no further requests for funding will be accepted during the first awards round. 3 RESEARCH PROJECT Am I eligible to apply if I have another application under review with a different funding organisation? Yes. This is permitted providing the applications are different in scope and content. It is not permitted for the same proposal to be funded elsewhere. Will matched funding be considered? Yes. Proposals with additional funding from other sources will be considered. A letter of evidence will be required for shortlisted proposals. Will all applicants submitting an Expression of Interest form be permitted to proceed to full application? Yes, this is an automatic process. Once the Expression of Interest form has been submitted, applicants can automatically proceed to submit a completed application by the closing date indicated. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS What documents should be uploaded with my application form? The following documentation is required to successfully submit a research proposal: 1. The completed Expression of Interest Form 2. The completed Application Form 3. The Budget / Breakdown of Proposed Expenses (Appendix 1) 4. The Collaborator Agreement Form (Appendix 2) 5. The Infrastructure Agreement Form (Appendix 3) 6. The Project Management GANTT Chart (Appendix 4) 7. Host Institution / Organisation letter of support and stamp of approval 8. Ethical approval (if required) 9. Brief CV for the Principal Investigator and all Co-Investigators (Max. one page). 4 Signatures Applications must be endorsed by the authorised signatory (Dean of Research or equivalent person) authorised to endorse research grant applications for the host institution / organisation. Signatures will be required from the Principal Investigator, EACH Co - Investigator and EACH collaborator. Electronic signatures are permitted and forms must be dated and stamped (as required). SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION How should I submit my proposal? Proposals and supporting documentation must be submitted as a single PDF file using the filename format: Surname of the Principal Investigator_Organisation _Date of submission e.g. by email to: [email protected]. For example, Smith_Health Service Executive_ 11 September 2015. Can I amend any documents or submit further documents once I have emailed the application and support documentation? No. Once your application has been submitted, the application can not be amended or other supporting documents submitted. EVALUATION / ASSESSEMENT CRITERIA How will my proposal be assessed? The selection of proposals for funding will be made in an open and transparent manner managed by an external panel of experts who have been furnished with the following set of criteria: Quality of the application (60%) This includes the scientific quality, original and innovative ideas, relevance and impact on national priorities in healthy and positive ageing and financial plan of the proposal. 5 Expertise and research environment (20%) This includes the infrastructure, expertise, experience and appropriateness of the team to conduct the piece of research. Knowledge management (10%) This includes knowledge translation, transfer and dissemination. Stakeholder, inter / multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaborations (10%) This includes the involvement of higher education institutions, service providers, public, non-profit voluntary, charity and community sectors. The inter / multidisciplinary participation and the degree to which these engagements will bring new perspectives. Will I have to attend an interview? No, there will not be an interview stage. What feedback can I expect on my application? Feedback will be sent with decision emails to successful and unsuccessful applicants. The anonymous comments should help to develop further funding applications. Who are the reviewers? Reviewers will be identified from a panel of external experts with an outstanding record of achievement and relevant research experience in a specific subject area. 6 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Who can apply? Applications may be submitted by individuals or groups from higher education institutions, service providers, public, non-profit voluntary, charity and community sectors. Funding WILL cover: Staff: Salary costs for a researcher / support staff employed specifically for the project (including salary, employer’s PRSI and employer’s pension contribution). Training: Relevant training courses / workshops for funded research personnel. Consumables: The maximum amount permitted for equipment during the lifetime of the award is €2000. Materials (stationery etc.), transcribing and dissemination costs are also considered consumables. Travel: Travel for participants to undertake field work, attend conferences / workshops to disseminate research findings. It is recommended that at least one national and one international event be attended for dissemination purposes. Overhead contributions: A contribution to overheads of 30% of total direct costs is allowed for each research project funded under the HSE awards programme or 25% for desk based research. Other: Additional categories may be added as ‘other’, providing a clear description of what the funding will be used for, for instance data collection or other similar costs. Funding will NOT cover: Stipends and fees for Masters or PhD degrees; and Salary costs of applicants on full time university contracts. Payment of the award will be made to the host institution / organisation. 7 Small equipment items - what can I purchase? The maximum amount requested must not exceed €2000 over the lifetime of the award. This can include any items that will assist staff to effectively carry out their roles and may include a dictaphone, laptop, printer, mobile phone, materials and so on. Please note all receipts must be retained and copies submitted with progress reports. What courses / workshops can a researcher / support staff attend? A priority will be to identify the professional development requirements for staff to enable them to fulfil their project duties effectively, and to provide the appropriate opportunities to meet those. There are no specific restrictions on this, however, please take into account best use of funding and a common sense approach, selecting the most appropriate way the course / workshop will assist professional development. Please note all invoices must be retained and copies submitted with progress reports. Is the Research Awards Fund open to researchers / organisations outside of Ireland? No. The Research Awards Fund is open to researchers from a recognised organisation or higher education institutions in Ireland (North or South). However, collaborators may be based outside of Ireland. RESEARCH TEAM / ENVIRONMENT Do applicants need to have a permanent position to apply? No. You do not need to have a permanent post to be eligible to apply for the award as long as you hold a contract that will cover the duration of the research award in a 8 recognised organisation or higher education institution in Ireland (North or South). See guidance notes for specific criteria on the Principal Investigator and CoInvestigators. How many Principal Investigators can be nominated? One. Specifically the Principal Investigator must demonstrate how they meet a number of criteria as identified in the guidance notes (see section on Research Team / Environment). How many Co-Investigators can be nominated? Up to three Co-Investigators may be nominated and must demonstrate how they meet the criteria as identified in the guidance notes (see section Research Team / Environment). How many collaborators can be nominated? Up to five collaborators may be involved in the proposal. Collaborators may provide a number of roles and may be from a number of organisations. Please provide details of their involvement in the project (see section on Research Team / Environment). It has been explicitly stated that proposals must be supported by a Collaborator Agreement Form (Appendix 2) to demonstrate their commitment to the project. This form is available in the guidance notes. Can I use existing research networks in the development of the proposal? Yes. Please provide details of the nature of the engagement and of the organisations you are likely to engage with, particularly those outside of Ireland. Please provide details in the Infrastructure Agreement Form (Appendix 3). 9 COMPLETING THE APPLICATION How do I complete the application form? Please refer to the guidance notes where a summary is provided on how to complete each section of the application. All sections of the application form must be completed. I’m finding it difficult to stick within the word/page limits. Can I add additional information as an ‘other attachment’ type? No. Applications must adhere to the page / word limits indicated throughout the application form and in the guidance notes. The page size is A4 and the maximum font size allowed is Arial 11. Where applications are submitted with attachments (other than as permitted), that either exceed the page / word limits, or are not permitted under the call guidance, these will not be forwarded to the External Experts for review. If the word / page limits are exceeded, the additional information will NOT be read by the reviewers. Can I develop my own templates for submission with the application? No. Please complete the required templates as instructed. However, where additional information is required, please provide as instructed. Can I submit more than one application? Applicants are permitted to act as Principal Investigators on one project only, but can act as Co-Investigators on multiple applications. 10 WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW? If I was successful in obtaining an award, and obtain a post at another institution, can the award be transferred? Requests for the transfer of awards will only be considered on a case-by-case basis and in very exceptional circumstances. Is there a minimum time commitment required for the Principal Investigator / Co-Investigators? No. However, the External Experts will be looking for assurance that the time allocated to the application is realistic in order to achieve the aim and objectives of the project. Please note one day equals eight hours. Will the HSE be able to advise on costings? All applicants should contact their finance / research office who will be able to advise on this. Please follow the guidance notes in this regard. Clearly highlight your costs in the relevant sections of the application form / guidance notes. (Appendix 1 -The Budget/Breakdown of Proposed Expenses). Am I required to report on progress during the duration of the Research Award? Yes. In order to monitor award spend and in order to understand what impact the research is having, progress updates will be required. See guidance notes for information on requirements. What happens if I need a project extension? If a project extension is needed, the Principal Investigator should request an extension from the HSE as soon as possible. No additional budget will be provided for extended periods. 11 What happens at the end of my award period? You will be required to produce a final report and a presentation to the HaPAI Steering Group. For further information on exact requirements see the guidance notes. KEY DATES What is the closing date for submission of the Expression of Interest? All Expression of Interest forms must be submitted by Wednesday, 8 July 2015 at 5pm. When is the closing date for the Research Award? The application form / supporting documents must be submitted by Friday, 11 September at 5pm. Late proposals submitted after the closing time and date will not be accepted. It is the responsibility of the host institution to ensure that completed and signed applications arrive prior to the deadline. When should I expect to receive a decision? Results will be announced at the end of November 2015. Will there be another competition next year? Yes. Funding will be continued in 2016. This is intended to be in the region of €300,000. Details will be available from the HSE website. CONTACT INFORMATION Who should I contact if I have any further questions? Please email [email protected] with any queries about applying to this funding scheme. 12
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