• Proposed project must have an HIV focus.  
• Each project must identify both an Academic Researcher and a Community Partner at the time of application.
• The academic partner serves as the lead applicant, but both partners will be considered Co-Principal Investigators.
• Academic Researchers must hold a faculty appointment at:
  • Brown University / Brown University Health, or
  • Boston University / Boston Medical Center.
• Community Partners may include professionals working primarily in:
  • Community-based organizations
  • State or local government
  • Faith-based organizations
  • Community health clinics
  • Private practice
  • Independent contractors not affiliated with an organization
• Eligibility is limited to domestic organizations; international entities are not permitted.

• Direct costs: Up to $10,000 for a maximum of 12 months.
• No-cost extensions: Not allowed.
• Indirect costs: Not allowed.
• Budget must include funding for both partners; allocate at least 50% to the community partner(s).
• Allowable costs: Salary and fringe for faculty/research personnel; research-related supplies.
• Unallowable costs: Mentor salary, equipment (including computers), domestic travel, indirects (F&A).
• Special cases: Travel to present findings may be requested with justification; approval is case-by-case.

DEADLINE & SUBMISSION

Applications must be submitted via the online Application form by 5:00 PM on the date posted in the RFA. 

APPLICATION COMPONENTS

PDF attachments should be formatted with 11 pt minimum font size and ½ inch minimum margins.

CFAR Academic Partner Information

• The CFAR Academic Partner (Co-Principal Investigator) must have a faculty appointment at Brown University/Brown University Health or Boston University/Boston Medical Center.

Community Partner Information

• The Community Partner (Co-Principal Investigator) may include researchers or other professionals working primarily in community-based organizations, state or local government, faith-based organizations, community health clinics, private practice, or as independent contractors not affiliated with a specific organization. 

Project Performance Sites

• The Academic Primary Project/Performance site location must be the site where the funds would be awarded to the academic partner.
• The Community Partner Primary Project/Performance site location must be the site where the funds would be awarded to the community partner.

Budget

• Amount must not exceed $10,000 for a maximum of 12 months.  The project budget should include funding for both community partner(s) and academic researchers. Applicants should consider allocating a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the requested funds to the community partner(s). 
• Funds may be used for the salary and fringe benefits of faculty and research personnel and for research-related supplies. No funds may be expended for mentor salary, equipment (including computers), domestic travel, or indirects (F&A).
• A separate PHS398 budget form needs to be completed for each performance site.
• All budgets must be saved as one PDF document and uploaded into the application. 

Budget Justification

• The budget justifications must explain the purpose of each line item listed on the budget(s) and describe the role of each person (paid and unpaid) who is listed under Personnel.
• All justifications must be saved as one PDF document and uploaded into the application. 

Partnership Plan Description

Upload a PDF document (3 pages maximum) that describes the partnership/project plan, including the following:

1. aIMS OF PARTNERSHIP 

   Describe the partnership shared goals, shared interests and/or what brings you together.

2. Approach to Partnership Development

   Describe your strategy for developing a collaborative research relationship. Specifically, describe how you will engage in collaborative learning to deepen critical thinking skills that support community-academic research partnerships, and build equitable relationships between partners. Examples may include facilitating formal and informal meetings for partners to learn more about each other, to explore the involvement of other potential partners, and to discuss how the partners will adopt and use equitable collaborative principles and operating norms. Demonstrate how you will explore shared research interests and identify capacity building needs with partners by, for example, identifying partnership research priorities, determining the nature of a collaborative research approach that will be used, and/or participating in trainings and ongoing mentoring opportunities.

3. Process for Communications, Collaborative Planning, and Decision Making

   Develop a structure [e.g., Advisory Committee and/or other appropriate partnership infrastructure mechanisms] for ongoing communication between community and academic partners to support future research. For example, define roles and responsibilities, develop communication and decision-making mechanisms, policies and procedures; and develop a set of collaborative participatory research principles to guide decisions regarding various aspects of the research process.

4. Planned Outcomes of Partnership Award and Future Directions 

   Establish clear metrics/criteria to measure success and outcomes. Articulate metrics to track partnership outcomes.

Partnership/Project Timeline

• Upload a PDF document showing major partnership/project activities and expected timeline for completion.
• The timeline should not exceed more than 12 months.

Protection of Human Subjects

Biographical Sketches/Resume

• Upload a PDF of the biographical sketch for the academic Co-PI and any additional academic key personnel using the NIH Biographical Sketch Form and Instructions.
• Upload a resume or biosketch for the community partner Co-PI. 

Letters of Support

• All applications must include a letter of support from the Director or designee of the Community Organization addressed to: Review Committee, Providence/Boston CFAR, 164 Summit Avenue, Providence, RI 02906
• Additional letters of support can be included, but are not required. 

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

The CFAR Community Engaged Research Council (C-CERC) and Developmental Core are available for consultation to help identify potential partners.

You are encouraged to contact the Core Directors when designing your study. They can provide insight on how best to utilize the CFAR Core Services within your project. Please see description of CFAR Cores.

CFAR cannot fund clinical trials (research studies that involve human participants, participants are prospectively assigned to an intervention, the study is designed to evaluate the effect of the intervention on the participants, and the effect being evaluated is a health-related biomedical or behavioral outcome).  To determine if your study would be considered a clinical trial by these NIH standards, please utilize the NIH decision tool.  Any proposal submitted that is considered a clinical trial will be withdrawn prior to review.

REVIEW PROCESS

SCORING

The CFAR Community Academic Research Partnership Development Award application scoring system uses a 9-point scale.  A score of 1 indicates an exceptionally strong application with essentially no weaknesses.  A score of 9 indicates an application with serious and substantive weaknesses with very few strengths.

Scores are provided in each of the following categories: 

Aims of Partnership

• Clear description of the partnership’s shared goals, shared interests and/or what brings them together.

Approach to Partnership Development

• The strategy for developing a collaborative research relationship described plans for engaging in collaborative learning to deepen critical thinking skills that support community-academic research partnerships, and build equitable relationships between partners. Examples may include facilitating formal and informal meetings for partners to learn more about each other, to explore the involvement of other potential partners, and to discuss how the partners will adopt and use equitable collaborative principles and operating norms.
• Demonstrated how the partners will explore shared research interests and identify capacity building needs with partners by, for example, identifying partnership research priorities, determining the nature of a collaborative research approach that will be used, and/or participating in trainings and ongoing mentoring opportunities.

Process for Communications, Coolaborative Planning & Decision Making

• Described a structure (e.g., Advisory Committee and/or other appropriate partnership infrastructure mechanisms) for ongoing communication between community and academic partners to support future research? Example, defined roles and responsibilities, developed communication and decision-making mechanisms, policies and procedures, and developed a set of collaborative participatory research principles to guide decisions regarding various aspects of the research process. 

Planned Outcomes

• Established clear metrics/criteria to measure success and outcomes
• Articulated metrics to track partnership outcomes 

• Certain clinical studies require additional NIH review before award initiation:
  • New uses of known drugs, treatments, or devices
  • Studies deemed above minimal risk by IRB
  • Studies involving vulnerable populations (children, pregnant women, prisoners, individuals unable to consent)
  • Studies with populations with additional considerations for confidentiality and safety (transgender, sex workers, refugees)
  • Behavioral interventions above minimal risk
• All projects involving human subjects or their data require IRB approval before initiation of the award.
• All projects involving vertebrate animals require IACUC approval before initiation of the award.
• Report any Serious Adverse Event (SAE) submitted to your IRB to CFAR (CFAR@brownhealth.org) within 48 hours.

• Submit progress reports every six months; CFAR will provide reminders and a template.
• Notify CFAR at CFAR@brownhealth.org if:
  • Additional funds are received for your CFAR-funded study, or
  • Your level of effort is significantly reduced.
• Awards are non-transferable to institutions outside the Providence/Boston CFAR network.