REVIEW PROCESS

Under the direction of the Developmental Core, each application will be evaluated by a team of academic and community reviewers. The Developmental Core will notify applicants of proposal disposition and written critiques will be provided to all applicants.

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 

• All projects must identify both an Academic Researcher and a Community Partner at the time of application.
• While the academic partner will serve as the lead applicant, both the academic researcher and community partner will be considered Co-Principal Investigators on the award.
• Academic Researchers must have a faculty appointment at Brown University/Brown University Health or Boston University/Boston Medical Center.
• Community Partner(s) 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.
• Eligibility is limited to domestic organizations; international entities are not permitted under this RFA.
• Direct costs up to $10,000 may be requested for a period of up to 12 months.
• Requests for no-cost extensions will not be accepted.
• No indirect costs allowed.
• 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). Funds for international travel associated with projects abroad may be requested with additional justification. In addition, travel to present findings may be requested.  Approval will be granted on a case-by-case basis.
• Clinical studies meeting the following criteria require additional NIH review prior to initiation of the award:
  • Studies involving new ways of using known drugs, treatments, or devices (allowed on a case-by-case basis)
  • Studies that are deemed above minimal risk by the Institutional IRB · Studies involving vulnerable populations (children, pregnant women, prisoners, individuals who are unable to provide informed consent, etc.)
  • Studies with populations with additional considerations for confidentiality and safety (transgender, sex workers, refugees, etc.)
  • Studies involving behavioral interventions (above minimal risk)
• All projects involving human subjects, or samples or data obtained from human subjects, are required to provide appropriate IRB approval documentation before initiation of the award.
• All projects involving the use of vertebrate animal subjects are required to provide IACUC approval documentation before initiation of the award.
• Any Serious Adverse Event (SAE) reported to your IRB office should also be communicated to the CFAR administrative office (CFAR@lifespan.org) within 48 hours.
• All projects will be required to submit progress reports to the CFAR administrative office every six months. The CFAR office will forward a reminder email prior to the due date. A report template will be provided at that time.
• In the event other funds are received for your CFAR funded study and/or your level of effort needs to be reduced significantly, you are required to notify the CFAR administrative office (cfar@lifespan.org). Your funding status will be reviewed.
• Awards are non-transferable to institutions not part of the Providence/Boston CFAR network.

Outcome Expectations and Acknowledgment of support from the Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research (NIH P30AI042853):

CFAR Developmental Awards are granted with the expectation that the funded research will potentially lead to abstracts, presentations, publications, and subsequent NIH funding.  In addition, awardees may be invited to present their CFAR funded research at CFAR sponsored events e.g. annual Research Forum.

Awardees are required to acknowledge of the Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research (NIH P30AI042853) in all presentations, publications and funding derived from Providence/Boston CFAR funding.  All dissemination activities and subsequent grant applications must be reported in the 6-month progress reports and/or the CFAR administrative office (CFAR@Lifespan.org).

The CFAR Community Engaged Research Council (C-CERC) and the CFAR Developmental Core are available for consultation to assist with identifying potential partners.

Applications for the Community Academic Research Partnership Development Award must be submitted using the online Application form.

Applications are due no later than 5:00 PM on the posted due date.

The application form includes the following sections and attachments (PDF attachments 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:

• Aims of Partnership 

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

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.