Small Grants
Deadline for 2007 Grant Submissions is November 1, 2007. Please contact Anthony Fabio at 412-802-6498 or fabioa@upmc.edu for additional information.
Program Rationale and Goals
The Center for Injury Research and Control (CIRCL) was established in July 1992, and is now one of eleven injury centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The charge of the center is to:
- Conduct research in injury prevention, and care
- Serve as a training center
- Serve as an information center for the public
Its major aim is to develop an interdisciplinary program of research, teaching, and intervention that will contribute to reducing the injury toll in Pennsylvania and beyond.
The Small Grants Program, modeled after a successful program at the Injury Control Research Center at the University of North Carolina, was created to serve as a stimulus for injury prevention and control research and to foster collaborative interdisciplinary research in the field. The program seeks to encourage University of Pittsburgh students and junior faculty to enter the injury prevention and control field. To meet these goals, funding is being made available for small research projects related to injury prevention.
Description
The CIRCL Small Grants Program usually funds one student grant for up to $5,000 and one junior faculty grant for up to $10,000. Funds must be spent within one year from the grant award date. Allowable costs include lab supplies, computer software, travel, data collection costs, consultant costs, and labor costs. Junior faculty members may request a maximum of 10% salary support.
If you have a question about an allowable cost, please contact Anthony Fabio, PhD, at 412-802-6498 or fabioa@upmc.edu.
All proposals related to research in injury prevention and/or control are eligible for funding. Eligible areas include, but are not limited to:
- Descriptions of injury patterns in a population
- Tests of hypotheses about the causes of injury
- Research developing methods for prevention, rehabilitation or treatment of injury
- The process by which health services are delivered
- The biomechanics of injury
The major categories of injury are intentional and unintentional and may occur in either occupational or non-occupational settings. Intentional injuries result from interpersonal or self-inflicted violence, and include homicide, assaults, suicide and suicide attempts, child abuse, and rape. Examples of unintentional injuries include those that result from motor vehicles, falls, fires, poisonings, drowning, and sports or recreational activities.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include University of Pittsburgh graduate or professional students, medical residents, fellow and junior faculty members. Junior faculty applicants must have completed their formal education and be within three years of their first faculty appointment. Applicants may not have current or past substantial research support, such as federally funded extramural grants.
Review Criteria
Priority for funding of projects will be based on the following criteria:
- Significance of Research: Will the proposed research project expand the knowledge base or practice of injury prevention and control? What potential does the research have for leading to publications or larger research projects?
- Scientific Merit: How sound are the research methods (e.g. research questions, sampling strategies, data collection methods, analysis strategies)? What is the study's perceived likelihood of success?
- Feasibility: Can the proposed research be completed in the timeframe outlined, with the resources requested, and with the expertise of the personnel?
All recipients will be expected to provide brief semi-annual progress reports and to submit a written final report within one month of the end of the funding period. A master’s paper, thesis, or manuscript prepared for publication may be substituted for the final report. Students are strongly encouraged to prepare a manuscript for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Application Guidelines
A panel of injury specialists will review applications. It is anticipated that projects will be funded for one year. The research proposal should be limited to five pages. The cover page, human subjects section, bibliography, budget and justification, and letter of support are not included in the page limit. Proposal should be typed, single space (font at least 10 point, 1 inch margins), and include the following:
- Cover Page
The following information should appear on the first page of the application:- Title of project.
- Name, address, and phone number of Principal Investigator.
- Name, address, and phone number of:
- For students: Faculty Advisor.
- For junior faculty: Center Director or Department Chair.
- Name and address of major collaborator(s).
- Proposed project dates.
- Proposed project location.
- Required signatures
- For students: Faculty Advisor.
- For junior faculty: Center Director or Department Chair.
- Date of submission.
- Research Proposal
Briefly (maximum 5 pages) describe the proposed research, identifying the following sections:- Abstract.
- Specific aims, and (if applicable) hypotheses. Give a concise statement of what the project is intended to accomplish.
- Background and significance. Summarize relevant background material and justify what this project will contribute to the field of injury control.
- Methods. Identify the procedures and methods that will be used to accomplish the stated objectives. Include, as appropriate, selection of study subjects, measures to be used, data collection procedures, data management, and analysis methods.
- Future plans. Indicate plans for dissemination of research findings.
- Timeline. Include a timeline for all major project milestones such as recruitment or analysis.
- References
- Itemized Budget and Justification
- Human Subjects
Indicate if and how human subjects are involved in the research, potential risks to these subjects, and strategies to protect subjects from risk. Include information about confidentiality concerns and obtaining informed consent. Indicate dates of anticipated Internal Review Board approval. Funds will not be awarded until documentation of IRB approval is provided to CIRCL. - Letter of Support
For graduate, professional medical students, or fellows, please include a letter of support from a faculty member demonstrating willingness to act as an advisor on the project. This letter should document that the advisor is confident the student has the appropriate skills and resources to complete the research plan. - CV
- Submit 1 electronic and 4 hard copies to:
Small Grants Program
Center for Injury Research and Control
PARKV 203
3520 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
fabioa@upmc.edu