General Questions:
Budget & Budget Restriction Questions:
Mentor Questions:
Other Questions:
Answers to General Questions:
1.
Does the Mentor Letter need to be submitted with the LOI?
No. A Mentor Letter is not required with the LOI submission.
2.
Are Research Associates eligible for the TCH Pediatrics Pilot Research Awards?
No. Research Associates are not eligible. Only faculty (instructor or assistant professor) members with a primary appointment in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine who meet the criteria for “Junior Investigator” are eligible to apply.
3.
Are Fellows eligible for the TCH Pediatrics Pilot Research Awards?
Fellows may submit applications only if they have a faculty offer pending and their contract letters in place by the announcement deadline.
4.
Will this pilot grant fund only basic research?
No. The pilot grant funding is available for basic, clinical/translational and quality and health outcomes research. Pediatric Pilot Award applicants are welcome to submit proposals that encompass a broad spectrum of pediatric-related research. All applications received will be reviewed based upon the overall merit and strengths of the individual application and proposed research project.
5.
Does my application need to be routed through BRAIN, esp2?
Not at time of submission. You will, however, be required to route your application through BRAIN if funded, to ensure that appropriate approvals are in place. Accounts will not be set up in SAP until all approvals are in place and the award is routed through BRAIN, esp2.
6.
Will my LOI and/or application be accepted if I am logged into the submission system but have not submitted the LOI and/or application by the deadline?
LOI and applications will only be accepted if the submission is completed in the system prior to the stated deadline.
7.
Can I submit an LOI but have my collaborator submit the application?
No, applications may only be submitted by the individual who submitted the LOI.
Answers to Budget & Budget Restriction Questions:
8. Do the grants provide funding for PI salary support?
No. Salary support for the PI is not an allowable cost.
9.
Does the grant allow funding for post-docs or other research personnel (research nurse, statistician, etc) who are essential to the project?
Yes, salary support for research personnel (laboratory or clinical) is allowable and should be consistent with the effort required to perform the work described in the proposal. Examples of such personnel include post docs, research nurses, data managers, statisticians, and database personnel.
10.
Are subcontracts with vendors of colleagues from other institutions allowed?
No, subcontracts are not permitted. However, services performed by an outside vendor or colleague can be included under “Other Expenses” and paid upon receipt of an invoice if the services are not available at BCM. List such expenses under “Other Expenses” and provide a brief description of the services and the rationale for the need to use an outside vendor (e.g., unique services not provided at BCM, etc.) in the Budget Justification.
11.
Are costs of the research laboratory tests allowed?
Yes, costs of research laboratory test are allowed. TCH research administration should be contacted during development of your budget to obtain a quote for research charges.
12.
Are professional fees for research laboratory tests allowed (e.g., reading an EKG or MRI)?
No, professional fees are not allowed.
13. Are patient care costs allowed?
Yes, as long as the costs are research related and not part of conventional care.
14. Are patient reimbursements to cover the costs of parking, etc allowed?
Yes, costs to reimburse patients and/or their family for parking or other inconveniences associated with participation in the research study are allowed. These must be included in your IRB approved consent form and should also be detailed in the Budget and Budget Justification.
15. Is support allowable for co-investigators’, statistician’s and data manager’s salary?
Yes. Support can be included. Please include detailed information within the “Budget” and “Budget Justification” narrative to justify the support of personnel assisting with your project.
16. If there is travel for the study itself (my proposed project takes place outside the United States), can this be included in the grant?
Foreign travel is not allowed unless required for the proposed research, and must align with current BCM policy.
17.
Are there indirects charged for BCM?
No. The Pediatrics Pilot Awards are internally funded and indirect costs may not be assessed as part of these projects.
18.
If I have a collaborator at another TMC institution, what do I do about their indirect costs?
The Pediatric Pilot Award program does not pay indirect costs and subcontracts are not allowed.
Answers to Mentor Questions:
19.
Is it a requirement that the mentor be faculty at BCM? My mentor for the type of work that I would like to propose for this mechanism is at an outside institution.
While it is preferred that your mentor be a BCM faculty member, we understand that some projects require expertise outside of the College. Your mentor letter should describe the specifics of the type of meetings and interactions that will occur specific to and during the course your pilot award project.
20.
What is required in the Mentor Letter?
A “Mentor Letter” is a letter of support from the mentor (and co-mentor, if appropriate) and must be included in the application delineating the match with the candidate's research and development plan and willingness to provide the necessary assistance needed during the project period specified.
21.
Are Co-mentors allowed?
Co-mentors are allowed, but there must be a distinct division of oversight among the mentors with a designation of a single primary mentor.
Answers to Other Questions:
22.
I am done with my draft proposal. Would you please read it and give me some suggestions to improve it?
Research Administration staff who are assisting with coordination of this awards program are not able to review grant proposals or applications as this would be considered a “conflict of interest.”
We strongly encourage all applicants to review their proposals with their mentor or a senior colleague who has received external research funding in an area of research similar to yours.
Applicants may request assistance from the TCH research writing support group at writingsupport@texaschildrens.org.
Please note: The Writing Support group requires approximately two weeks' notice for editing requests and does not offer a scientific critique. The team only works on final drafts and there is no charge for its services.
23.
I received funding from this pilot program last year, and I’m working on my submission for an additional year of funding now. Can you clarify how my application process will differ since I am requesting a second year of funding? In the instructions, it says the following: “Consideration for a second year of funding is possible. The justification will need to explicitly detail the progress to date and the need for an additional year of funding”. Is that “justification” a separate section or do I incorporate it into the 5-page application part?
The justification for a second year of funding should be included in the preliminary data section of the 5-page application, and should include a strong justification for requesting additional support with a summary of progress to date. It is not a separate document.
24.
Why are clinical awards capped at $40,000 and basic science awards capped at $50,000?
Clinical awards are capped at $40,000 because database development, statistical, and regulatory support are included with the award and will be provided by the CRA.