FOEM's Research Grant Handbook
The Foundation provides research grants to osteopathic emergency physicians and clinical investigators involved in research pertinent to the fields of emergency medicine, disaster medicine, emergency medical services, medical toxicology, and/or pediatric emergency medicine. Awarding of these grants is provided at the sole discretion of the Foundation and may not be awarded annually if pertinent research does not warrant distribution of funds.
Download FOEM's Research Grant Handbook
General Information and Policies
The Foundation for Osteopathic Emergency Medicine (FOEM) was established in 1998. The Foundation’s sole purpose is the support and development of research and education in emergency medicine conducted by osteopathic physicians.In concert with research personnel and other qualified individuals, the Foundation reviews and recommends the acceptance of applications for the various awards and competitions. In all instances, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees makes the final determination of acceptance and funding levels of proposed research projects.
Role of Research in Osteopathic Emergency Medicine
The purpose of conducting research in any specialty is to validate conclusions of the practitioner and ensure that best practices are being followed. Research conducted in emergency medicine by the osteopathic physician leads to the development of understanding of the physicians’ role and to ensure and improve his or her knowledge base.
It has been demonstrated that emergency physicians who participate in research have developed a better and more effective application of standard techniques, and/or implementation of new and innovative techniques for the care of the patient in an emergency setting, and will participate in the investigation of new drugs or devices that improve the patient care in the emergency setting more readily.
For purposes of sponsorship of research projects, “osteopathic emergency medicine research” is defined as research conducted under the direction of an osteopathic emergency physician or in conjunction with an accredited college of osteopathic medicine or osteopathic postdoctoral training institution (OPTI) or an AOA accredited residency program that is directed toward the teaching or improvement of knowledge, skills, or techniques of the emergency medicine physician.
The Foundation is interested only in the highest quality of scientific investigation and limits its approval of applications to those projects that have potential of producing quantitative evidence for the improvement of emergency medical care. The Foundation reserves the right to withhold an award if applications fail to meet specified standards of excellence.
Eligibility Requirements for Award and Grant Applicants
Funds for Foundation research award and grant programs are awarded to individuals and institutions meeting the requirements described in the “Responsibilities and Assurances” section of this document.
The Principal Investigator on a request for funding a research award or grant program will be:
• an osteopathic emergency medicine physician who holds a faculty or staff appointment at an AOA accredited, affiliated, or approved institution or JCAHO accredited institution;
• a biomedical researcher who demonstrates evidence of professional training and experience as appropriate for his or her individual discipline and who holds a faculty or staff appointment at an AOA accredited, affiliated or approved osteopathic institution;
• an osteopathic emergency physician who holds a faculty or staff appointment at an academic or health care institution that has accreditation, affiliation, or approval as appropriate for that institution’s activities;
• an osteopathic physician who is currently enrolled in an accredited (AOA or ACGME) emergency medicine residency program.
Grant Programs
The Foundation provides research grants to osteopathic emergency physicians and clinical investigators involved in research pertinent to the fields of emergency medicine, disaster medicine, emergency medical services, medical toxicology, and/or pediatric emergency medicine. Awarding of these grants is provided at the sole discretion of the Foundation and may not be awarded annually if pertinent research does not warrant distribution of funds.
General Instructions for Grant Applications
Grant applications are available from the Foundation for Osteopathic Emergency Medicine or from its website www.foem.org. Applicants are invited to contact the Foundation if there is a question about the meaning of a specific provision in the application, but Foundation personnel are not responsible for contributing to the applicants research file. By the time the application is received for evaluation, it must be complete.
All grant applications for resident or physician research, including continuation requests for a previously approved project must be postmarked by July 31st. If this date is a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline will be extended to the next Monday, immediately following the dates noted above. Late applications will be returned unread. Applications must be complete to be considered.
Application for such grants must be made on the appropriate form and submitted on a flash drive containing the name of the applicant and title of proposed program. A paper copy should also accompany the application form. In all cases, material must be submitted in Microsoft for Windows format. Applications and supporting documentation submitted in Mac format will be returned.
The abstract should be written in English, avoiding jargon and unusual abbreviations. For terms not universally known, the author should spell out the term the first time it is used with the appropriate abbreviation in parenthesis; the abbreviation may be used thereafter. Type the application, single spaced, and stays within the specified margins of one inch on all sides. The type must be clear and legible, no smaller than 15 characters per inch (CPI). If you are in doubt, use 12 pt font sizes. There should be no more than six lines of text within a vertical inch. Black type must be used to allow for copying and in no case should photo-reduction be used. Draw all graphs, diagrams, tables, and charts in black ink. Do not include photographs, oversized documents, or materials that cannot be photocopied in the body of the application; submit them in the Appendix. Faxed copies or e-mail copies are not acceptable. Mail or deliver the complete and signed original of the application to the address listed below.
Foundation for Osteopathic Emergency Medicine
111 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1412
Chicago, Illinois 60604
An application will be returned if it is incomplete, illegible, fails to follow instructions, or if the material presented is insufficient to permit an adequate review. Unless specifically required by these instructions (e.g., human subject certification, vertebrate animals verification) do not send supplementary material.
Only applications submitted on the official forms will be accepted. Pages should be numbered consecutively at the bottom throughout the application. Do not use suffixes such as 5a, 5b. Type the name of the researcher (and preceptor in the case of resident research) at the top of each printed page. An application will be returned if page limitations are not observed. The application consists of twelve sections:
1. Statement of Conditions Governing FOEMThis form (appendix “Statement of Conditions Governing FOEM” APPENDIX p. 9) must be read and then completed, signed and returned with grant application package.
2. Research Grant ApplicationThis application must be completed, signed and returned with the grant application package.
3. Title Page (limit 1 page)This should contain the name of the one person responsible to the applicant organization for the scientific and technical direction of the project. Choose a title that is descriptive and specifically appropriate, rather than general. List any associate investigators.
4. Research Project (limit 4 pages) Discuss the following:
• The specific aims of the project or program.
• The significance of the project or program to emergency medicine.
• Progress Report/Preliminary Studies. The report should speak to previous work conducted on the same or related problems by the researcher, preceptor or others and list any literature cited in the Appendix.
• Experimental Design and Methods. Include sample size calculations, and data analysis, and statistical methods, as applicable.
5. Calendar of Research Activities for the Year (limit 1 page)Outline the major goals and objectives of the author month by month and indicate how they will be achieved. In the instance of Resident Research indicate how and when the preceptor will monitor the resident’s progress.
6. Personal Statement (limit 1 page)
• The applicant should compose and submit a personal statement that addresses:
• Role of the applicant in the project.
• Interest in the topic and this project.
• Any pertinent experience or interests that the author wishes the committee to consider.
• Career goals.
7. Budget (limit 1 page)Budget should include items such as salaries & wages, materials & supplies, subcontracts and other direct costs. A narrative justifying cost should be included for each budget line.
8. Role of Participants (limit 1 page)
List each associate investigator. Resident applicants must list the preceptor as well as the associate investigators and consultants. Include a brief description of how and to what extent each will be involved in the proposed project.
9. Biographical Sketches (Not to exceed 2 pages each)
Provide the information for the researcher, and each associate investigator involved in the project. For resident applicants, a biographical sketch of the preceptor must be included.
10. Resources and Environment (limit 2 pages)
Describe the research facilities (laboratory space, clinical population, etc.) available for the project. If computer access or statistical support is available, it should be described in this section.
11. Research Subjects
The Institutional Review Committee (IRB), or its equivalent, must approve all research involving animals or human subjects, and a copy of the approval or pending approval must be sent with this application. IRB approval must be documented prior to the dispensation of Foundation funds.
12. Appendix
If applicable, include the following items here:
• Literature cited.
• Human subjects’ experimental consent.
• Vertebrate animal experimental approval.
• Letters of support.
• Oversized material.
Benjamin J. Field, DO, FACOEP Medical Education Grant
This grant is available to physicians seeking degrees in education and evaluation. This would include Master’s Degrees in Education (M.Ed.); Master of Science in Education (MS. Ed); Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) or Master of Arts in Teaching & Cultural Competency (MATLCC).
David A. Kuchinski Memorial Research Grant
This grant is awarded at the discretion of the Foundation Board to an osteopathic physician or educator who is currently conducting significant research in emergency medicine in an AOA or ACGME accredited institution. It provides research monies at varying amounts for worthwhile projects.
FOEM Resident Research Grant
The FOEM Resident Research Grant may be awarded annually to an osteopathic physician who is a resident in either an AOA or ACGME accredited emergency medicine residency program. The purpose of this grant is to foster research in emergency medicine conducted by emergency medicine physicians at the graduate level. The grant amount ranges from $500 to $2,000 annually, depending upon the scope and needs of the project.
FOEM Young Investigator Research Grant
The FOEM Young Investigator Research Grant may be awarded annually to an established osteopathic physician who is a graduate of an accredited emergency medicine residency and is practicing emergency medicine in an accredited institution for five years or less. The purpose of this grant is to foster research among young emergency physicians and is awarded to promising physician researchers meeting these criteria. The grant amount ranges from $1,000 to $3,000 annually, depending upon the scope and needs of the project.
FOEM Investigator Research Grant
The FOEM Investigator Research Grant may be awarded annually to an established osteopathic physician who is certified in emergency medicine and conducting research in emergency medicine at an accredited institution (either hospital-based or college-based). The purpose of this grant is to sponsor or co-sponsor research in any area of emergency medicine, toxicology, EMS, or pediatric emergency medicine. The grant amount ranges from $1,000 to $3,000 annually, depending upon the scope and needs of the project.
Responsibilities and Assurances
General Assurances
Institutions and AOA affiliated organizations sponsoring applications of investigators must present evidence that there is either a contract or a reasonable understanding with those whose services will be necessary for the conduct of the project over a sufficient period of time for reasonable progress to be made.
These institutions or organizations must also assure the Foundation that adequate facilities and time will be provided. Expenditures for physical plant renovations, purchases of equipment, or improvements will not be approved for payment in research grants.
Individuals or groups of individuals receiving a Foundation research grant or award are responsible for observing any applicable local, state, and federal regulations pertaining to the conduct of research. This includes, but is not limited to, regulations involving the use of biotechnology products, vertebrate animals, human research subjects, and autopsy materials. This responsibility also extends to those sites, other than at the sponsoring institution, where the applicant may be completing a portion of the training program under the supervision of a consultant.
Protection of Human Research Subjects
All organizations or institutions in which Foundation funding is utilized to support research must conform to the standards established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for use of human research subjects. Each organization or institution must have an Institutional Review Board (IRB), which is required to review, and approval all research activities involving human subjects. Basic requirements are given in DHHS.
45 CFR 46 Protection of Human Subjects (or as revised). These regulations are available at www.hhs.gov/ohrp or from the Division of Policy & Assurances, Office for Human Research Protection, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Ste. 200, Rockville, MD 20852. The first time that an organization or institution qualifies for receipt of funding from the Foundation for studies involving human research subjects, the Foundation must receive a statement describing the IRB organization, personnel and functioning; annual updates will also be required.
The applicant organization or institution bears the responsibility for safeguarding the rights and welfare of human subjects in research supported by the Foundation. “Human subject” is defined as a “living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research obtains (1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2) identifiable private information.” The regulations apply to the use of human organs, tissues, and body fluids from individually identifiable human subjects as well as to graphic, written, or recorded information derived from individually identifiable human subjects. The use of autopsy materials is governed by applicable state and local law and is not directly regulated by 45 CFR 46.
Investigators who conduct research involving fetuses, pregnant women, children, or prisoners must follow the provisions of the regulations in subparts B, C, and D of 45 CFR 46 which describe the additional protections required for these subjects.
Research exempt from coverage by the above regulations are activities which only involve human subjects in one or more of the following six (6) categories:
(1) Research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving normal educational practices, such as (i) research on regular and special education instructional strategies or (ii) research on the effectiveness of or the comparison among instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods.
(2) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or observation of public behavior, unless: (i) information obtained is recorded in such a manner that human subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects; and (ii) any disclosure of the human subjects' responses outside the research could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial standing, employability, or reputation.
(3) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures, or observation of public behavior that is not exempt under paragraph (2) of this section, if: (i) the human subjects are elected or appointed public officials or candidates for public office; or (ii) federal statute(s) require(s) without exception that the confidentiality of the personally identifiable information will be maintained throughout the research and thereafter.
(4) Research involving the collection or study of existing data, documents, records, pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens, if these sources are publicly available or if the information is recorded by the investigator in such a manner that subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects.
(5) Research and demonstration projects which are conducted by or subject to the approval of department or agency heads, and which are designed to study, evaluate, or otherwise examine: (i) Public benefit or service programs; (ii) procedures for obtaining benefits or services under those programs; (iii) possible changes in or alternatives to those programs or procedures; or (iv) possible changes in methods or levels of payment for benefits or services under those programs.
(6) Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies, (i) if wholesome foods without additives are consumed or (ii) if a food is consumed that contains a food ingredient at or below the level and for a use found to be safe, or agricultural chemical or environmental contaminant at or below the level found to be safe, by the Food and Drug Administration or approved by the Environmental Protection Agency or the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
If following review of proposed research activities that are exempt as described in the six paragraphs above, the Foundation and its approval bodies determine that the proposed research program presents a danger to the physical, mental, or emotional well-being of a participant or subject of the research or demonstration project, then the Foundation will not authorize expenditure of funds for such a research program without the written informed consent of each participant or subject.
PROTECTION OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS
All institutions in which Foundation-supported research is conducted must conform to the standards established for use of vertebrate animals by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Federal regulations for use of animals require the research facility to have an institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Federal requirements for procurement and care of animals are enforced by the Office of Laboratory W elfare (OLAW ). DHHS requirements related to animal use are found in the Health Research Extension Act of 1985, Public Law. “Animals in Research” November 20, 1985, PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals by Awardee Institutions; U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training; and Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (or as revised). These regulations are available from www.grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm or, the Office of Laboratory Animal W elfare (OLAW ), NIH, Rockledge I, Ste. 360, MSC 7982, 6705 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-7982. The first time that an institution qualifies for receipt of funding from the Foundation for studies involving vertebrate research subjects, the Foundation must receive a written statement describing IACUC organization, personnel and functioning; annual updates will be required.
ACCESS TO MAJOR PIECES OF EQUIPMENT
If major equipment is a budgetary item, it is the investigator’s responsibility to assure the Foundation that the principal investigator or competent investigators will be available for productive research involving this equipment for the duration of the Foundation sponsored research.
