CERC Mini-Grant Guidelines
2014
Mini-grants can be an effective way to enhance community organizations’ ability to engage in health research while helping academic health researchers learn to work effectively with community organizations. They can also support the collection of pilot data for larger projects among the research partners.
The Meharry-Vanderbilt Community Engaged Research Core invites proposals for activities that promote on-going, mutually beneficial, health-oriented research partnerships between community organizations and academic researchers. Both academic and community partners are expected to contribute to the development of the proposal. Applicants may propose a community-engaged research project, or a capacity building project that enables the partners to pursue an identified research agenda. The long term goals of the research partnerships supported by mini-grants should be one or more of the following: to improve community health outcomes, increase access to health and health-related services, enhance quality and effectiveness of health interventions, and/or inform future health policy.
The following key components must be included in your proposal:
1. A 1-2 page description of the applicant organization. Include a statement of your mission and prior work in the community around the issues being considered in the proposal. Collaborations are encouraged, but one organization (with tax-exempt status) that can receive and manage funds, should be listed as the applicant.
2. A 1-2 page bio-sketch of the academic partner’s research interests and experience. If a graduate student will serve as primary researcher, a letter of support from the faculty mentor who will advise on the project must also be appended. This letter should indicate that the faculty mentor was consulted during the development of the application and is willing to continue in a consulting role throughout the project timeline. There is an expectation that the faculty mentor would also be open to remaining as a contact for the community partners should they wish to consult about possible future research endeavors.
3. Description of how each partner contributed to the development of the proposal and the roles and responsibilities of each partner in the project (including the responsibility for obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for research involving human subjects when applicable). If this is a collaboration among multiple community partners, each partner must provide a letter of support that includes a description of their role in the project.
4. Clarification of the ways in which the proposed work is beneficial to each partner.
5. Clear description of the project:.
a. If proposing a capacity-building project, describe how the project will improvethe ability of the partner organizations to engage in research; the main steps/components of the project and which partner is responsible for each step; a timeline for completion; and budget with justification. Examples of capacity-building projects include community needs assessments; community evaluation of program effectiveness; ; improvements in data collection infrastructure.
b. If proposing a pilot research study, describe your research design. This should include a statement of your research question or hypothesis; if applicable, a description of the persons that you plan to involve and how those persons will be selected and compensated for their involvement; a description of the information you plan to collect; the qualitative or quantitative methods that will be used to analyze the data collected; a time-line for completion; and budget with justification.
6. Description of the outcomes expected from this project and how those outcomes will be measured. (Outcomes are concrete results that can be measured and reported or tangible products that can be achieved in the time frame proposed).
7. Description of how the project will contribute to a sustainable community-academic partnership to improve community health outcomes, increase access to health and health-related services, enhance quality and effectiveness of health interventions, and/or inform future health policy.
Who may apply?
· Community and faith-based organizations, including advocacy groups, coalitions, neighborhood associations and service providers with tax exempt status. Prior mini-grant funding does not exclude application, but priority will be given to organizations that have not been previously funded. While most applicants have been from the middle Tennessee area, this is not a requirement.
· Partnerships must include a researcher from either Meharry Medical College or Vanderbilt University, but partners from other academic institutions may be included as well. Such collaboration is encouraged.
· Graduate students are eligible to serve as the academic partner. They must indicate their year of study, identify their faculty mentor(s), and provide evidence that mentor(s) is/are available to support them throughout the process and willing to maintain the relationship with the community partner when the student moves on.
Submission requirements
Applicants are required to attend an Informational Workshop which will be held 4-6 weeks before the submission dates. The session will cover the purpose of the mini-grant program, the process for submission, the review criteria, and award process. Both community and academic partners should attend. Meharry-Vanderbilt Community Engaged Research Core (MV-CERC) staff will also be available to discuss proposal ideas following the workshop and in the weeks leading up to the submission deadline.
· The MV-CERC Mini-grant application form must be used.
· The application itself is limited to four pages and type size should be 12 point.
· A brief description of the applicant organization’s past work and a biosketch from the academic partner are required appendices, and limited additional appendices are permitted.
· Recipients of mini-grant funds are required to submit a progress report at 6 months, at completion of their grant period, and may be asked to respond to follow-up surveys about the sustainability of their partnerships.
· , Any publications or posters resulting from the mini-grant must cite the Vanderbilt CTSA grant.
Proposals must be submitted electronically by midnight of the submission deadline to . Notification of award is usually made within one month of application. Release of funding occurs following completion of contracting process, and usually occurs with 4-6 weeks of award date.
The application form and upcoming schedule for Informational Workshops and submission deadlines are available on the Community Research Partners website (http://www.communityresearchpartners.net), the Meharry-Vanderbilt Community Engaged Research Core website (http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/victr/pub/community/.) , the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance website (http://www.meharry-vanderbilt.org/).
Funding limitations:
· The maximum grant amount is $5,000. The average grant award is $3,000.
· All work must be completed within a 12 month period that begins with the date funds are received by the applicant.
· Funds may be used for activities such as:
o Identifying community health priorities and potential research questions.
o Staff development trainings and workshops related to proposed work.
o Incentives for participants in study.
o Collection or analysis of pilot data, including fees for services such as facilitation of focus groups, transcription of data, translation, or data entry.
· Funds may not be used for:
o Operating support for existing projects or programs or salary for existing staff.
o Activities that are not directly related to the proposed work or partnership.
· Under certain circumstances purchases of equipment needed for the study may be approved, but it is with the understanding that the purchase equipment would be made available to other community organizations for community-engaged research.
Application dates: Submissions must be received by midnight on the following dates: March 17 and October 20.
Finding Research Partners: For assistance identifying an academic or community research partner, contact or search the communityresearchpartners.net website.
For more information or to arrange for a research design consultation with a CERC faculty member: Please contact: or call 615-322-0593.