Merit Foundation Research Projects 2012
Introduction
The Merit Foundation aims to improve treatment of rheumatoid arthritis worldwide and demonstrate the value of regularly measuring disease course by offering the METEOR tool to aid physicians in quickly assessing patient improvement and comparing results through access of aggregated anonymized data collected by their peers. In order to achieve these aims, the MERIT Foundation has resolved to award research grants to projects, which can lend support to these objectives.
Aim of the Research Project 2012
The aim in 2012 is to have more, but smaller projects analyzing existing data in the METEOR database, in order to answer specific research questions, which will result in a scientific publication.
General terms and conditions
· Proposals for Research Projects may be submitted by any person actively contributing to the METEOR database
· Users must have a sufficient number of patients entered, and must continually add new patients and new patient data to the database.
· The Research Fellow must be a member of the permanent staff at the institute where the Research Project is to be carried out, and must have considerable experience in research in the relevant field.
· New project proposals should be submitted no later than April 1st 2012, using the template, attached to this letter.
. the application form below must be used to submit your proposal.
Duration
The duration of the Research Project may not exceed 1 year. The Research Fellow will provide the Foundation with an interim report describing his/her progress in relation to parameters set in advance after five months after the initiation of the Research Project The Foundation will review such interim report within four weeks upon receipt and decide simultaneously if any further funding for research will be provided to Research Fellow.
Assessment procedure
Assessment
The ESC and experts in the relevant field will advise the Merit Foundation Board on assessment of the proposals for Research Projects. The scientific quality of the proposals for Research Projects will be assessed, as well as the extent to which the intended Research Project fits in with the Merit Foundation’s aim and policy.
First assessment. The Merit Foundation assesses proposals for Research Projects in view of compliance with the financial conditions and the policy conditions formulated by the Board.
Assessment of the content of the proposals for a Research Project is carried out by at least three experts.
Hearing the applicants’ viewpoints. After this assessment, the experts’ reports are sent to the Research Fellow (including comments from the Merit Foundation, if applicable) with a request for a response within four weeks.
Final assessment by experts. The reply of the Research Fellow and the comments of the Foundation to the proposal for a Research Project are sent to experts, who will make a definitive final assessment within twelve weeks.
Evaluation. The ESC holds a meeting on June 29th 2012 to evaluate the quality and consistency of the experts’ assessments. The ESC discusses the experts’ conclusions, pronounces a joint opinion on the basis of an anonymous vote, and draws up a priorities list. This is submitted as a recommendation to the Merit Foundation Board.
Final assessment. The Merit Foundation Board ultimately decides whether to accept or reject a proposal for a Research Project.
Acceptance/rejection
The Merit Foundation will inform the applicants of its decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of the proposal for a Research Project no later than September 1st 2012.
If a proposal for a Research Project is accepted, the Merit Foundation Board will send a letter of confirmation to the Research Fellow, containing the conditions, which specifically apply to the research in question. The Board will also enclose a copy of the budget to be allocated and a copy of the conditions for project financing at the Merit Foundation, which should be signed by the applicant. Financing of the proposed research will only commence after one has agreed to the specific conditions, budget and conditions for financing.
A project number will be assigned to each Research Project. This number should be quoted in all correspondence between the Research Fellow and the Foundation. Correspondence and expense claims will not be dealt with unless this number is quoted.
If a project proposal is rejected, the Merit Foundation Board will send a letter of rejection to the relevant Research Fellow. If a Research Fellow has submitted a proposal for a Research Project which is extremely promising, but which is not eligible for immediate acceptance in the opinion of the Merit Foundation and the ESC, this Research Fellow will be invited to submit a revised version of the proposal for a Research Project containing the recommendations made by the experts and the ESC. Such proposal will be reassessed during accelerated proceedings in the autumn of each Research Project year. In principle, no new projects will be assessed during these autumn proceedings.
General information on the 2012 budget
The budget for each project is EUR 25,000 maximum.
. When financing a Research Project, the Merit Foundation accepts no responsibility for the application of collective labor agreements, employment contracts, wage tax and national insurance contributions, and other local regulations and deductions.
· The nature and amount of the financing must be specific to the relevant Research Project.
· The Merit Foundation exclusively guarantees the amount allocated to a Research Project. No additional costs or cost increases, including those resulting from delays in starting a Research Project due to e.g. inability to fill vacancies in due time, VAT etc, can be successfully claimed from the Merit Foundation.
· Financing is allocated for one year maximum.
· The second part of the budget will be allocated, or not as the case may be, after the interim report with milestones has been submitted and assessed after the first 5 months.
· Transferring funds that have not been used to the subsequent financing period, or from one sub-budget to another may only be done after permission has been obtained from the Merit Foundation Board. To this end, a substantiated request must be submitted to the Board in writing and in due time (2 months maximum).
· Only expenses included in the budget agreed upon when the Research Project was accepted will be refunded.
· A specification of the maximum refunds made by the Merit Foundation for each cost item is reproduced below.
· If a Research Fellow accepts to carry out a Research Project, this means he is willing to submit an audit report or to allow an accountant - to be appointed by the Merit Foundation - to carry out an audit, at the Merit Foundation’s request. The Merit Foundation may also have an interim (financial) audit carried out.
· If project financing is granted, the Merit Foundation must be provided with the name of a contact person at the research institute’s financial administration department.
Claiming other expenses
· All expense claims must be submitted no later than 2 months after completion of the Research Project.
· When submitting expense claims, the Research Project number should be stated on all invoices.
· Claims for the last quarter will not be paid until after the final report has been handed in.
Liability
· The liability of the principal Investigator will be limited to direct damages for a maximum amount of € 500.000.
Other points
· Dutch law shall apply to the relationship between the Foundation on the one hand and Research Fellow, its employer and Country Lead on the other hand pursuant to this Agreement.
· Results of the Research Project must be published as soon as possible.
· Research Fellows are expected to present their (interim) results at all the relevant conferences and meetings: ACR, EULAR, ERC, and national meetings.
· METEOR must be included in the title and the abstract of each publication (in English).
· A representative of the Board will be appointed as mentor to each Research Project and will be the co-author.
Please download this application form to submit your proposal.