Frequently Asked QuestionsResearch Grants Program
About Our Granting ProgramWhat areas does AHAF fund through its programs?AHAF accepts proposals related to developing treatments, preventions, and cures for glaucoma, macular degeneration, and Alzheimer’s disease. Funding is provided by donors to the specific disease program. AHAF currently supports three programs entitled, “National Glaucoma Research”, “Macular Degeneration Research”, and “Alzheimer’s Disease Research.” AHAF has a broad mandate for funding proposals relevant to any of these fields. For a list of current and previous awards, please click the appropriate links.
The American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF) awards grants for basic research on the causes of or treatments for age-related and degenerative diseases. Grants are awarded on the basis of the scientific merit of the proposed research and the relevance of the research to understanding aspects of the disease that lead to improved treatments, prevention strategies, and diagnoses of the program disease. The scientific plan should be well focused and able to stand alone. It is understood that more senior investigators will have other funding in related areas of research, but the application to AHAF should not be used to simply subsidize these other efforts or to compensate for grant cutbacks. Therefore, the applicant is advised to focus on a specific project that can be addressed in terms of a hypothesis and two or three specific aims. The proposed project should be distinct from other investigations and grant awards. Please keep this in mind when preparing the research plan section of this application. What projects are currently supported?For a list of current and previous awards, please click the appropriate links.
What type of grant support does AHAF provide?AHAF supports U.S. domestic and international research proposals related to developing treatments, preventions, and cures for glaucoma, macular degeneration, and Alzheimer’s disease. Funds awarded are to be used solely for research. AHAF does not fund institutional overhead, large capital equipment, or construction of buildings. AHAF prefers not to fund the salary of the Principal Investigator. If salary for the P.I. is requested, it must be clearly and thoroughly justified. AHAF will not fund proposals for which duplicate funding has been awarded and accepted, and will not fund portions of grants that are superfluous, irrelevant, or inconsistent with AHAF policies. Applications are reviewed on an annual cycle. Are there any special requests for proposals beyond the regular AHAF awards?Please see our list of open awards. How much funding will AHAF provide for my proposal?For the FY09 review cycle the following maximum award values may be requested:
Do you allow for Principal Investigator salary support?Yes. Principal Investigator salary and benefits may be requested in all award programs, but must be justified in the Budget Justification section. For awards restricted to independent investigators, salary and benefit support requests are limited to the lesser of 25% of the maximum award value or 25% of the sum of the P.I.’s institutional salary and benefits. Salary requests should be consistent with the percent effort the P.I. will commit to the proposal. At this time, postdoctoral fellowships are available ONLY through the Alzheimer’s Disease Research program. Postdocs applying for the ADR postdoctoral fellowship may request up to a maximum salary and benefits determined by their institutional salary and benefits multiplied by their percent effort on the proposal. For example, a Postdoctoral fellow with $45,000 of salary and benefits who commits 75% effort to a proposal may request a maximum of $33,750 in salary and benefits. What are the deadlines for proposals?For the FY09 review cycle the following deadlines are scheduled as follows.
*Note that MDR applicants must receive an invitation based on their Letter of Intent in order to be eligible to submit the full application. Proposals should be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern (Washington, DC) on the day of the deadline. How long does it take to receive notice of grant funding?All awards are announced by March 31st (about 5-6 months following full application). The first check is dated April 1st and is mailed once all contracts are agreed upon and signed. How many proposals did you receive in the last round of funding?For the FY08 programs (Deadline Fall, 2008) the following numbers of applications were received.
What are the Terms and Conditions and Patent and Intellectual Property Policies of the awards?Please review the following documents. Why does AHAF provide funding for animal research?AHAF does support justified animal research. AHAF’s policy on this matter can be found at the following URL: animalpolicy.html. Grant EligibilityWho is eligible for an AHAF grant?Alzheimer’s Disease ResearchStandard and Pilot Awards In order to be eligible for grant funding from the Alzheimer's Disease Research (ADR) Standard Award Program, the Principal Investigator (P.I.) must be an independent researcher at a non-profit research institution and hold an equivalent to the academic rank of Assistant Professor or higher. The applicant must be permitted by the applicant’s organization to petition for and receive research grant support and must be permitted to supervise any additional personnel named in the application. The applicant should use the indicated space on the Application forms to clarify any position that is not immediately recognizable as equivalent or higher than an assistant professor rank. Research Fellowship Award Research fellowships are available to junior and senior postdoctoral fellows. The proposal should be initiated by the postdoctoral fellow and not the supervisor. In the event that a senior postdoctoral fellow becomes an independent investigator during the duration of the award, the balance of the award may be transferred to the new position at the discretion of the American Health Assistance Foundation. In this case, an assurance that the original specific aims would be addressed in the new position would be required. AHAF accepts the NIH/NSF definition of a Postdoctoral Research Fellow emphasizing the mentored training component of the position. “An individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path.” -Letter to Ms. Alyson Reed, National Postdoctoral Association from the Deputy Director of the NSF, and Deputy Director for Extramural Research of the NIH. January, 2007. Macular Degeneration ResearchStandard Award In order to be eligible for grant funding from the Macular Degeneration Research (MDR) Standard Award Program, the Principal Investigator (P.I.) must be an independent researcher at a non-profit research institution and hold an equivalent to the academic rank of Assistant Professor or higher. The applicant must be permitted by the applicant’s organization to petition for and receive research grant support and must be permitted to supervise any additional personnel named in the application. The applicant should use the indicated space on the Application forms to clarify any position that is not immediately recognizable as equivalent or higher than an assistant professor rank. NEW: A single post doctoral fellow may be listed as a Co-Principal Investigator on a Macular Degeneration Research proposal as long as the post doctoral fellow remains under the mentorship and direct supervision of the named Principal Investigator. This Co-Principal Investigator may not be the successor of any award resulting from the proposal without approval from the AHAF Board of Directors. Post doctoral fellows should not be named as Co-PI on AHAF Alzheimer's Disease Research awards, but should instead apply for the ADR Post Doctoral fellowship. National Glaucoma ResearchStandard Award In order to be eligible for grant funding from the National Glaucoma Research (NGR) Standard Award Program, the Principal Investigator (P.I.) must be an independent researcher at a non-profit research institution and hold an equivalent to the academic rank of Assistant Professor or higher. The applicant must be permitted by the applicant’s organization to petition for and receive research grant support and must be permitted to supervise any additional personnel named in the application. The applicant should use the indicated space on the application forms to clarify any position that is not immediately recognizable as equivalent or higher than an assistant professor rank. NEW: A single post doctoral fellow may be listed as a Co-Principal Investigator on a National Glaucoma Research proposal as long as the post doctoral fellow remains under the mentorship and direct supervision of the named Principal Investigator. This Co-Principal Investigator may not be the successor of any award resulting from the proposal without approval from the AHAF Board of Directors. Post doctoral fellows should not be named as Co-PI on AHAF Alzheimer's Disease Research awards, but should instead apply for the ADR Post Doctoral fellowship. Who is not eligible for an AHAF grant? Are these rules flexible?
Are there any program preferences for types of research or investigators?AHAF prefers to fund proposals for which there are few alternative sources of funding, and to support the ability of investigators to generate the data needed to receive governmental or other third-party funding after the expiration of the AHAF award. AHAF’s awards, therefore, are biased towards junior investigators with new laboratories and projects, or more established investigators with particularly innovative projects. If a proposal addresses a subject not already represented in the AHAF funding portfolio, or in the pool of reviewer expertise, AHAF will solicit additional ad-hoc reviewers from that field to review the proposal. Why does AHAF fund internationally as well as domestically?The donors to AHAF have defined a research mandate to fund the best science that is of the greatest relevance to the disease program. AHAF believes that the nationality of the Principal Investigator or Institution is irrelevant to this mandate. Are there any biases against internationally submitted proposals?No. However, some investigators may be limited by their ability to communicate in English. These investigators are strongly encouraged to consider having their proposal reviewed by colleagues fluent in English prior to submission. You may also consider paying an editorial service to help you refine your proposal. The costs of these services are typically no more than the cost of many laboratory reagents. If the use of an editor is the difference between an award and a denial, then the cost is certainly a worthwhile investment. Several such companies exist, and have services ranging from spelling and grammar checking to advanced scientific critique. Individual editors will have differing styles; request samples from several editors and pick one or two whose styles reflect the way you would like your research to be presented. How to Apply OnlineApplication submission instructionsHow do I begin the online application process?Links to the online application portal are available off the research grants webpage of each program. AHAF strongly recommends that you fill out the copy of the questionnaire that is appended to the guidelines document. Once completed, cut and paste your responses into the web-forms. This will avoid problems that sometimes occur due to security “time-outs” and facilitate grammar and spell checking. Please note that some information contained in your research narrative (such as abstracts and animal/human subject welfare) will need to be cut and pasted from your narrative to the web-site. What are the general rules for font, line spacing, etc.Disregard of the following rules will result in denial of your proposal: Margins should be set at no less than 3/4" on all sides. Please use Times New Roman font at a size no less than 11 points. The color of the narrative text should be black. If other colors are necessary they should be capable of being reproduced legibly when photocopied. Applications must be written in English. Do not use jargon or unusual abbreviations. The application must be LEGIBLE. The applicant is responsible for ensuring readability of the proposal across multiple platforms. This is most readily accomplished by conversion of your document to a Portable Document Format (PDF) with Adobe Acrobat or similar software. Please note that known readability issues exist for documents prepared with type in multiple columns. For this reason, single text columns are preferred. Graphs, charts, diagrams, and tables may be embedded on the same page as they are referenced or appended as the last page of the document. All graphs, charts, diagrams, and tables should be contained within the document in which they are referenced AND COUNT TOWARDS PAGE LIMITS. In sections with limits on the maximum word count, text appearing in figure legends or tables is counted towards the maximum. What documents need to be uploaded along with the application?Templates are provided off of the main webpage for the research narrative portion of the application, as listed below. Please maintain consistent naming conventions when submitting your files.
*Up to five reprints may be included in the single appendix file. All reprints should be combined into A SINGLE FILE WITH A TABLE OF CONTENTs. All reprints should be the work of the Principal Investigator or Collaborator. **In some cases a video or other file must be included and, by their nature, cannot be converted to the pdf format. Please use the Other category for uploading this type of material. Please note that the file sizes of Other category uploads do count towards the maximum allowable file size of the proposal. If I am in the middle of writing my application online, can I save it and continue later?Yes. At the bottom of each application screen is a button entitled. “Save and Finish Later.” Once this button is pressed, applicants with existing accounts will be asked for their email address and password. If you do not have an account, you will be prompted to create one. Click on “I am a new online applicant,” enter your email address and create a password. Please write down your password for future reference. I saved my application in a previous session. How do I get back to it?The following link will take you to the “Sign in” page. Once logged in you will have the option of accessing saved applications. https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_746?SA=AM If you have problems, please contact the Research Grants Department. How do I submit attachments if I'm using the online system? What is the maximum allowable file size?The final page of the online application system will allow you to upload attachments. Note that the total aggregate file size is 9 MB. In rare cases it may be permissible to exceed this limit. If you have an attachment that is, by necessity, larger than the 9 MB limit, please contact the Research Grants Department at least one week prior to the application deadline. This is intended only for attachments such as video images that require, by their nature, large file sizes, and is not intended to provide extra space for pdf files with improperly formatted or improperly compressed images. I am finished. How do I submit my application?Using the hyperlinks at the top of the page, navigate to either the “Review my application” tab. You will be prompted for any missing information. Once satisfied with your entries, click on the “submit” button at the bottom of the page. Do you require Principal Investigator or Institutional Signatures?AHAF does not require signatures at the time of submission. Signatures obtained after submission may should be sent to AHAF either by courier mail, or as emailed pdf files. Some institutions do require that Institutional signatures be gathered prior to submission. Please consult your Institutional policies. Signatures are made on the following assurance (reprinted from the signature form): “I declare that to the best of my knowledge the statements and other information contained in the referenced application are truthful, complete, and accurate. I further understand that an incomplete application or application in violation of the stated guidelines will not be reviewed.” How can I tell if my application has gone through?You should receive an automated email confirming your submission. Some Institutional spam email filters may prevent you from receiving this email. If you have any questions regarding your application, please contact the Research Grants Department at AHAF. Something is going wrong with my submission! What should I do?Try using a different internet browser. The submission site has been tested with Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. If this does not work, contact the Research Grants Department at AHAF. What happens if my system crashes while I'm submitting my application online?Any progress since the last save will be lost. In order to limit the work required after such incidents it is advisable to edit your responses in a word processor and cut and paste these responses to the website as described above. I submitted my application, but there's a mistake in it. May I submit another one?Prior to the application deadline, if you discover that you have made a mistake, please contact the AHAF Research Grants Department and one of its members will be able to correct the mistake for you or have you submit a revised document. It will be your responsibility to file any changes with your Institution. Please note that after the deadline, only corrections to contact information can be made. No changes will be allowed to any other part of the application. May I submit supplementary data after the deadline?In order to maintain fairness to all investigators, we do not, at this time, allow proposals to be modified or supplemented following the application deadline. May I add URLs or other web resources to my proposal?Since AHAF cannot assure reviewer anonymity at third party internet resources, reviewers are instructed that they are not required to review any material available outside of the submitted application. If an internet resource is an integral portion of your proposal (for example a proposal might be submitted to develop a novel biostatistical or information sharing engine) and the resource cannot be adequately presented on the printed page, you may arrange with AHAF to request that reviewers view your site. These arrangements must be made at least one week in advance of the application deadline. Approval will be made at the discretion of AHAF and will require official written correspondence providing assurance that no data will be tracked that could compromise the anonymity of any reviewer. How do I insert Greek symbols or special characters in the web-forms?The answer is, “with difficulty.” The Microedge GIFTS software used to archive AHAF proposals does not currently represent many Greek or commonly used scientific characters. Please write out the name of any special character (e.g., Gamma secretase, TGF-Beta) when editing data on the website. The software used to archive AHAF proposals does accept limited special characters. The following table shows the ANSI keystroke characters necessary to produce the indicated symbols. To use an ANSI character code to enter one of the characters below, hold down the ALT key while using the computer number pad to type the four-digit number shown. Important: The digits must be typed using the NUMBER PAD on your keyboard. Make sure “Num Lock” is on first.
Other information about online submissionWhy did AHAF introduce an online grant application process?Similar to most other research grant giving foundations, AHAF has experienced a significant growth in the number of applications to its award programs. In order to reduce and eliminate potential logistical problems associated with review of hard copy submissions, AHAF decided to move to an electronic submission process. This substantially increases the administrative efficiency of the grant making process. Does the expense of an online application system decrease funding available for research?Maintenance of the database and online submission platform is relatively expensive, but is offset by the greater cost that would be required to hire additional staff needed to process the numbers of applications we receive. Who are your sponsors?We are currently soliciting third party sponsors to further offset the costs of our grantmaking efforts. If you are interested in sponsoring the grant submission process, please contact the AHAF Director of Research Grants (drg@ahaf.org) or through the contact information listed below. Can I submit a paper application like I used to?No. We do not accept paper applications. What are the system requirements for the online grant application process?Since the process is web-based, only an Internet web- browser is necessary. For older web-browsers, it may be necessary to update your software to the most recent version. The submission website currently supports Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. Is my organization's information kept private when I apply online?Yes. However, if funded, some information may be released to the public. Items that are consider non-confidential following award offers are explicitly indicated on the online application forms. How secure is the website that is handling the online application process?The American Health Assistance Foundation uses the Internet Grant Application Module (IGAM), provided by MicroEdge Inc., for its online application and databasing systems. MicroEdge provides this service in the form of a hosted Web-based ASP solution. The following is a summary of security measures around any grant application submitted through the Microedge IGAM service. This summary is adapted from the Microedge Support Knowledgebase. MicroEdge provides this service in the form of a hosted Web based ASP solution. Information about the applicant is stored in a Microsoft SQL Server database. The MicroEdge hosting facility, co-located within one of AT&T’s secure internet data centers, was chosen because of AT&T’s dedication to the highest levels of security. With features such as controlled access (Biometrics, keycards, etc.), raised floors, and specialized systems for power, climate and fire suppression, MicroEdge can offer our clients greater piece of mind. The technical configuration of the IGAM service includes multiple redundant WAN links, load balancers, SSL accelerators and firewalls. This architecture, combined with 24/7 alerting and monitoring, helps us to provide the highest levels of service. The communication from the end user’s browser to the IGAM server is accomplished via the Secure Sockets Layer protocol, or SSL. SSL is used to ensure end-to-end security and encryption of all data traveling from the applicant’s browser to the IGAM server. Once downloaded to AHAF’s servers the following security systems protect the application. AHAF’s network has been built on the latest Microsoft Server technology using Windows 2003 Server R2 and Microsoft client operating System using Windows XP Professional SPK2. All servers are kept up-to-date for the latest security updates required by Microsoft using strict security guidelines. Additionally, all users on the network require unique usernames and complex passwords to gain access to the network. Critical files, documents, and databases are either isolated on secure servers and/or further restricted using explicit NTFP permissions. The connection to the Internet is fully secured using CISCO Firewall technology for all inbound traffic. Remote access to the AHAF network is only allowed through SSL or CISCO VPN software. Also, all incoming emails and workstations are continuously scanned/examined and for any possible security threats with the latest technology from Trend Micro Suite of Security Applications. Application Review ProcessHow is the general review process structured?AHAF awards grants for research on the causes of, and preventions or treatments for the diseases specified by each of its disease programs (i.e., Alzheimer’s disease, Glaucoma, and Macular Degeneration). Grants are awarded on the basis of the scientific merit of the proposed research and the relevance of the research to improving our understanding of these diseases. To ensure that AHAF is funding meritorious research proposals that have high potentials for success, the Board of Directors bases its final funding decisions on the results of a formal, rigorous, scientific peer-review process, taking program goals and the availability of funds into consideration. General AHAF Review Committee Procedures AHAF recruits and maintains a Scientific Review Committee (SRC) for each of the four research programs. These committees are comprised of established investigators with the appropriate expertise to provide constructive and equitable evaluations of grant applications. These individuals serve as volunteers but are provided with a small honorarium for the time and effort they put into the review process. Almost all serve on NIH study sections or review committees for other foundations. The AHAF Research Grants Department, in consultation with the Chairman of the each Scientific Review Committee, assigns each proposal to a primary and secondary reviewer based on the expertise of the reviewers and the research area(s) of the proposal. In some cases a tertiary reader is also assigned. All proposals are checked against the pool of available reviewers for real or potential conflicts of interest prior to assignment of the proposal to individual reviewers. Reviewers are required to decline assigned applications for which they do not have the appropriate expertise and must decline to review applications in which they have a real or potential conflict of interest. These applications are reassigned to other reviewers. Reviewers with Conflicts of Interest (e.g., applications from investigators at the same institution as the reviewer, applications from previous or current collaborators, or applications to support research in which the reviewer has a financial interest.) Reviewers may not participate on a committee in any review cycle in which they themselves have submitted a proposal for consideration. Reviewers are required to keep the information presented in grant applications and the deliberations of the Scientific Review Committee strictly confidential. It is the responsibility of the AHAF Grants Department to communicate with applicants regarding the results of the review process and to serve as the intermediary between the Reviewers and the applicant. Review Criteria Reviewers are instructed to take the following criteria into consideration when reviewing grants: 1. Scientific merit. Does the investigator have a clear hypothesis and specific aims? Are the hypothesis and specific aims reasonable in light of current knowledge? Will the experimental design allow the investigator to achieve the specific aims and test the hypothesis? Are the methods clearly explained and appropriate? Has the investigator addressed satisfactorily issues or concerns regarding the rights of human subjects and/or the appropriate care and treatment of laboratory animals? Can the research proposed be accomplished in the time period of the grant? 2. Relevance. Will the proposed research contribute significantly to current knowledge regarding the etiology, diagnosis, or treatment of the program focal disease? 3. Appropriateness of the budget. Is the total amount requested reasonable for the research proposed (i.e. neither too high nor too low)? Are the amounts requested for each budget category reasonable? Has the investigator clearly justified the budget requests? 4. Expertise and experience of the investigator. Does the principal investigator and/or co-investigator(s) have the appropriate expertise and experience to perform the proposed research? Has the investigator identified appropriate individuals as key personnel, collaborators, or consultants? Has the investigator documented the willingness of collaborators or consultants to participate in the research? Priority Score Ranking Reviewers use the following system of priority score ranking to recommend applications for funding by the AHAF Board of Directors: Priority Score Description of Merit 1.0 – 1.4 Outstanding 1.5 – 1.9 Excellent 2.0 – 2.4 Good 2.5 – 2.9 Satisfactory 3.0 – 3.4 Adequate 3.5 – 3.9 Fair 4.0 – 4.4 Acceptable 4.5 – 5.0 Unacceptable Review Results Applicants normally will be notified in writing of the Board of Director's decision concerning their application in a letter dated March 31. AHAF staff are not authorized to provide information on priority scores, ranking, or likelihood of funding of applications prior to written notification of applicants. Please do not write or telephone AHAF to request such information. Triage procedures of specific programs.Note, these procedures are subject to change based on numbers of applications received. Alzheimer’s Disease ResearchADR employs a two tiered review process in which all applications are submitted as full proposals. In stage I, a minimum of two reviewers assign a preliminary grade to each proposal based on the criteria described above. These preliminary grades are not accompanied by formal written critiques of the proposal, and are used solely as a triage process to identify those proposals that will be the most competitive in the final stage of review. In consultation with the Chair of the ADR Scientific Review Committee the AHAF Research Grants Staff passes the most enthusiastically reviewed proposals to Stage II, where they are reviewed as noted above. The cut-off line is based on number of received proposals and fluctuates each year. Macular Degeneration ResearchMDR employs a two tiered review process in which proposals are first submitted by Letter of Intent. The Letters are individually ranked by 3-5 reviewers. These preliminary grades are not accompanied by formal written critiques of the proposal, and are used solely as a triage process to identify only the most competitive proposals. In consultation with the Chair of the MDR Scientific Review Committee the AHAF Research Grants Staff invites the most enthusiastically reviewed Letters of Intent to submit a full application, which are reviewed as noted above. The cut-off line is based on number of received proposals and fluctuates each year. National Glaucoma ResearchDue to dramatic increases in proposal volumes, the NGR program now employs a two tiered review process in which all applications are submitted as full proposals. In stage I, a minimum of two reviewers assign a preliminary grade to each proposal based on the criteria described above. These preliminary grades are not accompanied by formal written critiques of the proposal, and are used solely as a triage process to identify those proposals that will be the most competitive in the final stage of review. In consultation with the Chair of the NGR Scientific Review Committee, the AHAF Research Grants Staff passes the most enthusiastically reviewed proposals to Stage II, where they are reviewed as noted above. The cut-off line is based on number of received proposals and fluctuates each year. Who sits on your Scientific Review Committees (SRC)?Names of participating reviewers are released following the review cycle. In order to protect the anonymity of the reviewers, it is AHAF’s policy to release the names of reviewers who have participated at least once in the prior two years. Since many proposals require very specialized expertise for review, this policy limits the risk that a reviewer on an individual proposal might be inferred from reading the roster. Alzheimer’s Disease Research FY07-FY08Chair: Edward Koo, M.D. (University of California, San Diego) Co-Chair: David R. Borchelt, Ph.D. (University of Florida) Committee Members: M. Flint Beal, M.D. (The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center) K. David Becker, Ph.D. (Torrey Pines Therapeutics Inc.) Mark D’Esposito, M.D. (University of California, Berkeley) Dennis Dickson M.D. (Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville) Matthew Frosch, M.D., Ph.D. (Massachusetts General Hospital) Douglas Galasko, M.D. (University of California, San Diego) Charles G. Glabe, Ph.D. (University of California, Irvine) Alison M. Goate, D.Phil (Washington University) Yukiko Goda, Ph.D. (University College London) Todd E. Golde, M.D., Ph.D. (Mayo Clinic College of Medicine) Shelley Halpain, Ph.D. (The Scripps Research Institute) David M. Holtzman, M.D. (Washington University School of Medicine) William Jagust, M.D. (University of California, Berkeley) Cynthia A Lemere, Ph.D. (Brigham and Women’s Hospital) Allan I. Levey, M.D. Ph.D. (Emory University) Ron Liem, Ph.D. (Columbia University) John Olichney, M.D. (University of California, Davis) Rema Raman, Ph.D. (University of California, San Diego) David P. Salmon, Ph.D. (University of California, San Diego) Gerard Schellenberg, Ph.D. (University of Washington) Rudolph Tanzi, Ph.D. (Massachusetts General Hospital) David B. Teplow, Ph.D. (University of California, Los Angeles) Gopal Thinakaran, Ph.D. (University of Chicago) Gary Tong, M.D., Ph.D. (Bristol-Myers Squibb Company) Dominic Walsh, Ph.D. (University College Dublin) Philip C. Wong, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) Tony Wyss-Coray, Ph.D. (Stanford University Medical School) Riqiang Yan, Ph.D. (Cleveland Clinic Foundation) Macular Degeneration ResearchChair: Joe G. Hollyfield, Ph.D. (The Cleveland Clinic Foundation) Committee Members: Geoffrey K. Aguirre, MD,PhD. (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania) Jayakrishna Ambati, MD (University of Kentucky) Bela Anand-Apte, PhD (The Cleveland Clinic Foundation) Robert E. Anderson, MD,PhD (University of Oklahoma Health Sciences) Alan C. Bird, MD (Moorfields Eye Hospital) Nalini Bora, PhD (Univ. of Arkansas for Medical Sciences) Stephen P. Daiger, PhD (The Univ. of Texas Health Sci. Center) Albert O. Edwards, MD, PhD (Mayo Clinic) Steven J. Fliesler, PhD (Saint Louis University School of Medicine) Michael B. Gorin MD,PhD (UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute) Claire Harris, PhD (Cardiff University) Larry E. Leguire PhD, MBA (Nationwide Children's Hospital) P. Vijay Sarthy, PhD (Northwestern Univ. Medical School) Jonathan E. Sears, MD (The Cleveland Clinic Foundation) Sylvia B. Smith, PhD (Medical College of Georgia) National Glaucoma ResearchChair: John C. Morrison, M.D. (Oregon Health Sciences University) Douglas Johnson, M.D. (Mayo Clinic) Committee Members: R. Rand Allingham, M.D. (Duke University Eye Center) Abbot F. Clark, Ph.D. (University North Texas.) Anne L. Coleman, M.D., Ph.D. (University of California, Los Angeles) J. Crawford Downs, Ph.D. (Devers Eye Institute) C. Ross Ethier Ph.D. (Imperial College London) Thomas F. Freddo, O.D., Ph.D. (University of Waterloo) Richard Libby, Ph. D. (University of Rochester Medical Center) Stuart J. McKinnon, M.D., Ph.D. (Duke University Eye Center) Robert W. Nickells, Ph.D. (The University of Wisconsin, Madison) Douglas Rhee, M.D. (Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary) W. Daniel Stamer, Ph.D. (The University of Arizona) James N. Ver Hoeve, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin, Madison) Mary Wirtz, Ph.D. (Oregon Health Sciences University) Darrell WuDunn, M.D., Ph.D. (Indiana University) Multiple ApplicationsMay I submit multiple applications in a single review cycle?Due to high proposal volumes, we ask that you submit no more than one proposal to any AHAF program in a givenreview cycle. For example, it would not be permissible to submit two ADR proposals, but it would be permissible to submit one ADR and one MDR proposal in a given year. If I have a current award, may I submit a request for additional funding?Your current award must expire before any new award funds can be dispersed within a given program. This includes awards in No Cost Extension. Thus, you may not overlap two awards in a single disease program, but it is permissible to have two concurrent awards in separate disease programs (e.g., having concurrent awards through Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Macular Degeneration Research is possible, while having two concurrent ADR awards is not.) You may apply for a new award prior to the expiration of a current award. However, funding will not be initiated on any new award until the current award or the current award of your laboratory is terminated. What are the reasons a proposal might be declined before review?If a proposal is received past the deadline, it will be declined before review. If a proposal fails to adhere to the guidelines of the award, including page limitations or word counts, it will be administratively denied prior to review. If it is determined that the applicant is ineligible, then the application will be declined before review. My proposal was declined and I would like to know my options/ can I resubmit?AHAF maintains a strong Scientific Review Committee (SRC) that assesses the scientific merit of each proposal. AHAF must rely on the advice of its SRC and will not fund proposals that have not been recommended for funding by the SRC. Resubmission of the proposal in the next review cycle is permissible. Applicants choosing the resubmit may submit an additional single page summary of responses to prior reviewer critiques (if any) and a description of any difference between the original submission and the resubmission. While there is no limit to the number of resubmissions possible, applicants are advised to exercise restraint when considering submitting the same proposal over multiple years. Can you give me general advice on grant writing?Obtaining funding is a difficult, frustrating, and an increasingly competitive task. Organizations such as the NIH have put together significant online resources for advice in “grantsmanship.” Once such website is available from the NIAID Institute of the NIH. http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/new/default.htm The most valuable advice you will receive will come from your peers. Have a colleague read your proposals and provide critique. By the time you have produced a readable draft, you will have lost much of your ability to effectively critique your own presentation. What seems intuitive to you will only seem intuitive because you have lived and breathed these words for the last few weeks. Your colleague will have a much easier time identifying vague wording or even spotting typographical and grammatical errors. Make sure you give your colleague your proposal with enough time for both review and for you to make any major changes based on your colleague’s recommendations. With a week or two of preparation time you will get an honest critique from your colleague. Who can I talk to in order to gauge the competitiveness of my proposal?You should call or write the AHAF Director of Research Grants (drg@ahaf.org). If the Director of Research Grants is unable to assess your proposal, it will be communicated to appropriate members of the Scientific Review Committee. I know a member of Scientific Review Committee or AHAF staff or leadership. Should I talk with them about my proposal?Any attempt to influence your reviewer will invalidate your application. SRC members and AHAF staff are required to report any correspondence with applicants regarding their application to the AHAF Director of Research Grants for review. It is therefore inappropriate to discuss your pending proposal with any persons other than the AHAF Research Grants Department staff. About The American Health Assistance FoundationHow can I contact the American Health Assistance Foundation?Research Grants Department Telephone: (800) 437-2423 For email addresses please contact the Grants Department section of our website. What is the mission of the American Health Assistance Foundation?I am a clinician and am interested in waiting room brochures. Do you have disease specific literature available for waiting rooms?Yes, free or nominally priced literature can be found at the following URLs:
Last Reviewed On: 09/26/08 |
American Health Assistance Foundation 
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