TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF GRANT AWARDS
Macular Degeneration Research, a program of the American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF), awards grants for basic research on the causes of and treatments for macular degeneration.
TERMS OF FUNDING
Funding Restrictions
AHAF will fund grants for research at non-profit organizations only.
Funds are awarded to the institution and not to individual investigators. However, AHAF requires that all funds be used solely for research and not for overhead, administrative costs or other peripheral costs. AHAF does not fund construction of buildings or the purchase of large capital equipment.
Macular Degeneration Research will not fund the salary of the Principal Investigator except under extraordinary circumstances. A request for Principal Investigator salary must be clearly and thoroughly justified.
Discontinuation of Grant Funding
Although AHAF has committed grant funds for the stated term of the grant, it reserves the right to discontinue the grant at any time in the event the work performed is in breach of any of the terms and obligations stated herein.
Either party may terminate this Agreement upon thirty (30) days prior written notice to the other party. If terminated by sponsor, foundation is entitled to full payment for all costs and non-cancelable commitments incurred as of the effective date of the termination. Non-cancelable commitments include all costs associated with a graduate student appointment within a given academic year.
For International Grant Awards
The grant recipient (“grantee”) represents that it has not provided and will not provide support or resources to an individual or an entity that advocates, plans, sponsors, engages in, or has engaged in terrorist activity; or to anyone who acts as an agent for such an individual or entity. Support or resources include currency or other financial instruments, financial services, lodging, training, safe houses, false documentation or identification, communication equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel, transportation, and any other services or physical assets. Any violation of this representation is grounds for immediate termination of the grant agreement and return to AHAF of all funds advanced to the grantee.
Overlapping Grant Awards
AHAF awards funds with the express understanding that AHAF is the sole financial supporter of the research project for which grant monies were requested. AHAF does not allow AHAF grant funds to be used for research projects funded by another source without its express permission and full knowledge. Failure to report the receipt of overlapping grant funds may require, as determined at the sole discretion of AHAF, the return of all monies awarded by AHAF to the grantee. Furthermore, the grantee is responsible for all costs expended by AHAF in obtaining the return of the grant award funds including but not limited to reasonable attorney's fees incurred.
Use of Human Subjects or Vertebrate Animals for Research
Research projects involving human subjects and/or vertebrate animals must meet or exceed standards required for United States federal government funding. If the proposed research will involve the use of human or vertebrate animal subjects in the research, a signed release from the appropriate committee of the institution must be provided to demonstrate approval of the proposed research protocol(s) before grant funds are released.
Indemnity
The Grant recipient (“grantee”) agrees to indemnify AHAF, its officers, employees, agents, successors and assigns the "Indemnitee" and hold the Indemnitee harmless from any loss, liability, damage, cost or expense (including reasonable attorneys' and accountants' fees) suffered by the Indemnitee arising out of, or connected in any way with any claims made against it due to activities involving Grantee's use, planned use, and/or proposed use, at any time, of human subjects, whether alive or dead, including but not limited to clinical trials, basic scientific experimentation and diagnostic trials, as well as for the breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements made pursuant to this agreement.
Sharing of Reagents
AHAF believes that biological reagents (e.g. recombinant DNA clones, cultured cell lines, hybridoma cell lines, mutant or unique organisms) developed during the course of AHAF-sponsored research must be made available to qualified investigators after the publication of reports using or describing the reagents. These materials represent a valuable resource for the scientific community at large, paid for by the generous contributions of AHAF's donors. The availability of these reagents directly affects the ability of the members of the scientific community to replicate the experiments of others and the pace and cost of future research. Therefore, AHAF requires that the principal investigator and the grantee institution accept the responsibility of providing biological reagents developed during the course of AHAF-sponsored research when reasonably requested to do so by other investigators.
Public Education
AHAF is a publicly supported charitable organization funded by donor contributions, and has an active public education program that informs donors and other interested individuals about the research we sponsor. Information provided to the public by AHAF may include the title of the project, the name and institutional affiliation of the principal investigator, and the amount of the award. Therefore, the non-technical description should not contain confidential information. Acceptance of this grant shall be deemed consent of the Principal Investigator and the institution to the publication of this information should a grant be awarded.
Publications
All publications resulting from research sponsored by AHAF should give the following or similar credit: funds have been provided by Macular Degeneration Research, a program of the American Health Assistance Foundation.
Renewals
Macular Degeneration Research grants may be renewed indefinitely on a competitive peer-reviewed basis.
ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS
Patent and Intellectual Property Policy
The AHAF patent and intellectual property policy is an integral part of the AHAF terms and conditions of grant awards and applies to all grants provided by AHAF.
Budget Revisions and Extensions of Grant Period
Transfer of more than $5,000 ($1,000 for Starter Grants) from one budget category to another requires approval from AHAF. Requests for such transfers must be made in writing, with justification.
AHAF prefers that grant funds be expended in a timely manner in accordance with the research plan presented in the grant application. If there is more than 15% of the total grant award remaining in the grant account at the end of the grant period, permission may be requested to extend the grant period with no increase in funding. Requests for such extensions must be made in writing, with justification.
Transfer of Grants
In the event the Principal Investigator transfers to another university or research facility and wishes to transfer the grant and equipment purchased with funds from the grant, he or she should contact the AHAF Research Grants Department for approval to pursue such a change.
Financial Reports
AHAF requires a certified financial report for each year of the grant.
If the grant is for two years, a 12-month financial report showing allocations and expenditures for the first grant year (April 1 - March 31) must be submitted by June 1. This report must be signed by the principal investigator and an institutional representative and must show that grant funds were used in accordance with the approved budget.
A final financial report showing allocations and expenditures for the grant year (April 1 - March 31) must be submitted by June 1 or two months after expiration, if the grant has been extended. This report must be signed by the Principal Investigator and an institutional representative and must show that grant funds were used in accordance with the approved budget.
AHAF will provide forms for submission of the financial reports or they may be downloaded from our website.
Progress Reports
For grants providing two years of funding, an interim scientific progress report must be submitted by January 15 in the first year of the grant in order for funding to continue for the second year of the grant. If the progress report is not received, funding will cease at the end of the first year.
For all grants, a final scientific progress report must be submitted within 60 days of the end of the grant period. AHAF will provide forms for submission of the progress reports. Reprints of subsequent publications acknowledging support of AHAF should be submitted, as they become available. For projects that have been competitively renewed, the renewal application will constitute an interim scientific progress report.
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