Opportunities for HRC Funding 2015
Investment Processes
HRC Overview
Mission: Benefiting NZ through health
research
• Established as a Crown Entity by the Health Research
Council Act (1990)
• Responsible to Minister of Health
• Funding mainly from Vote Science & Innovation
through MBIE
HRC Secretariat
Dr Robin Olds, Chief Executive
• Rachel Brown, Group Manager, Māori Health Research
• Dr Vernon Choy, Group Manager, Investment Processes
• Melanie Duncan, Group Administrator, Investment Processes
• Dr Deming Gong, Project Manager, Public Health Research
• Stacey Pene, Project Manager, Biomedical/Clinical Research
• Dr Tania Pocock, Group Manager, Research Policy, Strategy & Evaluation
• Dr Nuhisifa Seve-Williams, Project Manager, Pacific Health Research
• Vivien Lovell, Group Manager, Business Systems
Finance & Corporate Services, Ethics, Communications, Research
Partnerships
Research Investment Streams
Research Policy, Strategy & Evaluation
Dr Tania Pocock
Research Investment Streams
End-users
involved
Research for NZ Health
Delivery
Immediate impact on health
policy, clinical-decision-making
&/or service delivery
Applied
Health and
Wellbeing in NZ
Understanding
health and
preventing illness &
injury
Basic
Improving
Outcomes in Acute
& Chronic
Conditions in NZ
Rangahau
Hauora Māori
Building Māori
knowledge &
capability
to address
Māori health issues
Investment Signals
Purpose
Scope (what’s in & what’s out)
Goals
Priorities (only HW and IOACC)
Research characteristics (RNZHD)
Examples
• Research areas in scope
• Research better aligned with other RIS
• FAQ
HRC & National Science Challenges
• Investment signals & general guidelines updated to
include National Science Challenges (NSC)
– HRC “encourages research that can contribute to a NSC, as well as
research on other health priorities, provided it is in scope for one of
our investment signals”
• HRC funding will complement the challenges
– Research will not be excluded because not in NSC scope
– Research will not be prioritised because in NSC scope
– Applications assessed on own merits using existing HRC criteria
• Read general guidelines & investment signals for
further detail
HRC & National Science Challenges
• HRC will ensure NSCs get maximum value from
HRC-funded research
– From 2015, successful applicants in scope for NSC will
be encouraged to engage with NSC leads
– HRC will monitor and report outcomes for HRC-funded
research in scope for each NSC
– HRC will identify opportunities for HRC-funded research
to contribute to high-level outcomes sought by NSCs
Selection of RIS
• All applications
– Apply to one RIS
– Where research will have greatest impact on Goals and priorities
• Programmes
– Can span RIS, but must state primary RIS
– Not in HD
• HRC will not reallocate applications
Avoid Falling into Wrong RIS
• 2015 SACs may penalise proposals in wrong RIS
– Max score of 1 for ‘Impact’ criterion if ‘out of scope’
• Read Investment Signals
2015 Budget and Contract Types
2015 Funding Round Budget
Contract Type
$M
#
Programme
30
6
Project
46
45
Emerging Researcher First Grant
2
14
Feasibility Study
1.5
13
Explorer Grant
0.6
4
Programme
• Objectives
– Support the long-term development of a health field
– Fund research with strategic, long-term vision
• Budget
– $5M, 5 years
• Assessed by Science Assessing Committee (SAC) and
Programme Assessing Committee (PAC)
Programme
• Not available for Health Delivery RIS
• Permission may be given for a Programme bid from
a team not meeting the PRG criteria
– consultation with HRC before registration
– specific research domains; e.g. a clinical trial
• 29 active programmes
Requirements for Programme Director
• PRG Director with ≤1 year remaining; or
• PRG director in the last 5 years; or
• First NI on ≥2 PRJ grants from HRC or equivalents begun in
the last 4 years; or
• First NI on 1 HRC project begun in the last 2 years, leading
≥ 2 First NI on PRJ grants from HRC or equivalents in the
last 4 years;
• ≥ 0.2 FTE to this PRG; and
• Employed by a NZ organisation and residing in NZ
Application & Assessment Process for
Programmes
External review
Open
15 Aug 2014
Rebuttal
24 Feb-5 March 2015
SAC
End
15 Oct 2014
PAC
GAC
Board
Work to Research Office due dates!
Outcome
June 2015
Project
• Two stage application: EOI and full
• Objective: Support individuals/teams to address
well-defined research questions
• Budget: ≤$1.2 M, generally for 3 years
– for shorter contracts, at average $0.4 M pa
– FR2014: Average budget = $1.0 M
• No limit to the number of EOIs
Application & Assessment Process for
Projects
External review
EOI results:
6 Oct 2014
EOI open
16 June 2014
Rebuttal
24 Feb-5 Mar 2015
SAC
EOI end
16 July 2014
SAC
Full Application
19 Nov 2014
GAC
HRC Board
Work to Research Office due dates!
Outcome
June 2015
Emerging Researcher First Grant
Application: 15 August – 26 September 2014
• Budget: ≤$150,000 working expenses, ≤3 years
– Excludes support for a postgraduate degree
• Eligibility of PI (New):
– No more than 6 years from attaining a postgraduate degree (but career
breaks permissible0
– Without a contract for research expenses of ≥$100,000 (by the time of
assessing committee meeting)
• Suitability of PI (New):
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Evidence of establishing an independent research career
Extent to which the proposal represents an independent research stream
Ability to take overall responsibility
Plan for developing an independent research programme
• FR2014 results: 14/43 applications (32.6%)
Feasibility Study
Application: 15 August – 26 September 2014
• Objective: Support small studies that test feasibility
issues affecting a planned, larger study
• Budget: ≤$150,000, 12 months
• Eligibility: Public health or clinical research
• FR2014: 13/31 funded (41.9%)
Processes for Emerging Researcher First
Grant/Feasibility Study
Open
15 Aug 2014
External review
(ERFG)
End
26 Sept 2014
Rebuttal (ERFG)
13-23 Feb 2015
SAC
(ERFG/FS)
Board
Work to Research Office due dates!
Outcome
May 2015
Explorer Grant
Application: 1 – 31 October 2014
• Objective: provide seed support for transformative,
innovative ideas at an early stage
• Budget: <$150,000 working expenses, < 24 months
• Eligibility: host support, RIS
• FR2014: 4/24 funded (16.7%)
Application & Assessment Process for
Explorer Grant
Open
1 Oct 2014
Eligible proposal
assigned
End
31 Oct 2014
Triage of
proposal
Eligibility review
Random order of
fundable proposal
Board
Outcome
May 2015
Applying for Research Funding
New Online Submission System, HRC Gateway
• All NIs must have an account on HRC Gateway
• To get an account, click on ‘Sign up for HRC Gateway’
After Sign Up
• Update your profile information
• Create applications to any open HRC funding round
• Access applications that list you as a NI
– You will be emailed when your name is added to a new
application
• Follow the progress of your applications
• See your to do list
Submitting Your Project EOI
Application
Changes in EOI Application Process for
2015 Annual Funding Round
Submission of applications via HRC Gateway
Section 1 completed online
No separate registration closing date
Sections 2-5 of GA215S/RHM215S uploaded as
pdf
• File names generated by HRC Gateway
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Project EOI Forms (GA215S, RHM215S)
• Section 1: General Information (Type of Research)
• completed online via HRC Gateway
• Section 2: Proposed Research
• Section 3: CV
• Section 4: Lay Summary
• Section 5: Research Classifications
EOI Form: GA215S
Section 2 Proposed Research
• HW, IOACC, HD RIS
3 pages limit + 1 page for references
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Rationale for Research
Design & Methods
Research Impact
Responsiveness to Māori
Expertise & Track Record
Project Full Applications
• Written feedback to EOI applicants
• Full applications by invitation only
At full application stage:
• Research must be substantially similar to that
proposed in EOI
• Adjustments to lay summary allowed (based on EOI
feedback)
• NIs can be substituted, HRC must be informed
Research Contract Obligations
HRC Funding and Ethical Approval
• Required for release of funding
• Cannot be extended from one contract to another
• Should be specifically linked to HRC contract
number
• More information www.hrc.govt.nz
• Lana Lon, Project Manager Ethics
– llon@hrc.govt.nz
Research Contract Obligations
• Final reports from past 5 years required at full application
• Media/News items (Suzy Botica: sbotica@hrc.govt.nz)
On-line Reporting Process - Data
• Use top menu bar to update outputs for your profile
• Select research contract
• Enter info: milestones, progress etc
• Select outputs in main menu
specific to contract
Online Reporting Process - Submission
Completed: NI click to finish report
Forwarded: NI forward
report to RO (PDF generated)
Signed off: RO sign off report
& submit to the HRC
Final Reports & Future Impact
– Includes discoveries & achievements, workforce development
& knowledge transfer
– Help identify newsworthy findings & demonstrate the benefits
of funding health research & continued investment
– All outputs specific to contract – reported to Ministry
– HRC retains final payments until satisfactory report received
– Compliance could influence future funding success
Career Development Awards
Career Development Awards
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Clinical Practitioner Research Fellowship (CPRF)
Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellowship
Clinical Research Training Fellowship (CRTF)
Foxley Fellowship
Girdlers’ New Zealand HRC Fellowship
• Māori Health Research Career Development Awards
• Pacific Health Research Career Development Awards
Clinical Practitioner Research Fellowship
Application: 5 June – 2 July 2014
• Objective
– Strengthen health care practice and health services
– Support translation of research into clinical practice
• Budget
– $50K/year expenses, < 5 years
• Eligibility
– Citizens/residents been engaged in clinical practice for
10-20 years, leadership, 0.3-0.5 FTE
– FR2014: 1/2 funded (50%)
Sir Charles Hercus Health Research
Fellowship
Application: 5 June – 2 July 2014
• Objective:
– Intended to build future capability to conduct world-class
research
– Support research stars whose scientific fields have the
potential to contribute to health/economic goals for
government’s investment
• Budget: ≤ $0.5M, ≤ 4 years
• Eligibility: Citizens/residents, 4-8 years post-PhD, 0.5-1.0 FTE
• FR2014: 3/10 funded (30%)
Clinical Research Training Fellowship
Application: 5 June – 2 July 2014
• Objectives:
– support health professionals to undertake a PhD or
equivalent
– provide a training that will combine academic research
with course clinical experience
• Budget: ≤$250,000 (pro rata if <3 years)
• Eligibility: Citizens/residents, medical/dental graduates,
psychologists and nurses
• FR2014: 8/22 funded (36.4%)
Foxley Fellowship
Application: 5 June – 2 July 2014
• Objectives
– enable health professionals to undertake a sabbatical in NZ
– enhance links between HRC-funded research and health care
delivery and/or health policy
• Budget: Salary + <$20,000 research costs, 1-2 years
• Eligibility: > 0.2 FTE, health professionals with > 5 years
experience
Not to be used to fund a degree
Girdlers’ New Zealand HRC Fellowship
APPLICATION
see website
• Objective
– provide advanced research experience
– bring benefit to the health sciences in NZ
• Budget: ~£45,000 pa (salary + other costs, travel), 2 years
• Eligibility: citizen, PhD or equivalent, < 5 years experience
• Full information available from HRC
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Including contact with previous recipients
Clerk of Girdlers’ Company
Advice on potential research groups willing to host Fellow
Also see www.gtc.ox.ac.uk
Changes for 2015
• Feedback for Hercus and Clinical Practitioner Fellowships
• Emerging Researcher First Grant (Eligibility, Assessment)
Details all updated in
CDA Peer Review Manual /Peer Review Manual and Guidelines
Tips for Successful Grant Writing
• Read application guidelines, investment signals and
assessment criteria (PRM)
• Ensure you have assembled a good team with appropriate
FTE, skills and collaborations (e.g. biostatistician, health
economist, etc.)
• Begin writing your application well in advance of deadlines
• Make your objectives clear, realistic and achievable
• Include design and power calculation details at EOI stage
• Highlight any preliminary data or experience with researchspecific techniques
• Include an appropriate budget and timeline
Tips for Successful Grant Writing
Ensure to link your study outcomes with RIS goals
Demonstrate appropriate responsiveness to Māori
Demonstrate engagement with stakeholders and end-users
Clearly identify the roles of NZ NIs within multinational
studies
• SACs include a range of expertise, so write for a more
general scientific audience
• Incorporate EOI feedback into full applications
• Check spelling, structure and grammar, and allow time for
review, peer review and rewriting
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Any queries?
• Contact your Research Office
• Peer Review Manual/CDA Peer Review Manual
2014
• Guidelines
www.hrc.govt.nz
info@hrc.govt.nz
Level 3, ProCare Building, 110 Stanley Street, Auckland
Email: firstinitialsurname@hrc.govt.nz