BMRC TRANSLATIONAL CLINICAL RESEARCH (TCR) PARTNERSHIP
GRANT CALL 2010
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
General Grant Information
Q:
When will the BMRC Translational Clinical Research Partnership
Grant Call 2010 be launched? When is the closing date?
A:
The BMRC TCR Partnership Grant Call 2010 will be launched on the 16th
July 2010 and will close on the 17th September 2010 at 5pm.
Q:
Besides the area of Eye Diseases, are there other upcoming disease
oriented grant calls?
A:
Future TCR Partnership grant calls are likely to focus on other disease
areas. The specific themes will be determined by A*STAR BMRC in
consultation with the clinical community, EDB and the BMS industry sector.
Q:
When would the BMRC TCRP be awarded?
A:
BMRC expects to award the successful grants arising from this 2010 Grant
Call in February 2011.
Q:
It is stated that applications with partnerships with industry
collaborator(s) will be considered more favorably. Must this be an
existing partnership?
A:
New partnership(s) with industry collaborators are eligible for consideration
as well as existing ones. The nature and duration of the partnership should
be described in the grant application form.
Q:
Must the industry collaboration encompass financial support from the
industry partner?
A:
Both financial and in-kind contribution by the industry partners will be
considered favorably. Details of the industry collaborator’s contribution
should be specified. The industry collaborator should sign off on the
application.
Q:
Will BMRC assist in sourcing for an industry collaborator?
A:
Co-PIs are expected to link up with industry partners on their own.
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Funding
Q:
How much funds are set aside for this TCRP Grant? Is there a cap to
the funding?
A:
BMRC has set aside a budget of $20M for the pilot TCRP in eye diseases.
Depending on the complexity of the research project, it is envisaged that
each project will be funded in the range of $3M to 5M for a 3 year period.
Q:
How is the funding be disbursed?
A:
Each co-PI will propose the budget necessary for his part of the work. This
budget will be disbursed to each co-PI provided they fulfil the eligibility
criteria.
Q:
How much funds will be allocated to each of the Co-PIs?
A:
Based on the applicant’s proposed budget required by each Co-PI, the
Local Review Panel will scrutinize the requirements and decide on how
much each co-PI requires for his contribution to the research project. In
general, this should not exceed $1M/3 years.
Q:
Is there a cap for the equipment vote?
A:
Yes. The equipment is capped at a total of $100k per co-PI. However, coPIs can pool their equipment budget to purchase equipment that is
necessary for the research project. Details of the equipment and
justifications must be submitted for consideration.
Q:
Is there a cap for materials and consumables?
A:
Yes, this is capped at $35k/year/research staff employed under the project.
If there is a need for additional materials and consumables budget beyond
this cap, details of the type of materials and consumables necessary and
justifications must be submitted for consideration.
Q:
Will there be funding for indirect cost?
A:
Yes, but only the non-A*STAR PIs will be awarded 20% of his approved
budget for indirect cost. A*STAR PIs will not be entitled to any indirect cost
funding as these costs are already covered by their institute’s core budget.
Q:
Will extension of grant funding be accommodated if there is a delay in
starting the project?
A:
BMRC allows a flexible start date for up to 6 months from the date of
BMRC Translational Clinical Research Partnership (TCRP) Grant Call 2010 - FAQ
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award. PIs will be given a total of 3 years from the start date to complete
their research. There will be strictly no extension beyond this period.
Lead Investigator
Q:
Who should be the Lead Investigator? What is his role?
A:
The Lead Investigator should be nominated from within the group of co-PIs
that makes up the research team. He will be responsible for coordinating
the various components of the research project. He will also submit the
progress and final report for the project. He will be asked to make
presentations to the Scientific Review Panel as and when necessary.
Co-Principal Investigators’ Eligibility
Q:
I am from a non-A*STAR entity, can I collaborate with a PI from a
SERC RI?
A:
Yes.You must also find a BMRC co-PI to be part of the research team to
be eligible to apply.
Q:
I am a basic scientist from a non-A*STAR entity. Can I be eligible for
this grant?
A:
Yes, you will need to find a co-PI who is a clinician from a non-A*STAR
entity and another basic scientist in a BMRC RI to be eligible.
Q:
Are there any guidelines to the number of Basic Scientists / Clinical
Co-PIs?
A:
Each proposal must involve a demonstrable collaboration between 3 to 5
co-PIs. There are no restrictions with regards to the number of Basic
Scientists / Clinical Co-PIs as long as one Co-PI is a basic scientist from
BMRC and one co-PI is a clinical scientist from a non-A*STAR public
sector entity.
Q:
Do applying Co-PIs have to be from different institutions?
A:
Yes, Co-PIs must be from at least 2 different institutions - one from a
BMRC RI and another from a non-A*STAR public sector entity. If there are
3 or more co-PIs applying for the same grant, it is acceptable to have 2 of
the co-PIs come from the same institution.
Q:
Are clinicians in private practice eligible to apply for this grant call?
A:
No. Clinical Co-PIs have to be primarily employed by a local publicly
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funded restructured hospital, national specialty centre or medical school.
Q:
Are clinicians in private practice with adjunct positions in local
publicly funded institutions eligible to apply for this grant call?
A:
The clinical Co-PI has to be primarily employed by the local publicly funded
institution. Clinicians in private practice with adjunct positions can
participate as collaborators.
Q:
When must the joint appointment for the clinical co-PI from
restructured hospitals/disease centres commence in order that EOM
funding can be considered?
A:
Proof of joint appointment for the clinical co-PI should be submitted by the
project start date.
Q:
If the applying Co-PI has a joint appointment at a SERC RI instead,
would he/she be considered for EOM funding?
A:
No. The Co-PI must have a joint appointment at a BMRC RI to be eligible
for EOM funding.
Q:
If the joint appointment is obtained after the grant has started, would
the Co-PI still be able to be considered for EOM funding under the
grant?
A:
Yes. However this would depend on the amount of EOM funding available
under the grant and would be pro-rated accordingly.
Q:
If the Co-PI is being partially funded under the grant, would this affect
the chances of having other research personnel employed under the
grant?
A:
There is no cap to the number of research personnel fundable under the
grant. The EOM budget will be moderated based on justifiable needs.
Q:
Are industry research scientists eligible to apply as a Co-PI?
A:
No. Researchers from overseas institutions and private biotechnology
companies can participate as collaborators. Collaborators will not be
entitled to funds and the terms of collaboration would have to confirm with
the Council’s prevailing IP policies.
Q:
Do industry collaborators have to be Singapore-based?
A:
No. Overseas industry collaborators are eligible to act as collaborators on
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the project. Contributions by the industry collaborator must be elaborated in
the application.
Grant Assessment
Q:
What would the Review Panel be looking for in the applications?
A:
The Panel would be assessing applications based on the quality of the
science, novelty of project, and relevance to eye diseases.
A greater emphasis would be placed on applications with significant and
potential benefit to solving a healthcare need through development of a
clinically validated biomarker, diagnostic, medical device, or therapeutic
modality.
Q:
What is the review process?
A:
Proposals will be put through a rigorous 2-step review process. They will
first be evaluated individually by international reviewers, followed by a
collective review by a local review panel (LRP) appointed by BMRC.
Q:
Who will be on the Local Review Panel?
A:
The LRP will consist of a local panel of clinicians, basic scientists and
industry researchers appointed by BMRC.
Q:
What are some of the assessment criteria that the Panel will be using
to judge the applications?
A:
The quality of the science, novelty of the project, and relevance to a clinical
problem will be of paramount importance in evaluation of each proposal.
Some of the key criteria include:
 Significance and potential benefit to solving a healthcare need
through development of a clinically validated biomarker, diagnostic,
medical device, or therapeutic modality.
 Scientific merit
 Impact
 Value for money
 Soundness of design and methods
 Expertise and track record of the co-PIs
 Whether aims and objectives are achievable and achievable within
the 3 year timeframe
 Quality and complementarity of the partnership between the team of
co-PIs and industry collaborator
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 How convincing and coherent the proposal is with respect to project
management (e.g. whether there is provision for adequate sharing of
information, tissue samples, equipment between the co-PIs).
 Potential for commercialization and exploitation within 3 to 5 years
Q:
How would the progress of project be monitored?
A:
Each research team would be required to submit a yearly progress report
at the end of each funding year. A Scientific Review Panel will assess the
report and evaluate the project progress. The research teams may be
asked to present updates to a Scientific Review Panel at the end of each
funding year.
Continued funding will depend upon the research team’s success in
meeting the yearly milestones. Poor or no progress in achieving these
milestones may result in funding being terminated.
Grant Application
Q:
How do I apply for the grant ?
A:
Applicants are required to submit both a soft (Word format) and hard copy
of the grant proposal. An original application (hard copy) endorsed by the
Host Institution must be submitted to BMRC, A*STAR through the Host
Institution’s research office.
Q:
Can I submit the soft copy application via email?
A:
Soft copy applications can be submitted either in a CD format of via email.
For email submissions, please address them to : chua_yee_cheng@astar.edu.sg
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