Translational and Clinical Research (TCR) Flagship Programme Application--Requirements and Guidelines Applicants are required to submit: a. On-line through RITAS website (https://rita.nrf.gov.sg/BiomedicalScience/default.aspx) b. Completed NMRC Application Form as softcopy attachment through RITA website. The hardcopy package to be submitted to NMRC includes : a. RITA Online Application form (with original signatures) b. NMRC Application form (attachment) including the 2-page summary The 2-page summary of the TCR programme proposal should include details on how the entire TCR programme will be structured and how the host institution will partner with the recommended institutions to carry out the TCR programme. To summarise: Complete (i) on-line RITA application form for the flagship TCR programme and (ii) attach softcopy of NMRC application form through the RITAS website. Forward 1 X hardcopy of both (i) and (ii) to NMRC. Incomplete submissions will be rejected. RITA Online Application Form: Follow the instructions closely in every section. Please note that for RITA Application Form Section 4 “Proposed Budget”: o Justifications are needed for all budget cost o For Section 4A “Expenditure on Manpower”, please complete this section (4A) under “Add New EOM”, as the salary is not customized to institutions under section 4A (i.e. Lab Officer, Research Fellow, Visiting Professor, etc) o Note that Section 4C “Other Operating Expenditure” should include the cost for 3 separate categories: (i) Materials & Supplies, (ii) Miscellaneous and (iii) Indirect Research Costs The Lead PI & Institution Director (Institutional Support) original signatures are required. The Co-PIs/Collaborators’ signatures can be photostated/ faxed copies. NMRC Application Form: Complete all sections in the application. Indicate “NA” where a particular section is not applicable. Use Arial font size 10 for all text. Softcopy to be submitted as 1 file including all the pictures, tables, charts and various attachments either in Word DOC or PDF format. Where limited by file size, the pictures and charts may be attached as a separate Appendix. Adhere to the number of characters/space provided in each field and the number of pages where specified. Reformat softcopy such that all blank or irrelevant pages are removed. There should be one lead PI for the entire TCR flagship programme proposal who will be the responsible for overseeing and coordinating the implementation of the entire proposal. The lead PI shall be the contact person for NMRC, with the stated Department and Institution as the contact institution. Applicants with multiple appointments at different institutions are to select only one contact institution for the application. There is no limit to the number of CoPIs or collaborators. The period of support should not be more than 5 years. 1 Provide a breakdown for all categories with justifications. Tally and provide both a subtotal amount for each category and the total amount budgeted. Please refer to Annex 2 for the budgeting requirements and expenditures supported by the TCR grant. The information can also be found in the NMRC Admin Guidelines (available on the NMRC website). Include a 2-page CV for each of the PI, Co-PI(s) and all collaborator(s) with the email addresses and contact information clearly stated. The Lead PI & Institution Director (Institutional Support) original signatures are required. The Co-PIs/Collaborators’ signatures can be photostated/ faxed copies NO late submission or revision to the submitted application will be entertained after the closing date. 2 NMRC APPLICATION FORM - TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH (TCR) FLAGSHIP PROGRAMME STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL All information is treated with confidence. The information is furnished to National Medical Research Council with the understanding that it shall be used or disclosed for evaluation, reference and reporting purposes . Please complete the form using Arial, Font 10 and submit 1 original hardcopy duly signed to: National Medical Research Council 11 Biopolis Way #09-10/11 Helios Singapore 138667 Closing Date: 30 November 2007 1 Title of research (a) Host Institution: ________________ Applicant Role Position Department Institution Lead PI Collab Collab Collab Collab Collab Collab Collab Collab Collab Collab (Attach additional sheet if required) 3 (b) Total amount of funds applied for SGD (c) Proposed start and end dates Start date End date (mm/yy) (mm/yy) 2 Area of Research (Please tick): a) Cardiovascular/ Metabolic Diseases b) Infectious Diseases 3 Key words (Please provide maximum 6 key words) 4 Ethical considerations and containment Fund disbursement is subjected to ethics approval if the project involves any of the below. Please declare the participating institutions where study requiring ethics approval is conducted: Please tick accordingly if project involves any of the following: a) Human Subject Yes No b) Use of Human Tissues or Cells Yes No c) Animal Experimentation Yes No d) Requirement for Containment Yes No e) Multi-centre project(s) or trial(s) Yes No (If yes, please state all participating institutions/centres : ) 4 5 Two Page Summary The 2-page summary of the TCR programme proposal should include details on how the entire TCR programme will be structured and how the host institution will partner with the recommended institutions to carry out the TCR programme 5 6 Abstract Scientific abstract In no more than 300 words, concisely describe the specific aims, hypotheses, methodology and approach of the research module including its importance and significance to the whole TCR programme. The abstract must be self-contained so that it can serve as a succinct and accurate description of the research module. 6 7 Research proposal In no more than 20 pages (Sections 7.1 to 7.5), organize the details of the research module under the following headings: 7.1 Specific aims, 7.2 Clinical significance and contribution to the TCR programme, 7.3 Potential Application/ Exploitation, 7.4Preliminary studies/Findings, 7.5 Methods. 7.6 References may be attached as a separate Annex. 7.1 Specific Aims State concisely and realistically what the module intends to accomplish and/or what hypotheses are to be tested. 7.2 Clinical Significance, especially with respect to the ways the module can contribute to the selected TCR programme Briefly sketch the background of the research proposed, critically evaluate existing knowledge and specifically identify the gaps which the project is intended to fill. State concisely the importance of the research described by relating the specific aims to possible longer term objectives. State the significance of the research to clinical application and tangible improvements in healthcare that may result from the study. Relevant references should be appended. 7.3 Potential Application/Exploitation of the project In no more than 100 words, please state the potential application and/or exploitation of the project. 7.4 Preliminary Studies/Findings (if any) State the preliminary studies and/or findings that have been made by the applicants and how the proposed module can add on to the existing knowledge. 7.5 Methods Discuss in detail the experimental design and the procedure to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the module. Describe the protocols to be used and the tentative sequence of the investigation. Include statistical justification and the means by which data will be analysed and interpreted. Describe any new methodology and its advantage over existing methodologies. Discuss the potential difficulties and limitations of the proposed procedures and alternative approaches to achieve the aims. Point out any procedures, situations or materials that may be hazardous to personnel and the precautions to be exercised. Make every attempt to be succinct. 7.6 References Please list in chronological order the titles and complete references to recent representative publications pertinent to this research proposal (especially TCR-related publications) and the applicants’ publications and patents held related to this research proposal. Highlight Scientific Award(s), if any, of the applicant(s). 7 8 Biographical Sketch In not more than 2 pages per applicant, please use the format below to provide the required information on the Principal Investigator (PI), co-PI(s) and all Collaborator(s) involved in the proposed research module. Name NRIC/Passport No. Office Mailing Address Email Contact No Fax No Current Position (Please provide full details, e.g. joint appointments) Academic qualifications (Indicate institution’s name and year degree awarded) Selected publications (not more than 2 pages of relevant publications) Research interests Recent awards 8 9 Budget You are advised to prepare the budget carefully under each category and provide the justifications for all categories in Item 9.6. Refer to Annex 2 (Budgeting Requirements) to complete this section. 9.1 Manpower Please budget for all the manpower required for the project including part-time personnel and those to be shared with other projects. State whether they are existing personnel in your institution or new staff to be recruited. Please use salary scales provided by the Bursar’s Office, Hospital Administration or the Ministry of Health as a reference. The cost should include annual increments, National Service increment, staff welfare, medical and other related benefits as per the Human Resource policies of your institution. Staff Category Existing/New Visiting professor New Postdoctoral Fellow New Research fellow New Research Associate New Research Officer New Research Assistant New Technologist New Others: (please specify) New No Remarks Sub-Total $0.00 Total 9.2 Equipment Please budget for all scientific equipment you need to purchase to carry out the project. Indicate sharing of equipment with other projects, if any. Qty Equipment Unit Cost Sub-Total Total $0.00 9 9.3 Materials & Supplies Please budget for all materials and supplies required specifically for the project such as experimental animals, consumables, drug costs and medical procedures. Item Description Sub-Total Animals Consumables Others: (please specify) Total 9.4 $0.00 Miscellaneous This category covers other expenses directly related to the project such as the purchase of laboratory manuals, literature search, and maintenance of equipment. Conference travel will be funded only if a presentation or if an article is presented. The presentation or article must be directly related to the project. Item Description Total Sub-Total $0.00 10 9.5 Indirect (IRC) Indirect research costs are capped at 20% (less exceptional items). Please refer to Annex 2 for details. Item Description Total Sub-Total $0.00 Grand Total: SGD$0.00 11 9.6 Details and Justifications of Financial Assistance Requested Please provide breakdown for all categories if this is not indicated in the tables. 9.6.1 Manpower Justifications 9.6.2 Equipment Justifications 9.6.3 Materials & Supplies Justifications 9.6.4 Miscellaneous Justifications 12 9.6.5 Indirect Costs Justifications 10 Cash flow Projection Please project the cash flow in accordance with your proposed start and end dates Category FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 (1 Apr 200831 Mar 2009) (1 Apr 200931 Mar 2010) (1 Apr 201031 Mar 2011) (1 Apr 2011- (1 Apr 201231 Mar 2012) 31 Mar 2013) FY2012 Total Manpower 0 Equipment 0 Materials & Supplies 0 Miscellaneous 0 Total costs by year 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 Milestones Please propose Milestones for assessment of the progress of the study. The progress of the project will be taken into consideration for continued disbursements of funds. Milestones Targeted Duration/Date of Fulfillment 13 12 Performance Indicators Please indicate the key outputs and parameters that can be used to assess the success of the proposed programme. 13 Suggested names of Reviewers (optional) S/N Title Names of Reviewers Details (tel, fax number and e-mail add) Relationship to Principal Investigator 1 2 3 Proposals should not be sent to (optional) (a) (b) (c) 14 14 Institutional Support (if any) Provide details on how the host institution will support the proposed project, ie. through co-funding 15 Institutional support In signing the Grant Application, the Institution UNDERTAKES, on any Grant Award, to: Ensure that the proposed research could be conducted in the host institution Provide appropriate support during the grant period Ensure that the funds provided are used for the stated purposes in the proposal Ensure that the research complies with all laws, rules and regulations pertaining to national and the institution's research operating procedures and guidelines Adhere to NMRC’s & National Research Foundation’s (NRF's) general guidelines on competitive funding *Institution Director: _____________________ ___ Date: __________________ Name, Designation & Signature *If the Institution Director is involved in this proposal, please seek support from immediate supervisor: Comments: 15 16 Signatories In signing the Grant Application, the Principal Investigator and all Co-Investigator(s) UNDERTAKE, on any Grant Award, to: Declare that all information is accurate and true. Not send similar versions or part(s) of this proposal to other agencies for funding. For Biomedical Science proposal, submit supporting documents of ethics approval obtained from the relevant Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Animal Ethics Committee for studies involving human subjects/human tissues or cells, and animal/animal tissues or cells respectively. For Biomedical Science proposal, be actively engaged in the execution of the research and comply with all laws, rules and regulations pertaining to animal and human ethics, including the Singapore Good Clinical Practice guidelines. Ensure that National Research Foundation’s (NRF) funding is acknowledged in all publications. Ensure that all publications arising from research wholly or partly funded by NRF will be forwarded to NRF through NMRC. Ensure that the requested equipment/resources are not funded by another agency or research proposal. Ensure that there was a reasonable effort in accessing available equipment/resources within the host institution or elsewhere within Singapore. Adhere to NMRC’s and NRF's general guidelines on competitive funding _______________ Principal Investigator Name: Date: _______________ Collaborator Name: Date: _______________ Collaborator Name: Date: ______________ Collaborator Name: Date: _______________ Collaborator Name: Date: _______________ Collaborator Name: Date: _______________ Collaborator Name: Date: ______________ Collaborator Name: Date: _______________ Collaborator Name: Date: _______________ Collaborator Name: Date: _______________ Collaborator Name: Date: ______________ Collaborator Name: Date: 16 Annex 1 ---Funding source Please provide the following details for the grants currently held or being applied for by the Principal Investigator, and Co-PIs. Please attach the scientific abstract of each grant listed below (a) – (c) for our reference. (a) Grants currently held Please indicate the NMRC grant number for all NMRC-funded research projects. Title of Research Funding Agency Amount of Fund Approved/ Received ($) Balance Available ($) Support Period (Year) Expiry Date of the grant (b) List all applied grants (e.g. NRF, A*STAR, MOE, MOH Clusters, etc) where outcome is pending For all NMRC grant applications, please indicate application ID. Title of Research Application ID Funding Agency Amount of fund applied for ($) Support Period (Year) (c) Support not related to specific research projects Provide below details of ALL other support which are not derived from funds provided for specific research projects, such as departmental technicians, grants from private foundations, start-up funds, donations from charitable organizations and collaborations with industry. You may also attach correspondences showing commitments by other parties in support of your work. Types of resources Funding Organisations Duration of support Expiry date, if any 17 (d) Potential overlap of support/ funding Please explain how any potential overlap of funding will be dealt with. 18 Annex 2 ---Budgeting Requirements The budget for the TCR programme is capped at $25 million, inclusive of Indirect Research Cost (IRC). Indirect Research Cost (IRC) is provided to PIs and Host Institutions, up to a maximum of 20% of the direct cost (less exceptional items). Type of Expenses Description EOM Related Expenses Salaries, CPF and fringe benefits including medical, dental, contribution to welfare fund, etc. Allowable as part of overall compensation to employees provided such costs are incurred under formal established and consistently applied policies of the host Institution. The manpower funded as part of the direct cost should be directly involved in the research work of the project. The salaries offered to staffs should be reasonable, in line with local market benchmarks and comply with formal established pay scale of the host Institution that is consistently applied regardless of the source of funds. Core manpower fundable under the direct cost only: - Research fellow, - Research engineer/scientist, - Research assistant/associate, - Specialist laboratory technician, - Biostatisticians, - Nurses, and - Technical officer. All other manpower will fall under IRC. Case by case consideration will be given if the PI can justify that the required manpower should be funded under the direct manpower cost. Annual leave Allowable for employees. The number of days of leave accorded to staff must be in accordance with formal policies of the host Institution that is consistently applied regardless of the source of funds. Bonus / Incentive payments, Allowable as part of a total compensation package, provided such payments are reasonable and are made according to a formal policy of the host Institution that is consistently applied regardless of the source of funds. Staff insurance Allowable as part of overall compensation to employees provided such costs are incurred under formal established and consistently applied policies of the host Institution. 19 Type of Expenses Description Participation of overseas experts Allowable. Expenses incurred for overseas experts invited to participate in the project and staying in Singapore for at least 6 months per year must be budgeted separately in the project budget under the category for Visiting Professor/Expert. For other overseas experts staying for less than 6 months per year, the cost of his/her stay is allowable if the costs are specifically provided for and approved in the project grant. Examples of such costs are honoraria, salaries, staff relocation, settling-in allowances and other related cost For staff relocation, settling-in allowances, etc, it will be allowable for senior expatriate R&D staff if the costs are specifically provided for and approved in the project grant. However, superannuation contributions for such staff are not allowed under both direct cost and IRC. Staff recruitment and related cost Not allowable under direct cost. Examples of such costs are advertisement and recruitment agency cost. These expenses can be claimed under IRC. Stipends and course fees of full-time and/or parttime graduate research students Not allowable under both direct cost and IRC. PI’s & co-investigators’ EOM Not allowable under both direct cost and IRC. Only student attachment and top-up for research students are fundable under IRC. Equipment Related Expenses New equipment Allowable if needed specifically for the project. Each equipment must be individually identified and its total cost inclusive of bank charges, delivery and installation, etc estimated. For equipment costing more than S$100,000, they will be classified under “Exceptional Items” (see para 2.4 to 2.6 in the Administrative Guidelines). For purchase of such equipment, 3 quotations must be provided in the budget along with full justifications for the need to purchase the equipment. General purpose IT and communication equipment Not allowable under direct cost. Examples of such costs are computers, office productivity software, PDAs, mobile phones, etc. The cost of such equipment can be claimed under IRC. The procurement of such equipment must be reasonable and make according to the formal established and consistently applied policies of the host Institution. General furniture and office equipment Not allowable under direct cost. Examples of such costs are fax machines, photocopier machines, workstations and printers, etc. The cost of such items can be claimed under IRC. All procurement of such items must be reasonable and make according to the formal established and consistently applied policies of the host Institution. 20 Type of Expenses Description Consumables Related Expenses Consumables Allowable. Examples of such costs are supplies and materials, laboratory consumables, animals and drugs which are necessary for the successful execution of the funded project. All procurement of such items must be reasonable and are made according to the formal established and consistently applied policies of the host Institution. Drug costs and medical procedures for patients and volunteers Allowable. OOE Related Expenses Bank charges Allowable as long as it is specifically related to the payments for consumables and equipment used in the project. Customs and import duties Allowable as long as it is specifically related to importation of consumables and equipment used in the project. Books and specialised journals relevant to the research Allowable. GST Allowable for expenses incurred for the project. Local & Overseas conferences Allowable, if conference is directly relevant to the research area or necessary to accomplish the project objectives for PI, co-investigators, collaborators, researchers and research students funded under the project grant. If the host Institution has a library, books and journals should be obtained from the library and PI should refrain from purchasing the same books or subscribing to such journals. The expenses for such conferences may include registration fee for the conference, air tickets, per diem and other allowances. Such payments should be in accordance with the formal policies of the host Institution. If the conferences are conducted overseas, the travel policy of the host Institution must be consistently adhered to. However, total expenses for travel per trip per person must not exceed $6,000. The PI must submit a copy of the abstract when claiming reimbursement for such expenses and append to their annual/ final report. Photocopying and printing charges Allowable. Publications Allowable. Page charges for publication of manuscript in professional journals are allowable if they adhere to the formal established policy of the host Institution, where applicable. The costs of reprints and publishing in other media, such as books, monographs and pamphlets are not allowable unless specific approval has been obtained from the NMRC. 21 Type of Expenses Description Repairs and maintenance of research equipment Allowable if specifically budgeted for in the project and the equipment is used extensively for the benefit of the research project. Stationery & printer consumables Allowable. Examples of such costs are printer cartridges, etc. Training Allowable. Funding for training is allowable for the PI, co-PIs and the collaborators. For funding of the research personnel, it should be restricted to the personnel employed under the project grant and for training that is of direct benefit and specific to the research project. Transportation, postage & courier services Allowable. This includes postage, courier and freight charges for bringing in equipment and specialised research consumables and reimbursement for staff transportation. Use of services, equipment rental or lab spaces within the host Institution’s central facilities Allowable. The cost for the use of the services and central facilities owned by the host Institution such as animal holding units, central laboratory services are allowable and must be based on host Institution’s fee schedules which are consistently applied regardless of source of funds. Host Institution may be requested to certify that the fee structure is applied consistently. Payment to volunteers and research patients and other related cost Allowable for payment to volunteers and research subjects provided this is the scope of the research and has been provided for and approved in the grant. Examples of such payments may include inconvenience fees, transport and meal reimbursement, etc. Press advertisements for patients are allowable under IRC only. Audit fees Not allowable under direct cost. This includes both internal and external audit fees. These expenses can be claimed under IRC. Entertainment & Refreshment Not allowable under direct cost. These expenses can be claimed under IRC. Fines and penalties Not allowable under both direct cost and IRC. Insurance premiums Not allowable under direct cost. Examples of such costs are for equipment, workmen compensation, professional indemnity of researchers funded under NMRC/NRF grants. These expenses can be claimed under IRC. The host Institution is responsible for the insurance of the equipment, relevant workmen compensation and professional indemnity insurance which are in line with the host Institution’s risk policies. Legal fees Not allowable under direct cost and IRC. Outsourcing Not allowable under direct cost unless specifically provided for and approved in the grant. 22 Type of Expenses Description Overhead expenses rental, utilities, telephone charges, facilities management, repairs and maintenance, etc Not allowable under direct cost. Patent-related expenses Not allowable under direct cost and IRC. These expenses can be claimed under IRC. Such cost should be borne by the host Institution. Professional fees (including fees to consultants) Not allowable under direct cost. Professional membership fees of PIs /RFs /RAs funded from the grant Not allowable under direct cost. Staff retreat Not allowable under direct cost. These expenses can be claimed under IRC. These expenses can be claimed under IRC. These expenses can be claimed under IRC. Cost of capital works and general infrastructure Not allowable under direct cost unless specifically provided for and approved in the grant. 23 Non-Fundable Items EOM Related Expenses 1 2 3 PI’s & co-investigators’ EOM Stipends and course fees of full-time and/or part-time graduate research students Superannuation contributions for senior expatriate R&D staff OOE Related Expenses 4 5 6 Fines and penalties Legal fees Patent-related expenses Others 7 Non cash items such as depreciation cost, amortization cost, loss on revaluation, etc. Exceptional Items (not taken into account for IRC computation): i ii iii iv v Major equipment costing more than S$100,000; Intellectual property that is needed to carry out the proposed R&D work; Subcontracting of non-research work (e.g., the development of tools for the research); Payment to volunteers and research patients; and Infrastructural work that is approved (following strong justifications) as a direct cost of the research grant. 24 Summary Item Direct Cost Indirect Research Cost Non Fundable Specifically provided for and approved in grant EOM Related Expenses Salaries, CPF and fringe benefits including medical, dental, contribution to welfare fund, etc. √ Annual leave / Bonus / Incentive payments √ Staff insurance √ Participation of overseas experts √ Student attachment and top-up for research students √ Staff recruitment and related cost √ PI’s & co-investigators’ EOM √ Stipends and course fees of full-time and/or part-time graduate research students √ Superannuation contributions for senior expatriate R&D staff √ Equipment Related Expenses New equipment √ General purpose IT and communication equipment √ General furniture and office equipment √ Consumables Related Expenses Consumables (e.g. supplies and materials, laboratory consumables, animals and drugs) √ OOE Related Expenses Bank charges √ Customs and import duties √ 25 Item Direct Cost Books and specialised journals relevant to the research √ GST √ Local & overseas conferences √ Indirect Research Cost Non Fundable Outsourcing √ Photocopying and printing charges √ Publications √ Repairs and maintenance of research equipment √ Stationery & printer consumables √ Training √ Transportation, postage & courier services √ Use of services, equipment rental or lab spaces within the host Institution’s central facilities √ Volunteers and research patients and other related cost √ Press advertisements for patients √ Audit fees √ Entertainment & refreshment √ Insurance premiums √ Overhead expenses (eg. rental, utilities, telephone charges, facilities management, repairs and maintenance, etc) √ Professional fees (including fees to consultants) Professional membership fees of PIs /RFs /RAs funded from the grant Staff retreat Fines and penalties Specifically provided for and approved in grant √ √ √ √ 26 Item Direct Cost Indirect Research Cost Non Fundable Legal fees √ Patent-related expenses √ Cost of capital works and general infrastructure Specifically provided for and approved in grant √ Others Non cash items such as depreciation cost, amortization cost, loss on revaluation, etc √ 27