Information and FAQ Webinar January 30 th 2012 5:00 P.M

1. 2012 Child Health Innovation Research GrantsRequest for Applications Jointly funded by Children’s Fund of ConnecticutandYale Center for Clinical Investigation Information and FAQ Webinar January 30th 2012 5:00 P.M

2. Sponsors of RFA • The Children’s Fund is dedicated to the vision that all children in Connecticut, particularly those who are disadvantaged, will have access to and benefit from a comprehensive, effective, community-based health and mental health care system. • YCCI is an NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Research Center dedicated to moving research findings from the bench to the bedside and out into the community to improve the health of the community in New Haven and beyond

3. Priority Research Areas • Promote and enhance comprehensive, quality health care services for all children • Promote and enhance comprehensive, community-based, quality mental health care services for all children and families • Advance the integration of health and mental health at the policy, systems, and practice levels • Strengthen the link between child health/child mental health systems and other child-serving systems (e.g. early care and education, schools, family support programs).

4. What is meant by “comparative effectiveness research”? • Comparative effectiveness research is defined as follows: “comparing the benefits and harms of different interventions and strategies to prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor health conditions in “real world” settings. • The purpose of this research is to improve health outcomes by developing and disseminating evidence-based information to patients, clinicians, and other decision-makers, responding to their expressed needs, about which interventions are most effective for which patients under specific circumstances.”

5. Criteria for Selection • The primary goal of this award program is to support pilot research projects that are highly responsive to this RFA and which have a high likelihood of leading to larger research grants. Priority will be given to applications that encompass some or all of the following: • Enhance the quality of primary, preventive health or mental health care; • Advance comparative effectiveness research in child health and mental health; • Have the potential to inform system and/or policy change; • Address cultural competency and are family-centered; • Engage practitioners and health care consumers directly or indirectly through a practice-based research network (PBRN) or a provider network for the purposes of supporting one or more of the aims outlined in the research proposal*. • A focus on disadvantaged or underserved populations.

6. Awards and Timeline • Two Innovation Grant awards, each up to $75,000, will be awarded for an 18- to 24-month period. • Proposals are due March 28th, 2012. • Awards will be made by May 1, 2012 for a start date of July 1, 2012.

7. Who is eligible for an Innovation Fund Grant? • The RFA is applicable to a wide variety of investigators from affiliated with an organizations (those that are Connecticut-based and are tax-exempt organizations under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue code).

8. How can an individual researcher identify a Provider-based network with which to partner? • Finding an network partner is the responsibility of the applicant. • We suggest that the provider-based network be selected according to the proposed project objectives and consider organizations that can best help the researcher address the project aims.

9. Can an organization that is registered in a state other than Connecticut apply for funding? • Grants will only be awarded to Connecticut based organizations. • Connecticut organizations can partner with out of state entities, but the application needs to come from an organization that is based in Connecticut.

10. What type of proposal will be considered?

11. Can grants be awarded for studies that address specific medical conditions/specialties, such as asthma, cardiology, oral health, diabetes, genetics, HIV, dyslexia? • In general, Child Health Innovation Fund Grants will support work in pediatric health and mental health with an emphasis on primary and preventive care. • Projects that address the interface between pediatric primary care services and subspecialty services, including mental health, are appropriate.

12. What is considered as a mental health issue? Is a DSM diagnosis necessary? • The Child Health and Development Institute is interested in the full range of mental health issues in children. This includes socio-emotional development, prevention efforts, early identification of children at risk for mental health concerns, all the way up to children with serious and complex mental health conditions. • Associated DSM diagnostic codes are not of primary concern, as CHDI’s work is committed to early identification of children at risk as well as prevention, so that children without DSM diagnoses can be linked to and benefit from interventions before their situations are exacerbated.

13. Are projects that focus on educational interventions appropriate for this grant program? • As with pediatric specialty areas, projects that address educational interventions to improve health and/or mental health are appropriate. • Projects that focus only on education without a focus on health and mental health are not within the scope of this RFA

14. Are projects that address maternal health issues that eventually will have an impact on children’s health be appropriate for this RFA? • Proposals that address maternal health will need to make a strong case for the extension of the project findings to children’s health. • Any such project must focus on child health outcomes.

15. Is there a preference for stand-alone projects as opposed to project expansions? • Stand-alone projects and project expansions are both eligible. • For projects that propose expansion of existing work, the proposals must describe a unique piece of work to be completed and evaluated with Child Health Innovation Funds.

16. Can funds be used to analyze data to define a need, develop an intervention and evaluate the intervention? • Yes, but keep in mind that awards are limited to $75,000 inclusive of 15% indirect costs and 24 months duration.

17. Can we compare our innovation to existing programs/services in other cities/towns or in other states? • Comparison of interventions across programs and sites (both within and outside of Connecticut) would be very appropriate.

18. Examples of past projects jointly funded CFC/CHDI/YCCI

19. You can register your intent to submit a proposal at http://ycci.yale.edu or http://www.childrensfundofct.org/grants.php

20. Who will evaluate projects or provide technical assistance? • The Children’s Fund and the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI) are collaborating on all aspects of the Child Health Innovation Fund program. • A team of reviewers with individuals from both the Children’s Fund and YCCI will review and evaluate all proposals. • The selection of final awardees will be made jointly. • After projects are selected, the YCCI will administer all award funding and reporting. If grantees believe that YCCI’s resources would be helpful for project execution, technical assistance can be made available on a project by project basis. • All grantees are expected to prepare and submit progress reports that YCCI will include as part of its federal reporting requirements.

21. Are there any standardized outcomes and measures that CFC/CHDI/YCCI would like applicants to include in an evaluation process? • There are no standardized outcome measures. • Outcome measures should reflect the project’s objectives and be related to health and/or mental health issues.

22. Requirements for Submission • There is a six page limit for the full proposal • 6 page limit does not include budget, bio-sketches and letters of support. These items may be submitted as attachments to the full proposal. • Letters of agreement with organizations participating in the research activities must accompany proposal.

23. IRB Approval of Proposal • IRB Approval – IRB approval is not required prior to submission. • You must receive approval from your local Institutional Review Board prior to funding.

24. Review Criteria • Applications submitted will be scored according to NIH criteria and include: • Significance of Project • Investigator(s) • Innovation • Approach • Environment • Potential of the project to lead to future R-series NIH funding is important

25. Questions Prior to Submission • Written questions can be submitted up to February 8th, 2012. • Please submit your questions to Brittany Harris at brittany.harris@yale.edu • Answers to submitted questions along with this presentation will be posted on http://ycci.yale.edu and http://www.childrensfundofct.org/grants.php by February 15th 2012.