AVAHO Catalyst Grants

Geographic Scope: Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers

Purpose

AVAHO provides grants to members in good standing who wish to further care for Veterans with cancer. The program supports investigators who conduct studies that aim to:

• Improve the care of Veterans with cancer, and/or
• Expand Veteran access to cancer clinical trials

Eligibility Requirements

• Membership: AVAHO member in good standing
• VA Appointment: Minimum 4/8ths appointment at a VA medical center
• Education: Masters or doctorate degree in a healthcare related area of study
• Training: Completed terminal degree or fellowship training within past 10 years

Award Information

• Amount: $25,000
• Duration: 12 months
• Recurrence: Annual

Fundable Activities

Budgets may support, but are not limited to:

• Employing research assistants
• Providing patient incentives
• Purchasing equipment and/or supplies
• Up to $2,000 per year for travel to present data at a national meeting from the research proposal

Review Criteria

Applications will be prioritized for proposals that are:

• Innovative
• Relevant to Veterans and the VHA
• Conducted by investigators who have experience with the proposed methodology (mentored support is optional; if included requires a 1 page letter of support)
• Collaborative with other investigators in the VA (AVAHO research committee is available to identify collaborators such as biostatisticians or clinical trialists)
• Designed to support the pursuit of future funding

IRB Requirements

Projects for consideration do not need to be IRB approved except in situations where the investigation meets the VHA Handbook definition of "research".

Expectations for Award Recipients

• All presentations (whether at meetings or in publications) must disclose funding support from the "Association of Veterans Affairs Hematology/Oncology Cancer Research Catalyst Grant"
• An oral presentation must be made the following year at the AVAHO annual meeting
• A summary report is due at 12 months (recognizing the project may still be ongoing)
• Progress reports should be no more than one page and should include:
  • Summary of project milestones and findings
  • Key challenges
  • Next steps or plans for future funding

Contact Information

• Submission Email: execdirector@avaho.org
• Contact: Julie Lawson, AVAHO Executive Director
• Organization Address: 6817 208th St SW #90, Lynnwood, WA 98046
• Phone: (206) 708-3033
• General Email: info@avaho.org

Background

AVAHO is the Association of VA Hematology/Oncology, a professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer care for Veterans within the VA health system.

Application Process

1. Submission Method: Submit via online submission form OR submit a letter of intent
2. Letter of Intent Requirements (if not using online form):
   • Maximum length: 5 pages
   • Must address each of the following sections:
3. Required Proposal Components:
   • Title and Abstract including:
   • Background
   • Objective(s)
   • Study Design
   • Discussion of relevance to VA cancer care
   • Feasibility assessment for completion in 12 months
   • Summary of any preliminary findings supporting the research
   • State VA employment status in n/8ths
   • State academic employment status and rank
   • Description of resources available for data collection and analysis
   • Justification for each budget request
4. Optional Supporting Materials:
   • Letter of support from mentor (maximum 1 page) - only if mentored support is included
5. Budget Guidance:
   • May support research assistants, patient incentives, equipment, supplies
   • Travel allowance up to $2,000 per year for presenting data at national meetings
   • Must justify each budget request
6. Submission:
   • Send completed proposals to: execdirector@avaho.org
   • Contact: Julie Lawson, AVAHO Executive Director