GEAR 2.0 Pilot Project Grant

Research Goals

The goals of the Geriatric Emergency Care Applied Research (2.0) Network – Advancing Dementia Care (GEAR 2.0 – ADC) / Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF) / West Health Institute (WHI) Pilot Project Grant are to:

• Promote transdisciplinary research in geriatric emergency medicine focused on persons living with dementia (PLWD) by providing funding for a “pilot” that will produce findings ultimately leading to a larger project (e.g., K- or R-level grant).
• Advance emergency medical care for PLWD and their care partners. The research must be emergency care-related and have the potential to have a meaningful impact on PLWD and their care partners (CP), as well as leading to future research.

Priorities

The following are priorities of the Pilot Project Grants:

• GEAR 2.0 – ADC has identified four domains of specific interest focused on PLWD:
  • emergency department care transitions, emergency department practices, dementia detection, and communication and decision making.
  • Studies focused on other topics are unlikely to be funded.
  • Within each of these areas, stakeholder groups have identified five research priority questions that can be found here: Research Priorities GEAR 2.0 – GEAR.
  • Studies addressing any of these areas of interest will be prioritized.
• All must consider and address issues of diversity, inclusion, and health equity among PLWD and their care partners.
• Early-stage investigators (as defined by NIH) focused on the care of PLWD and their care partners are encouraged to apply and will receive preferential consideration.
• Collaboration across institutions (e.g., Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative) is encouraged.
• Proposals that engage and incorporate participation by PLWD and CP are strongly preferred.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• The principal investigator (PI) or co-PI must have a primary faculty appointment in Emergency Medicine.
  • The PI assumes responsibility for all grant activities.
  • The proposal must include a transdisciplinary collaboration, with at least two specialties, disciplines, or stakeholder groups
• The principal investigator's institution must be organized for humanitarian purposes and not a profit-making organization.
• While EMF does support International emergency medicine research, we can only provide funds to U.S.-based institutions.
  • Potential grantees are encouraged to connect with a U.S. university/mentor to see if applications can be submitted through their organizations.
• Institutional Support
  • The applicant is required to demonstrate that the project will be successfully completed at their institution.
  • The applicant must demonstrate institutional accessibility to resources (e.g., patient population, or database) that will be available for study during the funding period to successfully complete the proposed study.
  • Research must be approved by a single institutional review board (sIRB), or its equivalent, before funds will be available.
  • The applicant must also submit a letter from each Chair of the Department(s) represented by the PI(s) of the application.
  • The letter must demonstrate the equivalent of at least $30,000 in support by the institution or department of adequate funds, including support required by the grant mechanism or time allocated to the applicant to complete the proposed study.
  • The applicant must submit letters of support if the proposed project uses facilities not routinely available to or directly under the supervision of the sponsoring program.
  • This support can come from institutional funds (e.g., startup packages, chair funding) or other career development awards (e.g., K08, K23, KL2, VA, GEMSSTAR, Beeson awards).
• Use of Funds
  • Funds may be used for materials and supplies and to provide salary support.
  • Capital equipment expenditures (costing more than $5,000 and a life of over one year) must be justified in the budget.
  • Payments will be made to the principal investigator's institution that will be responsible for administering the funds.

Ineligibility

• Please note that the award includes funds from three different sources (NIH, WHI, EMF) with two different indirect rates.
  • NIH and West Health Institute funds can include up to 10% institutional overhead costs for facility and administrative support (indirect costs) but must be part of total costs for proposed budget.
  • EMF does not allow indirects for institutional overhead (0%).
• GEAR 2.0-ADC, WHI, and EMF will not be responsible for cost for publications, travel, renovations, or secretarial support.
• These are non-renewable pilot studies. No-cost extensions are generally not allowed but will be considered in exceptional circumstances and are not guaranteed.