FARA - Grant Apply

How to apply for a FARA Research Grant

FARA accepts LOIs from investigators from public and private nonprofit universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, government agencies, biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies, other for-profit entities; irrespective of the country of origin. FARA particularly encourages junior investigators to submit LOIs. Junior investigators and postdoctoral trainees who would like support through the application process or general advice on grant writing may contact FARA at grants@curefa.org.

FARA-funded research has accelerated the development of clinical and pre-clinical research resources such as animal models, cell models, antibodies, biorepositories, biomarkers and clinical endpoints. Our goal is to facilitate access to such resources and promote collaboration among FA investigators. Please see https://www.curefa.org/researchresources for more information on how to access available research resources in FA.

Overview of Grant Program Process

+	Letter Of Intent (LOI)	All LOIs must be submitted using FARA's grant submission portal. The LOI must explain how the proposed research addresses FARA’s grant program priorities (https://www.curefa.org/grant-priorities). This is a competitive, peer-review process, as such only a small number of applications are accepted past the LOI phase. The LOI should be sufficiently detailed to allow the reader to understand the validity and applicability of the project. This decision will usually be made within a month of receipt of the LOI. LOIs are accepted from forprofit organizations, non-profit organizations, public or private institutions, and foreign institutions.
	A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required for all grant applications and must include two PDF files: The first PDF should describe: 1) The rationale for the proposed project and how the research fits within FARA's grant program priorities (up to 1 page); 2) The hypothesis to be tested and the specific aims (up to 1 page); 3) Key preliminary data of direct relevance to FA (no more than 2 pages); 4) References; 5) Estimate of budget request with justification. The budget limit for each grant type must be met. However, for General Research Grant applications, budgets exceeding $125,000/year will be considered if adequately justified, for example in case of collaborations involving multiple PIs. The second PDF should provide the CV/biosketch for Principal Investigator (including contact information) and all other key personnel. For Postdoctoral Fellowships and Postdoctoral Research Awards, this PDF file must also include a 1-2 page personal statement of career goals and how the proposed research and research training environment will facilitate achieving these goals. In addition, a mentorship plan developed jointly by the postdoctoral scholar and mentor(s) must be included, as well as letters of support from mentor(s).

+	Application	All applications must be submitted using FARA's grant submission portal. This includes a lay summary of the project, budget and a timeline with detailed milestones. The project description, curriculum vitae/biosketch of each of the key investigators, letters of support, and other relevant documents must be submitted as PDF files.
	Project Description The description of the project (excluding references to literature) should not exceed 10 pages, which includes the specific aims, background, preliminary data, and research plan, plus a brief statement on the suitability of the scientific environment and the availability of the necessary resources/equipment for the proposed research. This page limit excludes references and applies to grants less than $150,000. Larger grants do not have page number restrictions. All grant proposals must provide adequate detail for reviewer evaluation. Budget A detailed budget must be submitted with all proposals, including a justification of all requested expenses. Allowable expenses are: personnel costs/salary with fringe benefits, laboratory reagents and supplies, equipment, animal expenses, publication costs, patient expenses directly related to study and not reimbursable by third party insurers, and patient travel. Expenses that will not be awarded include: indirect costs/overhead, tuition costs, investigator travel to meetings and conferences, memberships in scientific societies. Budget limits for each grant type must be met. However, for General Research Grant applications, budgets exceeding 125,000/year will be considered if adequately justified, for example in the case of collaborations involving multiple PIs. Milestones All projects must have objective milestones that are clearly communicated. We appreciate that some projects, especially those that are more basic-science oriented, might need to have milestone adjustments based on specific experimental outcomes. If the proposal is funded, FARA will utilize the proposed milestones for scheduling progress reports and monitoring the project. Human Subjects If human subjects are used in the proposed study, the study must be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent. Full funding will not be provided until proof of IRB approval is demonstrated to FARA. Human subjects studied during research conducted under a FARA grant are under no circumstances a responsibility of FARA. Animal Research If animals are used, the proposed study must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), or equivalent, indicating that appropriate precautions have been taken to assure that proper treatment, care and humane conditions are provided. Other documents This can include all supporting materials such as appendices, institutional transmittal forms, letters of support, etc.

+	Review and Decision Process	All grant applications submitted to FARA undergo a rigorous and confidential review procedure that is overseen by the FARA Scientific Review Committee (SRC).
	The SRC makes a preliminary review and if the application is considered acceptable, it undergoes external peer-review by established researchers with the appropriate expertise. The reviewers are assigned by the SRC, often based on suggestions provided by the applicant. All reviewers confirm that they do not have a conflict of interest before reviewing a grant application. Click here to read FARA's guidelines on assessing conflict of interest Each reviewer provides comments and scores based on significance of proposal, approach/methods of the research plan, innovation, investigator/experience, and environment/resources. If funding is recommended, comments are also provided on the appropriateness of the requested budget. Sometimes reviewers raise questions to the applicants, questions that are critical to determine whether a proposal should be recommended for funding. These applicants are invited to respond to reviewer comments to address these considerations. If the SRC finds the applicant response to reviewer comments satisfactory, they will move the application forward. The SRC may send the applicant's response to reviewer comments back to the original reviewers or to additional reviewers for recommendation for funding. Following this thorough discussion of the reviews, as well as the significance and relevance of the proposed research to FARA's mission and strategic research priorities, the SRC submits those applications for which funding is recommended to the FARA Board of Directors (Executive Committee). In making a final funding decision, the FARA Executive Committee considers the reviewer comments, the SRC comments and recommendation, the importance and priority level of the proposed research to FARA's goals, and the availability of funds in the FARA treasury (including an assessment of future commitments and requirements). Only applications that are recommended for funding by the SRC will be considered for funding by the FARA Executive Committee. The funding decision made by the FARA Executive Committee is final.

+	Reporting Requirements	All FARA grantees must submit semi-annual scientific reports and annual financial reports using FARA's grant submission portal. The required frequency of reports will be stated in the formal funding agreement with FARA. Each report must be submitted as a PDF file by using FARA's Grant program submission portal. Continuation funding will not be provided until all required progress reports are received and reviewed by the FARA SRC, and approved for funding by the FARA Executive Committee.
	Instructions and format for Progress and Final Project Reports are as follows: Progress Reports This PDF report is due two weeks before the end of the annual project period (unless more frequent reports are requested). It must include the following sections: Lay summary of progress towards achieving goals and research plans for the next year, including significance of work to the development of therapies for FA (maximum of 500 words). Executive summary that outlines in bulleted-format all proposed goals achieved and a results overview. Assessment of milestone achievement the year of work completed and — for grants awarded two years of funding — for the year of work to come. Scientific report of research results and progress against milestones and research objectives for upcoming term of grant (maximum of four pages) List of publications and presentations that have resulted from FARA funding for this project (Provide a PDF of each publication) Patents received/pending and products developed because of FARA funding for this project Other grants received by the FARA grantee for FA research projects over the past year (agency, title, funding period, overlap with this FARA project) Budget status: - Financial report documenting allocation/use of funds expended from grant during term of award - Amount and justification of request for the next project period Final Report This report is due no later than one month after the end of the grant. It must include: Lay summary - see progress report above. Executive summary that outlines in bulleted-format all proposed goals achieved and a results overview. Assessment of milestone achievement the year of work completed. Scientific report - see progress report above. List of publications and presentations - see progress report above. Patents received/pending and products - see progress report above. Other grants - see progress report above. Budget status: - Financial report documenting allocation/use of funds expended from grant (unused funds are to be returned to FARA) - As stipulated in the contractual agreement with FARA, an official financial statement from the recipient institution must be received no later than two months after the end of the grant Request for a No-cost Extension and/or Carryover of Funds A request for a no-cost extension of up to one year will be considered if it is made at least one month before the end of the grant and the reason for the request is compelling. The investigator must explain why the funds were not spent, why the extension is needed and how the carry-over funds will be used to advance the research project. For a 2-year grant, FARA will consider a request for carry-over of funds at the end of the first year. The request must be made at least 1 month before the end of the first year, and a detailed explanation must be provided. FARA can be flexible with the start date for a grant award and will work with the investigator to determine a suitable date, which may be up to 3 months after the award is approved. If circumstances arise during the funding period that interfere with the progress of the funded research and make it likely that a request will be made for a no-cost extension and/or carry-over of funds, the investigator is strongly advised to inform FARA immediately.

+	General Policies	Click here to learn more about FARA's general policies for research grants.
	LOIs and invited grant applications must meet the specified deadlines. Exceptions are made only for projects of high priority to FARA. With compelling justification for special consideration, investigators with high-priority projects may submit LOIs throughout the year and may also have a budget greater than $125,000 per year. Please submit all special consideration requests and LOIs via email, grants@curefa.org. Occasionally FARA may issue Requests For Proposals (RFPs) targeting a high priority research area. Each RFP will have its own specific deadline and budget limit. FARA funds only direct costs. Indirect costs will not be awarded. Grant awards are made in one-year allocations. As stipulated in the contractual agreement with FARA, satisfactory progress reports (following the instructions under Reporting Requirements) must be received before FARA will provide funds for the second year of a 2-year project. All unused funds at the end each year must be returned to FARA. In exceptional circumstances, FARA may approve a Request for a No-Cost Extension. FARA reserves the right to terminate any grant award for inadequate progress, failure to submit reports, deviation in scope of the original research, and/or changes in FARA funding priorities. If an award is terminated, all unused funds must be returned to FARA.

+	General Guidelines for Junior Investigators	Click here to learn more about FARA's general guidelines for junior investigators applying for FARA research grants.
	Growing and developing the FA research community is a priority for FARA. As such, FARA encourages applications from junior investigators and young clinicians. Reviewers consider the investigator's career stage and will review the grant application with this information in mind. For Postdoctoral Fellowships and Postdoctoral Research Awards FARA requires junior investigators to submit a personal statement describing their current position and plans for the future as it relates to FA research, with a description of career goals and how the proposed research and research environment will favor achieving those goals. A mentoring plan developed jointly by the junior investigator and mentor(s), as well as letters of support from all mentors are also required. If junior investigators would like support through the application process or general advice on grant writing, they may contact grants@curefa.org.

+	General Guidelines for Industry	Click here to learn more about FARA's general guidelines for Industry (Biopharmaceutical Companies) applying for FARA research grants.
	FARA will accept grant submissions from industry partners who have a demonstrated participation in the FA research community and are advancing therapeutic candidates for FA. FARA requires that a Letter of Intent (LOI) be submitted prior to the submission of a grant proposal. All projects/requests should be: Directly related to advancing a therapeutic candidate closer to clinic, and/or Addressing an FA-specific issue that could be of benefit to the entire field, such as biomarker validation or mechanism of action. FARA will also accept proposals for direct patient-related expenses for clinical studies.

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