South African Medical Research Council: Call for Self-initiated Research Grants. Monday, 9 June 2014

Transcription

1 South African Medical Research Council: Call for Self-initiated Research Grants Closing date for applications: Monday, 9 June 2014 This document contains information on General information on the call Institutional guidelines for this online call process Submission process for applications The application should be submitted via the SIR Grants online system. Kindly take note of the institutional guidelines for this online Call process Late applications will NOT be accepted. Page 1

2 Table of Contents 1. General Information Eligibility of Applicants Nature of Supported Research Overall Timeline for Processing Proposals for Funding Important notes Online registration and application process Here is what applicants need to do: To Register and apply: How to submit the application: General Information This category of research support by the MRC caters for health research applications that propose novel studies initiated by a researcher at a recognized research institution. Due to high levels of competition and limited funds available, the quality of the research proposal submitted in this category subsequently determines success in funding application. Therefore, established researchers with high quality proposals are most likely to be successful in this category. 1.1 Eligibility of Applicants Applicants for research support in this category should be: Either permanently employed at a recognized research institution or be in a long term contract (at least for the duration of the project. Applying individuals should be South African citizens or permanent residents. Postgraduate students, full or part-time, are not eligible to apply. Applicants should have completed a research degree (PhD or equivalent) which demonstrates their research capability. Only one research proposal will be considered for funding per individual applicant and once granted, only one such grant may be held by an individual until the project has been completed. Research grants applications that are proposing work on behalf of commercial entities will not be considered. 1.2 Nature of Supported Research Fields of research: All research in the natural or social sciences conducted for the ultimate benefit of human health is eligible for support. The research should ideally be geared towards generating high quality new knowledge, new medical products, improved or enhanced medical/health practice, Page 2

3 effective health promotion strategies or improved health policy and/or functioning of the national health systems. 1.3 Overall Timeline for Processing Proposals for Funding Since 2006, only one funding cycle is conducted per year. The annual timeline is indicated below. Steps or actions Timeline Call/Request for proposals March (April for 2014 only) Closing date for applications 15th June (30 June for 2014 only) FACULTY Closing date for applicants: 9 June 2014 Peer review process July-September Grants Committee meetings 31st October Communication of outcomes to the research community Dec-January Acceptance of SIR grants conditions by the awardees End February Payment of grants to institutions April onwards Application process: The MRC issues a Request for Proposals (RFP) annually inviting researchers to apply for funding in the Self-Initiated Research Category. A prospective applicant may submit their application once they have considered the above requirements and assessed whether their research proposal is suitable for MRC support. Click on this link to download all relevant Call documents. Enquiries can be directed to: MRC Contact person: Mr Clive Glass Administration enquiries and deadlines Tel: +27 (0) / clive.glass@mrc.ac.za or The Faculty of Health Sciences contact person: Ms Natasha Jeftha Tel: Natasha.jeftha@up.ac.za 1.4 Important notes The research support applications MUST be: Signed off by the applicant on the SIR Grants online system. Approved or validated online by an authorized person in the research administration office of the institution. Kindly take note of the institutional guidelines for this online Call process. Reach the MRC by midnight on the 30th of June 2014, submitted through the institution s research administration office. Applications, not supported by the institution s research administration office will be rejected. The internal closing date for this Call is 9 June Late applications will NOT be accepted. Page 3

4 2. Online registration and application process 2.1 Here is what applicants need to do: Make sure your institution (the institution that will be administering your grant) is registered on the online system. Register online and complete Your Details (this will include your personal details that will be used on submitted application forms). Applicants are requested to follow the procedure as set out below: 2.2 To Register and apply: 1. Click the Online registration and application link on the MRC Website or type in this url: This is the screen that should appear: 2. Click the Register button on the far left-hand side of the page under the First Time Users label. 3. Follow the online registration process as per the guidelines set out in the document provided to you, named: MRC Online Call Applications Process 4. Once you have completed your profile and saved all information, navigate to the grey Grant Opportunities tab. Here you will find your grant opportunity listing. Once you do, hit Apply Now. 5. This will pull up the application in a new window. Enter a title and Save. This will create the application record. You can return to it at any time by logging in and accessing the blue Manage Proposals tab. 6. Once you have started the online application form, do the following steps: Page 4

5 a. On the screen below, click item 3 on the lefthandside, labelled Enable Other Users to Access this Proposal b. On this page, provide the following persons from the Institution s research administration office, administrator s rights: i. For Faculty Health Sciences: Ms Natasha Jeftha, Natasha.jeftha@up.ac.za ii. For Institution s Research office: Ms Didi Botes, Didi.Botes@up.ac.za c. To grant access to another person, that person must be registered as a "user" in the proposalcentral system. If they are not registered, direct them to register the same way that you did. d. Enter the person s surname and select it once it appears on the screen. e. Finally, select the permissions level for the person you have just added - View, Edit, or Administrator - then click the "Accept Changes" button. For the two person s listed above, select Administrator. f. The same process should be followed for co-investigators, collaborators and others. g. Auto Notify: To enable your co-investigators, department or grants administrators to receive system notifications, add them with at least "View" access below and check the box "Auto Notify". Please ensure that the Auto Notify box is checked. This will alert administrators to changes that have been made and for it to be attended to as and when required. Failure to do so will result in unnecessary delays in this online process. This will enable the research administration office to process the grant application, approve and validate it online by ensuring that an authorized person in the research administration office signs off the relevant forms. Page 5

6 The institutional administrators will engage with you throughout the completion of the online Call Process as and when required to do so. Feel free to contact them as well should assistance be required. 3. How to submit the application: The MRC closing date for applications is 30 June No late applications will be considered by MRC. In order to meet this deadline, all applications must reach the Faculty Research Office no later than Monday, 9 June How to submit the application: 1. Complete the online application as instructed in the Guidelines published with the Call Announcement 2. Ensure that you have given Natasha Jeftha and Didi Botes administrative access/rights to the online application as a final submission will be made by them on the applicant s behalf. On the matter of administration: kindly note that Ms Didi Botes took over from Abigail Siwele and will now deal with MRC applications at DRIS, Hatfield Campus. 3. Once you have completed the application online, click on Validate on the lefthand side. Address all the sections where 'missing information' is indicated to ensure a complete application is available online. 4. With respect to the attachments where signatures are required: a. SIR Grant Approval Form: Download the attachment, print it, and have it signed off by the applicant. b. You will need to do the same with the signature pages, please print and have it signed by the applicant. We are aware of the outdated contact persons listed under Institution and Contacts page and that shows up on the signature pages. We are addressing this problem with MRC. c. Submit the hard copy of these signature pages to the Faculty Research Office (Natasha Jeftha, R3-10). The documents will be processed by the Faculty (Natasha Jeftha) and Institutional (Didi Botes) Research Offices as required and signed where relevant. d. Once signed, the attachments will be uploaded and the application will be submitted, providing that all sections are complete. e. You will be notified by either Ms Didi Botes or myself when the final application has been submitted. 5. Application Checklist (Incomplete applications will not be considered): a. Completed SIR Grant Online application b. Completed and signed SIR Grant Approval Form c. Applicant s Curriculum Vitae maximum length of 5 pages that includes a Biographical sketch (professional work experience, qualifications, research activities) and publications in the last 3 years in active research Page 6

7 d. Ethics Clearance Certificate or a letter indicating that the proposal has been submitted to the institution s Ethics Committee. Where ethics approval is not required, submit a letter from the Institutional Research Office stating why it is not required. e. Completed SIR Grant Reviewer Nomination Form f. Completed SIR Grant Budget Form Applications that do not adhere to the above requirements will not be processed for submission by the Faculty and Institutional Research Office. No late applications will be considered. Page 7