Section 710.220  Funding Criteria for Grants from the Alzheimer's Disease Research Fund

To be considered for grant funding from the Alzheimer's Disease Research Fund, an applicant must provide the Department with the following documentation and information:

a)         For a Research Grant, certification that the applicant is one of the following:

1)         A physician licensed in Illinois to practice medicine in all of its branches.

2)         A licensed hospital in Illinois.

3)         A licensed laboratory in Illinois.

4)         A post-secondary higher educational institution in Illinois.

5)         Any other medical professionals (e.g., nurses, therapists, etc.).

b)         For a Research Grant, an applicant shall submit the following documentation and information on research methodology:  

1)         A brief description of the specific problem to be studied and a brief overview of the proposed methodology.

2)         Any hypotheses to be tested.

3)         The experimental design and procedures to be used.

4)         The research timetable.

5)         The methods for collecting, analyzing and interpreting data.

6)         The facilities, equipment and other resources to be used, along with methods of use.

7)         A description of how the Research Grant would enable the applicant to pursue research that differs from any ongoing research by the applicant.

8)         The general background, experience and qualifications of the applying institution or individuals.

9)         A list of proposed personnel, both full-time and part-time, including curricula vitae of the principal researcher and other staff.

10)         The identification of the project's primary contact person.

11)         The total budget for the research project for which the application is being made.

12)         All proposed funding sources and amounts, including this grant, other grants, institutional support, and other sources.

13)         A line item budget for the funding period using a Budget Format provided by the Department.

14)         The identification of potential funding sources if the applicant is pursuing or intends to pursue on-going research.

c)         Additional Criteria for Early Researcher's Grant

1)         Definition

A)        An early researcher is one who at the time of funding:

i)          has not been a primary investigator on any federally funded grant.

ii)         is no more than 3 years past completion of specialty training.

B)        A researcher who applies for a multi-year project must meet criterion in subsection(c)(1)(A)(ii) only for the first year of the project.

2)         Responsibility

            The design, organization, management and overall execution of the research must be carried out by the early researcher.  Secretaries, technicians, statisticians, and the like may be used in an adjunction role, but specialized skills of the early researcher (e.g., clinical interviews, pyschological tests, physical examination, complex laboratory studies) must be carried out by the early researcher.

3)         Commitment

            The early researcher must demonstrate by past achievements as well as future plans apart from the grant project that the person intends to commit a major part of the future to research in Alzheimer's disease related areas.

4)         Other Qualifications/Requirements

A)        Certification that the applicant has completed within the past 3 years or will be in his/her final year of higher education training during the grant period.

B)        The criteria outlined in subsections(b)(1) through (7).

C)        The applicant's qualifications and experience and a brief overview of the applicant's career goals as they relate to Alzheimer's disease and related disorders research.

D)        A proposed line item budget for the funding period using a Budget Format provided by the Department.

E)        Three letters of recommendation, including one from the applicant's supervisor or academic advisor.

d)         Funded applicants must comply with the following reporting procedures:  

1)         Submission to the Department of semiannual and yearly progress reports.

2)         Submission of a project year narrative to the Department.

e)         Solicitation of Research Proposals

            Research proposals will be solicited in response to a Request for Proposals prepared and distributed by the Department.

f)         Proposal Evaluation

            Research proposals will be evaluated by a review panel selected from the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee.  The applications shall be evaluated and ranked according to degree of compliance with the Alzheimer's Disease Research Act and this Part.

(Source:  Amended at 25 Ill. Reg. 11159, effective September 1, 2001)