Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Fund Research Grant Program
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Information about the Fund and Grant Program
The state of Indiana established the research fund known as the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Fund effective July 1, 2007. This fund, established under Indiana Code (IC) 16-41-42-4, will consist of appropriations, gifts and bequests, fees deposited in the fund under IC 9-29-5-2, and grants received from the federal government and private sources. These funds will be utilized to 1) establish and maintain a state medical surveillance registry for traumatic spinal cord and brain injuries; 2) fulfill the duties of the board; and 3) fund research related to treatment and cure of spinal cord and brain injuries. The fund is expected to generate approximately $1.6 million per year, with the majority of money generated to be allocated to research projects.
The fund has begun toimpact additional funding for Indiana. The awards for research related to brain injury research served as matching funds to attract a federal HRSA grant worth $1.6 million.
This application process is designed for all researchers, including post-doctoral, wishing to submit proposals for research projects / programs to be funded under item 3 noted above. Final funding decisions for all proposals submitted under this program will be made by the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Board, consisting of nine members as defined in section 5(a) of IC 16-41-42. The board will make these decisions after receiving input from an independent scientific advisory panel comprising scientists and clinicians who are not members of the board. This advisory panel will review proposals and make recommendations to the board.
The overall objective of this program is to foster and encourage research for the prevention, treatment, and cure of spinal cord and brain injuries, including acute management, medical complications, rehabilitative techniques, and neuronal recovery. Collaborations are encouraged with Indiana-based researchers as well as researchers located outside the state of Indiana, including researchers in other countries. Research must be conducted in compliance with all state and federal laws.
Because the nature and scope of the research proposed may vary, it is anticipated that the size of each award may also vary. Awards pursuant to this RFA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Applications to this program are considered small grants and should have a maximum requested amount of $60,000 (per year, including indirect costs). All applications should be limited to a two-year duration. (Note: Second year funding dependent upon adequate progress report for first year.) The fund is willing to provide salary support for post-doctorate fellows for up to two years.
During the 2009 legislative special session, some of the Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Fund (ISCBIRF) was appropriated to the Spinal Cord and Head Injury Research Center at Indiana University ($534,230), thus reducing the amount of funds available to be awarded through the competitive grant application process. Previously, the funding for the IU Spinal Cord and Head Injury Research Center has been funded by through a line item in the budget (since 1999). The 2010 grant application process is on hold until sufficient funds are available be awarded.
The Indiana State Department of Health is a partner with the Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Board, which was created in 2007 by the Indiana General Assembly. Funding for the grants comes from non-commercial motor vehicle registration fees.
