Emerging Investigator Program

1. What is the definition of an Emerging Investigator?
Emerging Investigators are defined as:

• Junior faculty, fellows, residents, or early career investigators from any discipline that serves CYSHCN (e.g., nurses, social workers, physicians, pharmacists, social scientists, etc.)
• Faculty members no more than 5 years out from completion of all training (fellowship or post-doc)
• More experienced clinicians/investigators who are new to the field of CYSHCN research (with documentation about their change of career focus; evidence of commitment to health systems research for CYSHCN is required)

2. Who can apply?
Applicants from any U.S. academic institutions that serve children and youth with special health care needs are eligible to apply. 

3. Does the Emerging Investigators Program accept applications from others who are not physicians?
Yes.

4. Can two applicants from the same institution submit proposals to the Emerging Investigators Program?
Yes, however, only one proposal from each institution will be considered for the award.

5. Can previous awardees apply?
No, but previous applicants who are still eligible are encouraged to reapply.

Proposals and Application Process
1. How do I log into the application?
The application is accessible on the network website. No log-in is necessary.

2. Should checklists be submitted with the initial and full proposals?
No, your application checklist is intended to assure you prepare all necessary materials and should not be submitted.

3. What is the Participation Statement?
The participation statement is included on the bottom of the Cover Page to be submitted with your proposal. Should an applicant receive funding through the Emerging Investigators Program, they must commit to attending any conference calls or in-person meetings as part of their chosen funding path.

4. Where do I send my proposal?
Please submit all materials through email to ragrawal@luriechildrens.org.

5. What format should I use for my biosketch?
The biosketch should use the standard NIH biosketch form and may not exceed five pages.
Instructions for completing the biosketch form can be found here. The NIH biosketch includes a Personal Statement. As part of this statement, please describe how the proposal relates to and will help to facilitate the investigator’s career path for this purpose as it relates to the proposed research agenda. Please include a biosketch for both the applicant and primary mentor.

Mentors
1. Will a mentor be assigned to me or do I find my own mentor?
Both. You should have a mentor from your institution. The Network will also pair you with a mentor who is a content expert in your field.

Budget
1. Is travel to a regional or national conference required?
You are required to submit an abstract to a conference. If it is accepted, the Network will fund up to $1,500 of travel expenses for you. These funds include conference registration and are part (10%) of your total award. Funds may also be applied for your family partner’s travel. Funds are meant to supplement any travel funds you may have.

2. My institution requires that I include indirect costs. Is this acceptable?
Indirect costs are capped at 26%.

3. Can I include myself or my mentor in the budget to cover time spent on the project?
Neither an applicant nor mentor may have effort.

4. Can I include funds for a statistician in my budget?
Yes, direct costs for statisticians are acceptable, as long as they are properly justified in the submitted proposal.

Transferring Institutions
1. I am transferring institutions. What is the process for transferring my award funds?
Please notify the network of institutional changes via written notice on institutional letterhead. Include your name, contact information, project title, funding track, and the contact information of the administrator handling your award funds at your current institution. Any unused funds at your current institution should be returned via check to the network Central Office. The network will disburse your remaining award funds after receipt of payment information for your new institution. Please note this may take a couple of months pending your institution’s internal processes.

2. Mentorship relationship after transfer should be verified: will you keep the same mentor? What level of commitment will s/he be able to provide?
If you secure a new mentor, s/he should send a letter with information on the level of commitment to the project that s/he is able to provide.

Family/Caregiver Involvement
1. How should I involve families/caregivers in my study?
Youth and families of CYSHCN should be engaged as full partners (co-investigators) in your project. They should have the opportunity to participate in the design of the study, if possible, and they should be consulted about the project at every step of the way. Having youth and/or families as respondents only is not sufficient. Specific questions about how to involve families/caregivers should be directed to the network program manager. A form that is part of this application is provided to help you and your youth/family partner craft appropriate roles and expectations.

2. Should my youth or family partner be paid?
Yes, you should set aside funds to pay your youth or family partner for their time. The network has written guidelines for paying youth and family partners. These guidelines, Standard of Compensation are available for download from the website (https://sprnetwork.org/download-guides/). There is a version for both PIs and  families, including a version in Spanish. You should become familiar with this document and ensure that your family partner has a copy of the family version.  We recognize that with the limited funds of this grant it may be difficult to pay your partners according to the guidelines, so we can connect you to our Family Voices partners who can help you set up an appropriate budget.

3. How often should I consult with my youth/family partners?
Regular contact with your youth/family partner (at least twice/month) throughout the study is essential in taking advantage of their lived experience. SPRNetwork requires that you begin your collaboration with your youth/family partner within one month of the grant year, that is, no later than October 1 of the grant year. Ideally, however, you should begin collaboration from the beginning of your project.

4. What else should I know about working with a youth or family partner?
Having an advisory committee of youth and/or families, while worthwhile, does not meet the requirement of having a youth and/or family partner who is embedded in your study. Through our Family Voices partnership, the network supports you and your youth/family partner relationship throughout your project. We expect that you will consult with your youth or family partner as an integral part of your study, that is, your partner(s) should be involved at every level as if they were a co-PI.

Publication and Data
1. Am I required to share data with the Network?
No. The Network is currently not a data repository.

2. How will findings be disseminated?
At least one paper submission to a peer-reviewed journal is expected. Findings may also be posted on the Network’s website and/or other social media platforms. The PI is expected to translate findings into non-technical language that is accessible to the broader community of stakeholders, for publication on the Network’s website. We will also ask for a short narrative to put on website.

3. Are reports due to the Network?
Yes. Since the Network is funded by the Maternal Child Health Bureau, reports are required. A form will be sent to the PI by the Network Program Manager with complete instructions and due dates.