Always check the eligibility criteria in the funding opportunity announcement for specific requirements.  General requirements are that applicants must be:

• Are typically within 7 years of their post-doctoral training program at the time of application. Exceptions will be made in this round of funding for investigators more than 7 years from postdoctoral training who can demonstrate evidence of changing their career path to pursue research on embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) among people living with dementia (PLWD).
• Citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status)
• Demonstrate a commitment to pursuing a career in conducting ePCTs for PLWD and their care partners.
• Demonstrate basic training (post-graduate) in fundamental clinical research methods and have completed training in the ethical conduct of clinical research.
• Provide evidence of prior research productivity in seeking to improve outcomes of PLWD.

You may apply provided your visa immigration status is acceptable and you are employed by a U.S. institution. Please contact the IMPACTcollaboratory@hsl.harvard.edu should you have additional questions about your eligibility as a noncitizen of the U.S.

The candidate must have a faculty appointment at the time the grant is awarded. Therefore, applicants must hold a faculty position or be eligible for a faculty position at the time of application. Applicants who currently do not hold faculty positions are strongly advised to have their letter of support from Department Leadership address this issue in their commitment letter.

Yes.  Recipients of IMPACT career development awards are required to devote a minimum of 75% effort (9 person months) conducting research and research career development related activities during the period of the award.

Yes. It is not uncommon to have more than one Mentor or a mentorship team. However, the Candidate should name one person as the primary mentor who will be responsible for supervising the proposed career development and research experience.

The mentor(s) must demonstrate appropriate expertise, experience, and ability to guide the applicant in the organization, management and implementation of the proposed research. Because this career development award focuses on ePCTs for people living with dementia and their care partners, candidates must include expertise in leadership, organizational change, and/or active participation in the administration of healthcare system.

Applications for career development awards will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary review committee comprised of IMPACT Collaboratory Members. Each application will be reviewed independently by 3 non-conflicted reviewers.

The time from submission of the career development award application and notification is typically 4 months.

No. The funding for IMPACT career development awards will be issued via a pass-through subcontract issued by Indiana University.

No. Each career development award application may budget up to $100,000 in direct costs in each year. Indirect costs may be budgeted at a maximum of 8% of direct costs.

Applicants may also apply for an additional $10,000 per year to support their research project. Your budget justification must provide the rationale for requesting these funds and details on how the funds will be used.  It is important to note that these funds may not be used for salary or stipend support for the Candidate, mentor(s), consultant(s) or collabortator(s). You may budget indirect costs at a maximum rate of 8% for these additional funds.

Thus, with appropriate justification you may budget up to $110,000 per year in direct costs with an indirect cost rate of 8%.  

There has been a change in the budget forms required in the application.  Applicants are required to the “PHS 398 Budget Forms” rather than the “NIH Research & Related Budget Forms” specified in the original RFA.

All applicants should submit the “PHS 398: Form Page 4. Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period” and “PHS 398: Form Page 5: Budget for the Entire Proposed Project Period”, along with a complete budget justification.

If you feel you need additional funds to support costs related to your research project, you may include an additional $10,000 per year in your budget (i.e., total direct costs of $110,000 per year). Your budget justification must provide the rationale for requesting these funds and details on how the funds will be used.  It is important to note that these funds may NOT be used for salary or stipend support for the Candidate, mentor(s), consultant(s) or collabortator(s).

You may budget indirect costs at a maximum rate of 8% for these additional funds.

No. You do not need to include costs for the IRB in your budget. These costs will be supported by the IMPACT Collaboratory.

No. You do not need to budget travel costs of attending the required IMPACT Training Workshop and Retreat in Bethesda, MD. Travel and accommodations for you and your mentor will be supported by the IMPACT Collaboratory.

NIH CDAs are considered a collaboration between the NIH and the candidate’s institution.  Both seek to invest in and to foster the professional development of the candidate.  The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory adheres to these principles.

One mechanism that the institution uses to partner with the NIH is to provide the needed salary support to reach 75% effort in those cases where the candidate’s salary and fringe exceeds the available funding from the CDA.