December 1998
Volume 62 |
Number 12
|
| |
FAER REPORT
|
| Committee on Research
Reviews Applications, Recommends Funding |
During the October ASA Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, the
ASA Committee on Research, which serves as the Study Section for
the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) grants,
reviewed 16 applications for Research Starter Grants, eight Clinical
Research Starter Grants and two Research Fellowships. Both the
number and quality of applications were comparable to prior years.
The committee is encouraged by this consistency, given the pressing
clinical loads in all departments of anesthesiology across the
country.
The table below, modified from the 1998 committee report to
the ASA House of Delegates, shows the number of FAER proposals
reviewed and awarded by the committee each year since 1990.
The Committee on Research recommended funding to four of the
most recently reviewed proposals: three Research Starter Grants
and one Research Fellowship. The FAER Board of Directors approved
this recommendation. Grants in all categories are reviewed, scored
and ranked together using the same rigorous peer review for each.
The general feeling of the committee at the time of the review
was that most proposals were based upon good scientific premises
that could be funded if developed better. The committee offers
the following suggestions that it believes could strengthen proposals
and enhance the likelihood of funding.
Mentors - Use your mentors. Get mentors involved
early in the process. In several instances, the committee thought
the applicants had outstanding mentors but wondered whether the
applicant took full advantage of the mentor's recognized expertise.
The committee recommends that proposals be given to mentors at
least 30 days before the deadline to allow the mentors time to
offer helpful suggestions that would have enhanced the scientific
merit of the proposal, ultimately putting it in the fundable range.
Hypotheses - Proposals must be hypothesis-driven,
not simply descriptive. Clearly state the hypothesis.
Science - The proposal must demonstrate excellent
science irrespective of whether it is basic or clinical. The members
of the Committee on Research represent a good balance between
basic and clinical scientists, and every effort is made to assign
grants to the most appropriate reviewers.
Technicalities - Adhere to the guidelines carefully.
For the committee to be fair and objective, all applications are
to be in identical format and length so each applicant has equal
opportunity to present his or her proposal. Grant applications
submitted to FAER need to reflect a precision similar to that
which the National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires. The newly
implemented grant review criteria used in reviewing proposals
sent to NIH are also used by the study section reviewing FAER
proposals.
Overall, the committee is enthusiastic about the quality and
content of the proposals as well as the direction new research
is taking. Initial submissions and resubmissions are invited.
Part of the goal of the committee, through its critiques of proposals,
is to help produce a fundable proposal.
The difficulties investigators have in conducting research and
obtaining sufficient research time in today's environment is appreciated
by the committee. In light of this, one extremely energizing fact
is the recognition of the significant number of excellent anesthesiologists
involved in and supportive of current research protocols as collaborators,
mentors, faculty and department chairs.
|
New Investigators |
|
Research Fellowships |
|
|
|
Starter Grants |
| Year* |
|
Reviewed/ |
|
Reviewed/ |
|
Reviewed/ |
|
|
Awarded |
|
Awarded |
|
Awarded |
| 1999 |
|
|
|
2 / 1 |
|
Clinical |
| 8 / 0 |
Laboratory16 / 3
199819 / 93 / 1Clinical14 / 4
Laboratory11 / 3
| Year* |
New Investigators Reviewed/Awarded |
Research Fellowships Reviewed/Awarded |
Starter Grants Reviewed/Awarded |
| 1999 |
|
2 / 1 |
Clinical 8 / 0
Laboratory 16 / 3 |
| 1998 |
19 / 9 |
3 / 1 |
Clinical 14 / 4
Laboratory 11 / 3 |
| 1997 |
28 / 8 |
7 / 3 |
17 / 6 |
| 1996 |
37 / 7 |
9 / 2 |
25 / 7 |
| 1995 |
29 / 7 |
9 / 1 |
23 / 9 |
| 1994 |
21 / 9 |
4 / 1 |
28 / 13 |
| 1993 |
34 / 9 |
3 / 2 |
14 / 8 |
| 1992 |
25 / 7 |
4 / 1 |
22 / 16 |
| 1991 |
21 / 6 |
1 / 1 |
30 / 20 |
| 1990 |
22 / 5 |
1 / 1 |
30 / 20 |
| * The committee's calendar begins in October. |
return to top
Home >Newsletters
>December 1998Home >Test |