How to Write a Successful Clinical Research Proposal Introduction: FP7 proposals

How to Write a Successful
Clinical Research Proposal
Introduction: FP7 proposals
Dr Caitriona Creely, NCP and National Delegate for
Health in FP7
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Webinars
Two presentations
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Basic aspects of FP7 proposals
Specific elements of Clinical research proposals
Slides will be available afterwards
Email in questions
Questions not answered today will get an
email reply
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Overview
Next call
Minimum requirements
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Topic
Consortium
Budget
Proposal structure
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Key messages
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Upcoming call for proposals for FP7 Health
(EU funding scheme)
Substantial funding for EU research teams to
carry out clinical research projects
Most clinical research areas will require only
a short EoI first application – worth applying!
Webinar: general and specific aspects of
application process
References for further information
NCPs here to help you
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Next Call in FP7 Health
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FP7 Health: annual Call for proposals
published each summer
Next calls will be published July 30th
Different deadlines for each call
single-stage call (provisional deadline November
10th)
two-stage call (provisional deadline October
13th)
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Minimum requirements
Proposals must
• Be within scope of topic in published work
programme
• Have minimum number of eligible,
independent participants/ countries from
EU MS/AC or as set out in the Work
Programme
• Observe maximum budget for the topic you
are applying for (including any specific
budget for SMEs)
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Fit with topic
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FP7 Health topics
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FP7 Health is not bottom-up!
Proposals you submit must fit a published
topic in annual work programme
Topics change each year
This year 8 clinical research topics
Find out if any topic is of interest to you by
reading the work programme document
This year work programme published early
as “orientation paper” available for download
now
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http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/health/home_en.html
For more information:
CCreely@hrb.ie
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Initial proposal ideas
When formulating the idea, ask the following questions:
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What problem are you trying to solve? Topic in call =
problem defined by the EU, your proposal is the solution
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Is it a European Problem? Scale, citizens affected, need for
cooperation
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Is there a solution already available? Why doesn’t the
current solution work?
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What’s the urgency of this work, why now and what will be
the outcome if this research isn’t undertaken?
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Why this consortium? Are you the best people to do this
work?
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Consortium
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The Consortium
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Each project proposal requires a “coordinator”
and at least the minimum required number of
other partners
Consortium prepares proposal which
addresses the topic, with the work described
using Work packages
Coordinator has specific responsibilities (e.g.
submitting the proposal) and is the point of
contact with the Commission
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Decision: consortium
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Lead a consortium
Experience
Leadership in field
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Partner in a consortium
Want to learn, expand network
Selling point for topic you’re interested in –
what can you offer the consortium?
Make sure you’re happy with coordinator!
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Tools for Consortium Building
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How can I find partners?
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Personal contacts
Networking at conferences/brokerage events
www.smesgohealth.org
www.lifecompetence.eu <- Very Useful!
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Current coordinators
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CORDIS also has a list of FP7 projects
funded
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/projects_en.html
Not as much information – partner names
not given
Newer projects not listed – only after grant
signature
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COST Networks
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Free to join
Networking activities paid for
Check existing networks on
www.cost.esf.org
Irish contact point: Rita Ward,
Enterprise Ireland 01 727 2767
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Consortium – final points
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Happy to work with people for 1, 3, 5 years
Up to the job, relevant, recent
publications/expertise
Industry partners when relevant to tasks
Don’t carry extra partners!
Management has to be smooth (internal or
outsourced to company)
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Budget
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Budget
Funding from EU % of eligible costs up to a
maximum amount (e.g. €3m, €6m, €12m)
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actual
incurred during duration of project
in accordance with usual accounting and
management principles
recorded in accounts of beneficiary
Eligible costs have to be worked out for each consortium
partner, and charged according to what type of work they
do in the project
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Eligible cost = Direct cost + Indirect costs
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Direct costs – easily measured e.g.
receipts
Examples: Personnel (timesheets!), Travel and
subsistence, Durable Equipment, Consumables,
Subcontracting
Indirect costs (Overheads)
e.g. rent, heating and lighting etc.
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Overhead rates for different
participants
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Public Bodies/Universities/SMEs: Actual overheads for
the project or Flat-rate Overheads
• 60% flat-rate of direct costs
Multinationals/large companies: Most have a/c systems
that identify overhead costs per project, or 20% Flatrate can be applied
How much will I get?
First calculate the Eligible cost (direct costs +
overheads)
• You get a % Eligible Cost depending on:
What activity you do in the project
(R&D/training/management/dissemination/
demonstration, or a combination)
• Guide for Applicants (available when call is
published) explains activities: example
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Activities
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Research (RTD) means activities directly aimed at creating
new knowledge, new technology, and products including
scientific coordination.
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Demonstration means activities designed to prove the
viability of new technologies that offer a potential economic
advantage, but which cannot be commercialised directly (e.g.
testing of product-like prototypes).
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Other training, networking and dissemination (including
publication costs), IPR protection…..
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Management legal, contractual, audit costs etc
See GFA for cost categories and FP7 finance helpdesk for FAQs
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Reimbursement of eligible costs
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Maximum reimbursement rates of eligible
costs
Research and technological development = 50%
or 75%*
Demonstration activities = 50%
Other activities (including management) = 100%
* SMEs, public bodies, research organisations (non-profit)
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Example partner B, University
RTD (75%)
Personnel
100,000
Subcontracting
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Other
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Indirect (60%)
60,000
Budget
160,000
Requested EC
Contribution
120,000
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Example partner B, University
RTD (75%)
Other (100%)
Personnel
100,000
40,000
Subcontracting
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0
Other
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20,000
Indirect (60%)
60,000
36,000
Budget
160,000
96,000
Requested EC
Contribution
120,000
96,000
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Example partner B, University
RTD (75%)
Other (100%)
Total
Personnel
100,000
40,000
140,000
Subcontracting
0
0
0
Other
0
20,000
20,000
Indirect (60%)
60,000
36,000
96,000
Budget
160,000
96,000
256,000
Requested EC
Contribution
120,000
96,000
216,000
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General rule: In FP7 all departments, faculties
or institutes which are part of the same legal
entity must use the same system of cost
calculation => Consult research office/finance
office when you are putting the budget
together
Can’t ask for more money later on, so include
all relevant salary increments, costs, audit
certificates etc
Check your internal institutional deadlines,
so they have time to assist you with the budget!
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Overview
Next call
Minimum requirements
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Topic
Consortium
Budget
Proposal structure
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Proposal Structure
1. S/T
2. Implementation
3. Impact
4. Ethics
5. Gender issues
GFA explains how to fill in each section
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S/T
Scientific and/or technical quality,
relevant to the topics addressed by the
call
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Concept and objectives
Progress beyond the state-of-the-art
S/T methodology and associated work
plan: WP lists, milestones, PERT chart etc
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S/T: evaluators look for
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Clear AIMS – with motivation/hypothesis
OBJECTIVES (realistic)
What is the state-of-the-art (current knowledge)
What is either: Lacking from the SOTA/Needed to move it
forward
How is your idea complementary or better that the approach of
others?
Users: who are they and how will they benefit?
Methodology (clear!)
Appropriate, relevant partners with necessary skills
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Implementation
Implementation
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Management structure and procedures
Individual participants
Consortium as a whole
Resources to be committed
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Implementation: evaluators look
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Management
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Clear Diagram!
Obvious leader (scientific and project management)
Decision-making involves all partners
Conflict resolution
Clear communication channels, meeting schedule
People/Institution
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Relevant scientific track record
Delivered in the past
Quality of host (facilities/support)
Resources
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Clarify budget
In-kind contributions/national co-funding
Don’t inflate costs
Make sure budget is sufficient (e.g. inflation, salary increments)
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Impact
Impact
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Expected impacts listed in the work
programme
Dissemination and/or exploitation of
project results, and management of
intellectual property
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Impact: evaluators look for
Impact
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Check work programme for required inputs
Describe levels of impact (e.g. EU level, national level, patient level)
How will outputs translate to impact (refer to deliverables)
What is the advantage of an EU approach?
Dissemination
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How do you plan to disseminate results?
May need WP on dissemination/IPR
Who is in charge of IPR?
Diagram may be useful (e.g. process of checking for IP opportunities before
publications)
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http://www.yellowwindow.be/genderinresearch/index_downloads.html
For more information:
CCreely@hrb.ie
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Write for the evaluators (1)
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Avoid jargon – it can irritate evaluators!
Respect the page limits and the order of the various
sections (check GFA and use the template provided)
Check spelling and grammar
Have the evaluators in mind, remembering that not all
evaluators will be experts in your particular topic…
…. but – they will be experienced scientists in the
discipline and you may get an evaluator who is a real
expert so your ideas need to be credible and based
on a sound theoretical foundation
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Write for the evaluators (2)
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Make it easy to find information (refer to specific
WPs, milestones etcetera)
Get a colleague to read the full proposal – if they
can’t understand the objectives, neither will the
evaluators
Read the proposal to see how it flows – avoid
unnecessary repetition and contradictory statements
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Single-stage Evaluation
Submitted proposals marked out of 15
• S/T (5 marks, threshold 3/5)
• Implementation/Management (5 marks,
threshold 3/5)
• Impact (5 marks, threshold 3/5)
• Overall threshold 10/15
• Have to address all ethical issues
sufficiently
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Two-stage evaluation (Stage1)
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Cover page (1 page)
S/T (5 marks, threshold 4/5)
Impact (5 marks, threshold 3/5)
Overall threshold 8/10
S/T and Impact max. 5 pages + 1 page for
consortium/budget
If retained for stage 2, 1 in 3 chance of
success
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On line submission (EPSS)
Call-specific! Check you have chosen the right
scheme
Password access for coordinator + partners
Coordinator should register as soon as the call
opens
Part A administration - fill in forms online
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Save forms and validate to check for mistakes/omissions –
partners can only access A2
Part B proposal details - download template and
upload one file containing the research proposal in
pdf format only!
Part B: font size, non-encrypted, no special
characters in filename, printable, looks good printed
in B/W 300dpi
Key factors for success
in applying for FP7 Funding
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Competition is tough:
only the best projects get funded
The proposal must address the topic within the work
programme
The consortium of partners must be excellent and
appropriate for the tasks (select the right partners)
The proposal must address all 3 evaluation criteria
Convince the evaluators
Respect the basic rules – deadlines (5pm CET =>
4pm GMT!!!), No participants
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