Diabetes Data Innovation Initiative Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Diabetes Data Innovation Initiative
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the Diabetes Data Innovation Initiative?
The Diabetes Data Innovation Initiative (DDII) of The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley
Charitable Trust (HCT) Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Program is a $5 million USD initiative that
intends to support the development of innovative solutions that enable the use of
diabetes data to ease the burden for people with T1D, their caregivers, and healthcare
providers. HCT seeks to partner with leading innovators to generate new technologies
(including, but not limited to, mobile platforms and applications, Electronic Medical
Records/Electronic Health Records, embedded wireless sensors and communications,
and big data analytics) that could enable the integration of this data, identification of
trends, personalized patient guidance, and decision support for providers.
2) How many DDII grants does HCT anticipate awarding?
HCT anticipates awarding at least one grant; the actual number will depend on the
quality and budget of the submitted full proposals. All grants, however, are subject to
approval by HCT Board of Trustees.
3) What is the maximum grant amount that will be awarded and the timeframe for a
proposed project?
Eligible organizations may apply for a grant for up to $5 million USD over a maximum of
24 months. Partial or matching funds in each project are desirable.
4) Who is eligible to apply for a grant?
All entities (US and International, profit and non-profit) are welcome to complete and
submit the DDII Letter of Inquiry (LOI). A select group of LOI submissions will then be
invited to submit a full proposal for funding. During the process, HCT will perform
appropriate due diligence on the applicant.
5) What types of due diligence will HCT perform?
HCT’s due diligence on an applicant will depend on the type of entity it is. International
non-profit organizations and both international and US based for-profit companies will
be required to go through additional due diligence. Generally, HCT seeks to assess
whether the organization is in good standing, fiscally healthy, sustainable and that the
proposed project will use Trust funds for the charitable purpose. Below is a list of
documents that are typically required.
All applicants:
 Project budget (total budget and project specific)
 Audited financial statements for 3 years (if not available, unaudited
financials)
 Tax status or equivalent documentation (e.g. 501 (c) (3) letter for nonprofit
organizations)
 Profiles or resumes of key personnel and board members
 List of other project participants/collaborators
 Equivalency determination documents (applicable for international nonprofit
organizations)
 Governing documents and bylaws
 Organizational budget and organizational chart
Additional documents required for all for profits (Expenditure Responsibility, ER):
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Balance sheet for the current year
Income profit and loss statement for the current year
Statement of Cash Flows for the current year
Acknowledgment letter confirming that if awarded, the grantee would
maintain grant funds in a separate account, only use funds for project related
expenses, and provide all required additional financial reports
6) What are the topics of interest for the DDII grant?
The objective of the initiative is to ease the burden of diabetes management by providing
funding to programs that enable the use of diabetes data in innovative ways. This
initiative is focused on intelligent patient guidance and provider clinical decision support
technologies. Integration with consumer, patient, and healthcare professional devices
and platforms will likely be essential. See RFP for full details.
7) How do I apply for a grant? What is the process?
The application process has two steps. First, applicants will complete and submit an
online Letter of Inquiry (LOI). Applicants whose LOI's are selected to submit a full
proposal will subsequently receive an email permitting access to the full proposal online
form. All submitted information and documents, LOI and Proposal will be kept in
confidence by HCT.
8) What is the timeline for the funding opportunity?
Funding Opportunity Release Date
LOI Submission Deadline
Selected Applicants Proceed to Full Proposal
Full Proposal Submission Deadline
Anticipated Commencement of Selected Programs
June 1, 2015
July 20, 2015
August 2015
October 5, 2015
First Quarter 2016
9) How will the LOIs be evaluated?
HCT will evaluate LOI’s in collaboration with external reviewers. Each proposal will be
evaluated based on the following criteria:
1. Ability to reduce the burden of managing T1D
2. Technical and scientific merit, and novelty of approach
3. Organizational capabilities, core competencies, and track-record
10) If I am not invited to write a full proposal may I reapply?
Unfortunately, not for the DDII funding opportunity. However, if there are other
opportunities in the future, your contact information will be kept on file, and you will be
notified.
11) How will the full proposals be evaluated?
HCT will evaluate full proposals in collaboration with external reviewers. Each proposal
will be evaluated with emphasis on the following criteria:
1. The proposed project’s ability to meet the objective of the RFP, its impact
and outputs.
2. The comprehensive nature of the proposed project including sources of data
integration, features to support uptake, usability and future sustainability.
3. The feasibility of the approach and alignment of the proposed budget
relative to the project’s goal(s) and timeframe.
4. The applicant organization’s commensurate experience, strategy, distribution
and business model, and potential partnerships.
12) When does HCT anticipate funding the selected projects with a grant?
Awards are anticipated to be funded during the first quarter of FY2016.
13) Who can I contact for more information?
For technical questions about the grant, questions of eligibility, and project-related
questions please email: t1dtechnology@helmsleytrust.org.
For assistance with the online application, please contact Adam Sanders at
grants@helmsleytrust.org. Please do not contact him with program-related questions
(e.g., grant eligibility).
Online Application: LOI
14) What should I enter for tax status?
If you are a for-profit entity, please enter “Other”. For non-profit entities, please
consult the financial officer of your sponsoring organization for this information.
15) How do I create an account for the HCT online portal?
Once you access HCT’s online portal, you are required to create a user name and
password. To do so, please click on “new applicant”: you will be directed to use your email address as a username and you must subsequently create a password.
16) How do I access a saved form?
To access a saved form, please use the link below and enter your username and
password: Grant Request Sign In
17) I need more space for a field in the application. Can I add more?
No, the restricted word count in each field is enforced to ensure succinct answers.
Online Application: Full Proposal
18) What if the amount of funding requested in the LOI is different from the full proposal
amount?
The LOI amount may be an estimate for the proposed project. The amount may be
modified for the full proposal if the idea outlined in the LOI is selected for the next step
in the process.
19) How do I upload documents to the application?
To upload the required documents to the application, you must go to the last page of
the form. On this last page, you will see a drop-down box with a list of all required
documents. First, choose each document individually: Search your location for the
document to attach, then select “upload”. You must attach all required documents to
the online application; otherwise your proposal will be considered incomplete and will
not be reviewed for funding.