Request for Proposals: AMRF Project Grant Program (New Zealand)

Objective

• The Auckland Medical Research Foundation’s (AMRF) vision is to improve the health and quality of life for all New Zealanders. They aim to achieve this by providing genuine advances in health, science and medicine through funding the highest quality medical research of all kinds.

Funding Areas

• The AMRF’s research funding area is limited to all recognised tertiary institutions, district health boards (DHBs) and Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) with sites in the greater Auckland and Northland region of New Zealand.
• The principal investigator/grant holder must be affiliated with a host institution within this area, and the majority of work should be undertaken within this area, but co-applicants can come from, and part of the research can be performed, outside their catchment area – either nationally or internationally.

Funding Information

• Value of grant: Maximum value is $200,000.
• Number of grants awarded: Approximately 14 depending on the available funds and quality of applications.
• Duration: Maximum tenure is 2 years.

Eligibility Criteria

• The PI must have tenure, or an employment contract for the term of the grant requested. If the PI’s current contract does not cover the term of the grant, they should submit a letter of support from the host institution stating that if successful, they will be offered a contract for the duration of the new grant.
• An individual can be named on up to two applications within any one grant round, either as a PI on one application and a co-applicant on another, or as a co-applicant on up to two applications.
• It is an expectation of the AMRF that an individual may only be a PI on one active Project grant at a time. The individual may also be a co-applicant on one or more active grants at the same time.
• The AMRF only accepts one resubmission of a previously unsuccessful project grant application. It is an expectation that the applicant addresses all concerns raised by the referees and medical committee in their re-submission. An applicant who has been unsuccessful twice can submit further proposals in their chosen field of research, but it will need to be based on a new or substantially revised hypothesis.
• The start date of the project must be after the decision date of that round.
• The AMRF views applications that request direct top up funding of larger awarded grants from other funding agencies as a low priority unless the applicant can demonstrate that the AMRF proposal is using data obtained in the larger study to undertake further research. This new body of research in the AMRF application needs to stand alone and be readily identifiable as a project funded by the AMRF. The AMRF will consider joint funding on new applications.

Ineligibility Criteria

• The AMRF will not fund:
  • The Auckland arm of a study where the investigators have had no role in the design of the main trial.
  • Overheads.
  • A trial where the standard of care arm is not available or funded by Pharmac in New Zealand.
  • Any element of overhead recovery or any indirect costs, including salary buyout.
  • Costs of rental accommodation, heating, lighting and what might be termed the usual office facilities and accessories.
  • Computers.
  • Major items of equipment costing more than $5,000.
  • Costs of attending conferences either within NZ or overseas.
  • The AMRF will not accept project grant applications from undergraduate or postgraduate students (honors, Masters, PhD or MD students). PhD or MD students (not undergraduate, honors or Masters) can be named as a co-applicant, but cannot be a PI or co-PI.
  • Project grants are not available for the support of Masters or PhD stipends or fees.
  • The AMRF does not provide retrospective funding.

For more information, visit AMRF.