Australian Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Research Network. Request for Applications. Career Development Award 2015

Transcription

1 Australian Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Research Network Request for Applications Career Development Award 2015 RFA Release Date 27 th July 2015 Application Deadline* 28th September 2015, 5:00pm AEST Notification to Awardees December 2015 Earliest Commencement 1 st March 2016 *Applicants must note that Administering Organisations are required to certify all applications in RMS360 and may have internal closing times which precede this deadline. A Special Research Initiative funded by the ARC A Special Research Initiative funded by the ARC

2 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PURPOSE The purpose of the T1DCRN Career Development Award (CDA) is to address two important goals: 1) Building the next generation of leaders in the field of type 1 diabetes clinical research 2) Stimulating highly innovative research with the potential to transform existing paradigms in type 1 diabetes clinical research 1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE T1DCRN The principal goal of the Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Research Network (T1DCRN) is to positively impact the lives of people with type 1 diabetes in Australia through the support and promotion of clinical research, focussing on at-risk populations, new onset populations and individuals with established type 1 diabetes. The T1DCRN aims to accelerate world-class diabetes clinical research in Australia and optimise access to novel medical therapies available to the type 1 diabetes community. The T1DCRN was launched by JDRF Australia in June 2010 through a $5 million grant from the Australian Government. With this initial investment the T1DCRN funded 12 clinical projects including three national multi-centre clinical projects and nine Pilot & Feasibility projects, and nurtured the next generation of research leaders through five Mentored Clinical Researcher Fellowships. Thanks to support from JDRF advocate families, T1DCRN has retained and extended government confidence and support in the form of a new Special Research Initiative for $35 million from the Australian Research Council (ARC) to be invested from The initiative will enhance and expand on previous initiatives and further develop the national collaborative network of researchers, creating a more connected and cohesive clinical research system that will facilitate progress towards finding a cure for type 1 diabetes. The T1DCRN goal of accelerating world-class type 1 diabetes research is underpinned by a commitment to building the next generation of leaders and stimulating innovative, high impact research in Australia. The T1DCRN Career Development Award aims to identify and support these emerging leaders who will influence the future direction of type 1 diabetes clinical research. 2 OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF THE CDA 2.1 INVESTIGATOR The objective of the T1DCRN Career Development Award (CDA) is to foster the development of the best and the brightest independent researchers who show outstanding potential to lead and influence type 1 diabetes clinical research. The CDA provides salary and project support for exceptional researchers who propose highly innovative clinical research that has the potential to transform existing paradigms in preventing, treating or curing type 1 diabetes. Page 2 of 17

3 The CDA is designed specifically to identify and support the next generation of leaders in the field of type 1 diabetes clinical research. Awardees may be clinician or academic researchers, and must be within fifteen years of receiving their PhD or equivalent. Awardees will have already shown the potential for research independence and should demonstrate a promising track record of achievements appropriate to their career stage. The Applicant must provide evidence of leadership potential, for example through intellectual contributions, evidence of creativity and innovation in his/her approach to research, an ability to inspire and mobilise others, evidence of initiating and achieving outcomes, and evidence of a strong desire to contribute significantly to the field of type 1 diabetes research. 2.2 PROPOSED RESEARCH The CDA is designed to support creative investigators who have highly innovative research ideas yet lack sufficient preliminary data required for traditional grant applications. The emphasis is on innovation, impact and leadership; applicants must demonstrate an ability to independently generate research hypotheses that have the potential to revolutionise current approaches to the cure, prevention or treatment of type 1 diabetes. Preliminary data are not required, but may be included. The review process emphasises the individual s creativity, the innovativeness of the research approaches, and the potential of the project, if successful, to provide sufficient data for a larger project grant application. 2.3 RESEARCH PRIORITY AREAS The research proposed for a CDA may be in any area relevant to the research priority areas listed below, however this list is not exclusive or all-encompassing and research proposals from other areas will be considered. At-Risk populations Studies that help with better characterization of heterogeneity of risk of type 1 diabetes Studies that help with understanding the factors that affect the rate of progression including identification and validation of biomarkers Exploratory clinical research studies (including mechanistic) focused on arresting progression, including combinations of therapeutic agents and repositioning of agents from other diseases New onset population Better prediction of rate of progression, identification and validation of biomarkers Exploratory mechanistic clinical research studies focused on measures that indicate markers of disease progression New onset trials to arrest progression and preserve residual beta cell function including single or combination therapies Individuals with established T1D Improving metabolic control with devices Page 3 of 17

4 Improving metabolic control with drugs (repurposed and new) Characterisation of clinical heterogeneity to enable trial participant stratification and characterise basis of preservation of residual beta cell function Clinical studies to compare effectiveness of two or more therapeutic agents Approaches to prevention of hypoglycaemia Improving residual beta cell function and/or de novo regeneration of beta cells Targeted strategic clinical trials for diabetic eye or kidney disease for early intervention to prevent progression of disease stage Prevention of kidney and eye complications and interventions to reduce complications Studies measuring impact of type 1 diabetes on neurologic and cognitive function Discovery and validation of clinical biomarkers of nephropathy or retinopathy for disease staging and therapeutic response to facilitate shorter clinical trials Clinical mechanistic studies testing agents for tolerance induction Clinical studies testing encapsulation modalities and cell therapy to replace beta cell function Approaches to continuous care throughout the life cycle e.g. transition care, pre-conception and perinatal care, aged care 3 FUNDING AND DURATION 3.1 AVAILABLE FUNDING Funding of up to AUD $920,000 over four years is available. This includes: Up to $130,000 per annum for salary (full-time or pro-rated, including on-costs) for four years; and Up to $100,000 per annum for research costs. Available funding period: 1 March February The CDAs are intended to provide support for investigators to engage in full-time research. Investigators are expected to devote a minimum of 0.8 FTE to achieving the outcomes of the Award, and the salary component of the CDA will be pro-rated accordingly. In the four-year term of the award, awardees will focus on their research efforts and position themselves to work at the leading edge of type 1 diabetes clinical research. Fellows cannot use CDA-supported time to engage in financial, administrative, or managerial activity beyond that which directly relates to their own research. 3.2 T1DCRN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM In addition to their proposed research, Awardees will be provided with enhanced training in the form of a T1DCRN Leadership Program. The Leadership Program will provide Awardees with training Page 4 of 17

5 in vital aspects of leadership in medical research and development, for example engagement with commercial partners, training in government policy, engagement with the media and effective research communications. The Leadership Program will be tailored to the Awardee s individual requirements and be mutually accepted by the T1DCRN and the Awardee. The Program is designed to help ensure that Awardees will have the necessary knowledge and expertise to become recognised leaders in type 1 diabetes clinical research. 4 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Applications will only be considered for funding if they meet the following eligibility criteria: 1) The application must demonstrate that it is in alignment with the T1DCRN Goal i.e. To positively impact the life of people with type 1 diabetes in Australia through the support and promotion of clinical research. 2) The applicant must be within fifteen years from the date of the letter advising that their Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) thesis was passed (or equivalent), unless the applicant provides sufficient evidence of career disruptions (see Appendix C). The only documents that will be accepted as evidence for career disruption within the CDA scheme are medical certificates and letters from an applicant s employer summarising the duration and type of leave taken and/or part-time employment, or statutory declarations. 3) The proposed research must be conducted at an Australian institution (e.g. an Australian university, college, hospital, laboratory, unit of state or local government, or an eligible Commonwealth government agency), and the successful Awardees must legally reside predominantly in Australia for the duration of the award. 4) The application must be complete and the Research Plan and Applicant Statement must meet the formatting requirements (including page limits) specified in Appendices A and C respectively. To be considered complete, an application must: a. include all documentation specified in Appendices A, C and D as relevant to the application, including written evidence from the Applicant and their Institution; b. include a complete budget request with justification (see Appendix B); and c. have completed all mandatory fields in RMS360. Any application that does not meet all of the eligibility criteria will be deemed ineligible and declined without further assessment. Page 5 of 17

6 5 EXCLUSION CRITERIA If at any time during the assessment process JDRF deems the scientific objectives of a proposal to: i. duplicate; or ii. overlap significantly with the scientific objectives of a current or planned project (in Australia and/or overseas) the proposal will be excluded from further consideration. 6 APPLICATION SUBMISSION AND REVIEW PROCESS The information in this document is underpinned by the Program Guidelines. Please review the Program Guidelines on the T1DCRN website before preparing the application. All parties involved in or associated with an application must declare at the date of submission any Conflict of Interest that exists or is likely to arise in relation to any aspect of the application. JDRF Australia s Network Conflict of Interest policy and management practices are available on the JDRF Website. All applications must include the following documents uploaded into RMS360: Research Plan (see Appendix A) Applicant Statement (see Appendix C) Written Evidence (see Appendix C) If a proposal includes a request for funding to extend or add to a currently funded study, applicants must upload all previous progress reports relevant to the particular study (see Appendix C). Data-Sharing Plan (see Section 10.1 Data Sharing) In addition, applicants must upload a Biosketch to their profile in RMS360 so that it can be automatically appended to the application on submission (see Appendix D). Applications must be completed and submitted online, and certified by an authorised officer of the Single Eligible Organisation, using JDRF Australia s online grants management system RMS360. Information submitted as part of the application is collected and stored in accordance with the JDRF Privacy Policy. Applications will be externally peer reviewed by a panel of experts and assessed against each of the Selection Criteria (Section 7) for overall best value for money having regard to the extent to which the application meets the Selection Criteria, the degree to which the application aligns with the T1DCRN operating principles (Section 8), and the relevance of the application to the mission of the T1DCRN and the type 1 diabetes community. Page 6 of 17

7 7 SELECTION CRITERIA Applications for CDAs should address the following selection criteria, paying particular attention to demonstrating alignment with the T1DCRN operating principles (Section 8) against each criterion: 7.1 INVESTIGATOR LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION (50%) i. Outstanding research performance and evidence of leadership relative to opportunity; ii. iii. iv. Achievements showing potential for research independence and innovation; Potential to lead and influence the field of type 1 diabetes research; Capacity to undertake the proposed research. 7.2 PROJECT INNOVATION, QUALITY AND IMPACT (30%) i. Potential for the research to positively impact people living with or at risk of type 1 diabetes; ii. Innovative nature of the aims, concepts, methods and results; iii. Potential for the research to transform current thinking in the field of type 1 diabetes research. 7.3 RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT (10%) i. Evidence of a supportive and collaborative research environment for the Investigator; ii. Availability of the necessary facilities to complete the Project; iii. Access to resources to support the Investigator during the Award and after the end of the Project; iv. Placement of adequate strategies to encourage dissemination, commercialisation, if appropriate, and promotion or research outcomes. 7.4 FEASIBILITY, BENEFIT AND ALIGNMENT WITH OBJECTIVES (10%) i. Project design and expertise of the participants are sufficient to ensure the Project can be completed with the proposed budget and timeframe; ii. Potential for the completed Project to produce innovative benefit to the T1DCRN and to the Australian and international community iii. Potential for the Project to generate data that is likely to attract funding for a larger project grant application in the future iv. Cost-effectiveness of the Project v. Ability of the Project to provide the Award recipient with the capacity and opportunity to lead and influence the field of type 1 diabetes through the development of an independent record of innovative, transformative, high quality research Page 7 of 17

8 8 T1DCRN OPERATING PRINCIPLES In assessing applications against the Selection Criteria (Section 7) and forming a recommendation as to the overall value for money of each application, reviewers will take into account the extent to which the applications aligns with the CRN operating principles as follows: 8.1 PATIENT-FOCUSED Ultimate patient benefit is the foremost goal that underscores all the activities of the CRN, the engagement of type 1 diabetes community (research and public) is critical to the operation of the CRN. 8.2 COLLABORATIVE A collaborative approach will be applied to and required of clinical research in the CRN. Research teams will be assembled based on the expertise needed and ability of participants to solve complex issues of type 1 diabetes. 8.3 LEVERAGED AND CONNECTED CRN will build partnerships to benefit from the existing international and domestic expertise and resources and leverage prior investments in Australia by JDRF and other funders. 8.4 INFORMATION SHARING With the intention of creating a long-term research legacy, CRN will capture valuable research information and invest in secondary analysis of outcomes and data generated by the CRN. 8.5 PRODUCTIVITY-DRIVEN CRN will actively support and engage in the management of clinical trials, with assistance directed towards ensuring research performance meets budgets and timelines. 9 DEADLINE RFA Release Date 27 th July 2015 Application Deadline 28 th September 2015, 5:00pm AEST Notification to Awardees December 2015 Earliest Commencement 1st March 2016 *Applicants must note that Administering Organisations are required to certify all applications in RMS360 and may have internal closing times which precede this deadline. Page 8 of 17

9 10 CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS This funding will be administered by JDRF. The organisations/institutions of successful applicants will be required to sign a Funding Agreement with JDRF. A copy of the Agreement will be provided to the organisation/institution for each successful applicant post award notification, and funds will be disbursed to the award recipient upon the execution of the Agreement. A draft of the Agreement is available on request. The payment schedule contained within the Agreement will be dependent upon the achievement of milestones determined in consultation with the award recipient. As part of the contractual requirement, the recipient must be aware of and comply with the T1DCRN JDRF Policy on Intellectual Property, Commercialisation and Royalties ( IP Policies ), including in relation to data sharing and biosample sharing. A copy of the IP Policies is available on the T1DCRN website DATA SHARING All applicants seeking funding will be required to submit a Data Sharing Plan as part of their funding application. JDRF is available for consultation during this process. JDRF acknowledges that Data Sharing Plans will differ according to the types of Data collected and does not prescribe exact content or format. JDRF requests that at a minimum the core elements outlined in the Data Sharing Plan template of the Australian Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Research Network (JDRF) Policy on Data and Biosample Sharing are considered PUBLICATIONS AND OPEN ACCESS The T1DCRN is committed to the timely publication and dissemination of all information and materials developed under T1DCRN funding and must also comply with the ARC policy requirement on Open Access ( Recipients of this award must also comply with this policy and must take steps to make available all generated project materials for publication and wider dissemination. The sharing of data will be supported by clear policies and guidelines, as well as mechanisms to satisfy this requirement REPORTING Progress reports will be required annually, as outlined in the Funding Agreement, and a Final Report at the end of the funding period. In line with the ARC funding rules for the Special Research Initiative, recipients may be required to participate in a Review of the ARC Special Research Initiative in 2016 or at any time as required. Page 9 of 17

10 11 PROGRAM CONTACTS Enquiries concerning this program are encouraged and should be directed to: Dorota Pawlak, PhD Head of Research Development, JDRF Australia + 61 (02) dpawlak@jdrf.org.au Alisa Knapman, PhD Research Development Coordinator, JDRF Australia +61 (02) aknapman@jdrf.org.au Maryanne Ng Senior Manager, Clinical Operations & Project Management, JDRF Australia +61 (02) mng@jdrf.org.au RMS360 Enquiries Amy Brown Grants Administration Officer, JDRF Australia +61 (02) abrown@jdrf.org.au Page 10 of 17

11 Appendix A Research Plan A Research Plan of no more than 12 A4 pages of substantive content, plus no more than two A4 pages of references, must be uploaded as part of the application in RMS360 ( Refer to the RMS360 User Guide for assistance. The Research Plan should include all necessary information for peer review of the project. Be specific, informative and concise. Avoid using jargon. Formatting Requirements The Research Plan must be type-written, single column, single-spaced and in black typeface no smaller than size 12 point Times New Roman font or an equivalent size (except where otherwise specified) before converting to PDF format and must be legible to assessors. Avoid scanning. Paper must be white A4 size with at least 2cm margin on each size and at top and bottom. The Applicant s name (Last, First, Middle) must be provided as left-aligned text in the Header. Page numbers must be provided in the format Page X of Y as right-aligned text in the Header. The Research Plan must be no more than 12 pages excluding references. References for literature cited in the Research Plan must be in 10 point Times New Roman font or equivalent and must be no more than 2 pages. The Research Plan must be uploaded as an unlocked PDF document without password protection. Research Plan Template The Research Plan should describe a project or projects to be conducted from years 1-4, and must be organised using the section headings provided in the table. Reviewers will assess the application against the Selection Criteria in Sections in 7.2, 7.3 and 7.4 based on the information set out in the Research Plan. Applicants need to ensure that detailed information provided in the Research Plan appropriately addresses these Selection Criteria. Section Heading 1. Application title 2. Specific innovative aims and objectives 3. Background and scientific rationale Guide a. State concisely the specific innovative aims of the proposal. b. Specify the innovative objectives and hypotheses to be tested. c. Summarise the expected practical outcomes. a. Explain the importance of the problem that this proposal addresses, including the potential impact of expected research outcomes on people living with type 1 diabetes. b. Describe the rationale for proposed research, including Page 11 of 17

12 4. Proposed research: Study Design, Methods and Analyses 5. Feasibility, Benefit and Alignment with Objectives existing knowledge and potential for the research to transform current thinking in the field of type 1 diabetes. c. If similar work has been completed or is currently underway in the field, explain why this proposal is necessary and how it differs. d. Preliminary data are not required, but may be included. a. Ensure the proposed research directly addresses the stated aims and objectives, include advantages over alternative approaches that would address the same goal. b. Ensure the proposed research is innovative c. Ensure that the following is included (where relevant): I. Study Design II. Study Methods III. Study Analyses a. Provide a timetable of the study activities outlined in 4(c). Ensure feasibility is addressed and that the objectives are achievable within the stated timeframe. b. Explain the benefit of the proposal and how the proposal addresses the objectives of this call: I. Potential of the Project to produce innovative benefit to the T1DCRN and to the Australian and international community II. Potential for the Project to generate sufficient data for a larger project grant application in the future. III. Ability of the Project to develop your independent record of innovative, transformative high quality research Appendix B - Budget Request The budget template is provided as an online form in RMS360. Refer to the RMS360 User Guide for assistance. Please contact JDRF Australia for consultation if required. Budget headings are specified in capitalised text below. Budget items for the Project can be requested for years 1 4. Justification for each requested item within each budget heading must be provided. Please note that justification text boxes are only provided in the Year 1 tab in RMS360, please ensure you provide justifications in Year 1 for the budget items requested for the Project in years 1 4. Ensure all aspects of the Research Plan and associated activities are appropriately itemised and costed in the budget. SALARIES AND WAGES Please include your Award up to $130,000 per annum (full-time or pro-rated, including all on-costs) for years 1-4. Please note in RMS360, on-costs are referred to as fringe. Additional salaries requested for the Project can only be included in years 2 4. Page 12 of 17

13 SUPPLIES Please include all supplies, materials and resources necessary for completing the Project in years 1 4. TRAVEL Any communications costs such as meetings should also be itemised here in years 1 4. OTHER COSTS Additional items not specified elsewhere in the template may be requested here in years 1 4. INDIRECT COSTS Grants awarded by JDRF Australia through the T1DCRN are listed on the Australian Competitive Grants Register. As such, indirect costs can be recovered through RBG funding and JDRF Australia will not provide funding for indirect costs, including basic facilities and equipment, organisational overheads and/or infrastructure costs. Budget items included here will not be considered for funding. EQUIPMENT Itemise equipment required for successful delivery of the Project in years 1 4. SUBCONTRACT BUDGET Applications may identify one or more collaborating sites to be involved with the proposed study. Provisions to complete Subcontract Budget requests for collaborating sites are available in RMS360. Applicants must create a separate Subcontract Budget for each collaborating site. The full participation of these sites must be clearly and appropriately budgeted with justification. BUDGET WORKSHEET To assist applicants in devising a complete and realistic budget, JDRF Australia has provided the following worksheet, reflecting the RMS360 budget form. Applicants are encouraged to complete this worksheet before transposing the information into the RMS360 budget form. Subcontract Budgets follow the same structure. Salaries and Wages Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Your Salary (required) Other Salary Salaries Subtotal Supplies e.g. Laboratory Supplies Page 13 of 17

14 Other supply/material/resource Supplies Subtotal Travel e.g. Meeting costs Other travel costs Travel Subtotal Other Costs Additional items not specified elsewhere Other Costs Subtotal Indirect Costs NOT ALLOWED Equipment Itemise each equipment request Equipment Subtotal Additional Attachments Appendix C Additional Attachments Additional Attachments must be uploaded as unlocked PDFs without password protection in the Additional Attachments section of the application in RMS360. An application must include each of the Additional Attachments unless it is not applicable to the application. Additional Attachments are limited to the following documents, no other attachments may be considered: a. Applicant Statement describing current and future career goals relevant to type 1 diabetes research, leadership potential, and evidence of independent, innovative research (not to exceed two A4 pages). Please see below for the formatting requirements and template. b. Letter of support from the department nominated to host the applicant must be uploaded into RMS360. This letter must specify commitment of the department to support career development of the applicant and support of the project, including Page 14 of 17

15 any resources and/or facilities available and be signed by a senior representative (Head or equivalent) of the department within the administering organisation. In providing and signing this letter, the department is certifying the support to, and researcher participation in, the proposed study. c. If the applicant is claiming career disruption in order to meet the eligibility criteria, the application must include one PDF file containing all necessary documents supporting the claim for career disruption. Documents that will be accepted as evidence for career disruption within the CDA scheme are medical certificates and letters from an applicant s employer summarising the duration and type of leave taken and/or part-time employment, or a statutory declarations. d. If the application includes a request for funding to extend or add to a currently funded study, applicants must upload all previous progress reports relevant to the particular study. e. A Data Sharing Plan must be uploaded into RMS360. JDRF requests that at a minimum the core elements outlined in the Data Sharing Plan template in Appendix A of the Australian Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Research Network (JDRF) Policy on Data and Biosample Sharing are considered. f. Written Evidence - JDRF Australia is required to obtain written evidence of the applicant and their administering organisation. Written evidence must be uploaded into RMS360. The template for Written Evidence is provided for download in the Additional Attachments section of RMS360. Applicant Statement Formatting The Applicant Statement must be type-written, single column, single-spaced and in black typeface no smaller than size 12 point Times New Roman font or an equivalent size (except where otherwise specified) before converting to PDF format and must be legible to assessors. Avoid scanning. Paper must be white A4 size with at least 2cm margin on each size and at top and bottom. The Applicant s name (Last, First, Middle) must be provided as left-aligned text in the Header. Page numbers must be provided in the format Page X of Y as right-aligned text in the Header. The Applicant Statement must be no more than two pages in total. The Applicant Statement must be uploaded as an unlocked PDF document without password protection. Applicant Statement Template Page 15 of 17

16 The Applicant Statement should be organised using the suggested section headings provided in the table below. Do not repeat information provided in your Biosketch (see Appendix D). Reviewers will assess the application against the Selection Criteria in Sections 7.1 and 7.3 on the basis of the information set out in the Applicant Statement. Applicants need to ensure that detailed information provided in the Statement appropriately addresses these Selection Criteria. Ensure the significance of your achievements is relevant to the field of T1D. Section Heading 1. Applicant name 2. Research performance, innovation and independence 3. Potential to lead and influence the field of type 1 diabetes research 4. Evidence of a supportive research environment for the Project Guide a. Provide a brief summary of your most significant contributions to the field of T1D and the community. Pay particular attention to achievements demonstrating your potential for research independence and innovation. Include any career interruptions. b. Provide evidence of peer recognition of your achievements such as publications, grants, prizes, awards and speaking invitations. c. Outline your capacity to undertake your proposed research project. a. Outline any achievements demonstrating your potential as a future leader in the field, such as contributions to research training, policy development, clinical/public health leadership and/or services delivery. b. Highlight the significance of your community activities and linkages. c. Highlight your contribution to research translation, and any industry engagements as they relate to your proposed research. d. Comment on the trajectory of your research career. You must include a statement of career goals and indicate the relevance of these goals to type 1 diabetes-related research. Define your career development strategy in the short and long term. Include evidence that demonstrates your growing national and international standing. a. Describe relevant support systems in your proposed research institution including training and mentoring opportunities and the potential for collaboration. b. Outline the availability of the necessary facilities to complete the proposed Project, as well as access to resources to support you during the Award and after the end of the Project. c. Describe the strategies currently in place or that will be implemented to encourage dissemination, commercialisation, if appropriate, and promotion of Page 16 of 17

17 research outcomes. 5. Grants Applicants should explain their role in obtaining grants and indicate the numbers and categories of grants that support their research in the field of type 1 diabetes. 6. Contributions to research training 7. Contributions to professional activities Outline how supervisory roles contribute potential to build an effective research team: i. Primary or joint supervision of PhD Candidates and other graduate students ii. Training of research staff Provide details of professional activities and roles such as committee chair, participation in peer review/editorial panel, review of grant or research applications. Appendix D Other Required Documents The following documents are required for submission, but are handled separately by RMS360: a. Up-to-date Biographical sketch (Biosketch) this must be uploaded in your profile in RMS360, the system will automatically append it to your application. The template is provided for download in RMS360. b. Three letters of Reference outlining the applicant s potential to become a leader in the field of type 1 diabetes research, and evidence of the applicant s capability for independent, innovative research. The recommendation references must be submitted directly through RMS360 by the referees. The recommendation references are confidential and will not be released to the applicant. The applicant must nominate three referees in RMS360 as part of the application process. An will be sent to each nominated referee with a link to the letter of Reference Template in RMS360 and instructions to provide the recommendation. Please note proposals cannot be successfully validated until all references are submitted. Page 17 of 17