UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN Applying for research funding A guide on how to identify relevant funding bodies, optimise your project description, timelines and budgets as well as write successful applications. Camilla Verdich MSc in Human Biology, PhD University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Preface Copenhagen, March 2015 This booklet is targeted the researcher who is planning, or is already involved in, a research project and would like to apply for external funding in order to finance the project. Many researchers face the same challenges and ask the same questions in the process of preparing their applications and project description. My expectation is therefore that this booklet will be of benefit to a wide range of researchers. The booklet is based on my own experiences as a fundraiser, research consultant, researcher and project coordinator within health and medical science research projects. The booklet may be read in its entirety or may be used as a reference work. Camilla Verdich MSc in Human Biology, PhD The booklet is expected to be revised over the coming years. At any time, the most recent version will be available on this website http://www.lom.ku.dk/fundraising/funding-booklet/. Copying and production of paper copies and prints from this booklet may only take place at institutions or companies that have entered into agreement with Copydan Tekst & Node, and only within the framework mentioned in the agreement. 2
Introduction 4 Chapter 1 Checklist 5 Chapter 2 Preparing the project description, timelines and budgets 7 2.1 Create an interest - Pitch your project! 8 2.2 Document the professional rationale in your project description 10 2.3 Implementation of results and expected gains from the project 14 2.4 Make your project clear and provide an overview 16 2.5 Budget for the study 18 Chapter 3 Preparing additional documents and targeting your application to the foundations 25 3.1 Layman s summary and other project summaries 25 3.2 Targeting your application to specific foundations 26 3.3 CV and list of publications 27 Chapter 4 Where can you apply for funding? 29 4.1 Characterising your project 29 4.2 Sources for identification of relevant foundations 30 4.3 The final evaluation of whether a certain foundation is relevant 31 4.4 The selected foundations application requirements 32 4.5 Plan your applications in relation to deadlines and get started early 34 Chapter 5 Composing and submitting your applications 35 5.1. Strategic considerations and adjustments 35 5.2 Formalities 36 5.3 Cover letter 37 5.4 Informing your organisation 38 Chapter 6 The foundations evaluation criteria 39 Chapter 7 Feedback from the foundation 41 7.1 If you are awarded the grant 41 7.2 If your application is rejected 42 Chapter 8 Where can you get advice about applying for external funding? 44 3
Introduction Most researchers will need to apply for external funding in order to finance their research projects. A large part of health and medical research today is financed by public and private foundations as well as through collaboration with the industry. Therefore, many researchers spend a relatively large amount of their time applying for funding, which can be frustrating not least when as many as 75-90 % of all applications are rejected. However, advice and assistance is often available from research support units and fundraisers, and this will reduce the researcher s time spent on the non-research related parts of the application. Apart from attracting funding, the positive aspects of the application process are that it includes thorough preparation of the project description and compilation of supportive documents, which the researcher will benefit from during the execution of the project. Furthermore, the researcher will get used to selling the project to nonresearchers before the start of the project. This widens the focus from a research perspective to a broader overview of the relevance and utility of the project from the viewpoint of the patient, citizen or society in general. Finally, it will be a strength and a satisfaction to be able to show that the project was evaluated suitable to receive external funding. This booklet contains a review of a typical application process from start to finish. Chapter 1 is a checklist of all the information and elements, which typically form part of an application. The following sections deal with the focus of the project, the project description and the budget. The subsequent sections then outline the process of identifying the relevant foundations and funding instruments, submission of applications and finally the foundations evaluation of and feedback on applications. The focus of the booklet and the examples used therein are based on health and medical research, though the general advice and recommendations are expected to be useful to researchers within other fields undertaking different research approaches. Please note that the project summary as well as the layman s description in many cases will be of greater importance in the evaluation of your application than the actual project description. However, it is a precondition for the completion of these documents that your project has been thoroughly prepared, and it will therefore often be an advantage to prepare these documents following, or concurrently with, the preparation of the project description. The booklet is structured as follows: Chapter 1 gives an overview of documents and information, which typically form part of applications for external funding. Chapters 2 and 3 address several of these in greater detail. Chapter 5 deals with the actual composition and submission of an application based on the prepared documents and information, and focusing on the foundation s requirements with regard to formalities. Chapter 4 and chapters 6-7 deal with the identification of relevant foundations and the foundations evaluation of and feedback on applications, respectively. Chapter 8 briefly outlines some advice and support options and units, as well as references for further information about fundraising. 4
Chapter 1 Checklist This checklist gives an overview of documents and information, which typically form part of applications for external funding. Chapters 2 and 3 will address several of these in detail. Very few applications will require all the information outlined below; however, if you are submitting even just a small number of applications, you will probably need most of the listed documents. In addition, you may have to submit specific information requested by the foundation in relation to your application. Therefore, from early on make sure you have an overview of the items below as well as any specific requirements for each application. Official data Your organisation s CVR/SE number to be used where this is required. The number usually available on the website for your organisation or can be obtained by contacting the finance department. Many organisations have several CVR/SE numbers, so make sure to use the correct one contact the finance department for this piece of information. Information about the applicant Name of the applicant Current position, title and education Place of work - including address, telephone number and e-mail address Place where the project will be carried out - including address, telephone number and any e-mail address Private address and telephone number CV incl. list of publications (see chapter 3.3) Project information Title of the project (chapter 2.1) Pitch or summary of the project: A brief and clear presentation that sells the project, and which is suitable for publication (chapter 2.1) Duration of the project, including expected start and end dates (chapter 2.4) Actual project description including graphical elements (chapters 2.2-2.4) Budget (chapter 2.5) Layman s summary (chapter 3.1) Information about the organisation/unit/department Overview of the project organisation, the project management team and collaborators (chapter 2.2) Settings and conditions for the execution of the project and the contribution of the host organisation (chapters 2.2 and 2.5) Possibly a description of other research activities being carried out by the institute/department/unit (chapter 2.2) Information relating to approvals from (if relevant) The National Committee on Health Research Ethics (chapter 2.2) The Danish Data Protection Agency The Danish Medicines Agency 5
Registration of clinical trials For example via www.clinicaltrials.gov (chapter 2.2) Letters of recommendation From the institute or department management From supervisors Budget (chapter 2.5) The amount applied for covering the full project period The amount applied for divided into project years or calendar years The amount applied for divided into budgetary items, including salary costs, operating costs and equipment Overview of project resources that do not require funding Other members of the project team Other employees of the project team (name, occupation and contributing institutions) CV for the other members of the project team Statements of collaboration. Summary of chapter 1 Checklist This chapter has given you an overview of information and documents, which typically form part of applications for external funding. Several of the documents and the information listed are dealt with in detail in later sections. 6
Chapter 2 Preparing the project description, timelines and budgets This chapter takes you through the preparation of your project description, timelines and budgets. A good project description has to create an interest, and therefore, as a minimum, it must illustrate the following: That the project is based on a specific problem or a specific challenge That the project has the potential of contributing to a solution That the project contributes with something new! The project description must also contain a description of the possible uses of the results as well as expected gains from the project. Most foundations have significant focus on the real utility and impact of the project. A well-written project description must also be able to document the professional rationale behind the project and reflect the researcher s or the research team s specialist insight, competences and possibilities for completing the project. In addition, by making your project clear you illustrate an overview of the project, which makes it appear well thought through and credible. At the same time, you give the evaluators a better understanding of the project, outline and its key elements as well as the budget. During the preliminary phase of preparing the project, your focus will often be on the scientific aspects, including the project s theoretical background, hypotheses, study design and plans for publication. These aspects show the researcher s specific skills and expertise, and it is therefore a natural place to start. At the same time, however, it is also a good idea to consider the more strategic and formal aspects, and it may be an idea to seek advice from specialists within this area, i.e. from either research consultants or fundraisers. Experience show that the most frequent weaknesses of the preliminary project description relate to: Sales parameters of the project Data handling and analysis of data material incl. the statistics section Dissemination and implementation Setting up a timeline and budget including overview of and association between the project and the amount applied for Description of own contribution / contribution from the place of work including project costs covered by the host institution, indicating the host institution s commitment to the project. The next five subsections explain how you: 2.1. Create an interest in your project. 2.2. Document the professional rationale for your project. 2.3. Describe the implementation of the results and expected gains from your project. 2.4. Make the project clear. 2.5. Set up a budget for the total funding requirement and for the contribution from the host institution. 7
2.1 Create an interest - Pitch your project! The term to pitch has several meanings. For instance, it can mean to tune an instrument or to throw (a baseball). In the movie industry, the term a pitch is used about a very short description of an idea for a film, which is then used to sell the idea and obtain funding for the project. In brief: a movie pitch is the few sentences that you would want to say to Steven Spielberg, if you met him queueing at Starbucks or in your hotel lift, to create such an interest that he would want to hear more 1. The concept of the pitch also applies to research and fundraising. Also here, the rule is that what cannot be expressed briefly, is not worth knowing about. You can use your pitch in relation to the following aspects of the application process: In your cover letter. As a starting point for the project summary. As an introduction to your project description. To make this focused and to ensure a common thread through your application, especially linking it from idea to implementation of project results. In any contact with relevant private companies, organisations and others who may be relevant potential partners during the life of the project. It will therefore be a strength to answer the questions below and incorporate these aspects into your project documents. What may be the content of a pitch? What is the problem? How frequent is the examined problem / disease / condition? (Volume) What are the costs to society? The healthcare system? The patient? (Resources) Which initiatives to solve, prevent or limit the problem does the project offer? Do include before and after scenarios either in words or by using tables or figures (see section 2.3). What is new? This may sound trivial, but for non-experts within a certain field (and for experts too for that matter) it may often be unclear precisely what is new in a given project, and how this is a natural continuation of current research within the area the state of the art. The novelty value must therefore be clear to the reader. Why is now the time to fund this project? For many projects, there are specific reasons why a project is relevant right now (and not five years ago or in five years). 1 Try searching on YouTube for Elevator pitch or watch this example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq0tan49rmc 8
These include: In light of state of the art, this project is the next step to move the research field forward. The current problem has become a bottleneck or a focus area (possibly due to the solving of other problems that were previously in focus). The project is related to similar initiatives nationally and internationally. Political focus on this area regionally, nationally and internationally (consider referring to specific political documents). The area in question has been overlooked and should be strengthened. Why you / your research team / your faculty or hospital department? Patient basis, specialist knowhow, infrastructure, collaborators and more. What are your qualifications within this field and as a project manager? Who will benefit from the project and how? Citizens / Patients (better health, improved quality of life, added life years) The healthcare system (better quality care, more cost-effective) Society and the economy (increased welfare, reduced absence due to sickness, larger growth, better marketing of Denmark) The industry (innovation, increased market shares) Teaching and education (contributing to education or post graduate training) The scientific community (moving this research field forward, new knowledge, new methodological capabilities or new platforms). Feasibility of the project: The feasibility based on resources allocated, time schedule, milestones, success criteria, risks and contingency plan, ethical aspects, the applicant and the hosting institution. General considerations Consider the international dimension and describe the potential international impacts of the results as well as the potential of bringing Denmark into a leading position within the area. Possibly consider how the results may be applied to other patient groups, other issues etc. to show the full potential of the project. Lastly, consider which foundations or types of foundations could be expected to have an interest in the project, and how their areas of interest may be highlighted in the presentation of the project (see section 3.2). The title of the project Make sure to present your project as precisely as possible already in the title. This gives the reader a clear impression of what exactly your project is about, and it makes the project appear focused. A title such as The diet s impact on losing weight thus indicates the research field without giving any information about the project. 9
On the other hand, a title such as The impact of high versus normal intake of protein on weight loss during calorie restrictions and on subsequent weight maintenance in overweight teenagers says something about the focus of the project, its outline, the primary outcome variables as well as the problem and solution being addressed. 2.2 Document the professional rationale in your project description Firstly, the project description must spark an interest with the evaluators, and at a closer review, it must be able to illustrate a high professional level and appear thoroughly prepared and well structured. The scientific background will often be the starting point for the presentation of the project to other experts. However, when you are to present your project to potential investors, it is important first to give an impression of the relevance of the project, the problem that it tries to solve as well as the project s novelty value, followed by a description of the scientific background for the project. It is therefore recommended to begin your project description with a brief summary of the key aspects of your pitch. The scientific rationale for the project will subsequently be evident from the project description itself. It is important that the description reflects a high professional level, and that the project appears: Scientifically well-founded Thought through Clear Feasible. The professional competences and rationales will then be clearly reflected in the description of: Background for the study including state of the art Clearly defined objective and hypothesis The theory and rationale behind the chosen methods and design The project s outline and feasibility including data handling, ethics and registration of the study The project leadership and the organisation of the project team. Background for the study and state of the art The background for the study will typically be a description of the scientific field with an appropriate delimitation (regarding the extent of the subject, the historical account etc.) 2. State of the art describes the scientific rationale for the study and clearly outlines the status of the research area, which will then indicate where the research is heading and where the greatest challenges lie. If the study focuses on methods, then background and theory behind those chosen methods may also be mentioned here. Please note that the background makes up the platform for describing what is new in your study, and for 2 Here it is important to find the right level of detail. The reader needs an appropriate introduction to the project, and it must shine through that you have familiarised yourself with the background in great detail. At the same time, this section must lead to the core of the matter relatively quickly. Typically, it will make up maximum ½-1 page. 10
illustrating why exactly now is the time to carry out your project. This section furthermore provides the rationale and framework for the presentation of the objectives and hypotheses of the study. If the study is a continuation of previous studies carried out by you or your research team, this should be highlighted by describing and referring to own previous studies in the state of the art section. This shows that the research team is established within the field in question, and that the study is a continuation of previous research activity. This will strengthen the impression of the research team s knowledge, commitment and international recognition. Clearly defined objective and hypothesis The objective and the hypothesis must be presented in a plain and clear manner. It must be clear to the reader exactly what the objective of the study is, and on which hypotheses it is based. This must be logically connected to state of the art. The theory behind and the rationale for the chosen methods and trial design Now the reader has an overview of the background and status of the research area, and has been presented with an exact description of the objective and the hypothesis. It is now important to illustrate that the chosen methods are rational in relation to this. Depending on the focus of the study and the nature of the methods, this part may require more or less focus. Thus, when known standard methods are being used within that particular field, a thorough description hereof is hardly required. If, however, we are dealing with the introduction of new methods, a comparison of methods or the use of known methods within a new research field a description may be appropriate. It must be clear to the evaluators: That the chosen methods are currently the strongest methods to address the chosen issue That trial design and choice of method are in accordance with the objective, making them applicable to examine the chosen issue To which extent the methods are recognised and validated or new but promising That new methods, which form part of the study, has the potential of contributing to new knowledge and/or new treatment That the researcher/research team has good understanding of, and experience with, the chosen methods. The outline and feasibility The project description typically includes a description of material and methods. The extent of this section varies between projects. For clinical studies, this section will typically contain a description of each of the sub-project, as well as a separate description of analyses of biological samples and of data. Please note that the order of this presentation must be logical to the outside reader. Do supplement this section with figures and tables as described in section 2.4. 11
For humane studies, the section will also cover the following information: 1. The number of study participants that will form part of the study. If possible, this number will be determined by means of a power calculation. Remember to describe the expected frequency of drop outs and reflect on how to handle this. 2. Inclusion and exclusion criteria as well as the recruitment process. In relation to this, do describe the underlying patient/population material, and state how realistic it is to include this number of people, which types of selection bias may occur and how these may be reduced etc. This contributes to illustrating the feasibility of the study. 3. Study design, including possible randomisation, number of visits/examinations etc. It is a good idea to supplement (and possibly partly replace) the written text with a flowchart, which outlines the measurements that are recorded at the different times during the course of the trial (see section 2.4). It may be relevant to describe the capacity of the institute/department to collect these measurements, handle the logistics etc., which will also contribute to illustrating the feasibility of the study. 4. The data collection may be described in a separate section or incorporated into the section about study design. In any case, it is important to be aware of the data/data categories involved. Besides data produced during the course of the current study, there may be background data collected from patient records or through a preliminary interview with the study participants. If a Case Report Form (CRF) is used for data collection, 3 a description hereof would be beneficial. 5. Data analyses must be included, as it is important to describe how the data will be analysed, and that this description is in accordance with the study s objective, hypothesis and the collected data. It does not have to be an extensive description, but it is important to indicate the primary and secondary endpoints 4. Furthermore, an account of the overall strategies for the processing of data is required. Ethical aspects It is important to describe the ethical aspects of the study and illustrate that these have been well thought through. Mention planned notifications to, or obtained approvals from, the National Committee on Health Research Ethics, the Danish Medicines Agency and the Danish Data Protection Agency (do provide the case number from the notification/approval). Also, remember practical ethical aspects such as storage of data in paper form in locked up archives, the euthanisation of laboratory animals after the end of the trials etc. Such aspects are increasingly relevant for instance EU in applications. Finally, remember to take into account the informal ethical aspects including whether participants are able to contact the project manager with questions during the course of the study, as well as ensuring that the results of the study are communicated to those of the study participants who have requested this. 3 See the description at the GCP units, http://www.gcp-enhed.dk/fokus/foergodkendelse/casereportformcrf/. Here you will also find templates for your CRF. 4 The study will address one or several endpoints. Most studies have several endpoints of which the primary endpoints are the prespecified ones, which are the most central to the study, and typically the endpoints that have been subject to power calculation. Added to these are the secondary endpoints, which are addressed in the study but are not its primary focus. 12
Please also note that prospective randomised trials must be registered in ClinicalTrials.gov 5 or an equivalent database. If it is assessed that you should register your study in ClinicalTrials.gov, but the study does not fall within the area that requires approval from the National Committee on Health Research Ethics, it is possible to get a standard letter from a regional research ethics committee, which states that the project does now require an approval. This letter may be enclosed when registering in ClinicalTrials.gov. Project team and management The description of the project team and the project leadership gives an indication of the feasibility of the project based on dedicated scientific staff members and knowhow. This description also forms part of the basis for the description of the financial own contribution, as senior members of the project team in many cases will contribute to the project within their normal working hours, making the pricing of this time part of the own contribution. The description of the project team may include the following elements: The project leader: Often the applicant, who has ownership of the project and is responsible for day-to-day management and for progress reports to the steering committee and external contributors. The project steering committee: The project leader, any supervisors (if the project leader is a PhD student), the person with clinical responsibility as well as key scientists from other research groups. This group of people is responsible for monitoring the progress of the study and making formal decisions concerning the project. The project team: Other employees on the project and therefore all the people that are involved in carrying out the practical work. Also, remember to highlight facilities and support functions at the host institution that are used during the project. This will illustrate the contribution and involvement of host institution as well as the feasibility of the study. 5 http://clinicaltrials.gov/ 13
2.3 Implementation of results and expected gains from the project Most often, the project description is concluded with an indication that the results are to be published in international scientific journals as well as presented at international conferences. Naturally, it is relevant to mention this; however, it is also important to describe other aspects of dissemination and implementation: Describe how the results will be communicated to the relevant stakeholders, such as the industry, politicians, citizens in general and particular groups of citizens depending on who is interested in and will benefit from these results. It would be an advantage to consider whether these recipients could be involved in the planning and execution of the project, for example as members of an advisory board. Also, describe how the results may be converted into real actions and/or products, e.g. in the form of new standards/recommendations, new medicine, new food products etc. Do not describe initiatives that are unrealistic and that are not logical in relation to your project. On the other hand, you have to try to move away from the thought that we cannot comment on anything, until we have the results. There are no problems in saying if this treatment method works, we will be able to present and implement it in the following way. By far the most foundations and funding bodies aim to support initiatives (including research), which may lead to actual results in the form of health promotion, improved prevention, diagnostics, treatments, rehabilitation etc. In your introduction (pitch), you have described the problem that you wish to address, and in one of the closing sections of the application you should also describe, how the results of your research will be converted into actual initiatives and solutions. This may be illustrated graphically as shown below. Checklist for description of presentation and implementation Who are the stakeholders, and what is their potential gain from applying the results? What can the results be used for, and how could one initiate this? Should you consider separate publication and presentation of the methodological approaches? Think nationally and internationally. 14
The overall image of the project s novelty value and potential gains Both from the pitch as well as the following description of the project it must be clear that the project is a logical continuation of state of the art, and that it contributes with something new. It is also important to illustrate and separate the actual results of the project from the subsequent effects/opportunities that the project may potentially give rise to. This may be illustrated graphically as shown below. State of the art What is known/available prior to the start of the project? 1 Results What will be available at the end of the project? 2 Impact/ Implementation What will be made possible based on the results? The application must give a clear image of each of these three boxes and describe the arrows going between them. This will give the evaluators a clear image of: What is new? (the difference between the first two boxes) What will be available at the end of the project? (i.e. what is the actual result of the foundation s investment in the project?) What will be the long term possibilities as a result of this investment? Who may be the primary recipient/ lead user of the results at the end of the project? Arrow 1 refers to the current research project. Arrow 2 refers to the subsequent process of using the results. The researcher does not necessarily play the lead role during the process where the results are being put into use for innovative purposes and societal impact. This process may be undertaken by the lead user of the results such as the private industry, politicians or the health sector. As EU expert Sean McCarthy 6 says about the driving force behind this process: Who will be so excited that they will not be able to sleep tonight when they hear about the result of your study? The answer to this question tells you who the lead user (the primary recipient) is. 6 Sean McCarthy, owner of the consultancy firm Hyperion: http://www.hyperion.ie/ 15
2.4 Make your project clear and provide an overview In the project description, you can make the project description clear and communicate the overview to the reader (and to yourself) and give the impression that the project is well thought through and thoroughly planned by doing the following: 1. Ensuring a common thread through the project description and making sure that there is a clear connection between introduction and background, the objective, the actual description of the study, the data handling and the description of implementation (as described in sections 2.2 and 2.3) 2. Creating a table of contents and using headings and subheadings 3. Using charts and figures to illustrate the sequence of events during the project. Two recommendable charts are described below. Flowchart for study participants, patients or laboratory animals Create a flowchart that specifies visits/measuring points as well as gives an indication of the examinations and measurements which are part of the study. Such a chart is relatively simple to make in Excel (recommended rather than Word). This figure will give evaluators, as well as the project team and the study participants, an overview of the trial, and it will help you in the further planning of the study. Baseline visits during the interventionen Visit No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Week -6 0 2 10 17 24 32 38 45 52 Measurements Information about the study X Informed consent X Randomisation X Anthropometry Height, Weight, Waist, Hip X X X X X X X X X Blood pressure, ECG X X X X X X X X X Clinical measures and biological samples DEXA scanning X X Blood parameteres (glucose, insulin, leptin ) X X X X X X X X X Reporting and registration Reported side effects X X X X X X X X X Handing in of dietary reporting X X X X X X X X X Filling in questionnaries X X X X X X X X X Figure 1. Example of a trial flowchart Flowchart for the whole project Furthermore, it is a good idea to create a chart covering the whole project including the preparation of the trial, the completion of the trial, data entry and analysis as well as writing articles and disseminating the results of the study. This chart (often called timeline or Gantt chart) will be essential to the project manager and the steering committee to be able to monitor the study. It will also illustrate the connection between the project description and the budget, as it will be clear to both you and the evaluators, when funds are needed for statistician assistance, analysis of biological material etc. 16
Year Quarters Preparation of the project Application and approval at research ethics committees Notification to the Danish Data Protection Agency Preperation of CRF s Preparation of database for data entry Randomised trial Recruitment of study participants Inclusion and randomisation The intervention Data processing and presentation Data entry Data analyses Preperation of scientific papers Participation in scientific conferences Figure 2. Example of timeline/gantt chart 2015 2016 2017 2018 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 The timeline (figure 2) may be replaced with a brief overview of the timetable (for applications that do not allow the use of figures). Below is an example of such a timetable: Timetable Trial protocol finished 01.01.2014 Approvals from the National Committee on Health Research Ethics and the Danish Medicines Agency 01.04.2014 Inclusion of patients/study participants starts 01.08.2014... more subsections of the study are initiated/completed Examination of patients/study participants completed 15.01.2015 Data analysis 15.04.2015 Presentation and publication of results 01.12.2015 Charts from Excel can easily be inserted into Word In Excel: Highlight the figure and right click choose copy. In Word: Insert special choose picture or bitmap ; Drag the corners to enlarge or reduce the size. 17
2.5 Budget for the study The budget is obviously very important in relation to your application for external funding. It gives you an overview of how much funding is required to complete the project. At the same time, it gives the foundations an overview of what the money will be spent on, and how their potential financial support will contribute to the completion of the study. It is the project idea and the project description that sell the project. Remember, however, that even though it is a good project, and even though a budget of, for example, 3 million Danish kroner sounds reasonable, it is important for the potential investor (the foundation) to be able to see the correlation between the project and the budget. This gives the investor the option of choosing which part of the project they may have an interest in supporting. Correlation between budget and project description also contributes to making the project appear credible, feasible and thoroughly prepared and thus support worthy too. Identification of budgetary items As mentioned above, it is advisable to create a timeline for the project and based on this determine the budget for the study. Often, it will be an advantage to let both timeline and budget be included in applications for external funding. You need to budget for salaries for the researchers who are going to carry out the project. For a PhD project, this typically means funding of full-time salaries for three years. In some cases, it may be advisable to consider whether you should apply for funding to cover the employment of the PhD student as a research assistant during the preparation of the project or in a subsequent postdoc period. Also, remember to take into account salary for any possible buyouts of senior researchers. Then, you can consider at what points during the course of the project you will need to cover salaries for other project employees such as a secretary, laboratory technicians, nurses, data manager and statisticians, and at what points you will need funding for purchasing equipment, analysis of biological material etc. Below you will find a list of the typical budgetary items that needs to be considered to ensure that all costs in relation to a project are covered. Some of these items may not require external funding, as they will be financed by the workplace. In relation to salaries, it is important to remember to set aside funds for annual leave, pension and increases in salary etc. Therefore, do not base your salary requirements on the salary stated on the employee s payslip, but instead contact HR or the finance department within your organisation. Inform them that you need this salary information in connection with your application for external funding. Make sure to include indexation and take into account any changes in pay grades during the course of the project. Often your workplace will also be able to contribute with an overview of average salaries for different employee groups. 18
List of items to consider for the budget Consider for each of these potential items if there is a funding requirement and if there is an own contribution Salaries Scientific/Academic staff Technical and administrative staff Student worker for example for data entry Consultancy services (salary or operation) Statistician IT Expert Database Manager Communications Officer Durables etc. Durables and equipment (in some cases you have to enclose quotes for the durables and equipment) Instruments, machines and technical equipment Consumables, material (operation) Laboratory animals Disposables/utensils Maintenance and service of material IT (operation) Desktop/laptop computer Software and software license agreements Maintenance/service of equipment Costs related to the study participants (operation) Approvals from the National Committee on Health Research Ethics, the Danish Medicines Agency and the Danish Data Protection Agency etc. Study participants/patient transportation Study participants/patient payments for participation Meals (special diets etc.) Meetings, courses and presentation Meetings and courses for project employees Conferences incl. travel and conference fees Any salary for employees that participate in meetings and courses, if these take place outside of the period when the employee is being paid by the project Office supplies and printing of material Postage in connection with issuing information material and sending out/returning questionnaires (incl. reminders) Printing of material such as diaries filled out by the participants, or other material to be produced either in special print or copied in large numbers Other PhD tuition fee and course fees Expenses for printing articles and thesis Preparation of reports to the foundations, including working hours for this. 19
Outlining the budget It is advisable to prepare a detailed budget that includes relevant categories from the list mentioned above, as well as a budget overview that outlines the total costs in a select few categories. The following categories are frequently used in the foundations budget forms: Salary Scientific/Academic staff Technical and administrative staff Equipment/durables For equipment that exceeds 100,000 Danish kroner Operation/consumables All other costs At times, some items will be included under the heading other costs in an overall budget. The detailed budget, however, should never include unspecified items, as this will make the budget appear unclear and unreliable. You should not apply for money for items that have not been clarified. You should be prepared that some foundations will ask for the budget to be presented in relation to calendar years, while other foundations are requesting the budget calculated based on project years. The budget must therefore be prepared in such a way that these two presentations can easily be produced. For some foundations, you will typically apply for an amount corresponding to the total remaining funding requirement. This may be the case at large foundations such as Velux, Lundbeck, the Danish Cancer Society or the Danish Council for Independent Research. Most of the smaller foundations, however, do not have the resources to finance a complete research project, but choose to give smaller contributions. Some foundations only want to see an itemised budget for the remaining funding requirement. Based on this, the foundation will decide on the amount they wish to award the project, and it may choose to earmark the funds for specific items. Other foundations ask for an indication of which items specifically you are seeking funding for. In relation to the foundations that only award small grants (25,000-100,000 Danish kroner per grant), it is often a good idea to apply for funding for a specific item, as the foundation is then able to see that their funds make a difference and will be used for an identifiable purpose. When you receive a grant, you should update the budget, so that you continue to have an overview of how much funding you still require, and which budgetary items you still need to cover. 20
Examples of budget presentations Below, you will find examples of how to set up a detailed budget (figure 3) and an overall budget (figure 4). There is also an example (figure 5) of a budget for a foundation that is primarily interested in providing funds to cover salary costs, and where you can apply for a maximum of 1 million Danish kroner. Category Specificaiton 2015 2016 2017 Total Salary (Scientific staff) Post Doc 231,250 555,000 600,000 1,386,250 Salary (Technical/admin staff) Lab technician 100,000 105,000 110,000 315,000 Salary (Technical/admin staff) Animal keeper 300,000 - - 300,000 Salary (Technical/admin staff) Student worker for data entry - 28,000 12,000 40,000 Equipment >100,000 kr -80 degree freezer 150,000 - - 150,000 Durables and consumables Purchase of computer and software licenses 15,000 - - 15,000 Durables and consumables Analyses of glycose, insulin, HbA1c in blood samples - 15,000 30,000 45,000 Total 796,250 703,000 752,000 2,251,250 Figure 3. Example of a detailed budget for a complete project Category 2015 2016 2017 Total Salay 631,250 688,000 722,000 2,041,250 Equipment >100,000 kr 150,000 - - 150,000 Durables and consumables 15,000 15,000 30,000 60,000 Total 796,250 703,000 752,000 2,251,250 Figure 4. Example of an overall budget for a complete project Category Specificaiton 2015 2016 2017 Total Salary (Scientific staff) Post Doc 100,000 555,000-655,000 Salary (Technical/admin staff) Lab technician 100,000 105,000-205,000 Durables and consumables Purchase of computer and software licenses 15,000 - - 15,000 Durables and consumables Analyses of glycose, insulin, HbA1c in blood samples - 15,000 30,000 45,000 Total 796,250 675,000 30,000 920,000 Figure 5. Example of a derived budget for a part of the project in a specific application 21
The budget in words As previously described, it is an advantage to prepare both a detailed and an overall budget. In the detailed budget, each item will need an appropriate title, but to ensure clarity it is recommended not to use long descriptions. Instead, you are advised to prepare a description of each of the items, which may be presented together with the budget table itself. Below is a template for the preparation of such a description. Over time, you can add descriptions of already awarded grants linked to the appropriate project item. Template for describing the budget External funding requirement The study is expected to be financed through a combination of external grants and resources from the University of Copenhagen (also mention resources that are being made available by other collaborators). Funding requirement Can be the amount applied for, if you are applying to cover the total funding requirement. Alternatively, this section can be split into a) the amount applied for, b) items that are to be covered by other applications for external funding. As specified in the enclosed budget, I am applying for funds to cover the following expenses in connection with the execution of the study: Salary costs XX months of full-time pay to postdoc XXXX in connection with Buyout of XXXX, corresponding to XX months of full-time work, stretched over the period of Employment of student worker for data entry (XX hours). Consultancy fees for statistical support: The expected requirement is approx. XX-XX hours of support from a statistician. Dissemination Dissemination of project and results: Participation in conferences in Denmark and abroad. Fees to journals in connection with publications and proofreading. Possible preparation of information material. Possible preparation of popular presentation to patients. Operational costs Purchase of computer. Postage for sending out and returning questionnaires/letters. 22
Project resources that do not require external funding also known as own contribution The own contribution should be described in words and the amount should only be mentioned if required. It must either be confirmed with the foundation, or mentioned in the application, that the pricing of the contribution from the workplace (most often in kind, i.e. in the form of services, facilities etc. rather than money) is only an estimate. When pricing this contribution, you (or the fundraiser) should contact the foundation to make sure that the pricing is not binding and that it will not be subject to an audit. The reasons why it is always important to describe the own contribution are that it: Illustrates commitment and enthusiasm at the workplace/the host organisation Increases awareness of the actual costs of the project Is the foundation s guarantee that the external funding will be used optimally, as the applicant is actually ready to use it, and has recognised the extra costs connected to carrying out a project or investing in new equipment Ensures openness and transparency. Typical contribution from the host institution Working hours - Research team managers, supervisors, clinical research coordinators and other permanent employees of the project team - Secretary or IT support - Other TAP employees Operation, including equipment, facilities, computers and office expenses Operation and maintenance of equipment and apparatus Software licenses. Template for describing the own contribution The Department of XXX at the Faculty of XXX, University of Copenhagen, will cover the following: Salary costs for In addition, [name] will contribute to the project with working hours in the form of (clinical responsibility, participation in the project steering committee, supervision more). The Department of XXX at the Faculty of XXX, University of Copenhagen, will also cover operational costs such as Listed expense items do not require funding from external grants. 23
The foundations evaluation of the budget Each foundation obviously has its own procedures for and approach to assessing the budget. However, most foundations include the following aspects in their considerations: There is a clear connection between the described project, the timetable for the project and the submitted budget. The budget is realistic: The budget items do not seem to have been overestimated or underestimated and all relevant budget items (and only those) have been described. The budget is both clear and transparent. It seems realistic that the other external funds can be raised (estimated from the plan to apply to other foundations, grants already awarded, own financial contribution and of course the quality and relevance of the project). The own contribution from the host institution has been specified. Summary of chapter 2 Preparing the project description, timeline and budget In this chapter, you have been presented with a review of how to prepare and draw up the project description, timelines and budgets. By preparing a pitch for your project and incorporating this into the project description, summary, cover letter etc., you will sell your project and create an interest at the foundations. A well-written project description must document the scientific rationale for the project and show your academic insight. A good project description contains the background for the study including state of the art, the objective and hypothesis of the project, material and methods as well as a description of data analysis, the ethical aspects, project management and organisation. The project description must also contain a description of implementation and expected gains from the project. Most foundations will have significant focus on the actual impact of the project. By making your project clear, you illustrate an overview of the project, which makes it appear thought through and credible. At the same time, the evaluators get a better understanding of the project. Providing timelines will enhance the clarity of the project and will serve to illustrate the connection between the project description and the budget. The budget must be thoroughly prepared, and you should provide an overview of all costs that the project will generate. These are split into costs that are covered by the workplace (own contribution) and costs that needs to be covered through external funding. The contribution from the workplace should only be described in words, unless you are specifically requested to provide pricing. Pricing the own contribution is only based on an estimate, which is not to be regarded as binding or to be subject to an audit. Update the budget whenever you receive a grant, so that you have an overview of the remaining funding requirement at any time, as well as the items that have been covered and those that still require funding. 24