Cardiovascular Early-Mid Career Researcher Grants

You must provide:

• a completed application form
• a list of references supporting the science
• project images
• evidence of career disruption, if applicable
• Aboriginal Health Impact Statement, using the NSW Health template, if applicable
• any other supporting documentation requested in the Grant Guidelines

Applicants must be:

• an early to mid-career researcher proposing cardiovascular research
• located in NSW and employed by an eligible host organisation for the 3-year duration of the grant
• an Australian citizen, permanent residency status or hold an appropriate visa for the 3-year duration of the grant.

All applications for funding that meet the eligibility criteria will be assessed against the following selection criteria. In addressing the selection criteria, applicants should specifically highlight the relevance to cardiovascular research.

Applications should be written in plain English, as applications may be reviewed by a panel member with expertise in a different area to that of the application.

Chief Investigator (40%)

Applicants will be assessed on:

• academic and relevant clinical qualifications
• research, clinical and industry experience, including demonstrated capacity to work in multidisciplinary teams
• skills and experience directly related to the topic area(s) and methodology of the research project
• track record in research and research impact, relative to opportunity
• potential for the Chief Investigator to leverage this grant to gain research funding and fellowships from other funding bodies.

Research project (40%)

A clear and detailed description and justification for the project is required, including aims, methodology, and expected outputs and outcomes. The research project will be assessed against the following criteria:

• evidence of a gap in knowledge, provided by prior systematic reviews and/or gap analyses, and a clearly articulated need for the research
• how the proposed project will advance existing knowledge and why this is important
• the extent to which the proposed research is innovative and novel
• clarity of the research aim(s) and research question(s)
• strength, rigour and appropriateness of the research methodology in achieving the aims of the project
• consideration of priority population groups if relevant
• program logic, with the potential outputs and outcomes of the research and how the research will improve clinical practice and/or patient outcomes in the short or long term
• feasibility of successfully delivering the research project within the proposed timeframe
• the plan for research translation and impact, including consideration of data management and access, commercialisation and intellectual property where appropriate
• engagement with appropriate partners to support translation where appropriate
• the skills of the proposed research team that are relevant to the project, and each team member has the ability to contribute meaningfully to the research
• relationship to existing research undertaken by the host organisation and the research team 
• strong project governance structure with evidence of appropriate and sustainable relationships with key stakeholders including those who will likely use the research findings.

Budget
The budget should be detailed and well-justified and will be assessed on:

• appropriateness and purpose of each line item
• existing funding for the research, and how this relates to the additional funding requested
• other contributions and support for the project.

Skill development, leadership and capacity building (20%)

All applicants will be assessed on skill development, leadership and capacity building with slightly different emphasis between these components expected from early to mid-career researchers and senior researchers.

Early to mid-career researcher grant applicants will be assessed on skill development activities undertaken to date, and proposed skill development during the period of the grant. Activities undertaken should align with the researcher’s vision for their research career.

Examples of skill development activities that may be undertaken include:

• leading or participation in clinical quality assurance activities
• receiving regular formal mentoring
• attending training, for example in research skills or research leadership
• taking on leadership roles
• mentoring or supervising junior researchers
• involvement in collaborations, for example with other research groups or policy agencies
• active roles in relevant networks, advisory committees or governance groups
• collaboration with clinicians and others involved in translation of research findings.

Early to mid-career researchers in the 8-15 years post-PhD category should also include reference to leadership potential and capacity development, including:

• recruitment and retention of research staff
• building a program of research
• leading collaborations within NSW, Australia and internationally
• leading applications for national grant funding
• lead roles in relevant networks, advisory committees or governance groups.

Senior Researcher Grant applicants are asked to provide a vision for leadership and capacity development in research, taking into consideration the examples of skills development and capacity building given above, including:

• development of leadership skills during the researcher’s career to date, and the contributions and impacts of this leadership in NSW
• how these will be further developed during the period of funding, and what the outcomes of this will be
• how the grant and the applicant will help to build and maintain capacity in cardiovascular research in NSW.