The aim of the ISRRT Research Fund is to promote research that helps improve the standards of delivery and practice of medical imaging and radiation therapy. The ISRRT Research Fund was set up in 2009 and a research proposal was funded the first time in 2010.
On behalf of the ISRRT Board, Dr Maria Law, Chair Person of the Grant Committee, is inviting applications for a research grant for 2012.
With the advancement of technologies in imaging and radiotherapy there are unknowns in the modern technology for technologists to explore. Hence this year the ISRRT Board decided to set the theme for the 2012 research fund application as, “The Heart of Modern Medicine”. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to present their research results at the next World Congress in Helsinki in 2014. The duration of the project will therefore be 1 or 2 years and research proposals that meet this above target will be given priority.
The closing date for submission of grant application is 30 April, 2012 and the funding decision will be announced by the end of July 2012.
The total grant for 2012 is £5000, with £2500 for 1-year projects or £5000 for 2-year projects.
ISRRT Research Fund
Purpose
To improve the standards of delivery and practice of medical imaging and radiation therapy throughout the world by research in the radiation medicine sciences is a mission of the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists (ISRRT). In the light of such mission and to promote evidence-based practice, the ISRRT has set aside a sum of money dedicated for funding research within the professional practice of radiographers, radiological technologists, radiation therapists, and nuclear medicine technologists.
Nature of projects
Research related to clinical, technical, professional, managerial and educational aspects of medical imaging and radiation therapy or radiological sciences. For this year, our theme is “the Heart of Modern Medicine”. Research topics related to the theme will be given higher priority.
Amount
The ISRRT will provide a research fund of maximum £5,000. It will be 2,500 for 1-year projects and £5,000 for 2 year-projects. The funding is to support the cost of research personnel (other than the applicants), consumables or accessories. The funding approved will depend on the nature and size of the project. Justifications for project costing are needed.
- The ISRRT does not pay institutional indirect costs, overhead costs or salary support for the principal investigator or co-investigators.
- Not more than £600 of the funding may be used for presentation of results of the project in an ISRRT conference. Use of funding for attending other conferences for presentation of results requires prior approval from the chair of the Research Funding Committee.
- Unexpended funding must be returned to the ISRRT.
Payment schedule
Funding, if approved, will be granted in two installments for 1-year projects and for three installments for projects of over 1 year.
- 1-year projects: The first installment of 60% of the approved grant funds will be paid upon signing of an agreement with ISRRT at the commencement of the research. The last installment of 40% will be paid upon successful presentation or publication and submission of the final report.
- Projects over 1 year: The first installment of 40% of the grant will be paid upon signing of an agreement with ISRRT at the commencement of the research. The second installment of 40% will be paid at mid-point of the project duration and the last 20% will only be paid upon successful presentation or publication and submission of the final report.
Eligibility
In order to meet eligibility requirements, the principal applicants must be:
- a qualified radiographer, radiologic technologist, radiation therapist, or equivalent for 2 years or more, AND
- a member of a society that is a member of the ISRRT in good standing for a minimum of 2 years, OR
- an associate member of the ISRRT for a minimum of 5 years.
- Applicants must hold a full-time or part-time position in a department of radiology, radiation oncology, or nuclear medicine or in an educational institution where training program for medical imaging, radiological science or radiation therapy is offered. If an applicant is not an employee but will become such when the project commences, an appointment letter from the department chair or manager attesting to this appointment must be submitted.
- Applicants must not have been a principal investigator on grant amounts totaling more than £20,000 in a single year. The restriction on prior funding includes support from single or combined grants or contracts from any source including government, private or industrial/commercial sources.
- Applicants/co-investigators must not be agents of any for-profit, commercial company.
- Applicants may not submit more than one research grant application per year as principal investigator or co-investigator.
- Acceptance of an award from another source for the same project is prohibited.
- Recipients may not have concurrent ISRRT grants.
Funding Criteria
1. Preference will be given to applications that have direct relevance to the mission of ISRRT.
2. Proposals arising from the workplace will have priority over laboratory-based proposals.
3. Only proposals that are considered feasible within the proposed time frame and of sufficient quality will be funded.
4. Proposals which are likely to result in research-based publications or conference presentations will be preferred.
5. Proposals with supporting documents by institutions will have priority.
Final decision of the amount of funding will be subject to the approval of the Finance Committee.
Conditions
- Progress Reports
Recipients must submit an interim report to the chair of the Research Funding Committee every year after the commencement of the project until the completion of the project. Any deviations from the original approved proposal should be reported to the chair of the Research Funding Committee. A final report must be submitted to the ISRRT within 60 days after completion of the project. Failure to comply with the final report requirement (within 6 months after the proposed completion date) may lead to the withdrawal of the last 20% of the funding by the ISRRT.
- Record of expenditure
The principal investigator (PI) has to account for all the grant money already spent on the project with receipts and/or payment vouchers, which may have to be submitted for checking on request and at completion of the project. The funding authority reserves the right to recover from the PI any grant money which has been improperly spent.
- Conference presentations/ publications
The research results will either be published in relevant academic journals or be presented at conferences, preferably in ISRRT conferences.
- Extension
An extension of the project up to a maximum of 12 months beyond the original ending date with no funding implication may be requested. A request for an extension along with a progress report must be made in writing to the chair of the Research Funding Committee. The request must state the reason(s) for the extension, length of the extension requested, and how the extension can help rectify the situation. Other requests for changes to the terms of an award should be addressed to the chair of the Research Funding Committee.
- Acknowledgement
ISRRT must be acknowledged as the funding source in any conference presentation or publications in relation to the research project funded.
- Intellectual property
All intellectual property created by the PI as a result of the funding is normally owned exclusively by the ISRRT unless in cases of shared funding sources, which will be negotiated between the parties involved.
