European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD)
and
LifeScan

European Studies on Glucose Monitoring

Request for Applications

EFSD and LifeScan
announce funding for clinical research grants
up to Euro 500,000

New Deadline Date: 15 April 2008

   Background

The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) was founded in Montecatini, Italy, in 1965. In 1999, the Association created the European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD). The aims of EFSD are to encourage and support research in the field of diabetes, to rapidly diffuse acquired knowledge and to facilitate its application.

For more than two decades LifeScan has been committed to improving the quality of life for people with diabetes. LifeScan helped bring blood glucose testing out of the laboratory and into the hands of patients. In 1986 Johnson & Johnson acquired LifeScan. Today, headquartered in Milpitas, California, LifeScan has more than 2500 employees worldwide.

   Programme

EFSD and LifeScan have established a Partnership for European Studies on Glucose Monitoring to encourage new projects aimed at advancing current knowledge in this domain. The Programme invites applications from non-profit organisations.

To achieve the goals and objectives of this Programme, EFSD and LifeScan invite applications by issuing this "Request for Applications" (RFA), which indicates joint funding as well as areas of research emphasis.

The EFSD/LifeScan Programme is intended to stimulate and accelerate European clinical research aimed at improved understanding of the optimal use of existing and the development of new glucose monitoring tools both in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Examples of suitable studies include:

• impact of glucose monitoring on diabetes outcomes (especially in type 2 diabetes) and/or diabetes therapy (including but not limited to: compliance, quality of life);
• optimal/appropriate frequency of testing in different target populations (and the value of preprandial versus postprandial testing);
• development and assessment of new measures of glycaemic control including glycaemic variability, and their clinical value, e.g. as predictors of hypoglycaemia and complications;
• new technologies in glucose monitoring (including but not limited to: continuous monitoring, minimal and non-invasive monitoring) and their clinical interest in diabetes practice;
• impact of glucose monitoring on health economics;
• physiology of alternative site testing (including but not limited to: differences in glucose concentration between different capillary beds of finger and alternative sites, differences between glucose concentration in blood, interstitial fluid and other compartments) and its impact on the use of glucose monitoring systems;
• informatics systems in support of glucose monitoring tools (including but not limited to: role of software, telemedicine, algorithms, expert advice systems);
• glucose monitoring in children;
• gestational diabetes glucose monitoring and early diagnosis;
• glucose monitoring as an educational tool;
• glucose monitoring in the hospital, especially in critically ill patients.

   Funding

Clinical research will be supported through the award of grants, totalling a maximum of Euro 500,000.

   Mechanism of Support and Review

Research will be supported through the award of grants. The duration of each award may be one year or longer, depending upon the needs of the project and as justified in the application, The Programme Board, on advisement from the Review Committee, may on occasion and at its discretion recommend an award in a lesser amount considered more appropriate for the proposed studies.

Applications for an EFSD/LifeScan grant are invited from single non-profit institutions or groups of such institutions from Europe and associated countries. The principal investigator and any co-investigators must be employed at a non-profit institution and the study must be performed at such a place of work.

Applications will be subject to scientific review by a specialised ad hoc committee. Funding will require approval by a joint EFSD and LifeScan Board convened for this purpose. It is anticipated that applications for the grant year 2008 will be received, reviewed and approved for funding by July 2008.

   Research Grant Applications

Applications for research grants may be subjected to pre-review (or triage) procedures. In this event, any application rejected at pre-review will not be subject to a complete scientific review. The deadline for receipt of research grant applications for funding is 15 April 2008.

All budgets are to be prepared in Euro for an amount of up to Euro 500,000 depending upon the needs of the project. For countries in which the Euro is not yet the common currency, the exchange rate (between the Euro and the local currency in the country where the work is to be performed) used for calculating the Euro budget must be mentioned under "Budget Justification". EFSD and LifeScan reserve the right to increase or decrease approved funding in Euro amounts to compensate for any significant change in the exchange rate.

Application forms may be requested from:

Foundation@easd.org

All applications must be prepared on the official forms and completed in strict accordance with the detailed instructions to be found on these forms. In particular, applicants are reminded that any pages in addition to the maximum of 10 allowed for the scientific section of the application will be deleted prior to review. Similarly, no applications using a font or line-spacing smaller than that defined in the instructions will be considered for review. Additional material (in the form of an appendix, attachment, reprints, etc.) will not be accepted.

Applications should be submitted by post no later than 15 April 2008 (date of receipt) to:

   Review Considerations

Completed applications will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria stated below for scientific/technical merit by an appropriate scientific committee convened by EFSD and LifeScan.

Review criteria are as follows:

• Significance: Does the study address an important problem in keeping with the goals and focus areas of this EFSD/LifeScan Partnership Programme? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of the proposed studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field?
• Approach: Are the conceptual framework, design, methods and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?
• Innovation: Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?
• Investigator: Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers, if any?
• Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed experiments take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?
• Budget: Is the requested budget appropriate for the proposed study?

   Reporting Requirements

All investigators funded by this Programme are required to submit a scientific report at the end of the funding period. Investigators must provide EFSD with copies of papers accepted for publication, and must acknowledge the support of the Programme in all written material by use of the phrase: "Supported by an EFSD/LifeScan research grant".

   Schedule