Innovative Diabetes Quality Improvement Grants 2024/2025

Description

The University of Toronto’s Banting & Best Diabetes Centre has established a new funding opportunity aimed at healthcare professionals who wish to pursue innovative projects for improving the quality of diabetes care. Up to two grants will be made available for this competition. This program provides funding of up to $10,000 per application for projects which are a maximum of one year in length. It is intended to support scholarly and innovative research initiatives in the following general areas:

1. Quality improvement in diabetes care
2. Patient safety in diabetes care

This program is designed to encourage new academic research activities.  Specifically, we invite applications from frontline healthcare professionals such as clinicians, nurses, dietitians, social workers, pharmacists, etc., working in the University of Toronto’s fully affiliated, associate affiliated, and community affiliated institutions. Applications from interprofessional teams are encouraged.

It is intended that this program will generate information directly applicable to the management of individuals or populations with diabetes.. Successful applicants are encouraged to utilize the results of the project as the foundation for a peer-reviewed publication.

This funding is not to be used as bridging or emergency funding, nor is it intended to support ongoing studies.  It may, however, support a new direction of a previously funded project

(For information on how to design and implement a QI project , please view the QUEST Program’s three e-learning modules which were created to help healthcare providers improve their knowledge of QI. Learn the steps and methodology needed to get a QI project started and to ensure a high likelihood of success. The e-learning modules are accredited by the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada and are available on the QUEST website.)

Eligibility

• The principal applicant must be a healthcare professional working full-time at a University of Toronto affiliated institution at the time of application submission. Examples of eligible applicants include clinicians, clinician-scientists, surgeons, nurses, dietitians, social workers, pharmacists, and others working in diabetes care. Interprofessional teams are encouraged.
• Healthcare professionals at University of Toronto’s fully, associate, and community affiliated institutions are eligible to apply. (See Appendix 1 below for a complete list of eligible institutions.)
• The principal applicant must be eligible to hold a research grant as a principal investigator at their hospital/institution.
• The principal applicant must be a registered member* of the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre. (*Those who are new to the field of diabetes research, education or care and are not members of the BBDC can request free membership by contacting the Centre prior to submitting an application.  For more information about BBDC membership, please view the Membership section of this website.)
• Project team members other than the principal applicant are not required to be BBDC members, nor do they need to hold a principal investigator appointment at their hospital/institution.
• The proposed QI project must be conducted at one of the affiliated institutions listed in  Appendix 1.
• Those not eligible to apply as principal applicant: Clinical or research fellows, medical residents, graduate students, research associates, research technicians, clinical trial coordinators, and those who are not eligible to apply for and hold a research grant at their hospital research institute.

Areas of Support

Examples of projects that could be considered for funding, however, proposals are not restricted to these examples:

• QI projects to improve in-patient diabetes care
• QI projects to improve virtual diabetes care
• QI projects to improve screening for diabetes complications
• QI projects to reduce episodes of severe hypoglycemia in those at risk
• QI projects to enhance patient engagement with the diabetes care team

Examples of projects NOT eligible for funding:

• Basic science research
• Clinical research or drug trials
• Continuing education of health professionals
• Operating costs of management or treatment programs
• Bridge or continuation funding for ongoing research studies

Applicants who are uncertain if their project would be considered eligible for funding are encouraged to contact the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre prior to submitting an application.

Relevance to Diabetes

The proposal must have direct relevance to diabetes.

Amount

Up to $10,000 will be awarded to successful applicants.

Funding Period

One year funding period commencing on July 1, 2024. All grant recipients must be prepared to begin the project on July 1, 2024. Research Ethics Board approvals (if any) must be obtained by July 1. Failure to initiate project by this date may result in funding withdrawal.

Eligible and Ineligible Expenses

Eligible Expenses:

• All supplies, materials and services related to the research project
• Software required for the project (e.g., statistical programs)
• Payment to staff or student trainees (e.g., summer students or graduate students) involved in the project
• Dissemination of the research findings (e.g., publication expenses; poster presentation)
• Travel for one project team member to present the results of the project at one conference

Ineligible Expenses:

• Payment to medical residents
• The purchase of equipment including computers/laptops
• Use of funds for the principal applicant’s salary
• Travel and conference expenses for the principal applicant or team members (except student trainees or residents)
• Patient expense reimbursement or compensation
• Institutional overhead fees

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Quality of the project description
• Relevance to diabetes
• Feasibility and likelihood of success (based on alignment with priorities and resources required)
• The potential impact of the project if successful (including dissemination plan)
• Appropriateness of the budget
• A minor component of the evaluation will be based on other factors that the reviewers consider relevant to this competition.

Application Process

Submit a completed application to the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre by the application deadline date. See the application form for submission instructions.

Download the 2024/2025 Innovative Diabetes Quality Improvement Grant application form and submission instructions (PDF)

Application Deadline

Applications must be received by 4 p.m., January 24, 2024.  Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Notification

All applicants will be notified of the funding decisions in March 2024.  Funding decisions will also be posted on the BBDC’s website.

Other Terms

Research Ethics Approvals: If this project involves human subjects or data collected on human subjects, the principal applicant will be required to obtain Research Ethics Board (REB) approval(s) from their institution by the time of funding commencement on July 1, 2024. Approvals are not required to be submitted with this application; however, funds will not be released to successful applicants until all approvals have been obtained or a waiver of REB approval has been granted.

Funding Overlap: The principal applicant and team members are required to inform the BBDC of any related support currently held or applied for from other funding sources which overlaps with the submitted BBDC Innovative Diabetes Quality Improvement Grant. In the event that a successful BBDC QI grant recipient is offered funding by another source, the applicant must notify the BBDC in writing within 2 weeks of receiving the offer. The applicant must accept funding from the other source.

Acknowledgement: Support from the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre Innovative Diabetes Quality Improvement Grant must be acknowledged in all publications, presentations and communications that arise from this funding.  Failure to acknowledge this support will result in future ineligibility for BBDC funding programs.

Reporting

Successful applicants are required to provide the BBDC with a financial statement and detailed written report within three (3) months of the end of the funding period. The report must include the following:

• A description of the project and results to date.
• Whether or not any publications were generated as a result of this funding.
• If so, was the BBDC’s support acknowledged in the publications?
• A copy of all manuscripts published and submitted must be attached to the written report.
• Did the BBDC’s support lead to any new grants/funding for this project?
• If so, from which agencies/sources was funding received?
• A detailed financial statement must be forwarded to the BBDC directly from the institution’s finance department itemizing expenses and showing the final balance

Failure to provide either the written report or financial statement will result in future ineligibility for BBDC funding programs.

Inquiries

Sanam Tajadod
Phone: (416) 978-3498
E-mail: [email protected]

Appendix 1

Institutions Affiliated with the University of Toronto: