Information for Grant Applicants
Grant Application Submissions
In 2010, AFSP will initiate one annual grant application receipt date, December 1, for all applications.
GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE
REVIEW
CYCLE | DUE
DATE | REVIEW
DATES | FUNDING
DECISIONS | EARLIEST
START DATE |
| All Grant Mechanisms | December 1 | March -
April | May | July |
Click here for a print copy suitable for posting.
APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED SOLELY IN PAPER FORM. AN ELECTRONIC COPY MUST BE INCLUDED.
AFSP has two unique web addresses for grant activities:
- grants@afsp.org are for all grant submissions and questions related to grant submissions.
- grantsmanager@afsp.org are for all correspondence and report submissions from funded applicants. All forms for grant activation, financial report and progress reports must be downloaded from this website.
Eligibility
AFSP research grants support studies that aim to increase understanding of the causes of suicide and factors related to suicide risk, or to test treatments and other interventions designed to prevent suicide. Investigators from all academic disciplines are eligible to apply, and both basic science and applied research projects will be considered, providing the study has an essential focus on suicide or suicide prevention. AFSP grants are awarded for one or two-year periods. Grant applications are not accepted from for-profit organizations, or from federal or state government agencies.
A currently funded grantee may not submit a new application until completion of the ongoing grant and submission of a Final Report within the prescribed period (i.e., 60 days following grant completion or termination).
New grantees must begin their studies within six months of the approved start date. Failure to begin the study within this time frame may result in withdrawal of the grant award.
Please be aware that AFSP expects that funded investigators will assist us in the important task of disseminating new research finding to our lay constituents and donors, who are largely responsible for generating financial support for our research grants program. Following completion, an investigator may be invited to present their study’s results at an AFSP-sponsored research forum, and your acceptance of the AFSP grant funding implies your willingness to do this, if asked.
Applicants should carefully review the grant policy statement for additional guidelines and restrictions. Grant applications that do not conform to the stated policies will not be reviewed. Forms for grant applications can be obtained by using the links below.
A grant may only be resubmitted twice.
Grant Categories
AFSP offers six types of research grants:
- Distinguished Investigator Grants for up to $100,000 over two years are awarded to investigators at the level of associate professor or higher with an established record of research and publication on suicide.
- Standard Research Grants for up to $75,000 over two years are awarded to individual investigators at any level.
- Linked Standard Research Grants for three or more sites of up to $225,000 over two years are awarded to investigators at any level.
- Young Investigator Grants for up to $85,000 over two years are awarded to investigators at the level of assistant professor or lower. In addition to a maximum of $75,000 for the investigator’s research, these grants provide an additional $10,000 ($5,000 per year) for an established suicide researcher who will mentor the Young Investigator.
- Postdoctoral Research Fellowships for up to $100,000 over two years are awarded to investigators who have received a Ph.D., M.D., or other doctoral degree within the preceding six years and have not had more than three years of fellowship support. Fellows receive a progressive stipend of $42,000 in the first year and $46,000 in the second, with an institutional allowance of $6,000 per year.
- Pilot Grants for up to $30,000 over one or two years are awarded to investigators at any level. These grants provide seed money for new projects that have the potential to lead to subsequent larger investigations.
Grant Application Funding and Reporting Cycle
New grantees must begin their studies within six months of the approved start date. Failure to begin the study within this time frame may result in withdrawal of the grant award.
Grant Initiation
Following notification from AFSP that your grant application will be funded, you will be required to submit the following to AFSP, at grantsmanager@afsp.org, or fax to (212) 363-6237:
- IRB approval: We will need a letter from your institution's IRB indicating review and approval of the specific protocol that AFSP has approved for funding. This letter must be dated within 12 months of the actual start date of your grant. Also, please be sure that the title of the project referred to in your IRB letter matches exactly the project title on your application and that the IRB approval for the project is in your name. If changes have been made to the original protocol based on the recommendations of the Research Grants Committee or for any other reason, it must be clear that the IRB has seen and approved these changes.
- Financial Information Form: Please indicate on this form the individual at your institution to whom grant payments should be sent. Payments will be made on a quarterly basis, throughout the grant period. Also, it is important that you communicate with your grants officer regularly. (Download form)
- Updated Timeline: On this form, please ensure that your timeline is compatible with the intended start date and shows the expected dates for major project activities. (Download form)
- Confirmation-of-Readiness Form: Once the above materials have been or are ready to be submitted, and all personnel and other necessary arrangements have been made, please sign and return this form attesting to the project's readiness to begin. (Download form)
Grant Continuation Requirements
Your first grant payment will be made as soon as we receive the materials listed in the section above. Subsequent payments will be made contingent upon receipt of:
Grant Closeout
Within 60 days of the end date of the grant period AFSP must receive:
- Final Research Report (Download form)
- Final Financial Report -- the final payment will not be made to the Institution until this report has been filed with AFSP. (Download form)
It is expected that the research results of the work supported from AFSP will be published in appropriate scientific journals and that the support from AFSP will be acknowledged. In addition the grantee is responsible to send AFSP a PDF copy of the publication.
Any deviation in the use of funds or direction of the research needs to be approved in advance by the research director. A letter counter signed by the financial officer, (and mentor if appropriate) should be sent to the research director by regular or email.
Grant Policy Statements and Application Forms
Frequently Asked Questions
- Overall, is the competition increasing for AFSP grants?
Yes. The number of grant applications received has increased markedly in recent years and funding is becoming more competitive. - Do some types of grants have a better chance of being funded by AFSP than others?
AFSP does not set a quota for the number of grants in each category (Distinguished Investigator Grants, Young Investigator Grants, etc.) that will be funded in a particular cycle. Rather, grants are selected for funding based on their individual merit. Applicants should select the grant category that is most appropriate to their level of research experience and to the type of research proposed. A relatively new investigator who has had a number of years of formally or informally mentored research experience may be more favorably considered for a Standard Research Grant than for a Young Investigator Grant, for example. - Are certain topics given priority over others?
Currently, AFSP does not give priority to any particular research topics. All proposals, however, are judged for relevancy to existing needs in suicide research, as were identified in the Institute of Medicine report (2002). - The topic I'm proposing to study has implications for understanding suicide, but is more directly focused on an underlying condition, such as depression or other mood disorder, or a neurobiological dysfunction. Is such a topic appropriate for an AFSP grant?
The AFSP research grants program is designed to support studies that have the greatest potential to advance knowledge of suicide and suicide prevention, and all grant applications are judged on their relevance to this mission. Basic research, as well as mood disorders research, may well be relevant, but it is the task of the applicant to clearly articulate how the study will contribute to better understanding or preventing suicide. Proposals that are not clearly related to suicide, no matter how scientifically sound, will generally not be funded. - What process does AFSP use for reviewing and making funding decisions about grant applications?
Procedures are explained in detail elsewhere on this website. (See How AFSP Funds Research). - Do grant applicants need to have a doctoral degree?
The AFSP research grants program is designed with postdoctoral investigators in mind, and almost all funded proposals are from applicants who have already received a Ph.D. or M.D. Exceptional proposals from pre-doctoral applicants will be considered within the regular grant categories, however. - Can international applicants apply for AFSP grants?
Yes, AFSP grants and fellowships can be awarded to applicants at institutions outside the U.S., as well as to international applicants who are working at U.S. institutions, providing they meet the general eligibility requirements described in the AFSP Policy Statement for each category of grant. - Can a research proposal submitted to AFSP also be submitted to another funding agency?
Yes, but the overlap between the research proposed in the AFSP application and research that has been, or will be proposed to any other funding agency or agencies must be clearly identified. This should be done in the Biographical Information form included in the application packet, under the category of Pending Support. It is the applicant's responsibility to inform AFSP of all applications for funding of research that overlaps with that proposed to AFSP, which are submitted after the AFSP application deadline and were not identified in the application. - If my proposed study is approved for funding by both AFSP and another agency, can I hold both grants simultaneously?
No, AFSP does not co-fund with other agencies. If the AFSP grant or fellowship is accepted, other offers of support for the same or substantially similar research must be declined. Failure to reveal another source of funding for the study will result in termination of AFSP support in the event that an award is made. - Do I need to have approval of my Institutional Review Board (or relevant committee for human subjects' protection) before sending in the grant application?
No, but the research proposal should be submitted for approval to the relevant committee at the sponsoring institution at the same time the application is sent to AFSP. This should be indicated on the Certification for Protection of Human Subjects form included in the application packet. If the grant is funded, it cannot begin until AFSP has received proof of IRB or human subjects' committee approval. - Should a full CV be included for each investigator on the proposed research?
No, CVs are not to be included in the application. Instead, relevant information from each investigator's CV should be abstracted and included in the Biographical Information form included in the application packet. - What types of expenses can be included in the budget? Are overhead or indirect costs allowed?
Allowable and non-allowable costs vary somewhat for each AFSP grant category and are outlined in the relevant Policy statements. The Foundation does not reimburse the sponsoring institution for any overhead or indirect costs associated with any of its grants or fellowships. The relevant Policy statement should be carefully reviewed by the applicant before the budget is prepared, as funds requested for non-allowable items will be subtracted from the grant total in the event that an award is made. - Can additional materials be included in an Appendix to the grant application?
Appendices are permissible but should be limited to data collection measures or instruments that are not likely to be known to reviewers, treatment manuals and other materials that are directly related to the proposed research. Letters of support from consultants or collaborators in the research should also be included in an appendix. - Have any common problems been identified by the grant reviewers that I should be careful to avoid?
In treatment research and other clinical studies, a frequent problem is the applicant's failure to address the issue of patient/subject availability. Recruitment and enrollment projections should be supported by empirical data, wherever possible. Since problems related to patient recruitment are the single most common reason for premature termination of grant projects, reviewers will give particular attention to this aspect of the proposal. - Do all applicants receive feedback from AFSP on their proposals?
All applicants will be informed of the funding decision and the final priority score (1.0-9.0) assigned to their application. Applicants who are not funded may request a written summary of the reviewers' comments, and AFSP will respond to such requests to the fullest extent allowed by its limited staff resources. Priority in providing feedback will be given to applicants whose priority scores indicate the greatest potential for successful resubmission. Letters responding to specific feedback provided by AFSP should be included at the beginning of any resubmitted applications. Reviewers consider the response to feedback as part of their evaluation of applications submitted. - When can I start my project? And what happens if the project is delayed?
The project can begin once the PI receives an email from AFSP that the following items have been received: 1) signed “confirmation-of-readiness” form 2) proof of IRB approval 3) start date and timeline 4) payee information for where to send the grant funds. If the project is delayed due to missing initial paperwork, the funding will be delayed as well. In March 2008, the Research Grants Committee decided that grants that do not start within six months of the award date will be withdrawn. - Are there no-cost extensions?
AFSP does not give “no cost” extensions. If a grant is behind in subject recruitment, subject follow-up, materials procurement, or for any other reason, AFSP may, upon review, extend the grant period and the grant payments. That is, grants not making adequate progress will have funding suspended until progress has been shown. In some instances, if the review determines that progress will not be made, funding is withdrawn altogether. In all cases, progress reports and financial reports must be submitted semi-annually in order to continue funding. If additional time is needed after all payments have been received (to prepare manuscripts, conduct additional data analyses, etc.), then a request must be made to AFSP for an extension. If granted, this will extend the period up to one year to give the PI time to submit a final report. Otherwise, final reports are due 60 days after the conclusion of the project. A final report is necessary for future funding of another grant.
Young Investigator Grants
- Is it possible to have two mentors on a Young Investigator Grant? I am bringing together two bodies of knowledge and will be getting help from an expert in both fields.
The one individual whose expertise and experience is most relevant to the proposed research should be identified as the mentor, and designated to receive the mentor's fee. An additional expert who will be involved in the study should be listed on the budget page as a consultant, with the fee to be paid. The role of each consultant should be described in the Budget Justification section of the application. - Can fringe benefits be requested for the mentor on a Young Investigator Grant?
No, the mentor's fee is limited to $5,000 for each year of the study (maximum $10,000). - Can the mentor fee be waived?
Yes, but if the mentor waives his/her fee, these additional funds cannot be added to the grant budget. It is a $75,000 grant.
Resubmitted Applications
- Are there any different procedures for resubmitting an application that was not funded in an earlier cycle?
Resubmissions are encouraged only in those cases where the applicant has received a summary of the reviewers' comments and believes that the key concerns and recommendations can be adequately addressed. In resubmitting the application, the applicant should include a cover letter, identifying the original title of the application and date of submission, as well as the priority score received. The letter should succinctly detail how each of the reviewer concerns and recommendations has been addressed in the revised application. If a particular recommendation has not been followed, a clear explanation should be presented. - Are resubmitted applications sent back to the same reviewers who evaluated the original application?
Wherever possible, the reviewers are the same. - Are resubmissions funded at a higher rate than original applications?
Yes, but when the applicant adequately addresses the reviewers' concerns about the original application, the chance of being funded is generally good. However, if key concerns appear to have been overlooked or dismissed without discussion, reviewers frequently give the resubmission a less favorable priority score than the original application. - How many times can a grant be resubmitted?
Grants can be submitted a maximum of three times: 1) initial submission 2) first resubmission and 3) second resubmission.
