2024 PACT Grant-in-Aid Funding Opportunity

PACT Grant-in-Aid for Investigator-Led Pulmonary Fibrosis Clinical Research

Background
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Australasian Clinical Trials (PACT) Network is a collaboration uniting the
Centre for Research Excellence in Pulmonary Fibrosis, leading pulmonary fibrosis specialists, and
Lung Foundation Australia to design and deliver high quality clinical trials and studies that will
provide hope and improved outcomes for people living with pulmonary fibrosis.

PACT’s Mission is to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with pulmonary fibrosis and
improve the quality of life for people living with pulmonary fibrosis, their carers and families through
the facilitation and coordination of high-quality clinical research.

Invitation
In 2024, there is ONE (1) Grant-in-Aid opportunity valued at up to AUD30,000 to assist investigator
led pulmonary fibrosis clinical research. The objective of the PACT Grant-in-Aid is to facilitate high
quality clinical research in line with PACT’s Mission Statement
(https://pact.lungfoundation.com.au/about-pact/).

The PACT Grant-in-Aid Award is open to Health Professional PACT members (join here -
https://pact.lungfoundation.com.au/pact-membership/). Members may apply individually or as part
of a group, however collaborative studies are preferred.

Note that these funds can be used to support any stage of clinical research. Funds cannot be used
for preclinical research. In most cases, the PACT Grant-in-Aid is not intended to provide sole support
for the research activities. Instead, it is designed to act as seed money to obtain pilot data to support
attracting additional external funding; or as a top up Grant–in-Aid to assist with undertaking a
currently funded research project. For example, the Grant-in-Aid funding may be used to support:
 clinical trial coordinator costs not funded by existing grant funding;
 technical staff costs not funded by existing grant funding;
 additional laboratory work directly related to a discrete clinical research project;
 post-hoc statistical or bioinformatic analysis of a large dataset derived from a recently
completed clinical research project; and/or
 equipment/consumables directly related to a discrete clinical research project.

Information should also be provided on other sources of project funding and how the Grant would
be used if the application were to be successful. Preference will be given to applications which
demonstrate most clearly how the Grant-in-Aid will leverage existing funding or significantly
enhance the attractiveness of a subsequent grant proposal.

Applications will undergo peer-review with consumer input into the review provided by the CRE-PF
Consumer Advisory Group. If during the peer-review process the reviewing committee determine
there are no applications of suitable merit, PACT has a right to decline to award the Grant.

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PACT Grant-in-Aid 2024
Key Eligibility Criterion
The PACT Grant-in-Aid will be offered to an individual or group of individuals meeting the following
eligibility criterion:
 The applicant(s) must be a health professional PACT member(s)
(https://pact.lungfoundation.com.au/pact-membership/).
 The application must be for clinical research (i.e. involve study subjects and/or subject
clinical samples).
 The application must be for pulmonary fibrosis research (IPF, other idiopathic interstitial
pneumonias, sarcoidosis, pneumoconiosis etc.).
 The research must be investigator-led. Sponsored research will not be funded.
 The application can relate to new research or research which is already underway, however
preference will be given to applications where the impact of the PACT Grant-in-Aid is likely
to be greatest. Research which is already completed will not be funded.
 Early career researchers (ECR) - defined as within 5 years of PhD or equivalent - are
encouraged to apply (the track record component will be assessed relative to opportunity),
but must identify a suitable mentor/supervisor, provide these details in the application, and
attach a letter of support.

Conditions
1. The Grant will be competitive and open to Australian and New Zealand citizens/residents.
2. Applications should include a summary of the rationale for the study, the scientific design,
intended duration and whether or not it has gained ethical approval.
3. Applications should include a letter from the lead applicant’s Head of Department, providing
support for the project.
4. Applications should include a statement regarding current funding sources for the study.
5. Grantees are expected to commence their project within six (6) calendar months of being
awarded. If the award is not taken up within this timeframe the monies will be forfeited.
6. In applying for research funding from PACT, applicants must confirm that they will:
a. Ensure the ethical conduct of research under the Grant;
b. Identify any applications to other organisations for the same project;
c. Acknowledge the support of PACT and the CRE-PF in any publications (including
scientific articles, press releases and abstracts) arising from work carried out under
the Grant; and
d. Provide a Final Report on the funded work within 24 months of commencement of
the Grant, signed off by the lead investigator and supervisor if early career. Note
that completion of the funded work may not coincide with completion of the project
or trial in its entirety.
7. By virtue of the signature of the appropriate administrative officer on the application form,
institutions confirm that they will ensure:
a. That monies given by PACT will be administered by the institution only for the
purpose designated by PACT and in accordance with any directions given;
b. That physical facilities and infrastructure support will be provided and maintained to
allow research under the grant to proceed; and
c. That the applicant/s has/have the work time available to undertake the proposed
study when existing commitments are considered.
8. Any Grant will be conditional upon the relevant institution and the applicant(s) entering into
an appropriate form of agreement with PACT as to the disposition of the grant.
9. Recipients of Grants may be asked by PACT to present the results of the funded research at a
public symposium, in media or other promotional activity organised by PACT, or the Lung
Foundation.

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PACT Grant-in-Aid 2024
Assessment
An independent peer-review committee and Consumer Advisory Group will assess all applications.
Applications will be assessed using the following scoring system:

Criterion Weight
Originality of idea and impact of study 20%
Feasibility of Project, including Budget 20%
Appropriateness of Methods 20%
Track Record 20%
Consumer Score 20%
Total 100%

Review will incorporate scoring by the CRE-PF Consumer Advisory Group. Consumers will review
applications across four domains:
1. Importance of the problem addressed by the research.
2. Potential benefit for people with pulmonary fibrosis.
3. Feasibility of methods, including burden of participation.
4. Consumer involvement in research development.

Grant in Aid – Application Timelines

12th April 2024 Applications open

2nd June 2024 Applications close: applications to be submitted electronically by end of

Sunday 2nd June 2024
3rd June – 12th July Review period for applications and correspondence with applicants if
2024 required
15th-22nd July 2024 Notification period.
All applicants will be advised of the outcome by email.
Please note that notification may be delayed if the review process being
undertaken exceeds estimated time frame
26th-27th July 2024 Official recognition of award recipient at the ARLDSC 2024

PACT Contact details:

Ms Jennifer Walsh
Project Manager
Centre of Research Excellence in Pulmonary Fibrosis
The University of Sydney
Email: [email protected]

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PACT Grant-in-Aid 2024
 The PACT Grant-in-Aid for
Investigator-Led Pulmonary Fibrosis Clinical Research 2024
APPLICATION FORM
TO APPLY
i) Please complete ALL sections of this form.
ii) Use a minimum size 11 Calibri font.
iii) Breach of guidelines will deem the application not valid (Including font size and
references).

APPLICATION SUBMISSION AND ENQUIRIES

Your application documents must be saved as a single PDF file before submission.
Applications should be submitted to Jennifer Walsh, PACT Project Manager via
[email protected].

Please direct any submission enquiries to [email protected].

DEADLINE
Electronic submission to be dated no later than Midnight 2nd June 2024 (AEST).

APPLICANTS’ DETAILS
Title Dr Mr Mrs Ms Miss Other:
First Name
Last Name
Institution
Job Title
Work Address
Suburb State Postcode
Contact T: M: F:
Email:
Signature Date:

Title Dr Mr Mrs Ms Miss Other:

First Name
Last Name
Institution
Job Title
Work Address
Suburb State Postcode
Contact T: M: F:
Email:
Signature Date:

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PACT Grant-in-Aid 2024
 Title Dr Mr Mrs Ms Miss Other:
First Name
Last Name
Institution
Job Title
Work Address
Suburb State Postcode
Contact T: M: F:
Email:
Signature Date:

Copy and paste more tables as necessary.

IF LEAD APPLICANT IDENTIFIES AS EARLY CAREER – PROVIDE SUPERVISOR’S DETAILS:

Your Principal Supervisor (if applicable)
Title Dr Mr Mrs Ms Miss Other:
First Name
Last Name
Institution
Postal Address
Suburb State Postcode
Contact T: M: F:
Email:

Note: If lead applicant identifies as early career - defined as within 5 years of PhD or equivalent - a
letter on your institute’s letterhead is required to accompany this application. This letter must be
from your supervisor/manager and state that you have permission to undertake this research
project and have the required time and resource support to do so.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Project Details
Title
Expected commencement date
Expected completion date
Current funding source (if applicable)
Current funding amount (if applicable)
Current funding duration (if applicable)

1. Summary outlining how the PACT Grant-in-Aid will leverage existing work and/or substantially
improve the competitiveness of a subsequent grant application (Half [1/2] page maximum)

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PACT Grant-in-Aid 2024
2. Lay Description of the Research (Half [1/2] page maximum)

This lay description will be important for your project’s assessment by the CRE-PF Consumer
Advisory Group. The consumers will review all applications as described in the Assessment section of
the full application document.
A good lay summary will manage to make a connection with consumer concerns and experiences
while also articulating the research science clearly. It will clearly state the problem and potential
impact without using jargon and give a powerful sense of what inspired the research.

Thing to consider when writing a lay summary:

 Does it cover what, where, when, why and how?
 Is it short and free of jargon?
 Does it connect to people living with PF?
 Does it explain how the research fits into the bigger picture?
 Does it explain what you’re hoping to achieve (the study’s impact)?

3. Research Summary - Project rationale and design, scientific merit, appropriateness of methods
and feasibility (Two [2] page maximum)

4. Budget
(i) Proposed use of PACT Grant-in-Aid funding (Half [1/2] page maximum)

(ii) For currently funded studies – please provide the budget for the study. Include a
summary statement outlining how the PACT Grant-in-Aid will be used to bolster
existing funding. For studies which do not have current funding, please insert N/A.
(One [1] page maximum)

5. Lead investigator track record Relative to Opportunity statement (Two [2] page maximum)
Covering overall track record in the past 5 years:
 Career summary (qualifications, employment and appointment history)
 Contribution to the field of research
 Top 5 publications in the past 5 years including reasons
 National / international standing including invitations to speak, committee membership
 Peer review (granting bodies, journals / editorial roles)
 Research support including grants / fellowships
 Professional activities (committees, conference organisation / participation)
 Supervision and mentoring
 Collaborations
 Community engagement and involvement
 Translation of research into practice and health commercial outcomes (patents etc.)

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PACT Grant-in-Aid 2024
Checklist for Submission

Before submission, please make sure you complete the checklist:

Details ü

1. Confirmation of membership of PACT (health professional category) for

all applicants

2. Confirmation that all other eligibility criteria are met

3. Completed ALL sections of the standard application form (preceding
pages)

4. Head of Department letter providing support for the project

5. Documents to substantiate the application are included:

 Lead applicant Curriculum Vitae
 Supervisor letter of support if early career lead applicant

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PACT Grant-in-Aid 2024