How To Apply For Funds

The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the OCF was established in order to oversee the process of grant fund allocation for scientific project applications received from researchers interested in any aspect of Oesophageal Cancer. The SAC reports to the Trustees of the OCF. The Trustees determine when and how much funding is to be made available and the SAC is responsible for overseeing the application process from announcement of call for applications through to making its recommendations back to the Trustees. The primary role of the SAC is to ensure the scientific validity of the applications received.

A project grant will usually be awarded for a single study and run for one or two years. Typical funding for a project grant is in the region of €100,000. Programme grants are awarded for a period of three years and are designed to help fund infrastructural programmes of a national and collaborative nature that will provide future resources for further research.

Typical funding for a Programme grant is in the region of €300,000 – €500,000. Funding will only be made to institutions and not to individual researchers.

A call for research applications will be advertised in the national news-papers and through the relevant professional organisations. A closing deadline for receipt of applications will be set at a minimum of four weeks after the date of advertisement. Applications will be not be considered after the deadline is set. Template forms for applicants are downloadable here. When a call is made for a Programme Grant the applicant will be required to submit a full application and all applications meeting the criteria and documentation in order will be reviewed by the SAC and sent for Peer Review. In the case of a call for Project Grants the applicant will be requested to submit a summarised outline application in the first instance. After review by the SAC, selected applicants will be requested to complete a full formal application that will be sent for Peer Review before a decision is subsequently made by the SAC.

The Peer Review process obtains a structured objective assessment of each application by three independent academic clinicians with an international profile in the field of Oesophageal Cancer research. The primary role of the Peer Review is to obtain an independent assessment of the scientific validity and merits of each application within the context of the aims of the OCF. Secondarily, advice is obtained about suggestions for improving applications should funding be made available. Based on the outcome from the Peer Review process the SAC then makes its recommendation to the Trustees as to which project/programme best meets the search criteria, has scientific validity and is likely to deliver within budget and timeframe. The SAC aims to make its recommendation to the OCF Trustees within three months of the closing date for applications.

Successful applicants will be required to submit annual reports to the SAC outlining progress and accounts. Any outcomes from the research e.g. presentations and publications, will be required to be notified to the OCF and funding from the OCF acknowledged. In the case of Programme Grants the continuance of the funding from year to year will be dependent on the review of the annual report form the research team to the SAC.