Guidelines

PURPOSE: The IWMF Research Grant Program is pledged to promote and support research leading to improved understanding of the cause, diagnosis, treatment, and cure for the disease Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia.

Submissions: Research proposals may be submitted at any time. Following a review process that may take up to three months, awards will be made to successful applicants.

Review Process: Research proposals are reviewed by scientists and/or doctors selected by members of the IWMF Scientific Advisory Committee. Their comments and recommendations are considered by the IWMF Research Committee which in turn forwards the comments on to the applicant for a response. Once the application is approved by the reviewers it goes to the IWMF Board of Trustees for funding decisions. Authors of proposals will be notified by the IWMF Research Committee as soon as a decision is made.  Prior to funds being awarded, a Grant Award Agreement is signed by the IWMF President and Treasurer and is then sent to the research institute for signature by the appropriate, authorized financial officer. A Project Liaison Officer will be appointed by the IWMF Research Committee. This person is the IWMF point of contact for the Principal Investigator regarding technical questions. The Project Liaison Officer is responsible for keeping the IWMF membership informed about the progress of the project.

Range of Grant Awards: IWMF anticipates funding grants in the range of $50,000 to $100,000, depending on complexity and goals and on the funds available for research projects. However, grants in excess of $200,000 have been awarded for certain projects.

Project length: IWMF anticipates research projects will have a 12 to 24 month project period, although projects with longer time periods have been approved.

Payment policy: IWMF payments are made on a six-month basis. The IWMF Treasurer will pay a pro rata amount for six months at the start of the project. Future payments will be made every six months after receipt of a six-month progress report. Five per cent of the last payment will be withheld until a final report is approved by the IWMF Research Committee. An addition of 8% of the actual costs is the maximum amount permitted for indirect costs.

Reporting requirements: Six-month progress reports in non-scientific language shall be submitted to the IWMF Project Liaison Officer by the Principal Investigator at the end of a period but no later than 30 days after the period ends. Such progress reports will describe the activities and findings of the previous six months and provide a plan for the next six-month period. A draft final report is required no later than two months after the project ending date which shall describe the results and findings as they relate to the stated goals of the project for the full term of the project.

Request Grant Application

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Review Criteria

The following is the list of review criteria used by the IWMF Scientific Advisory Committee to evaluate research proposals:

What is your analysis of the proposed project’s overall applicability to furthering scientific knowledge of the cause, diagnosis, treatment, or cure for the disease Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia?

Are the goals reasonable?

Is the technical approach valid?

Are key personnel sufficient in number and qualified to undertake this project?

Are there any particular strengths or weaknesses that should be highlighted?

Are you aware of any similar studies recently completed or ongoing that parallel this proposal or which would complement this proposal?

Is the budget reasonable and appropriate to costs for the proposed research activities to be performed?

Other comments on any aspect of the proposal you think should be noted.

Summary comments and recommendations to fund or not.

The IWMF Research Committee recommends that research studies utilizing WM or other patient samples for genomic characterization should, where possible, include correlation of findings with patient profiles and history. For example, study data that may produce gene expression, deletions, copy number errors, and other genomic data should be compared with patient characteristics and history, if such information is available. It is believed that this correlation will make the project more valuable to WM research.

For more information please contact:

Tom Myers, IWMF Vice President of Research
Fax: 301-387-9162
Cell: 301-616-9200
E-mail: