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TOMMY'S THE BABY CHARITY
Nicholas House
3 Laurence Pountney Hill
London EC4R 0BB
Charity Registration No. 1060508

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

Applicants should submit a concise and well-presented application; failure to follow the correct format will result in the application's return. Please use single spacing throughout the form, in a font size no smaller than 12 point. The format of the application should not be altered.

Please remember to provide a separate A4 sheet giving a layman's explanation of the project. This must include: why the project is necessary, how it will be carried out, its wider context and overall goals and the relevance of any equipment required. Please ensure that layman's terms are maintained throughout, and that no complex medical or scientific terms are used.

Please read the Grant Agreement carefully prior to application, as these terms and conditions apply to all grants funded by Tommy's.

On completion of your application, please send one copy via email to grants@tommys.org, and post the original along with 15 copies to the Grants Administrator at the address listed above.

1.   Applicant's contact information: All applicants must be on one front sheet.
2.   Institution/s: Must be on one front sheet within space provided.
3.   Title of Project: This should be as brief as possible and relevant to the work undertaken. Please state if it is an extension of an existing Tommy's grant.
4.   Abstract of Research: This should clearly state the objective(s) of the study. Please try and fit in space provided, otherwise use a separate sheet, but do not exceed 250 words.
5.   Proposed duration and proposed starting date: Is the work focused or open-ended? Will you know when it is finished and when you will have an answer to the questions asked? Projects are usually one - two years in length. Do not apply for a one-year grant if a two-year one is required; automatic refunding is not guaranteed.
6.  

Support Requested: This should be as accurate as possible, and should includeinflation adjustment. The advice of the Finance Officer must be sought in preparing the estimate of expenditure. Tommy's is not able to consider supplementary grants. Travel expenses may be included if they form part of the research proposed.

Please indicate clearly the number of staff requested and their grade. Allowances should be made for employee's and employer's contributions for superannuation and National Insurance.

When giving costs, applicants should allow for annual increments on the current salary scale but should not include any estimated future national pay awards.
7.   Other Support: Full details of support from any other source related to this application, including its amount and origin, must be indicated.
8.   Patentability of Proposed Research: Results of the research work must not be put to any commercial use without the express permission of the Chief Executive of Tommy's.
9.   Details of other Expenses and Apparatus: Detailed costs of consumables must be provided, not merely a rounded total. It is expected that the cost of heat, lighting, office equipment and administrative costs will be met by the host department. Applications for major items of equipment will be considered when supported by an adequate research protocol. Charges for servicing to equipment should be included if these are relevant. If similar equipment is available in the department in question, this should be reported and an explanation given as to why it cannot be used for the project. VAT should be excluded from the cost of the equipment. Copies of invoices for equipment must be sent to Tommy's.
10.  

Proposed Investigation: Applicants submitting their first research project are strongly advised to seek the guidance of someone with experience in making a grant application and include him or her as a co-applicant. Clinical projects with a scientific component should include a scientist as an applicant and vice versa. If no clinician is mentioned on the application form, applicants should make it clear how they intend to obtain clinical samples.

If a pilot study has been undertaken, details of the results should be included.

Applicants must submit the scientific statement on their proposed investigation under the following headings:

i)   Purpose and Background of Proposed Investigation
    This should be self-contained so that a referee should not need to refer to journals.
ii)   Plan of Investigation and Methods to be Used
    Applicants should clearly describe details of proposed studies to be undertaken, the methods to be employed (paying particular attention to any technique that is new or not well known), the number of experiments proposed (and validation of this figure), the availability of patients (if relevant) and the estimated time required to complete the study. The level of expertise of the applicant and of colleagues who will be involved in carrying out the proposed methodology should be indicated. If appropriate, evidence of statistical advice should be given.

Please limit i) and ii) above and references to six A4 pages. Applications exceeding this will be returned. All applications must have a stated hypothesis.
11.   Justification: Please justify your specific request, not in terms of its wider scientific interest or your interest in the subject, but with reference to your need for the quality of equipment, or grade of the researcher requested, i.e. Why is a postdoctoral research assistant needed rather than a technician? Why is one colour computer preferable to a cheaper model? If live animals are involved in the project, a full justification must be given for the number required.
12.  

Ethical Approval: This must consist of a letter from the committee and not simply reassurance that approval is being sought. Do not send in an application without ethical approval. Please attach the letter of approval behind the CVs. Where clinical trials or investigations involving human subjects are intended, the approval of the appropriate ethics committee must be obtained. In the case of projects involving the use of radioisotopes in man, the applicants should seek special approval of an authorised Isotopes Advisory Panel. Applications will not be considered without documentary evidence of such approval.

Use of Animals: Tommy's would prefer the use, wherever possible, of procedures and techniques that avoid the use of animals and where this is not possible, the minimum number of animals that will give valid results in any experiment should be used. It is required that all general and local regulations relating to the use of experimental animals will be observed. Does your institution have an Animal Care and Use Committee and if so, has the proposed experiment received its approval? The Certificate of Designation licence number, personal licence number and project licence number must be included in the Signature of Applicants section (number 18).
13.   Suggested Referees: The nominated referees will not necessarily be consulted and Tommy's reserves the right to consult referees of their own choosing. PleaseInclude telephone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses for each referee.
15.  

Other organisations that have considered / are considering this application: If the application has been submitted to any other source please indicate the date by which a decision is expected. If available, please include ratings or other reviewers' comments.
17.  

Curriculum Vitae: Applicants own CVs must be submitted and where possible the CVs of any research assistant(s). Each CV should be condensed to one A4 sheet.

Requests for Extensions: Extensions are not normally considered but applicants may put in a new proposal for consideration if they wish to continue their work. This proposal will be considered in competition with all other applications and should include a report on the work undertaken to date. The application to extend should take the same format as a new application, stating that it is an extension, using the guidelines in this document.

Layman's Explanation: A single A4 sheet is required stating why the project is necessary, how it will be carried out, its wider implications and what it hopes to achieve. Please also give a short explanation of the relevance of the apparatus. This should be written in the simplest possible language, try to avoid medical terms. Only one copy of this is required and must be kept separate from the application.
18.   Signatures of Applicants: No application can be accepted without full completion of this section by the applicant(s), his/ her Head of Department and the Finance Officer. Tommy's cannot accept direct or indirect clinical responsibility for injuries and illnesses sustained by patients as a result of the applicant's investigations.