Guidelines for Proposals for Research Grants

Focus Areas

This call for research proposals addresses the coordination or transition of care and services from one provider to another, one health care facility to another, or from a health care facility to home in a rehabilitation patient population. The ARN white paper, Essential Role of the Rehabilitation Nurse in Facilitating Care Transitions (Camicia et al, 2014), should serve as a catalyst in the development of research questions that address care transitions and coordination of services in the rehabilitation patient population.

Eligible Applicants

The principal investigator (PI) for the research grant must have a research doctorate or be enrolled in a research doctoral program, be a registered nurse who is active in rehabilitation or who demonstrates interest in and significant contributions to rehabilitation nursing. Preferences will be given to members of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN).

Responsibilities of Principal Investigator

  • Completion of the project within 2 years of initial funding;
  • Submission of a progress report to the RNF Research Fund Committee every 6 months until the research project is completed (see report format);
  • Submission of a manuscript[[TEAM: LINK TO JOURNAL SUBMISSION]] presenting the findings to Rehabilitation Nursing journal, within 2 years of completed research;
  • Presentation of a paper or poster pertaining to the research at an ARN educational conference within 1 year of completed research; and
  • Acknowledgment in any publication, paper, or poster that the research was supported by the Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

Required Information

Prepare the proposal according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). The proposal narrative is limited to 10 typed, double-spaced pages using 12-point, Times New Roman font, 8 ½” x 11” paper with 1 inch margins. Sections not included in the 10-page proposal are references, project budget, appendices, and RNF required forms.

The following RNF forms/materials are required and must be completed upon submission:

  1. Research Checklist – the form verifies inclusion of all required materials
  2. Summary Data Form – the form includes title of the study and contact information of PI and co-investigators.
  3. Administrative Approval Form – the form indicates that the principal investigator (PI) has his or her employer’s approval to conduct the proposed study.
  4. Abstract Form –using the form, the abstract must be typed, double-spaced, limited to 350 words, and should address the purpose and significance of the research, the research methodology, and the plan for analysis.
  5. IRB Approval Letter - the IRB or Protection of Human Subjects Committee approval letter may be pending at the time of submission, but written approval must be received by ARN before any funds will be awarded.

Submission Requirements

  1. Submit the entire packet electronically as a single pdf file.
  2. Complete all proposal materials. Incomplete proposals will not be considered.
  3. Email proposals to:
    Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation
    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  4. Deadline - Proposals must be emailed by March 1, 2018 (Noon Central Time).
    Proposals received after this time will not be considered. An email confirmation will be sent within 48 hours of receiving your proposal. There are no exceptions to the deadline based on failure to receive application materials.

Evaluation Procedures

Proposals will be reviewed by members of the Research Fund Committee members and a peer review panel. Proposals will be rated according to the NIH criteria for proposal review. For more information see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/peer_review_process.htm. The Research Fund Committee members will make funding recommendations to the RNF Board of Trustees. The RNF Board of Trustees has the final authority on funding decisions.

All applicants will be notified of the disposition of their proposals after action by the RNF Board of Trustees. Principal investigators will receive a summary critique of their proposal from the review Committee.

Notification of Award

Grant recipient(s) will be notified in July 2018. Public announcement of the grant recipient will be made by the RNF Chair at the ARN educational conference. RNF requests that the recipient does not publicly announce receipt of the grant until after the ARN educational conference.

Funds will be awarded to the institution, agency, or investigator at the discretion of the RNF Board of Trustees and will be based on the recommendations of the Research Fund Committee. The strategy for funding proposed by the principal investigator will be considered in the decision. Proof of review and approval the Human Subjects Review Board or Institutional Review Board (IRB) from the PI’s institution must be received by ARN before any funds are awarded.

For more information, contact the Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation office at 800.229.7530 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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