Hearing Health Foundation
Hearing Restoration Project Policies

Updated November 20, 2017

           
I. GENERAL POLICIES AND OBJECTIVES


Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) awards grants once a year to members of the Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) consortium. A grant represents a mutual joining of interests on the part of HHF, the grantee, and his/her associated institution in the pursuit of a common goal of finding a biological cure for hearing loss through cell regeneration. In accepting a research grant, the institution and the applicant are responsible for using grant funds only for those purposes set forth in the application and approved in the HHF award letter.

The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), in conjunction with the HRP Scientific Director and HHF's Board of Directors, provides oversight and guidance to the HRP Consortium. The SAB, which comprises senior scientists in hearing science, regenerative biology, and related fields, evaluates HRP projects for funding and monitors the performance of funded projects against their goals. The Board of Directors has the ultimate authority and makes the funding decisions, relying firmly on the recommendations of the SAB and the HRP Scientific Director.  

 

II. SUPPORT OF A RESEARCH PROJECT TERMS & CONDITIONS

A. Approved Project: This is an identified activity or program of the HRP approved by HHF for support for a specified period of time.
B. Project Year: This is the one-year period for which funding is awarded. The project year may be extended up to one year without additional funding, if requested before the end of the initial project year by the applicant and approved by HHF. 

C. Project Period: This is the estimated length of time that it will take to complete the research project.

D. Awards: An Award will be made in an amount estimated to be needed for one project year.

E. Available Funds and Budget: Grant funds may only be used for the direct costs of carrying out approved projects such as:

  • salaries and fringe benefits of principal investigator, co-investigator, individuals with a doctoral degree, or technical and supporting personnel;

  • limited alteration and renovation of existing facilities;

  • purchase of equipment (tangible property costing $5,000 or more per unit));

  • open access or other submission (publication) costs;

  • supplies including reagents, animals, drugs, and services; and

  • other specifically authorized expenses that are essential to carry out the project.

If an institution requires an allocation for indirect costs, that amount may not exceed 5% of the total grant award excluding equipment.

Grant funds may not be used for:

  • travel;

  • living expenses;

  • rent;

  • reprints;

  • computers, including laptops

  • indirect costs exceeding 5% of project costs; and

  • public information, education programs or training costs (including tuition).

The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) in conjunction with the HRP scientific director and HHF's Board of Directors, will evaluate and approve the proposed itemized project budgets.

HHF expects that the applicant’s institution, in authorizing expenditures for the research project, will follow the budget approved within the application. The investigator and institution may transfer dollars from one budgeted category to another with specific approval from HHF and his/her institution within the categories specified by HHF. HHF must be notified within 30 (thirty) days and, a revised budget and justification of changes, as well as the approval from the Institution, should be provided to HHF for approval.

A request from the PI should also be provided to HHF explaining the changes between budgeted categories with justification for these changes. Any proposed change in the direction or budget of the project must first receive written approval from HHF. All obligations of grant funds must be incurred within the project year unless otherwise granted by HHF.

 

F. Publications & Publicity

  • Investigators are expected to make the results of their research promptly available to the scientific community. Acknowledgment of HHF support must be made when findings are reported to scientific audiences or scientific journals or when publicity is given to a project.

  • Publications resulting from work supported in whole or in part by HHF must contain a credit line to that effect. An electronic copy of the final publication should be submitted to HHF.

    • Researchers are expected to assist HHF with publicity efforts surrounding their publications and research; to encourage donor stewardship and meet HHF's fundraising needs for the HRP.

  • When a project is awarded, HHF has the right to publicize the goals and progress of the grant (when available) on its website, in its Annual Report, and through other public information vehicles in a manner compatible with journal publication

  • When speaking to the media, the HRP investigator should make his/her best effort to mention HHF and the HRP and encourage explicit acknowledgement of HHF and the HRP in any form of reporting, including digital, print, audio, and broadcast.

 

III. REPORTING AND PROJECT CHANGES

A.    Mid-Year Report: All HHF grantees are required to submit a mid-year grant report. If a mid-year report is late or not submitted, final payment to the institution will be withheld until the report is received. The mid-year report must be submitted in accordance with the instructions accompanying the report and via the Grant Management Portal

B.    Terminal Report: All HRP grantees must submit a Terminal and Expenditure report due 30 days after the termination of the grant in accordance with the instructions accompanying the report. Unless otherwise authorized by HHF, unexpended funds must be returned via mail to HHF (Hearing Health Foundation, 363 7th Ave, 10th Floor, NY, NY 10001) within 30 days of the end of the grant period, which is to be submitted via the Grant Management Portal.

C.     Budget Change Requests: All Budget Change requests must be submitted to HHF on letterhead, via email and through the Grant Management Portal.  The request must include the following:

  • Project and project year requesting a budget change;

  • Detailed changes to your budget; an Excel spreadsheet that documents the original budget versus the newly proposed one;

  • Rationale for the budget change;

  • A letter signed by an official in the institution’s grants office, department head, or other equivalent person.

D.    No-Cost Extensions: The investigator must request a no-cost extension on his/her institution's letterhead before the end of the initial project year. The request must be approved by HHF. The letter must include the reason for a no-cost extension and the duration of the extension. The project year may be extended, up to one year, without additional funding. Additional extensions beyond one year will need HHF approval.

All No-Cost Extensions must be submitted to HHF on letterhead, via email and through the Grant Management Portal.  The request must include the following:

  • Project & project year requesting a NCE;

  • Unexpended funds balance from original grant;

  • Rationale for the NCE;

  • Length of the NCE request, with specified end date;

  • A letter signed by an official in the institution’s grants office, department head, or other equivalent person.

 

E.     Transfer of Grant or Institution: Grants are given to the institution for the research projects and research needs of the investigator. The investigator (grantee) is part of the Hearing Restoration Project (HRP). If a grantee is unable to continue their research, the institution cannot transfer the funds to another researcher without written permission of both the HRP and HHF. A research grant can be transferred from one institution to another with the written approval of HHF. If a grantee wishes to have such transfer made, that grantee must:

  • request, in writing, the approval of HHF for the transfer;

  • provide HHF with the name and address of the fiscal officer of the new institution;

  • return to HHF of all unexpected funds received for the grant;

  • secure from the appropriate chairman at the new institution confirmation of the investigator's new appointment, and confirmation that the PI has access to facilities and personnel that will permit the prompt continuation and completion of the research project;

  • submit to HHF a progress report on the work done at the present institution since the beginning of the grant period.

F.     Change of Objective: To make changes that alter the approved objectives, prior approval of HHF is required.

G.    Change of Investigator: If the investigator relinquishes or expects to relinquish active direction of the project, HHF must be notified immediately. HRP awards may not be transferred to a different investigator, and if the investigator is unable to continue his or her work, then the grant is terminated and HHF must receive all unexpended funds as well as a final report of research.

 

V. LIMITATIONS

A. Time: Awards are approved for a period of one year.

B. Grant: HHF's policy is funding projects of considered high priority to the consortium, as well as projects that receive a high score from the SAB and the HRP board of directors. Awards are then made based on available funds. 

C. Non Tax-exempt organizations: Grants will be made to non-profit, tax-exempt institutions, public or private, to support research directed at those institutions by investigators who are on their staff or are otherwise formally attached to them. Awarding grants to for-profit companies would disqualify HHF for tax-exempt status.

 

VI. CONDITIONS

In the event that the grantee breaches any of the provisions of the policy described above, HHF reserves the right to withhold further payments of the grants, and to require the grantee to repay to HHF any funds expended in contravention of such provisions.

 

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