Digital Health Research

Project Award Amount $30,000

**PI can only submit ONE application per cycle (2 per year); a PI cannot submit multiple applications to this mechanism in a given cycle. However, applicants to the Mobile Health Research Project Award can also submit an additional, distinctly separate, application for the Mobile Health Translational Project Award. Please refer to the instructions as these awards have different application requirements**

Description
Funds under this mechanism are available for research-focused projects in mobile health (mHealth), defined as the use of mobile technology in conjunction with Internet and social media to improve health and wellness and/or to manage disease. mHealth emphasizes use by laypeople but also includes use by clinicians and other health care workers (including public health and community care workers). Awards can be for projects in any health domain where there exists an unmet need or the potential for significant improvement over current approaches.

Projects must involve delivery of the technology over mobile devices (mobile phones, tablets) but may in addition involve delivery to non-mobile systems (desktop computers, kiosks, laptops, TVs). Examples include mobile phone "apps" for medication reminders, symptom tracking, improved dietary habits, health records exchange, or medical reference. Projects may include the use of sensing devices (e.g., pedometer, physiologic sensors) but projects that are solely about sensors or biomechanical devices are not supported by this mechanism.

The following is a guide to which mHealth grant mechanism is most appropriate for your project:

• Technical feasibility studies (e.g., planning and design work, development of a working prototype, initial user testing) -- either the Research Projects mechanism (if overall project objective is to primarily generate new knowledge) or the Translational Projects mechanism (if your overall project objective is primarily to commercialize or disseminate)
• Methods development or evaluation studies (e.g., pilot proof of concept studies, field evaluations) – the Research Projects mechanism
• Translational projects, aiming to pilot or to scale deployment for commercial or operational use – the Translational Projects mechanism

mHealth Research Project Awards
Project funds under this category are intended to support the planning or development of mobile technology projects intended primarily to culminate in the generation of new knowledge on mHealth methods, efficacy, effectiveness, or policy. (See mHealth Translational Project Awards for projects focusing on commercialization or dissemination of mobile technology). Appropriate project proposal goals include but are not limited to the accumulation of preliminary data for grant proposals and/or for publication, system design, programming, usability studies, study coordinator time, data entry personnel, or other justified research related needs and supplies. Examples include development and initial usability testing of a prototype iPhone symptom diary for an NIH proposal, or focus group studies on the use of cell phones for health purposes among homeless youth.

Each project will have a maximum budget of $30,000. Partial investigator salary support may be requested. Funding is for one year from the time of award and is not renewable. A progress report is required of all recipients of an award at the end of the funding period as well as one year following the funding period, identifying resulting publications and subsequent funding obtained to support expanded/extended projects. Any resulting publication must directly cite funding by UCSF CTSI (see http://ctsi.ucsf.edu/cite).

Eligibility

Who's Eligible: Who's Eligible: UCSF faculty in any series, including adjunct and professional research series, and at all ranks may apply: Instructors, Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, Professors. Postdoctoral scholars and fellows are eligible to submit applications as PI when a faculty member is acting as Co-PI.

Who's Not Eligible: Residents, Specialists

Application Requirements
A completed research proposal application form is required. The proposal should provide the aims of the project, background and significance, any preliminary work, experimental plans and methods (including evaluation metrics and timetable), and an explanation of how this funding will increase your ability to secure future funding for this project. Note in particular that proposals for software development should include a quote from a software developer. Please see detailed instructions.

Applicants are strongly advised to actively follow and participate in discussions at CTSI's mHealth Innovator's Forum (http://accelerate.ucsf.edu/forums/mhealth), which has been established to engage members of the UCSF Community to improve the overall quality of grant proposals submitted for mHealth project funding both within UCSF and to external funding sources. Grant program staff will answer questions on the mHealth Research and Translational Project Award mechanisms, and users can discuss mHealth topics such as methods, software design and development, intellectual property/legal issues, entrepreneurship, academic-industry collaborations, etc.

Criteria for Evaluation of Applications
Proposals will be evaluated based on the potential of the project to improve health or the delivery of healthcare services, the scientific rationale, the methodological strength of the proposal, the potential of the proposal to lead to a fully funded independent research grant, and the quality and potential of the applicant and the research team.

Both feasibility and methods/evaluation studies will be considered for funding under this mechanism. Applicants are encouraged to scope their proposals carefully to what can realistically be carried out in one year with $30,000. For example, it is rarely realistic to expect to develop a new "app" and evaluate it with a 6-month randomized trial all in one year with $30,000. Feasibility studies will be evaluated based on appropriate involvement of technical, design, and usability methods and expertise.

Projects that involve human subjects will require UCSF/CHR approval before funding is released. Additionally, if applicable, all funded research conducted in an international setting must have both UCSF and international institution CHR approval.

For application questions, please contact:
Emanuela (Emy) Volpe
RAP - Program Manager
Ph.: 415-502-1674
E-mail: rap@ucsf.edu

For grant specific questions, please contact:
Katie Nelson
CTSI-SOS Program Coordinator
Ph.: 415-514-6206
E-mail: sos@ucsf.edu