CRICO/RMF Patient Safety Research Grants: 2008 Grant Cycle

Overview

Since 1979, CRICO/RMF has been using data from malpractice claims and suits to inform and teach health care providers as to potential steps they might take in improving the safety of patients. To further those efforts, CRICO/RMF and its subsidiary, the Healthcare Safety Research Institute (HSRI), have developed an organizational structure to award grants for research, education, quality improvement, and demonstration projects aimed at greater understanding of patient safety issues, their etiology, and potential interventions.

In 2008, the CRICO/RMF Patient Safety Research Grant Program involves a two-step process beginning with a Letter of Intent which must be submitted to CRICO/RMF by August 25, 2008.

"Letter of Intent Cycle Closed as of 8/25/08" - Selected researchers will be contacted directly to submit RFP's.

The Letter of Intent will be reviewed by CRICO/RMF to identify those submissions appropriately aligned with the program’s criteria. Invitations will be extended to those selected, to submit a full grant proposal, no later than September 12, 2008. The full grant proposals (due on October 29, 2008) will be reviewed by the Patient Safety Review Board and final decisions will be made by CRICO/RMF.

Grant Scope

Grant awards range from $50,000-100,000, and support work for up to 18 months.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be employees of an institution that is insured by CRICO and/or must receive their malpractice coverage through CRICO. Both physicians and non-physician applicants are welcome to participate. Applications will not be accepted from a principal investigator currently funded by the 2007 Patient Safety Research Grant Cycle.

Review Criteria

All Letters of Intent are reviewed internally by CRICO/RMF based on the following criteria:

• relevance and adherence to patient safety agenda, with firm links to malpractice claims/suits, adverse events, near misses, and/or patient complaints within the Harvard system;
• practical contribution to the quality and safety of care of patients throughout the Harvard system;
• potential for generalizability within similar practices across the Harvard system;
• a collaborative proposal with other Harvard system institutions;
• potential for fostering the investigator’s ability to develop future research, education, or interventions; and
• sound research methods and/or project design.

Letter of Intent Due Date

The Letter of Intent can be submitted via email as an MSWord or pdf attachment(s) or by mail by no later than August 25, 2008.

Please send letters to:
Jessica Bradley, MPH
Grant Administrator
CRICO/RMF
101 Main Street
Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
E-mail Jessica Bradley

An e-mail will be sent by the Grant Administrator to confirm receipt.