VATA Research Grant Application Guidelines & Instructions

1. Applications for original research projects will be reviewed from two applicant categories:
   1. Professional AT Student: Must be currently enrolled in a Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) accredited professional athletic training program in the state of Virginia. Must have a faculty co-investigator who is a certified athletic trainer and current VATA member. Must maintain professional student status for the duration of the research project.
   2. Doctoral Student: Students must be currently enrolled in a doctoral program (PhD, EdD, DAT) in the state of Virginia. Must have a faculty co-investigator who is a certified athletic trainer and current VATA member. Must maintain doctoral student status for the duration of the research project.

2. Preference will be given to the funding of new research projects over funding the continuation of existing research projects. Grants will not be awarded for research that is explicitly intended for the development of a commercial product.
3. The committee is committed to advancing diversity in the athletic training profession and highly encourages grant applicants from underrepresented groups.
4. Applicants are limited to one grant application per cycle; however, faculty co-investigators may be listed on more than one student grant application per cycle.
5. Applications should undergo review/approval by the applicant’s institutional grants administration office before submission. For administrative purposes, funding will be awarded through the faculty co-investigator, so faculty co-investigators should serve as the “principal investigator” on all projects.

1. Grant awards range from up to $500-1000 depending on the applicant category:        
   1. Professional Student:         $500 USD maximum
   2. Doctoral Student:              $1000 USD maximum

1. Applicants must follow the “Grant Application Instructions” below.
2. Applications will be submitted via the online portal by September 15th at 11:59pm EST.
3. Upload PDF files only, and the .PDF  files should be named: “[Project Title]_CoverPage.pdf” & “[Project Title]_Proposal.pdf” 
4. Late, incomplete, or improperly-formatted submissions will not be reviewed. Applications will be evaluated solely on the information and materials presented in the application.

1. Blinded grant applications will be reviewed by members of the VATA Research Committee.
2. Applicants will be notified via email regarding the committee’s decision to fund or not-fund their application. All funding decisions are final. Applicants are highly encouraged to rewrite and resubmit unfunded grant applications for consideration in the next funding cycle.
3. Funds will not be released until proof of ethical committee approval has been provided for studies using human or animal subjects. Proof of IRB approval must be provided to the Research Committee by November 15th in order to receive funding.  
4. Grant funds will be awarded within approximately 30-days after notification of funding (assuming proof of ethical committee approval).
5. Grant funds will be mailed to the applicant’s institutional grants administration/business office with the expectation that funds will be managed by the faculty co-investigator.
6. Applicants are encouraged to continue their research by using their application materials and findings to seek additional funds from the Mid Atlantic Athletic Trainers’ Association (MAATA) and National Athletic Trainers’s Association (NATA) research grants, if appropriate.

1. Funds must be expended according to the budget and description provided in the grant application. If there is a need to deviate from the original application budget, this must be communicated and approved by the Research Committee Chair.
2. The student applicant or faculty co-investigator must submit a free communications abstract and present the findings of the completed project at the VATA Annual Meeting within two-years following completion of the research project.
3. One-year following the distribution of funds, the applicant or faculty sponsor must submit a “Progress Report'' that includes 1) an update on the findings or progress/anticipated completion of the project, 2) an update on how the budget has been expended, and 3) plans for when the project will be submitted for presentation at the VATA Annual Meeting. If the project is not complete at the one-year mark, it is the responsibility of the applicant/faculty sponsor to update the Research Committee once the project is complete. Once the project is completed, a brief Highlight of the research findings (less than 280 characters) and/or an infographic highlighting the research findings must be submitted to be used on social media.
4. Funding from the “Virginia Athletic Trainers’ Association (VATA)” must be acknowledged in any future publications or presentations of the study findings.
5. Failure to comply with obligations may result in forfeit of consideration for future grant applications for a period of 2-years for the applicant and faculty sponsor.

• The grant application will be submitted as two (2) separate .PDF files. One file including the “Cover Page” (1 page max) and one file including the “Proposal” (4 pages max).
• Writing should be single-spaced with 11-pt, Times New Roman font, and 1/2” page margins.
• Each file must adhere to the maximum page limit.

• Project Title
• Grant Category: Professional Student or Doctoral student
• Student Applicant: Full name & credentials, Institution, Email, Phone #
• Faculty Co-investigator: Full name & credentials, Institution, Email, Phone #, NATA member #.
• Institutional Grants Administrator: Contact name, Mailing Address, Email, Phone #
• Disclosures: Disclose any potential conflicts of interest the student or faculty co-investigator have relative to this grant application. If none, state “No conflicts of interest”.

• The Project Title must be included in the header of each page.
• Each Section should be clearly identified using the headings below.
• Please do not include personnel or institution names in the Proposal.

1. Provide a brief description of the relevant evidence, theory, and knowledge that support and provide rationale for the research aims of the current study.
2. Describe the specific aims/purposes of the study and hypotheses for each aim/purpose.
3. Describe how this research project supports the Athletic Training Research Agenda. 

1. Provide an overview of the study design (including independent/dependent variables), participants, procedures, and data analyses. Care should be taken to provide sufficient details that enable reviewers to properly evaluate the study methods. Although it is acceptable to provide references to published descriptions of methods & procedures, a brief description should also be provided.
2. For human subjects or animal research, include a description of the current status of ethical committee review/approval.
3. Include a sample-size estimate and specific statistical tests that will be performed.          

1. Provide a detailed, itemized budget table and
2. A written justification for each budgeted item.

The budget should focus on items needed to conduct the research project. Examples include participant compensation, equipment, supplies, etc. For equipment & supplies, please provide manufacturer or company and embedded links to items when possible in addition to costs. Applicants may budget up to $150 for registration/travel/lodging to present findings at the VATA Annual Meeting; however, no additional budget funds may be allocated for presentation or dissemination purposes (ex. presenting at other conferences, publication fees). Funds may not be used for institutional indirect or overhead expenses. Funds may not be used for salary/stipend to research personnel. The budget may not exceed the maximum amounts for each grant category (see “Grant Amounts”).

1. Provide an anticipated timeline and
2. Discuss feasibility for completion of the study.

Examples of relevant timeline events include ethics committee submission/approval, pilot testing, start/end of data collection, analyses, and planned dates for submitting an abstract and presenting findings at VATA Annual Meeting Free Communications Program. Projects should be designed to be completed within approximately one-year (exceptions may be made for projects needing  longer than one-year with appropriate explanation in the feasibility section). Examples of feasibility concerns include anticipated timeline, participant population accessibility, research space/equipment, and academic/clinical responsibilities. Do not include personnel or institutional identifiers in this section.