Call for Applications

Sigma's 2024 American Nurses Credentialing Center Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Grant

Sigma research priorities are as follows: promotion of healthy communities through health promotion, disease prevention and recognition of social, economic and political determinants; implementation of evidence-based practice; targeting the needs of vulnerable populations such as the chronically ill and poor; and capacity development for research by nurses.

In its mission to provide leadership and scholarship in practice, education and research, Sigma presents the following research grant opportunities:

1. Sigma/American Nurses Credentialing Center Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Grant

   Purpose
   One grant of up to $20,000 is awarded annually to one recipient. The purpose of the Sigma/American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Grant encourages nurses in clinical settings to apply evidence to practice and evaluate the effects on patient outcomes.

   Research Funding
   Funds for this grant are provided by Sigma Foundation for Nursing and the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The grant will be evaluated and awarded based on the quality of the proposal which includes: background and significance; problem statement including EBP model; evidence synthesis providing support for proposed intervention; goals with time frame; estimated magnitude for improvement to patient care and outcomes; implementation strategy; evaluation plan for implementation and outcomes; budget. Funds for this grant do not cover expenses incurred prior to the funding date, nor do they cover publication costs or travel for presentations.
   (More information, including eligibility criteria)

1. General Instructions for Applicants:

   All applications must be submitted via the online submission system. In addition, all submitted information must be in English. Applications sent in by other methods (i.e., mail, e-mail, fax, etc.) will not be reviewed or considered for funding. We highly encourage you to begin and complete your submission before the submission deadline. This will allow extra time for your Letters of Support to be completed prior to the deadline.

   Failure to follow the guidelines for preparation of grant proposal negates future funding.

      ➤ Follow instructions and word/page limits carefully
      ➤ References are required to be formatted in accordance with the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). Change to References are required to be formatted in a consistent format.

   When more than one investigator is listed, the first individual named will be the person with whom Sigma will communicate and the investigator who will assume responsibility for conducting the research.

   Final narrative and financial reports are due 90 days following the end of the funding period. If reports are not submitted in a timely manner, the PI will not be considered for future grants. Dissertations are not accepted as final reports. Complete instructions for the final report appear in Part I - Investigator(s) Contact Information and Biographical Sketches.

   If a grant is awarded as the result of this application, the applicant becomes a grantee and assumes any and all legal and financial accountability for the awarded funds and for the performance of the grant-support activities. Deliberate withholding, falsification, non-documentation of references, or misrepresentation of information in the application could result in administrative actions including, but not limited to, the withdrawal of an application.

   Please note: If your IRB/Research Ethics Committee approval is pending, you are still encouraged to apply. If you are awarded a grant and you do not attach your IRB/REC approval to your application, proof of IRB/REC approval must be shown before funds are distributed by Sigma. IRB/REC approvals MUST be received by the funding date or no later than 2 months after the funding date, for the grant to be funded. Any awarded grant missing an IRB or Research Ethics Committee approval will be forfeited.

   ✳ Letters of agreement will be emailed on late June/early July 2024 to the project lead only after the completed application deadline. Failure to return the completed and signed agreement by the due date noted of 11:59 p.m. in your time zone, by July 12 2024 will disqualify the application. An application is considered complete when you:

      ➤ have completed step #6 of the application
      ➤ received an automatically generated confirmation from the system
      ➤ have emailed the signed letter of agreement back to the grant's coordinator

   There will be no exceptions to completing this step. For question or concerns regarding the "Grant Agreement", please contact Tonna M. Thomas at 888.634.7575 US/Canada, +1.317.634.8171 International or research@sigmanursing.org.

General Online Application Instructions:

Applicants will be automatically informed of the unique ID numbers and passwords assigned to their application. Applications may be viewed and modified at any time between submission and the deadline, using the assigned ID# and password.

The online application system divides the submittal process into a series of steps. The applicant will complete the requirements for a step, review and save the step, then proceed to next step following the buttons at the bottom of each page. Steps must be completed in sequence. At any point prior to the application deadline, you may revisit any completed step within your application to make editorial changes. Click the applicable step in the "Application Control Panel" (left frame), edit the data, and save the step once again.

The online system will send email notifications to email address(es) entered. Sometimes universities and/or institutions block these emails, mistaking them for spam. We encourage you and those providing your letters of support to add stti_grant@confex.com to their address book in order to ensure you receive communication regarding your application.

Guidelines for Preparation and Submitting a Grant Proposal:

Before beginning your submission, we recommend that you review the list of required information. Click on each section below to see more detail.

1. Part I - Investigator(s) Contact Information and Biographical Sketches - Steps 1 & 2

   Contact information and a biographical sketch must be completed for each investigator. Limit biographical sketch information to past 10 years only as related to the project. Please note, when more than one investigator is listed, the first individual named will be the person with whom Sigma will communicate and the investigator who will assume responsibility for conducting the research.

   Biographical sketches will be uploaded to the application by the submitter. The following file types may be uploaded: PDF document (*.pdf), Word document (*.doc/.docx). To assist you gathering this information, please utilize the biographical sketch checklist.

   Note: the application will not advance to the next step until all the investigator(s) biographical Sketch file(s) have been uploaded.

2. Part III - Abstract (300 word limit) - Step 3

   Provide a structured abstract for the proposed evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation project that includes the following: background of the clinical issue, study purpose(s), methods to include the intervention and implementation, and expected evidence contribution and significance. The abstract should NOT exceed 300 words (including the required headers) and contain NO pictures, charts, or tables are permitted.

   The format of the abstract MUST contain four separate paragraphs labeled with these headings:
   • Background of the Clinical Issue
   • Study Purposes
   • Methods to Include the Intervention and Implementation
   • Expected Evidence Contribution and Significance

3. Part IV - Project Proposal Details (not included in the 8 page limit) - Step 4

   The following information will be collected:

   • Grant Consideration - Which grant(s) would you like to be considered for?
   • Title of Project - Please enter the title of project in 'Title Case' format, DO NOT enter the title all in CAPS
   • Project Dates - Start and Proposed Completion date
   • Human Subjects or Animal Use? (Yes or No)
   • Institutional Review Board Action (you will include a copy of the review in the Appendix Step) Comments
   • IRB Approval Date - If your IRB approval is pending, please provide the date you expect to be notified. If you are awarded a grant, proof of IRB Approval must be shown before funds are distributed by Sigma.
   • Project Support - Are you now receiving, or have you received any support for this project from any source? Other support is defined as funds or resources, whether Federal, non-Federal, or institutional, available to the Principal Investigator in direct support of the research endeavors through research or training grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, fellowships, gifts, prizes and other means.
   • Grant Impact - Explain in qualitative or quantitative detail the anticipated value and impact of your research study in its field.

4. Part V - Letters of Support (not included in the 8 page limit) - Step 4

   Letters of support must be provided from the following:

   • At least one research advisor/committee chair, if the proposal is dissertation research;
   • At least two colleagues who are knowledgeable about this research;
   • Any collaborating institutions; and
   • Any consultants.

   You will be asked to list the names and e-mail addresses of all people who should provide a letter of support. Upon completion of your online application, the people you list will automatically be contacted by e-mail to request their letters of support. All Letters of Support will be submitted electronically via the Internet. Please note that letters of support must be received by 11:59pm Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST) on Monday, 1 July 2024, in order for the proposal to be reviewed for funding.

   You may check your proposal to see if people supplying letters of support have been contacted and if the letters have been entered. To check your proposal, return to this Web site and enter the ID# and password you will receive, once you begin the submission. You will also be able to send reminder e-mails to the people supplying letters of support. Investigators/Co-Investigators cannot provide letters of support.

   Note: Sometimes universities and/or institutions block these emails, mistaking them for spam. We encourage you let those individual(s) providing a letter of support know to add stti_grant@confex.com to their address book in order to ensure they receive communication regarding your submission.

   Sigma does not permit investigators to delete/remove a reference once they have been listed on the proposal and the letters of support request emails have been sent upon completeing the confirmation step. If you need to have a letter of support and/or an individual providing a letter of support delete/remove from the application. Please contact Tonna M. Thomas, Grants Coordinator at 888.634.7575 US/Canada, +1.317.634.8171 International or research@sigmanursing.org.

5. Part VI - Proposal Text (8 page limit) - Step 5

   The project text MUST be 8 pages or less and uploaded as aPDF (*.pdf) file. Please note, the online system will validate against this page count. Offline version of the project text guidelines.

   Project text should be using the following styling:

   • Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman
   • 12 point font size
   • Single line spaced
   • Use the most recent version of APA

   In addition, the use of image(s), chart(s), and/or figure(s) in the the Proposal Text section is NOT allowed. Any significant image(s), chart(s), and/or figure(s) that will help to illustrate and explain your proposal, should be uploaded in the Apprendix step and referenced in the proposal text.

   Body of Proposal:

   Background/Significance of the Problem

   Describe the background of the clinical issue or gap in current practice that the EBP implementation project will address including the evidence that a problem exists. Include current literature that is directly pertinent to the project and that assists in clarification of purpose and procedures. Provide the PICO(T) [Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Time] or clinical question used to guide the evidence review. Provide an evidence synthesis table that summarizes the evidence used to support your intervention in relation to the outcome of interest. Consider using the model and tools from the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-based Practice Model (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/evidence-based-practice/ijhn_2017_ebp.html) and https://www.nursingknowledge.org/johns-hopkins-nursing-evidence-based-practice-model-and-guidelines-third-edition.html). State clearly the evidence that you will implement into practice and how the project makes a contribution to nursing and/or interprofessional practice, and patient outcomes.

   Purpose and Objectives

   State clearly the purpose(s) of and objectives for the EBP Implementation project.

   Methods

   Discuss in detail the design and the procedures to be used to implement the intervention, accomplish the project goals, and evaluate outcomes. Include details about the EBP model and/or implementation model you will use. These instructions are generally based on the SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines for healthcare improvement reporting (http://www.squire-statement.org/guidelines).

   Design: Describe how the study will be conducted (e.g., pre-post design), including phases, if appropriate.

   Intervention: Describe the proposed intervention in sufficient detail with evidence to support the efficacy (i.e., components of intervention, who will deliver the intervention, how fidelity will be insured, etc.).

   Subjects and setting: Describe the target population and characteristics of the subjects. Include the number of subjects, and the setting for the intervention and data collection. Identify the inclusion and exclusion criteria for subject selection. Describe contextual factors that may influence the success or failure of the intervention, including the stakeholder interests.

   Questionnaires and other instruments: Describe the measures to be used to evaluate outcomes of the intervention and to assess implementation. For measures and instruments, describe rationale for choosing them and their reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity. Include the measures of intervention fidelity and contextual factors. Copies of instruments/questionnaires should be included in an appendix.

   Data management and analysis: Describe how the data will be collected and managed. Detail the qualitative and quantitative analyses that will be done to determine intervention effectiveness, including the analysis of contextual factors that may influence implementation and effectiveness.

   Team: Describe the team involved in the work, including roles and special skills. Include the role and effort of consultants, if applicable.

   Limitations: Describe the limitations of the project including those related to design, methods, implementation, and generalizability. Discuss potential problems and how they may be addressed.

   Human Subjects Protection, Confidentiality and Institutional Review Board Review: Provide a statement of the subject's rights and risk. Discuss in detail any procedure that may cause harm to patients. Indicate precautions to be exercised. Include a copy of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) determination letter (if applicable) and a copy of the human subject consent form (if applicable). The approval and consent form are not included in the 8 page limit and will be requested in a separate section. If IRB approval is required and is pending at the time of submission, please indicate that in the system when asked for date of approval. If IRB approval is received prior to submission deadline, please add it to your proposal. If it is received after submission deadline, please send a copy of it to Sigma Headquarters at the following address: research@sigmanursing.org

6. Part VII - Appendices (not included in the 8 page limit) - Step 6

   Required appendices

   Timeline: Provide an 18-month schedule that specifies the major phases, tasks, or milestones in the study. Consider using a GANTT chart (https://www.teamgantt.com/free-gantt-chart-excel-template).

   Facilities/Resources: Describe the facilities and resources available, highlighting their unique advantages to support the study.

   Collaborative arrangements: If administrative approval is required to conduct the study or access data, describe the nature of the approval and provide evidence that those individuals or institutions are willing to participate.

   Where applicable, please attach the following documents to your project proposal:

   • Questionnaires
   • Instruments
   • Scoring instructions
   • Copyright Release/Permission
   • Copies of paper/pencil instrument(s)
   • Interview format or other instruments
   • Human subject consent form (IRB approval)
   • References cited in the text are required to be formatted in accordance with the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). Change to References are required to be formatted in a consistent format.
   • A chart/graph/table/etc. that will help to illustrate and explain your proposal. When referring to the item in the proposal, be sure to mention that the item can be found in the appendix section.
   • Other (please specify)

   * We will accept legible scanned copies of the requested forms.

   Any of the following formats may be used and are listed in order of preference:

   • Word document (*.doc/.docx)
   • RTF document (*.rtf)
   • Plain Text document (*.txt)
   • Excel spreadsheet (*.xls/.xlsx)
   • PDF document (*.pdf)
   • GIF image (*.gif), JPEG image (*.jpg), PNG image (*.png)
   • HTML document (*.htm) or HTML document (*.html)

7. Part VIII - Budget (not included in the 8 page limit) - Step 7

   Expenditures:
   
   Sigma does not fund indirect costs nor costs related to completing an education program (e.g. tuition). Please include your budget amounts for the following items:

   • Personnel (Requests for Principal Investigator salary only may be included. Include hourly rate for PI in justification section.)
   • Secretarial staff
   • Typing costs (Must be those directly related to the research. Typing of dissertations will not be funded.)
   • Research Assistants
   • Consultants (Limit to $100 per hour)
   • Supplies
   • Equipment (Digital devices are not allowable expenses.)
   • Computer costs (software only)
   • Travel Expenses (data collection only)
   • Other

   Justification:

   Provide a justification for all expenditures listed.

   Other Financial Support:
   
   If you have applied for other sources of support, how will the conduct of this study be affected, if the other funding is not obtained?

   Click here to see a sample budget form which indicates the fields contained in the online submission.

Begin an Application to the 2024 American Nurses Credentialing Center Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Grant: