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HOW A GOOD IDEA BECOMES AN MDA GRANT

Staff at MDA's Research Department sort grant applications as they arrive near deadline day. Members of the Medical Advisory Committee discuss a proposed project.

1. Candidates for MDA research grants contact MDA or are contacted by MDA. In addition to receiving applications from researchers around the world, MDA Research Department staff members seek out qualified candidates through medical and scientific journal papers, conferences and the recommendations of researchers already working with the Association. Candidates must have doctoral degrees in either medicine or a science relevant to their research (an M.D. or Ph.D.).

2. Candidates submit pre-proposals to MDA. The pre-proposal form requests a short description of the proposed project and of its relevance to the development of a therapy for an MDA-covered disorder. The form is available through MDA's Web site or by calling or writing to MDA's Research Department.

3. MDA's Research Department staff evaluates the pre-proposal to see whether it meets MDA's funding criteria, particularly with respect to its relevance to treatment. If it appears promising, the staff decides whether the candidate should be sent an application for the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) to review or for the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) to review.

The SAC, which includes about 20 scientists, reviews applications for projects that lean toward basic scientific understanding of physiologic processes (actions of genes or the immune system, for example) in MDA-covered conditions. The MAC, which includes about 20 physicians and scientists, reviews proposals for projects that might have a more direct bearing on treatments.

4. If the pre-proposal is accepted, candidates receive an SAC or MAC application, due either Jan. 15 or July 15 of each year for that year's grant review process. The full application is a long form requesting every detail of the project, the personnel and facilities involved, and what the project intends to demonstrate with respect to understanding or treatment of neuromuscular disorders.

5. The Research Department routes the applications to designated SAC or MAC members who review them. Reviewers are "peers" of the candidate who are especially skilled in the area of research the candidate is proposing but have no conflict of interest regarding the candidate's potential grant. Each grant is assigned two primary reviewers, although additional experts may also review the grant. Each SAC or MAC member receives five to 10 grants to evaluate.

6. The SAC and MAC meet twice a year, in the fall and spring. At these meetings, the primary reviewers present and summarize each grant being considered. The entire committee then discusses the proposed project. Each proposal is evaluated based on the project's relevance to MDA's goals; the design of the project and the likelihood that it will yield answers to the questions it poses; the qualifications of the candidate; and the suitability of the candidate's facilities (lab space, etc.). The reviewers also decide whether the budget requested is justifiable and may adjust the funding level before approving the grant.

7. The committee's recommendations are submitted for approval to MDA's Board of Directors at the next meeting of the Board.

8. Checks are issued quarterly to the university at which the grantee works.

9. MDA requests yearly progress reports, due two months before the anniversary date of the grant award. Continued funding is contingent upon acceptable progress.