Harborview Anesthesiology Research Center (HARC)

HARC Pilot Research Project Funding

General Information: The purpose of the Harborview Anesthesiology Research Center (HARC) Pilot Research Project is to provide seed money to support research with clinical relevance, potential for project expansion and/or potential for future outside funding, in areas of interest to departmental faculty at HMC. Funding for small pilot projects in clinical research is available on a competitive basis, and may be awarded after successful evaluation of written applications, using the format, instructions, and process described below.

First and foremost, the HARC Pilot Research Project application process is intended to be efficient and user friendly. Below is the essential information needed to submit an application to HARC.

Eligibility:   All Anesthesiology faculty and fellows at Harborview Medical Center are eligible to apply. All principal investigators below the rank of associate professor are required to include a senior faculty member (associate professor or professor) as a co-investigator on their application, and to utilize that faculty member’s experience and guidance in preparing the application.

Deadlines:  HARC will accept applications all year round, without set deadlines.

Application:  Please use the UW Department of Anesthesiology application guidelines and format when preparing your HARC pilot research proposal.  Please submit one (1) electronic copy of the application as an email attachment in MS Word file format to Sam Sharar, MD, HARC Director sharar@u.washington.edu

IRB Status:  IRB applications may be either pending or approved when the funding application is submitted. The IRB application should be submitted to the UW Department of Anesthesiology for required ‘pre-review’ and Chairman approval prior to actual IRB submission. Funds awarded to meritorious applications will be released to the principal investigator only after written IRB approval has been obtained.

Budget:  Budgets must be submitted and justified in the funding application. HARC funds are generally designated for material purchases (e.g., drug costs) or procedural assistance (e.g., laboratory tests). HARC will not support faculty salaries. Salary support for research assistants is generally discouraged, but will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please see table below for budget limits and the relationship between HARC Pilot Research Project funds and U.W. Department Research Funds for Pilot Projects- a separate funding mechanism:

Review:   Immediately upon receipt, application copies will be distributed to all five members of the HARC Clinical Research Advisory Panel for written review. Within two weeks, the application and reviews will be discussed by Advisory Panel members (excluding conflicts of interest), and a funding decision made within four weeks of application submission. The final funding decision, along with copies of the written application reviews will be returned to the principal investigator applicant.

Expectations of Funded Applicants:   Funded applicants are expected to:

(1) present an update of their project on at least one occasion at the monthly HARC meeting;
(2) submit a written progress report during each one-year period following funding, until completion of the project. Future pilot funding for any faculty member or fellow will be contingent upon successful and timely completion of any previously funded project;
(3) submit the results of the pilot (or related larger) project for presentation at an appropriate subspecialty meeting and/or for publication in manuscript form;
(4) utilize results from the pilot project to pursue related research and extramural funding support.

Annual Report:  Funded applicants must submit a one-page report to HARC annually while funded by HARC. Continued and future funding is contingent on appropriate progress being made. The main metrics of success will be either meaningful progress toward completion of the project, abstract presentations, publications, and/or the pursuit of extramural funding.  

More Information/Contact:

For more information on HARC, its facilities and its programs, please contact:

Sam R. Sharar, MD Harborview Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology 325 Ninth Avenue Box 359724 Seattle, WA 98104-2499 email: sharar@u.washington.edu