Production and Distribution of Health Information
The Harvard Health Publications Division (HHP) of Harvard Medical School will advise Portuguese teams that seek to produce educational material for: 1) the general public about health, medicine and biomedical science as well as for 2) students and professionals in the health sciences. These initiatives will be conducted through applications for competitive proposals from collaborative teams across Portuguese institutions. Funding will be available for up to 6 projects per year, in either of these two categories.
CONTENT TO BE PRODUCED:
1. Educational material for the general public
The Harvard Medical School-Portugal Program in Translational Research and Information is soliciting applications for grants to create health information for the general public, written in Portuguese, published electronically and delivered over the Internet.
Topics of interest that will be top priority include all health topics identified in the Portuguese National Health Plan. However, excellent proposals in any other topic will also be considered.
Guidelines for the content to be produced:
- The total content per topic would be approximately 30-60,000 words, written at the 10th grade reading level, and would address prevention, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
- In addition, a simplified version of the content - approximately 10,000 words, written at the 5th grade level - would be created. This simplied version would ultimately be delivered in spoken form over the Internet, with visual material (usually single images, sometimes animations) on the screen that relate to what is being spoken. The audience for this information is people of limited literacy.
- The content can address health problems that affect people of all ages. Priority is given to content that emphasizes health problems of teenage children, young adults and older adults.
- The content will include newly-created illustrations (or illustrations that are in the public domain and can be used without constraints).
Additional features that will make an application attractive, because they take avantage of the capabilities of the Internet, include:
- Simple animated illustrations (as simple as two-step or three-step animations);
- Quizzes the user can take to test whether they have understood the material they have read;
- Simple, interactive tools that allow individual users to obtain information that is specific to someone like themselves (particular age, gender, past medical history, medication history, etc);
- Online communities in which topic experts engage in conversations with secondary school and college students and with the general public, organized through the Harvard Medical School - Portugal Program.
In creating or organizing animations, quizzes, videos, tools or online communities, project directors must from the beginning work with UMIC/FCCN directly to obtain necessary software for delivering the content on the UMIC/FCCN technical platform.
2. Educational material for students and professionals in the health sciences
Topics of interest that will be top priority include all health topics identified in the Portuguese National Health Plan. However, excellent proposals in any other topic will also be considered.
Guidelines for the content to be produced:
- The total content per topic would be approximately 30-60,000 words, written in English, and would address basic biology of disease, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis:
- Each project should include self-tests so that users can assess their learning.
- Projects are encouraged to create animations and videos as part of the content.
- Projects are encouraged to organize online communities in which topic experts engage in conversations with the health professional students and health professionals, organized through the Harvard Medical School-Portugal Program.
In creating self-tests, animations, videos, and online communities that are included in a funded proposal, the project directors must from the beginning work with UMIC/FCCN directly to obtain necessary software for delivering the content on the UMIC/FCCN technical platform.
INFORMATION ABOUT BOTH TYPES OF HEALTH INFORMATION GRANTS
Duration of activity: Grants will be awarded for up to two years. For the 2010 Call, funding is available for 6 projects, in total, across the two categories.
Funding: Up to 50,000 Euros per year will be available to support each project that is chosen. Any advice given by Harvard Medical School to an applicant in the preparation of its application will be provided by the HMS-Portugal Program.
Eligible applicants: Applications must come from groups associated with Portuguese Universities, Associate Laboratories, Research Centres, State Laboratories or any other public or private research institutions, including hospitals. Applications must involve participants from at least two different Portuguese institutions, working directly with faculty and staff of the Harvard Health Publications Division of Harvard Medical School. Applications from multiple institutions will be viewed particularly favourably. Successful applicants will be expected to reflect an active collaboration between teams from Portugal and Harvard and should be consistent with the overall editorial agenda and plan approved by the Health Information Executive Committee of the Harvard Medical School-Portugal Program.
Where to apply: Applications must be submitted online through the FCT website (link to be notified soon) following the Announcement of the Call for Proposals.
Structure of the application: The application must comply with the online FCT application form (See Guide to Writing and Submitting Proposals available through the FCT website following the Announcement of the Call for Proposals).
In addition, applicants must create a complete application in .pdf form, written in English, that includes:
1. Project title in English; Principal contractor and participating institutions; name of Project Leader (no more than 1/3 of page);
2. Scientific component:
a. A brief summary of what the topic(s) of the content will be, and what the chosen audience (general public, students or professionals in the health sciences) will be (1/3 page);
b. A description of the need for this information: a survey of what information on the chosen topic for the chosen audience already exists in Portugal and what this proposal will add to the existing information (1-2 pages);
c. A detailed description of the subtopics to be covered, within the broad overall topic: the Table of Contents for the entire content to be developed (3-4 pages);
d. A clear statement of the type of content to be created - text, art, animations, quizzes, interactive tools, videos, information in spoken form (with static art or videos on the screen) etc. (1-2 pages);
e. A description of the role of each member of the project team, including a description of each member's past experience with producing health information for the intended audience and of the intended type (text, animations, videos, etc). (1-2 pages);
f. A budget that includes the names of all personnel already identified to work on the project, and that includes a justification for any new equipment worth more than 500 Euros, and any travel costing more than 1,000 Euros;
g. For projects that will produce health information for the general public, a sample of the type of content that will be produced, written in Portuguese (4 pages).
Applications must be written in English, except for 2.g. just above, must be single spaced, have left and right margins of 2.5cm, and use 11 point font.
Opening Date of Calls: to be announced soon
Deadline for receipt of applications: 28 October 2010, 17h00.
Review of applications: Applications will be reviewed by a Review Committee of independent experts in the field of health information for the general public, from the United States and nations other than Portugal, organized by FCT in close collaboration with Harvard Medical School. The Committee will be chaired by Professor Anthony Komaroff and will be responsible for evaluating the merit of each proposal and for identifying ways in which successful applicants might work together to avoid the creation of redundant content.
Notification: FCT will notify successful applicants by email after 1 December 2010.
Start of activity: Funded applications will commence after 1 January 2011.
First Progress Report: A final editorial plan and initial content produced will be delivered within 6 months after the signature of the Contract, for interim review by the Review Committee. If the Committee is concerned about the progress made by the applicants, the Committee may require another interim review in several months and has the right to recommend that further funding be discontinued when progress has been poor.
Second Progress Report: A summary of new content produced since the first Progress Report will be delivered within 12 months after the signature of the Contract, for interim review by the Review Committee. If the Committee is concerned about the progress made by the applicants the Committee may require another interim review in several months, and has the right to recommend that further funding be discontinued when progress has been poor.
Delivery of content produced: It is expected that the final content will be delivered no later than 24 months after the signature of the Contract.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
1. Who can apply for both types of Health Information Grants?
Applications must come from groups associated with Portuguese Universities, Associate Laboratories, Research Centers, National Laboratories or any other public or private research institutions, including hospitals. Applications must involve participants from at least two different Portuguese institutions, working directly with faculty and staff of the Harvard Health Publications Division of Harvard Medical School who are available to serve as advisors.
Applications from multiple institutions are particularly encouraged. Successful applicants will be expected to reflect an active collaboration between teams from Portugal and advisors from Harvard and should be consistent with the overall editorial agenda and plan approved by the Health Information Executive Committee of the Harvard Medical School Portugal Program.
2. What is the duration and total funding for these calls?
Grants will be awarded for up to two years. For the 2010 Call funding is available for 6 projects. Only the Production and Distribution of Health Information will be open in 2010.
3. Is this a full-time research project? How is it compatible with other research?
Investigators can continue their public financed research independently of this project. However, Principal Investigators must dedicate a minimum of 35% of their time to this project and the remaining investigators 15% of their time. In the event of a grant being awarded investigators cannot exceed 100% in all their FCT financed projects at the time of contract finalization.
4. What funding is available and what expenses does it cover?
Total funding for the 2010 Call is 50,000 Euros annually for a period of 2 years.
5. Who will evaluate the applications?
Applications will be reviewed by a Review Committee of independent experts in the field of Health information for the general public, from the United States and countries other than Portugal, organized by FCT in close collaboration with Harvard Medical School. The Committee will be chaired by Professor Anthony Komaroff and will be responsible for evaluating the merit of each proposal and for identifying ways in which successful applicants might work together to avoid the creation of redundant content.
6. Where can I find additional information about these Awards and/or guidance for my research career path?
For discussions on guidance on your research project, content and relevance in the program please feel free to contact the HMS-PT Program Director Prof. Carmo Fonseca (carmo.fonseca@fm.ul.pt). For practical information regarding applications and process please contact HMS-PT Project Manager André Fernandes (andre.fernandes@hmsportugal.pt).