ADEA Council of Sections Project Pool 

Purpose
The ADEA House of Delegates established the ADEA Council of Sections Project Pool in 1995.  Its purpose is to fund predominantly national research projects, studies, and reports that support the ADEA Mission, Core Values, and Strategic Direction and the ADEA Council of Sections' Strategic Directions and Goals beyond the normal resources of indvidual Sections, Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and members.

WHO MAY APPLY?
ADEA Sections and SIGS may apply for funding. Other ADEA Councils and individual members may also apply, as long as they obtain co-sponsorship of a Section or SIG.  

WHAT MAKES AN APPLICATION COMPETITIVE?
Although Section/SIG-specific activities may be funded, proposal that involve multiple sponsors will be more favorably considered. Sections /SIGS are required to contribute funds from their budgets to the project budget; a minimum of 10 % of the Section/SIG budget up to 10% of the total project budget is recommended. For all proposals, the project’s Principal Investigator should obtain a letter specifying this support from the appropriate Section Councilors.

Beyond these requirements, the most competitive applications will:

APPLICATION PROCESS
To apply, prepare a proposal and application following the protocol described below and submit it to Ms. Monique Morgan, Staff Liaison to the ADEA Council of Sections at morganm@adea.org. The deadlines are February 1 and September 1 of each year. However, if a project can be shown to have a time factor that requires a decision between those dates, the proposal may be considered outside the normal time frame. A decision to consider an application outside the normal time frame is at the discretion of the Project Pool Chair.  

SELECTION PROCESS
The Project Pool Committee reviews all submitted proposals and recommends the projects to be funded to the ADEA Council of Sections Administrative Board. September applicants are notified of the board’s decision in November, and February applicants are notified in April. After the decision is announced, the principal project director will receive the funds to conduct the project; for joint projects with multiple Sections or SIGs, only the principal project director is authorized to expend funds.

Project Pool Committee
The Project Pool Committee is headed by a chair appointed by the Council of Sections Administrative Board to a two-year term that is renewable once. The chair appoints the three additional members of the committee from among individuals who are Section councilors and chairs at the time of their appointment. Those appointments are confirmed by the Administrative Board for two-year terms, renewable once. The Member-at-Large from the Administrative Board also serves on the committee as liaison.  

Reporting
Final reports will be required for all funded projects. For multiyear projects, annual reports on progress and expenditures are also required. At the end of the project, any unexpended funds must be returned to the Project Pool.  

Proposal Protocol
Applicants should follow this outline when preparing their proposals:  

Title Page(s)

• Title of the Project
• Section(s) or SIG(s) submitting or supporting application
• Dollar amount of confirmed sponsorship
• Name and contact information for the principal project director and all associate project directors

Biographical Sketches for Each Project Investigator
These sketches should follow the NIH biographical sketch format and be no more than two pages each)

Background Statement
Include substantive information that will help the reviewers understand the project as related to the stated need and goals; ADEA Mission, Core Values, and Strategic Directions; and the goals/objectives of the Section/SIG(s) submitting the proposal. Make the statement brief, but with sufficient detail regarding the issues to be addressed.

Purpose of the Project
Explain why the project should be initiated and the proposed use of the resulting information. This explanation should include the objectives of the project and a succinct description of expected outcomes.

Duration of the Project
Indicate the date by which the work can be initiated and the date by which it should be completed. Include the total time required for conduct of the project. Projects that can be completed in a reasonable time frame may receive preference.

Conduct of the Project
Describe the project methodology in adequate detail. If you are proposing a survey, attach a draft of the instrument or protocol. Include a timetable of tasks to be performed and the individual(s) responsible for them. Describe the plan for statistical analysis of data. Indicate how the project will be evaluated. If the proposal is for a joint project with other Sections or SIGs, designate the proposed relationship and assignment of responsibility.

Budget
Include a line-item budget that includes all anticipated expenditures. Budget requests should be believable and well justified. Project directors’ salaries may not be included; however, technical, clerical, and administrative support staff may be included as long as they are directly tied to the project. In some instances, consultants for such activities as survey design and analysis may be funded. Equipment is not generally funded, but direct expenses such as paper, printing, and postage are allowed. Travel will only be funded in very rare instances and never to travel to an ADEA event.

Also include a brief statement justifying the need for Project Pool funds to supplement Section/SIG funds and reporting current fund balances for all Sections/SIGs involved and the amount of Section/SIG funds to be spent along with the requested Project Pool funds.

If a project is being cosponsored by an ADEA Section(s) or Special Interest Group(s), a letter of support from each group confirming the amount must be submitted along with the proposal and application.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All Project Pool funds must be used for the stated conduct of the project. ADEA awards do not include monies for overhead and indirect costs. Requests for funding for travel, symposia, and workshops will normally not be considered unless they can be justified for dissemination purposes.