PKD Community Engagement Grants

2023 Request for Applications

Overview of program goals and scope

The ADPKD Centers of Excellence program is built upon the belief that the best way to provide ADPKD-centered care is through patient-focused, comprehensive care with the coordination and support of an integrated care team guided by patient navigation services. The program’s mission stands on three pillars: understanding PKD through research, ensuring better care for all individuals with ADPKD, and educating and empowering the community.

The PKD Foundation recognizes the unprecedented need for community-level initiatives, programs, and events. In 2023, PKDF plans to award $40k in community grants to support programs providing services that educate and spread awareness of ADPKD, reach those who are newly diagnosed, and that target either health care providers or patients and families living with ADPKD.

Under this RFA, the PKD Foundation solicits grant applications to fund community grants that further the health, wellness, and education of people with ADPKD across the U.S.. Team members from both COEs and Partner Clinics are eligible to apply.

Funding is contingent upon designation in the ADPKD Center of Excellence program. Grants provide up to $6,000 in funding for one year.

Program specifics

What types of projects will we fund?

PKDF will fund projects and initiatives that are impactful and measurable, especially with the potential to be sustainable and scalable through future support. Projects may be new and existing grant-supported areas and/or pilot initiatives. All funded organizations and institutions must demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.

The 2023 community grant cycle solicits applications in the following areas:

  • Host a patient educational or awareness seminar
  • Improve underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of ADPKD among the general chronic kidney disease community.
  • Encourage primary care and non-specialized clinicians to refer patients with ADPKD to specialists at the PKDF Centers of Excellence and Partner Clinics.
  • Collect and address challenges from patients in your community around barriers to accessing local care.
  • Support shared decision-making around dialysis modalities and related barriers.
  • Improve support of preparations for transplant, including early education and the transplant evaluation process, especially for those candidates affected by the race-based calculation to estimate eGFR.
  • Training in diversity, cultural sensitivity, and working with underrepresented groups within the ADPKD community (for example: individuals with disabilities, people of color, and individuals who speak a non-English language)
  • Active outreach initiatives to underrepresented groups within the ADPKD community.
  • Identify the social determinants of health that affect your community the most significantly and identify a plan to assist patients in overcoming those barriers.

Proposal topics are not limited to the above suggestions.

Eligibility Requirements

The Community Engagement grant program is open to team members in the PKDF Centers of Excellence and Partner Clinic program. These grants will not support indirect costs, salary costs for individuals employed on the project, or capital expenses (i.e., computers, furniture, building fixtures). Applicants may request funds to support participant costs and facilitator/instructor (person providing direct service to participants) expenses.

Grants are required to have at least two investigators: (1) clinician, nurse practitioner, patient navigator, or other care team member, and (2) a patient stakeholder. PKDF encourages including members of the center’s Patient Advisory Group in the initiative planning process (Centers of Excellence are required to have a Patient Advisory Group; these are optional for Partner Clinics, although encouraged).

Application Review Procedures

The PKD Foundation strives to be transparent related to our decision-making processes. We rely on our COE Advisory Group review committee, who develop recommendations for center designation, as well as the process we use as a Foundation, to make funding decisions.

Funding

Award amounts will need to be justified in each proposal. Each grant awarded will be funded for one year. Future-year funding is dependent upon the availability of funds and demonstrated progress of the initiative. The funds awarded must be used solely for the purposes specified in the proposal submitted and approved by PKDF as executed by the investigator and institution in strict compliance with the budget attached to the application.

Reporting requirements

Grantees must submit a final Progress and Financial Report, and are encouraged to present their results at PKDF’s annual Centers of Excellence or PKD Connect Conferences.

Attribution

A stipulation to all awards is appropriate attribution of the PKD Foundation in any publication, news release, presentation, etc. that results from work funded by the award. The PKD Foundation must also receive a copy of the publication and/or news release. This responsibility extends beyond the interval of provided funding.

Awardees are asked to please use language similar to the following: This project was partially funded by a grant from the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation, pkdcure.org. The Foundation had no role in care team design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the communication for publication.

Liability policy & reporting responsibilities

The PKD Foundation serves as a grantor not a sponsor for community engagement projects. The responsibility for liability issues and all reporting requirements including local, state and federal regulations will reside with the employment institution, not the PKD Foundation. 

Important dates

Community Engagement Grant Applications are now rolling
Anticipated Review

Application Due: June 1, 2024.    Funding Cycle: July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.

Please submit your application by 5:00 P.M. on the above due date to be considered for the corresponding funding cycle.

Application instructions

  1. Co-Investigator Biographies (1000 characters): briefly describe the qualifications and experience of both investigators. Proposals are required to have at least two investigators: (1) clinician, nurse practitioner, patient navigator, or other care team member, and (2) a patient stakeholder.
  2. Project summary (3500 characters): describe the project, including expected impact on diversity, equity, accessibility or inclusion of individuals impacted by ADPKD in your local community. Note potential for sustainability or scalability through future support if successful. Projects may be new and existing grant-supported areas and/or pilot initiatives.
  3. Metrics and progress evaluation (1500 characters): Include brief description of outcomes and metrics to be used to evaluate the community impact of your project.
  4. Project staff and outreach strategy:
    1. List and briefly describe project staff and collaborators.
    2. Describe how these individuals will contribute to project activities, including maximizing outreach with the local community.
  5. Letter of support (no page limit): provide letter of support from the ADPKD Clinic Director and any other relevant supervising staff.
  6. Additional questions
    1. Have you engaged an individual living with ADPKD in the planning of your project? (Y/N)
    2. Will this project receive funding from another organization or grant? (Y/N)
    3. If yes, please describe where this funding will come from, how much it will be for, and what the funding would cover.
  7.  Budget and Justification (in United States dollars) – Applicants can request up to $6,000 for a one-year initiative or project. These grants will not support indirect costs, salary costs for individuals employed on the project, or capital expenses (i.e., computers, furniture, building fixtures). Applicants may request funds to support participant costs and facilitator/instructor (person providing direct service to participants) expenses.  

 

If you have have any questions, please contact research@pkdcure.org.

 

Page last updated August 2023