Professional Education Grant Requests

The Novartis Oncology Office of Grants and Education (OGE) supports independent medical education programs which provide non-promotional, current scientific information to healthcare professionals (HCPs). Programs should strive to improve patient care and must be compliant with all applicable legal and regulatory guidelines.

Consistent with Federal Laws and regulations and the ethical standards under which Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NPC) conducts business, grants must never be linked to prescribing, purchasing, formulary status or reimbursement activities.

Novartis Oncology Office of Grants and Education (OGE) will receive and review grant funding requests for the following areas of therapeutic interest:

• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
• Acromegaly
• Bone Health
• Breast Cancer-Emerging Therapeutic Advances for Spectrum of Disease
• Clinical Trial Awareness, Education & Outreach Activities
• Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
• Cushing's Disease
• Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST)
• Iron Overload (transfusional or hereditary)
• Sickle Cell Anemia
• Thalessemia
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes
• Lymphomas
• Multiple Myeloma
• Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
• Neuroendocrine Tumors
• Carcinoid Syndrome
• Pancreatic Islet Cell Cancer
• Renal Cell Cancer
• Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
• Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia

OGE therapeutic areas of educational interest may differ from those of interest to Novartis Oncology and Oncology Patient Advocacy Relations.

How to Submit a Grant Request

To submit an Oncology educational grant request for support, please utilize the on-line submission process at the Novartis Grants Central Station (NGCS): www.ngcs.novartis.com. OGE does not accept requests via mail, e-mail or fax.

Should you have questions, you may also contact OGE by one of the following methods:

Tel: 1-877-662-4833
Hours of operation: 9-12 noon; 1- 4 PM ET Monday- Friday
Fax: 1-973-781-2804
E-mail:onc.grants@novartis.com

Mail:
Novartis Oncology Office of Grants and Education
ONE HEALTH PLAZA, Building 432
EAST HANOVER, NJ 07936

Clinical Trial Awareness, Education & Outreach Activities

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Trends Progress Report 2009/2010 Update¹ : "Clinical trials are the major avenue for evaluating the benefits of new therapies. However, a relatively small percentage of all adult cancer patients (aged 20 years and older) participate in clinical trials…it is estimated to be less than 5 percent for most types of cancer. It is important to increase physician and patient awareness of, and participation in, clinical trials if we are to examine new treatments, find more effective treatments more rapidly, and broaden the options available to patients."

National Cancer Institute. Cancer Trends Progress Report. 2009/2010 Update. http://progressreport.cancer.gov/. Accessed April 19. 2010

Novartis Oncology supports the NCI's recommendation to increase physician and patient awareness of cancer clinical trials. Funding is now available to support cancer clinical trial awareness, education and outreach activities that aim to overcome barriers to trial enrollment and retention. Special consideration will be given to projects that aim to reach culturally/ethnically diverse patients, medically underserved communities, minority women and the elderly-all of which are subgroups that traditionally experience unique barriers or mistrust of clinical trials.

Requests for funding can be broad in scope covering disease awareness and multiple trials across multiple diseases or may be focused on raising awareness of specific trials related to a particular disease state.

Eligibility Criteria for Clinical Trial Awareness, Education & Outreach Activities

Programs must strive to improve patient care and must be compliant with all applicable legal and regulatory guidelines.

Consistent with Federal Laws and regulations and the ethical standards under which Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. conducts business, grants must never be linked to prescribing, purchasing, formulary status or reimbursement activities.

Program content must be fair balanced and scientifically sound. Discussions of specific clinical trials must include, available treatment options for the disease state. Further, content must be developed independently. Novartis will not provide input/suggestions on faculty or content.

For activities that target Health Care Professionals:

Community based organizations, hospitals, academic medical centers/universities, public health organizations, professional societies, cooperative groups, or medical education companies are eligible to apply for funding.

For professional education, Novartis supports accredited and non-accredited programs.

Submissions that include collaborations among different groups (e.g., a partnership between an academic institutions and a patient advocacy organization) are encouraged, as appropriate.

For activities that target Patients:

Organizations must have 501(c) 3 status.

Key Factors for Consideration

Grants will not be awarded to individuals, including individual health care professionals.

Previous funding support does not guarantee future support.

Support provided by Novartis for clinical research grants does not guarantee support of requests submitted for clinical trial awareness, education and outreach projects. Clinical research grants are contracted through separate fee-for-service agreements and have no significance/influence related to the submission or review process for grant requests.

Each grant request is evaluated on its individual merit relative to other grant requests. Decisions are made completely independent from the Novartis Oncology Investigator Community:

• For activities that target professional education (HCPs): the Oncology Office of Grants & Education (OGE) is solely responsible for all reviews and decision making regarding oncology educational grants.
• For activities that target patients: All submissions are reviewed initially by Patient Advocacy. All grants are then reviewed by OGE prior to a final decision.

Note: For activities that target both audiences-Please select either professional education or patient advocacy when submitting to Novartis Grants Central Station (see below) depending on the group that comprises the majority of your target audience.

Types of Programs to be Funded

Approaches that implement evidence-based strategies to overcome barriers are encouraged. Examples of programs that may be submitted for consideration can include (but are not limited to):

• Large scale community outreach programs (in any format) designed to inform health care professionals and/or patients of available clinical trials
• Small scale awareness workshops/symposia for healthcare professionals and/or patients
• In-services/training activities for institutional staff
• Patient clinical trial navigation or clinical trial advocate training
• Communication/educational tools or resources to enhance physician-patient dialogue about clinical trials
• Local, grassroots or mass media campaigns
• Innovative technology/platforms to help provide information to potential patients or to help with patient outreach and data collection

How to Apply for Funding

For a grant request to be considered for funding, the following items are required:

• Grant application
• Educational needs assessment
• Learning objectives and proposed agenda
• Program description: please include an overview of the specific clinical trials for which you are hoping to raise awareness. Please list the sponsor of the trial, if applicable
• Outcome measurement plan (e.g., number of physician referral, increase/change in patient enrollment, etc)
• Detailed line-item budget
• W-9

Complete application with all items noted above must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the start date.

The request should demonstrate:

• Clear goals of improvement to patient care
• Innovative, stimulating programs
• Educational needs assessment and pre-defined outcome measures
• Full compliance with laws, regulations, and guidelines established by OIG, PhRMA Code and other relevant regulatory agencies, as well as Good Clinical Practices (GCPs)
• Detailed budgetary analysis and reconciliation of a prior event

 

FAQ's

Who will Novartis accept educational grant requests from?

What types of requests will not be considered by OGE?

How soon can I submit a grant request?

How soon will I receive a reply from OGE regarding disposition of my grant?

Will Novartis contact me if they have questions regarding the funding request?

Will OGE support CME accredited and non-accredited activities?

Will OGE pay for physicians to attend a major meeting to gather information to then be presented at a regional/local post major-meeting review?

Will OGE pay for non-faculty participants to attend meetings?

Will OGE consider free Exhibit Space as part of a grant request?

Will OGE pay for multiple night stays for faculty to attend programs?

If the event has already taken place, will OGE still accept a grant request?

Do I need to submit a complete budget for all of the costs associated with my program?

Will OGE consider a grant request that supports both CME and promotional activities (e.g. corporate sponsorships)?

Are there specific items or activities contained within a grant request which OGE will not fund?

Will OGE sign a Letter of Agreement other than a Novartis agreement?

What is the Novartis process to apply for satellite symposia at medical congresses?

How much will Novartis consider for faculty honoraria?

If my grant request is approved, do I need permission to use the Novartis logo on materials developed for the educational activity/activities?

Can I submit a grant request to cover the expenses related to meals only?

My activity is targeting U.S. HCPs as participants and may include both U.S. and non-U.S. HCPs. Should I submit my request to OGE or to Global Oncology Scientific Affairs?

Who will Novartis accept educational grant requests from?
As a commitment to improving patient care, OGE will accept grant requests from the following:

• Accredited continuing medical education providers
• Hospitals, community health centers
• Academic medical centers, medical universities
• Professional medical associations/societies
• Managed care organizations
• Medical education partner companies/providers

OGE will evaluate requests for Travel and Research Fellowship from professional medical associations/societies for residents and fellows only. Requests from all other individuals for support of personal and professional travel will not be considered.

Any grant requests for activities taking place within the United States (U.S.), or including U.S. health care professionals (HCPs) as participants must be submitted to OGE for review and consideration.

Grant requests for activities taking place outside of the United States (U.S.) and not including U.S. health care professionals (HCPs) as participants can contact Global Oncology Scientific Affairs at: globaloncology.grants@novartis.com

What types of requests will not be considered by OGE?
The following are some examples of types of requests that will not be considered by OGE:

• Grant requests received less than 60 days prior to the activity start date
• Grants which are not within the therapeutic areas of interest to OGE (see Areas of Therapeutic Interest for Educational Grants)
• Fellowship grants supporting research or training within a medical institution. This type of funding request may be supported within other areas of Novartis. Please contact 1-877-662-4833 for further information
• Clinical grants, including Investigator Initiated Trials. This type of grant request may be supported within other areas of Novartis. Please contact your local Novartis Scientific Operations Medical Science Liaison for more information
• Grants to individuals
• Personal travel
• Expenses related to HCP attendance at major meetings to conduct post-meeting reviews
• Website development or mass media production not associated with an accredited provider
• Entertainment
• Capital campaigns, building funds or operating expenses
• Professional career development (e.g. office/practice management skills, presentation skills, etc)
• Events that do not have an educational focus
• Requests for programs that have already started or are in progress
• Service contracts
• Text books or equipment related requests
• Promotional exhibits and display fees
• Recognition awards
• Charitable Contributions
• Grant requests for meals only
• Activities held in lavish venues/resort locations are strongly discouraged

How soon can I submit a grant request?
For a grant request to be considered for funding, a complete grant application must be submitted to OGE at least 60 calendar days prior to the program. If the completed grant application is not received at least 60 days prior to the event date, the grant request may be denied.

For grants that are post-conference, your grant request must be received at least 60 days prior to the start of the medical conference.

How soon will I receive a reply from OGE regarding disposition of my grant?
You will receive correspondence regarding disposition of your grant request within 60 days of receipt of the completed application package.

Will OGE contact me if they have questions regarding the funding request?
Yes, OGE will contact you should clarification be required on your request. Your prompt attention to these requests is requested to enable OGE to provide a response for all requests with a timely review.

Will OGE support CME accredited and non-accredited activities?
Yes, OGE will consider both CME accredited and non-accredited/non promotional activities.

Will OGE pay for physicians to attend a major meeting to gather information to then be presented at a regional/local post major-meeting review?
No, OGE will not pay for travel, honoraria, or hotel for physicians attending major meetings to gather information for regional/local post major meeting reviews.

Will OGE pay for non-faculty participants to attend meetings?
No, OGE will not pay for travel, lodging, meals or registration for any healthcare professional to attend a meeting or event unless the individual is a member of the program faculty.

Will OGE consider free Exhibit Space as part of a grant request?
No, OGE will not consider exhibit space as part of a grant request. Exhibit space must be contracted through a separate "fee for service" contract. This separate request should be made by contacting your local Novartis Sales or Marketing Representative.

Will OGE pay for multiple night stays for faculty to attend programs?
Funding for faculty accommodations should reflect the amount of time required of them. For example, if a faculty member is required to participate throughout the duration of a multi-day program, accommodations may be covered for the entire program. Conversely, a faculty member who is required to give a single presentation during a multi-day program should not be provided free accommodations for the entire program.

If the event has already taken place, will OGE still accept a grant request?
OGE will not consider funding for events which have already begun or taken place. This is also true of enduring materials for a program that has already taken place.

Do I need to submit a complete budget for all of the costs associated with my program?
Yes, Please submit a budget for the costs associated with the entire program. Please provide a breakout for all individual costs in the overall budget.

Will OGE consider a grant request that supports both CME and promotional activities (e.g. corporate sponsorships)?
No, OGE cannot support a grant containing both CME and promotional activities. Promotional activities should be directed to your local Novartis Sales or Marketing representative for consideration.

Are there specific items or activities contained within a grant request which OGE will not fund?

• OGE will not fund a grant in which there are recreational components (e.g. golf, spa activities)
• OGE will not fund a grant in which there are gifts to speakers or attendees
• OGE will not fund a grant in which speakers or participants are allowed to bring a spouse or guest to any meal function

Will OGE sign a Letter of Agreement other than a Novartis agreement?
No. If the provider requires a separate Letter of Agreement to proceed with an activity, the Novartis Letter of Agreement will predominate. OGE will not sign any other Letters of Agreement.

What is the OGE process to apply for satellite symposia at medical congresses?
Grant requests for satellite symposia at medical congresses must be submitted via NGCS, reviewed by OGE and disposition rendered to grant requestor prior to the submission deadline set by the medical congress.

How much will Novartis consider for faculty honoraria?
Novartis will evaluate honoraria for faculty based on the scope of responsibility identified for the faculty in the grant application and the rationale provided for the requested honoraria for each faculty member taking into consideration the fair market value.

If my grant request is approved, do I need permission to use the Novartis logo on materials developed for the educational activity/activities?
Yes, you will need to request permission to use the Novartis logo for each approved grant. Upon an unsolicited written request to OGE, Novartis will send you a permission agreement for your signature. When the permission agreement is fully executed, OGE will provide you the Novartis logo to use for the activity/activities as indicated in the agreement.

Can I submit a grant request to cover the expenses related to meals only?
No. Grant requests should be submitted for an educational activity in its entirety, not an individual line item expense specific to meals. Per ACCME guidelines, meals should be modest and should be provided in conjunction with an educational activity. Providers should avoid making meals the primary focus of the proposed gathering of health care professionals.

My activity is taking place outside of the U.S. and may include both U.S. and non-U.S. HCPs. Should I submit this request to the U.S. Oncology Office of Grants and Education (OGE) or to Global Oncology Scientific Affairs?
Any activity taking place within the U.S., or taking place outside of the U.S. but including U.S. HCPs as participants must be submitted to the Oncology Office of Grants and Education (OGE) for review and consideration. Grant requests for activities taking place outside of the US and not including U.S. HCPs as participants can contact Global Oncology Scientific Affairs at: globaloncology.grants@novartis.com