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USA Track & Field – Request for Proposals – Sports Science & Medicine
For consideration of inclusion in the 2017 – 2020 USATF High Performance Plan to the USOC
At the beginning of each Olympic quadrennium, USA Track & Field submits a four-year High Performance Plan to the US Olympic Committee for their consideration and funding support. Work will take place in the spring and early summer of 2016 on development of the 2017 – 2020 USATF High Performance Plan. Accordingly, USATF is inviting proposals specifically in the areas of Sports Science
& Medicine for consideration.
This call for proposals is open to all, including the greater US sports science & medicine community, university and private researchers, technology developers, coaches, athletes, and the USATF community at large. These proposals must be specific to a Sports Science or Sports Medicine related concept.
Goal
While the USATF High Performance Plan will include a number of specific objectives, the primary goal is maximizing medal attainment at the Olympic Games and IAAF World Championships events.
Priorities and Themes
While this request for proposals is open to any Sports Science or Medicine related concept under the theme of maximizing medal attainment at Olympic Games / World Championships, USATF has identified the following Sports Science & Medicine priorities for 2017 – 2020.
While USATF encourages proposal submissions in these areas, proposals with Sports Science or Medicine concepts outside of these areas will be fully considered. However, all proposals must have a direct application to elite performance. Basic science or descriptive proposals, without a direct translational application to athlete performance, are unlikely to be funded.
Eligibility
The following individuals are NOT eligible to submit proposals or receive funding: members of national level USATF committees (unless resigning from said committee upon award), and researchers or employees at non-US institutions.
Process and Funding
Proposals must follow the submission instructions below and must be received electronically by USATF no later than 11:59pm EDT on May 16, 2016. Vetting and ultimate funding of submitted proposals will follow a two stage process.
Proposals will be initially vetted by a review panel, whose members will be selected by the USATF Chief of Sport Performance and the USATF High Performance Division chair. Proposals deemed worthy by this panel will be included in the 2017 – 2020 USATF High Performance Plan submission to the USOC.
The second review will occur by the USOC in vetting the entire USATF High Performance Plan in the last fall of 2016. Should a Sports Science & Medicine specific proposal not be funded by the USOC, it may be considered by USATF for internal funding.
While proposals may include programmatic elements and request funding covering a single year or multiple years, initial awards will only be made for one year: January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. For multi-year proposals, a progress report and request for funding must be made at the end of 2017 for the 2018 calendar year. Funding for 2018 and beyond is NOT guaranteed.
Funding awards will be announced no later than December 15, 2016. Funding awards will be made available beginning January 1, 2017 and all funds must be spent by December 31, 2017. Grant awardees or their institutions must be willing to sign a contract of conditions with USATF.
Proposal budgets can be for any size. Note that USATF anticipates a Sports Science & Medicine budget of between $1.5 million and $2 million for calendar year 2017. Past USATF Sports Science & Medicine programs have included specific budget lines ranging from as small as $5,000 to as large as $300,000; however, most programs are less than $50,000.
Note that for proposals which involve measures / testing on elite athletes, USATF will work to facilitate access, but do not assume that this access is guaranteed.
Proposal Submission Instructions
All proposals must include the following components:
Proposals should be formatted in Times New Roman or Arial font, minimum 11 pt, single spaced, with minimum 0.5 inch margins throughout. Figures, tables, and images may be included in the proposal, but must remain within page limits. All proposal components should be compiled into a single PDF file and emailed to SportsScience@usatf.org by the deadline of 11:59pm EDT on May 16, 2016.
Budget construction
When constructing a project budget, the following restrictions and guidelines must be followed.
Questions
Email Robert Chapman, PhD, Associate Director of Sports Science & Medicine, USATF at Robert.Chapman@usatf.org.
For consideration of inclusion in the 2017 – 2020 USATF High Performance Plan to the USOC
At the beginning of each Olympic quadrennium, USA Track & Field submits a four-year High Performance Plan to the US Olympic Committee for their consideration and funding support. Work will take place in the spring and early summer of 2016 on development of the 2017 – 2020 USATF High Performance Plan. Accordingly, USATF is inviting proposals specifically in the areas of Sports Science
& Medicine for consideration.
This call for proposals is open to all, including the greater US sports science & medicine community, university and private researchers, technology developers, coaches, athletes, and the USATF community at large. These proposals must be specific to a Sports Science or Sports Medicine related concept.
Goal
While the USATF High Performance Plan will include a number of specific objectives, the primary goal is maximizing medal attainment at the Olympic Games and IAAF World Championships events.
Priorities and Themes
While this request for proposals is open to any Sports Science or Medicine related concept under the theme of maximizing medal attainment at Olympic Games / World Championships, USATF has identified the following Sports Science & Medicine priorities for 2017 – 2020.
- Keeping athletes physically and mentally healthy
- Identifying limitations to elite performance
- Biomechanical, nutritional, and physiological interventions that could enhance performance
- Use of technology to monitor athlete responses / training loads
- Development of informational repositories for coaches and athletes
- Maximizing strength development and recovery
- Optimal timing and date selection of the US Championships or Olympic Trials, in relation to the World Championships or Olympic Games, in order to maximize performance
- Scientific or medical barriers to the successful transition from collegiate to professional track & field
While USATF encourages proposal submissions in these areas, proposals with Sports Science or Medicine concepts outside of these areas will be fully considered. However, all proposals must have a direct application to elite performance. Basic science or descriptive proposals, without a direct translational application to athlete performance, are unlikely to be funded.
Eligibility
The following individuals are NOT eligible to submit proposals or receive funding: members of national level USATF committees (unless resigning from said committee upon award), and researchers or employees at non-US institutions.
Process and Funding
Proposals must follow the submission instructions below and must be received electronically by USATF no later than 11:59pm EDT on May 16, 2016. Vetting and ultimate funding of submitted proposals will follow a two stage process.
Proposals will be initially vetted by a review panel, whose members will be selected by the USATF Chief of Sport Performance and the USATF High Performance Division chair. Proposals deemed worthy by this panel will be included in the 2017 – 2020 USATF High Performance Plan submission to the USOC.
The second review will occur by the USOC in vetting the entire USATF High Performance Plan in the last fall of 2016. Should a Sports Science & Medicine specific proposal not be funded by the USOC, it may be considered by USATF for internal funding.
While proposals may include programmatic elements and request funding covering a single year or multiple years, initial awards will only be made for one year: January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. For multi-year proposals, a progress report and request for funding must be made at the end of 2017 for the 2018 calendar year. Funding for 2018 and beyond is NOT guaranteed.
Funding awards will be announced no later than December 15, 2016. Funding awards will be made available beginning January 1, 2017 and all funds must be spent by December 31, 2017. Grant awardees or their institutions must be willing to sign a contract of conditions with USATF.
Proposal budgets can be for any size. Note that USATF anticipates a Sports Science & Medicine budget of between $1.5 million and $2 million for calendar year 2017. Past USATF Sports Science & Medicine programs have included specific budget lines ranging from as small as $5,000 to as large as $300,000; however, most programs are less than $50,000.
Note that for proposals which involve measures / testing on elite athletes, USATF will work to facilitate access, but do not assume that this access is guaranteed.
Proposal Submission Instructions
All proposals must include the following components:
- USATF proposal cover page (1 page, template is below), including an abstract of < 250 words describing the proposal in layman’s terms.
- Proposed project details and expected impact (4 page limit). Must include sections of: 1) Specific aims and rationale, 2) Background / existing data, 3) Research methods or Program logistics, 4) Expected outcome(s) / impact on athlete performance. If applicable, the expected outcomes / impact section should include a project timeline and deliverables dates. If scientific publications are referenced in this section, a formatted list of references should be included (not subject to the 4 page limit).
- List of project personnel and brief bio (1 page limit). A biosketch or CV (3 page limit) of the principal investigator or project leader only may also be included with the listing of project personnel.
- Proposed budget (1 page limit). See specific notes on budget construction below.
- Budget justification (1 page limit).
Proposals should be formatted in Times New Roman or Arial font, minimum 11 pt, single spaced, with minimum 0.5 inch margins throughout. Figures, tables, and images may be included in the proposal, but must remain within page limits. All proposal components should be compiled into a single PDF file and emailed to SportsScience@usatf.org by the deadline of 11:59pm EDT on May 16, 2016.
Budget construction
When constructing a project budget, the following restrictions and guidelines must be followed.
- USATF is unable to pay institutional indirect or overhead costs.
- Personnel salaries or student support funding may be included, but will be closely scrutinized.
- Travel costs specific to the project may be included, but must be booked through USATF’s travel office. Travel costs to scientific meetings should not be included and will not be funded. USATF will separately cover necessary travel costs for any USATF or USOC meetings you may be asked to attend and should not be listed in the budget.
- Specific equipment items greater than $5,000 should be listed individually and explained in the budget justification.
- Specific budget for calendar year 2017 should be included. A projected budget for future years, if part of the proposal, may be included. However, any 2018 funding is subject to approval at the end of 2017.
Questions
Email Robert Chapman, PhD, Associate Director of Sports Science & Medicine, USATF at Robert.Chapman@usatf.org.