Award Policies

All research award applicants must abide by the following policies to remain eligible for an AGA award.

Number of award applicants per institution

There is no limit to the number of applicants per institution.

Number of submissions per applicant

Applicants are limited to one submission per award mechanism (i.e., Research Scholar Award, Pilot Research Award, Abstract/Travel Award) per applicant per year. When a mechanism has multiple awards available (e.g., topically-restricted and unrestricted pilot awards), applicants will receive consideration for all awards to which their research is relevant.

If eligible, an applicant may submit an application to more than one award mechanism per year.

Application resubmission

Applicants not initially selected for funding may resubmit the same proposal to AGA at a future date, provided award eligibility criteria are still met. Resubmissions should note the year and the name of the award that the proposal was first considered for, and clearly note any areas where the original proposal has been revised.

Award overlap

If candidates are unsure of award overlap, they must contact AGA by email, [email protected], at least one month prior to the application deadline. A determination notice will be sent within 15 business days.

Research Scholar Awards: At the time of application submission, candidates may not hold or have held an NIH K01, K08, K23, K99, R00, R01, R21, R29, Veterans Affairs Career Development Award or any award with similar objectives from non-federal sources (such as the American Liver Foundation, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). Candidates who have held a K12 or KL2 in the past are eligible to apply. Candidates with an active K12 or KL2 may apply in the final year of their active K12 or KL2 as long as the award will end before the Research Scholar Award term begins. If a candidate is granted the award and notified of a comparable award from another agency prior to the first payment of this award, the recipient must select one of the two awards (i.e., the recipient may not retain both awards). If the recipient is notified that a comparable award has been granted after the first payment of this award, the recipient may retain 50 percent of the remaining balance on the AGA award. AGA must be notified by the recipient via email ([email protected]) within two weeks of receiving notification of additional funding.

Pilot and specialty research awards: At the time of application submission, candidates may not hold awards directly related to the proposed research from other organizations (i.e., government agency, foundation, academic institution, professional society, etc.). If the candidate is granted the award and notified of a comparable award from another organization prior to the first payment of this award, the recipient must select one of the two awards (i.e., the recipient may not retain both awards).

Travel Awards: Applicants who have received a travel award to attend Digestive Disease Week® for the same abstract awarded by AGA must select one of the two awards (i.e., the recipient may not retain both awards).

Minimum percent effort

Research Scholar Awards: Applicants must dedicate 50 percent effort to the proposed project.
There is no minimum percent effort required for other award mechanisms offered by AGA.

All research award recipients must abide by the following policies to retain and/or modify an AGA Research Foundation award.

Progress and financial reports

AGA Research Foundation award* recipients are required to submit reporting documentation. Requirements are outlined in all award contracts. Reports are submitted online using AGA’s grants management system.

The financial report must be completed by the institution’s accounting and/or grants management office and must indicate how the funds were utilized. Acceptable formats include a standard institutional budget, expenditure form or a written table indicating amounts expended in general categories and the award amount remaining.

*Recipients of travel awards are exempt from post-award reporting requirements.

Acknowledgment of AGA support

We anticipate and encourage awardees to present all or portions of AGA-funded research at conferences and via manuscript submission to journals. Publications, abstracts and/or presentations arising from work funded by an AGA-award must acknowledge support of the AGA Research Foundation.

Guidelines for acknowledging AGA support

• The “Funded by the AGA Research Foundation” seal should be used for primarily visual displays, including slides, signs and posters.
• For communications that are primarily text, such as manuscripts, journal articles, letters, etc., the statement “Funded by the AGA Research Foundation’s {insert full award name and year as listed on the contract}” should be used.
• As a courtesy to AGA, please send a notification to [email protected] regarding any abstracts, publications, or other works resulting from the AGA-funded project.

Grant equipment

Research award recipients are encouraged to reserve the right to retain laboratory supplies and equipment purchased with AGA award funds in the event of transfer to a new institution. However, it is the prerogative of the original institution to determine whether equipment purchased with AGA award funds will remain at the original institution.

Forfeiture

A forfeiture may be requested if an award recipient receives extramural funding and is unable to devote the required research effort to the AGA award. A forfeiture may also be requested if a transfer request has been denied or for personal reasons.

Guidelines for forfeiting an award

The following information must be provided to forfeit an AGA Research Foundation award:

• A brief letter that reports the status of the research project and the reason the award cannot be completed must be emailed to [email protected].
• A forfeiture letter will be sent to the awardee within 15 working days. Forfeitures may result in the return of all unexpended or unobligated grant funds.
• Within 60 days following the awardee’s receipt of the AGA Research Foundation’s forfeiture letter, the awardee shall provide a financial report from the institution’s grants office detailing all expenditures to date and all remaining funds, and a final scientific progress report. Combine the reports into one PDF file and submit to [email protected].
• If applicable, a check for all unexpended and unobligated funds should be sent to the AGA Research Foundation within 60 days of the termination of the award.

Budget revisions

A revision may be made when the awardee is no longer able to meet the research aims under the approved budget. Reallocations can be requested for any related expenditure of the proposed project, including salary support, equipment and supplies.

Minor budget revisions that move funds totaling less than 25 percent of the annual award payment across categories will be reviewed and approved by AGA staff. Major budget revisions, such as a change in percent effort dedicated to the research funded by the AGA award or reallocation of 25 percent or more of the annual award payment, must be reviewed and approved by the chair of the AGA Institute Research Awards Panel. In addition, all changes to the budget must be acknowledged and highlighted in the annual financial progress report (see Progress and financial reports).

Revisions may not include costs restricted in the award agreement (e.g., indirect costs, mentor salary or travel costs).

Guidelines for requesting a budget revision

The following must be provided for a determination:

• A letter of request submitted by the awardee on institutional letterhead, documenting the full name and year of the award, and the rationale for the proposed revisions emailed to [email protected].
• A copy of the original budget.
• An adjusted budget that reflects and highlights the requested alterations.
• A determination letter will be sent within 15 working days.
• If approved, the revised budget will be added as an addendum to the award contract.

Simultaneous and/or subsequent funding

Many AGA Research Foundation award recipients receive simultaneous and/or subsequent funding. Recipients are required to notify AGA (via [email protected]) of all current supplemental funding before accepting an AGA award and notify AGA of noncomparable subsequent funding in award progress reports.

If notified of a comparable award (i.e., it funds all or part of the research aims outlined in the AGA-funded award) from another organization (i.e., government agency, foundation, academic institution, professional society, etc.) recipients must notify AGA within one business week.

Guidelines for determining comparable funding

The following must be provided and will be forwarded to the chair of the Research Awards Panel for a determination:

• A letter from the awardee’s institution on formal letterhead confirming receipt of the comparable award, noting the organization funding it, the title of the project and the funding period.
• A Specific Aims page for the comparable award.
• If an NIH award, a copy of the Notice of Award.
• The request will be forwarded to the Research Awards Panel chair, if applicable, for review and determination.
• A determination letter will be sent within 15 working days.
  • If AGA determines there is no significant overlap of research aims, the recipient may keep both awards.
  • If AGA determines there is significant overlap of the research aims prior to the first payment of the AGA award, the recipient must select one of the two awards (i.e., the recipient may not retain both awards).
  • If AGA determines there is significant overlap of the research aims, and this overlap is identified after the first payment of a multi-payment award (e.g., Research Scholar Award), recipients may retain 50 percent of the remaining balance on the award.
•  

Award hiatus

A hiatus up to 12 months may be requested for family leave, medical leave, or if the award recipient has an unusual or unexpected situation in which the recipient temporarily cannot work on the research funded by the AGA award. (This policy does not apply to abstract/travel award recipients.)

Guidelines for requesting a hiatus

• A brief letter that reports the status of the research project and explains the reason that a hiatus is necessary. The letter must include the start and end date of the hiatus.
• A financial report from the institution’s grants office detailing all the expenditures to date and all remaining funds.
• The requested information, combined into one PDF file, must be emailed to [email protected].
• If the hiatus is approved, a notification letter will be sent to the awardee within 15 working days. The award recipient and an authorized official from the recipient’s institution will be asked to sign and return a statement of acknowledgement.
• AGA reserves the right to decline the request.

Transfers

Should an award recipient change institutions during their award term, AGA must be notified as soon as possible. The award recipient may request an institutional transfer of award funds. An award recipient moving from an institution within the U.S., Canada or Mexico to outside of North America may request an award transfer; however, if the recipient fails to meet any other AGA award eligibility criteria with the institutional transfer, he or she may be asked to forfeit the award (see Forfeiture).

Guidelines for requesting a transfer

The following information must be provided to process an institutional transfer:

• A research facilities statement listing the office, laboratory, support staff and clinical facilities of the new institution.
• A letter from the new division chief or department head confirming support of the AGA funded project and the availability of adequate facilities.
• A letter of confirmation from the mentor/sponsor (if applicable) that appropriate space, equipment and other resources will be available and that he/she is prepared to devote the necessary time and effort to the project.
• An abstract describing any changes to the research project, technical approach and anticipated results, if different from the abstract submitted with the original application.
• The requested information, combined into one PDF file, must be emailed to [email protected].
• A determination letter will be sent within 15 working days.
  • If the transfer is not approved, the awardee must forfeit the award; detailed in the section labeled Forfeiture.
  • If the transfer is approved, the awardee must provide award payment information for the new institution for award payments.
• If the transfer is approved, the first institution must provide AGA with a final financial report detailing grant expenditures to date and return any remaining funds to AGA. AGA will disburse the remaining funds to the new institution.
• The new institution must provide a financial report at the end of the grant period, detailing grant expenditures during the time of fund stewardship.

No-cost extension

A no-cost extension provides the award recipient an extended award term, typically 12 months, in which to complete their research project. A no-cost extension may be requested when an award recipient does not anticipate their AGA-funded research can be completed in the grant period, or the awardee does not anticipate expending their award funding during the allotted grant period.

Terms and conditions for determining a no-cost extension:

• Requests up to $5,000 or 20 percent of the grant value will be reviewed and determined by AGA staff.
• Requests exceeding $5,000 or 20 percent of the grant value, or citing highly unusual circumstances will be forwarded to the AGA Institute Research Awards Panel chair for review and determination.
• If the no-cost extension is approved, scientific and financial progress reports are due at the end of the extension period. Any unexpended funds, including interest earned, must be returned to the AGA Research Foundation within 60 days of the extended award term end date.
• An award recipient moving from an institution within the U.S., Canada or Mexico to outside North America may still request a no-cost extension. However, AGA reserves the right to decline the request.

Guidelines for requesting a no-cost extension:

The following must be provided and will be reviewed for a determination:

• A letter of request submitted by the awardee on institutional letterhead, documenting the full name and year of the award, and the rationale for the no-cost extension.
  • If requested to expend unused funds, the letter must indicate the reason residual funds remain.
  • If requested to extend grant period to complete research aims, the letter must indicate why the project will not be completed by the original grant end date.
• A scientific and financial report, combined into one PDF document and submitted via email to [email protected]. The financial report should indicate expended funds to date. The scientific progress report should provide a brief overview of research accomplishments to date and a brief explanation of how the project will be completed by the extension date.
• A determination letter will be sent within 15 working days. A final financial and research progress report must be sent to AGA no later than 60 days after the end of the extension period.