The American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF) is pleased to announce the 2013 Strategic Research Award.  This request for proposals (RFP) is aimed at soliciting high quality grant proposals that would propose research aimed at improving quality of health care delivery in the field of sleep medicine.

Up to three grants will be funded up to $100,000 each for a period of one year.

The ASMF is interested in measuring value in sleep medicine. Value is a ratio of measures of quality, service, safety, and outcomes in the numerator divided by costs over time in the denominator. The following are areas that were identified as sleep research needs:

  1. Care under a board certified sleep medicine specialist
  2. Telemedicine
  3. Actigraphy

Research in the strategic areas listed above, or combination thereof, is urgent considering the fast-changing field of sleep medicine and the need to reduce costs and yet improve the value of healthcare. Considering the importance of the topic and the limited funds available, applications that propose work that will aid development of subsequent competitive proposals for larger grants to other award giving agencies (i.e., collection of pilot data, initiating appropriate collaborations and planning for a future grant submission to for example, NIH, AHRQ or PCORI) will be considered highly responsive. Such planning proposals would need to include an appropriate timeline for submission of subsequent applications to other grant giving agencies.

This RFP falls under the broad category of Health Services Research and would require a competitive application to have significant input from health services researchers and/or biostatisticians in the conception and design of the proposal. Applicants are strongly encouraged to secure collaboration from researchers with prior experience in health care implementation science.

Members of the AASM in good standing are eligible to apply. Candidates must complete the application process before August 15, 2013. For more information about the Strategic Research Award, including rules, eligibility and the application, visit: https://www.discoversleep.org/researchaward.aspx.

For questions about the Strategic Research Award or other ASMF inquiries, please contact Laura Bentley, ASMF Coordinator at 630-737-9700 or lbentley@aasm.org