Medical Student Community Leadership Grant Program

Download the Application

INTRODUCTION

The Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF) invites proposals from “eligible applicants” for a grant to fully or partially fund a health improvement program that focuses on one of TMA’s current public health or science priority areas.
• Tobacco Use
• Obesity/metabolic syndrome
• Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders
• Violence, Victimization, Unintentional Injuries
• Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (Immunizations)
• Unplanned Pregnancy
• Environmental Health (or hazards)

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Eligible applicants are the eleven (11) TMA medical student chapters located at each Texas medical school.

PROGRAM FOCUS/ DURATION
Grants will support health-related short-term (1 year) start-up or enhancements to ongoing programs that are educational and/or community service and that enhance the well-being of Texans, reflect TMA’s health improvement objectives and reinforce the trusted leadership of physicians.

GRANT AMOUNT/RESTRICTIONS
Matching grants of up to, but not exceeding, $3,000 per project will be available. TMAF requires reasonable evidence from the applicant organization that it either has or plans to provide funding from its own or other resources equivalent to or greater than the amount being requested from TMAF in this RFP. Non-cash sources of support will be considered in meeting this matching requirement (e.g. volunteer hours, no or low cost services provided for the project, etc.). See Proposal Requirements Section B Budget of the application for more information.

FUNDS DISTRIBUTION
• If grant amount is less than $1,000
    o The grant will be paid in full upon completion of a signed grant contract between TMAF and the applicant organization; the signed contract must be returned within 45 days of the contract date.
• For Grants of $100 or more
    o 50 percent of the approved amount will be issued upon completion of a signed grant contract between TMAF and the applicant organization; the signed contract must be returned within 45 days of the contract date.
    o Remaining 50 percent of the approved amount will be issued six months later, provided a grant presentation ceremony has been held (see below) and the mid-year report has been submitted (second half of the funds will not be provided until these two conditions have been met).
• Other payment arrangements may be made if approved by the TMAF Executive Director.
• A local presentation ceremony should be made to announce the grant to help build community support for the grant project.

OBJECTIVES
TMAF’s objective for the 2016-2017 Medical Student Community Leadership Grants Program is to fund initiatives that compliment one or more of TMA’s active public health or science areas of focus (listed above).

TMAF promotes the Family of Medicine’s role as health improvement advocates for patients and the public.

FUNDING GUIDELINES
TMAF supports primarily short-term, high-impact, high visibility programs. Due to limited resources, restrictions are placed on the scope of activities TMAF is able to support. In general, the Foundation does not grant funds for:

• Unrestricted general operating expenses (e.g. miscellaneous costs to run the program or office.);
• The use and payment for services of a fiscal agent (An organization or a legal entity managing the funds for a nonprofit organization.);
• Endowment funds;
• Religious organizations for religious purposes;
• Fund raising activities or events (e.g. annual fund drives, benefit tickets);
• Umbrella funding organizations that intend to distribute funds at their own discretion;
• Political lobbying or legislative activities;
• Individuals; and
• Capital expenditures (e.g. building repairs, building renovations or additions, etc.).

TARGET AUDIENCES
The target audiences for Medical Community Grant projects may be any of the following: alliance members, physicians, medical students, patients, general or targeted segments of the public or a combination of these.

DEADLINE
Proposals are to be submitted electronically by August 31, 2016, for consideration in October 2016 and December 30, 2016 for consideration in January 2017. Late proposals will not be evaluated. Email completed applications to sean.dunham@texmed.org.

SELECTION PROCESS
Evaluation
The TMA Foundation Board of Trustees will review and act on the proposals at the next scheduled meeting.

Selection Criteria
TMAF prefers programs that emphasize the following criteria: visibility of the program; potential impact; measurable results; innovative approaches; partnering; a well-defined target audience; and short term timeframe.

Notification
Written notification will be emailed and mailed no later than one week after board approval. No phone calls or email inquiries, please.

MISCELLANEOUS
1. Costs incurred in the process of preparing and submitting proposals are the responsibility of the applicant.
2. TMAF reserves the right to amend or withdraw this request for proposals (RFP).
3. TMAF Board of Trustees or their designees are the only agents who may legally commit TMAF to the expenditures of funds for this project. No costs chargeable to the proposed grant contract may be reimbursed before receipt of a fully executed grant contract.
4. The applicant (county medical society or alliance chapter) may subcontract with other entities, but the selected applicant will deal directly with such entities and will be responsible for their performance and payment (if applicable).
5. Should none of the proposals sufficiently meet the RFP’s specifications, TMAF may choose not to award a grant to any applicant.
6. Grants must acknowledge TMA Foundation in printed materials, press releases and published and electronic materials, as appropriate. Copies must be provided to TMAF with project monitoring reports.
7. If the grant is approved, grantee agrees to furnish to the president of the foundation an interim and final written report as to the progress and conclusions reached with respect to the project financed by the grant, including an accounting of all funds expended. This final report should contain information on how this information was or will be distributed to physicians, if applicable.

For additional information or questions, please contact:

Lisa Stark Walsh, MA
Executive Director
TMA Foundation
401 W. 15th Street, #810
Austin, TX 78701
(800) 880-1300, ext. 1666, or (512) 370-1666
or
lisa.walsh@texmed.org