CHAPTER 50
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR ADMINISTERING THE COMMONWEALTH NEUROTRAUMA INITIATIVE TRUST FUND

Part I
Definitions and General Information

22VAC30-50-10. Definitions.

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Advisory board" means the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Advisory Board.

"Fund" means the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Trust Fund.

"Neurotrauma" means an injury to the central nervous system, i.e., a traumatic spinal cord or brain injury, which results in loss of physical functions, cognitive functions or both.

"RFP" or "request" means a request for proposals issued by the advisory board seeking applications for grant moneys in the fund.

22VAC30-50-20. Statement of general policy.

The Commonwealth of Virginia has recognized the need to prevent traumatic spinal cord and brain injuries and is committed to improving the treatment and care of Virginians with traumatic spinal cord and brain injuries. By creating the fund and authorizing the advisory board to administer the fund, the Commonwealth makes grant funds available to Virginia-based organizations, institutions, and researchers to address these needs. The advisory board administers the fund to carry out the intent of the law in accordance with its authority.

22VAC30-50-30. Disbursement of funds.

A. This chapter serves to (i) establish policies and procedures for soliciting and receiving applications for grants from the fund, (ii) establish criteria for reviewing and ranking such applications, and (iii) establish procedures for distributing moneys in the fund, which shall be used solely to provide grants to Virginia-based organizations, institutions, and researchers.

B. Forty-seven and one-half percent of the moneys shall be allocated for research on the mechanisms and treatment of neurotrauma; 47-1/2% of the moneys shall be allocated for rehabilitative services, i.e., the development of innovative, model community-based rehabilitative programs and services for individuals with neurotrauma; and 5.0% of the moneys shall be allocated for the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services' costs for administering and staffing the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Trust Fund and advisory board.

22VAC30-50-40. Compliance with the Administrative Process Act.

Chapter 40 (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia (the Administrative Process Act) governs the promulgation and administration of this chapter and applies to any appeal of a case decision made pursuant to or based upon this chapter.

22VAC30-50-50. Application of exemption to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

Pursuant to a provision of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Chapter 37 (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.) of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia, records submitted to the advisory board as a grant application, or accompanying a grant application, pursuant to the law and this chapter are excluded from the requirement of open inspection to the extent that they contain medical or mental records or other data identifying individual patients, or proprietary business or research-related information produced or collected by an applicant in the conduct of or as a result of study or research on medical, rehabilitative, scientific, technical, or scholarly issues. This exemption shall apply when such information has not been publicly released, published, copyrighted, or patented, if the disclosure of such information would be harmful to the competitive position of the applicant. The advisory board intends to rely upon this exemption in order to encourage the submission of applications.

Part II
Soliciting and Reviewing Applications

22VAC30-50-60. Requests for proposals.

The advisory board will shall solicit applications for grants of moneys from the fund by issuing requests for proposals from time to time. These requests shall be issued at the discretion of the advisory board and shall depend upon the availability of funds. Each application for a grant must be received in response to an actual request for a proposal and by a deadline specified in the request.

22VAC30-50-70. Grant reviewers and technical advisors.

The advisory board may choose, at any time, to appoint grant reviewers or other technical advisors, or both, to assist in reviewing and ranking applications. Such reviewers and advisors may represent medical researchers, medical practitioners, community-based service providers, consumers, advocates for consumers, or others deemed appropriate by the advisory board for this purpose. Reviewers and advisors shall be appointed so as to provide equal representation from Virginia's three medical schools. Reviewers and advisors shall be selected so as to avoid any conflict of interests or the appearance thereof, and the advisory board may choose reviewers and advisors residing or working outside Virginia to ensure impartiality. Whenever reviewers or advisors sit as a committee, the chairman of the advisory board or his designee shall serve as chairman of the committee but shall not vote on individual applications.

22VAC30-50-80. Specification of Option A or B.

Each application shall clearly state a purpose to seek funds for projects to conduct research on the mechanisms and treatment of neurotrauma, which shall be referred to as "Option A," or to develop innovative, model community-based rehabilitative programs and services for individuals with neurotrauma, which shall be referred to as "Option B." Option A applications shall state and demonstrate a clear intention of researching the mechanisms of neurotrauma or the treatment of neurotrauma, or both. Option B applications shall state and demonstrate a clear intention to provide innovative, model community-based rehabilitative services by developing, expanding, evaluating, or improving community-based programs and services for people with traumatic brain injury or traumatic spinal cord injury, or both, and expanding opportunities for such individuals to become as independent and physically and functionally capable as possible. Neither Option A nor Option B grants are intended shall be used for long-term funding of research projects or service community-based rehabilitative programs and services.

22VAC30-50-90. Submission of applications.

In reviewing applications submitted for grant awards, whether Option A or Option B, the advisory board will shall accept applications that:

1. Present a clear and convincing and persuasive discussion of how the proposed project will shall carry out its intention as specified in accordance with 22VAC30-50-80, and describe in as much detail as possible its anticipated effectiveness in carrying out its intention;

2. Comply fully with informational and administrative requirements stated in the specific RFP to which applicants are responding; and

3. In the case of an Option A application:

a. Discuss the relevance of the proposed project to an identified field of medical or rehabilitative inquiry;

b. Demonstrate the anticipated benefit of the proposed project in terms of expanding knowledge and understanding of neurotrauma;

c. Discuss any innovation or breakthrough the project seeks to promote, specifying outcome measures where possible for each of the preceding enumerated items in this subdivision; and

d. Describe efforts to ensure that the proposed project does not duplicate previous or ongoing research; or and

e. Provide a plan for sustaining the proposed project following termination of a grant award as relevant to the intention of the proposed project; or

4. In the case of an Option B application:

a. Discuss the relevance of the proposed project to an identified need for innovative, model community-based rehabilitative programs and services in terms of the absence of alternative programs, services, and resources available to the intended individuals and community;

b. Describe efforts to ensure that the proposed project does not duplicate existing programs, services, or resources already available to targeted individuals and communities; and

c. State and emphasize Demonstrate a commitment to collaborative community planning involving consumer groups, service providers, employers, relevant state and local agencies, and other funding sources, as available or anticipated to become available. and appropriate; and

d. Provide a plan for sustaining the proposed project following termination of a grant award as relevant to the intention of the proposed project.

Part III
Specific Project Consideration and Application Criteria, Selection of Successful Applications and Amount and Announcement of Awards

22VAC30-50-100. Reviewing and ranking grant applications.

A. The advisory board will shall distinguish the class of Option A applications from the class of Option B applications when soliciting, reviewing, and ranking grant applications. Applications will be considered and ranked only among other applications submitted under the same stated option, either Option A or Option B. Applications initially deemed effective in meeting the purpose of a solicitation and to have substantially addressed the general considerations stated in Part II (22VAC30-50-60 et seq.) of this chapter, as applicable, will shall be subsequently reviewed and ranked according to the following criteria:

1. The purpose and significance of the project;

2. The objectives and expected benefits of the project;

3. The design of the project to include (i) methods, activities, and a timeline for achieving project goals and objectives, and (ii) a system for measuring outcomes and documenting project impact, effectiveness, and any anticipated long-term effects;

4. A detailed budget that is reasonable and appropriate for the scope of the project;

5. The identification of potential sources of funds and fundraising strategies to be used in sustaining the proposed project following termination of a grant award as relevant to the intention of the proposed project;

6. Demonstrated or anticipated capability of the existing or planned organizational structure;

7. The means for consumer involvement in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the project as feasible and relevant to the intention of the proposed project; and

8. A commitment to include the participation of small, women-owned and minority businesses, as such are available and capable of participation.

B. When initially reviewing applications or subsequently reviewing and ranking applications, the advisory board may ask applicants to provide required information that is missing from the application or additional clarifying information relating to their applications and proposed projects. Failure to provide missing information or failure to provide additional information that is material and relevant may result in the rejection or lowered ranking of an application.

22VAC30-50-110. Amount of grant awards; duration and availability of funding.

A. After reviewing all applications, duly received, for either Option A or Option B, the advisory board will shall determine which proposed projects will shall be offered funding. The selection of successful applications will shall be made based on (i) availability of moneys in the fund, (ii) the review and ranking of the applications according to the criteria listed in this chapter, (iii) information from grant reviewers or technical advisors who the board may appoint to assist in evaluating applications, and (iv) the advisory board's assessment of those applications, which further the intentions and the purpose of the fund. Discussions and negotiations may be conducted between the advisory board and grant applicants in order to clarify any remaining issues relating to the proposed project.

B. In considering and determining the amount of a grant award and the duration of funding for a particular project, the advisory board will shall consider the requested amount, the project design, and justification. Actual grant awards will shall be made in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $150,000 per year for an anticipated funding period of one to three years as described in the proposal. The award and duration of funding of a project anticipated to exceed one year will shall be contingent upon (i) the availability of moneys in the fund, whether so stated at the time of the award or not, and (ii) the grantee's successful completion of timelines and of interim objectives and milestones as proposed and approved in the grant application, grant award, and contract documents.

C. In the event any timelines and interim objectives and milestones pertaining to a project are not completed to the satisfaction of the advisory board, the advisory board may act to withhold moneys not yet disbursed for such a project. In the event of a substantial decline in moneys in the fund, the advisory board will shall attempt to distribute moneys to projects of an anticipated duration greater than one year in a manner as fair and equitable as possible.

D. The award of grants to successful applicants will shall be made public within 60 days of the advisory board's decision regarding all applications submitted in response to a request for proposals.

22VAC30-50-120. Unexpended funds.

Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the Commissioner of the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services may reallocate up to $500,000 from unexpended balances in the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Trust Fund to fund new grant awards for research on traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.