Alfred Bove was a cardiologist and dive physician who contributed significantly to the field of diving medicine for more than four decades. Among his areas of interest were cardio-respiratory fitness and fitness to dive. With an aging population of recreational divers and an elevated prevalence of chronic cardiac conditions among them, cardiac causes of scuba fatalities are increasingly common.
The purpose of this grant is to support research that may increase the safety of scuba diving by studying possible adverse effects of scuba diving and their mechanisms in divers with pre-existing heart conditions as well as methods of screening for increased risk of death from cardiac causes and possible preventive interventions.
The grant is funded with US$250,000.00 over the next five years. The available funds may be used to sponsor one or several projects for up to five years with up to a total of US$50,000 per year. The project does not have to span the entire five years. After the selection process, the award will be announced at the UHMS Annual Scientific Meeting.
Eligibility Requirements
- Applicants may be in any stage of their professional education or career. There is no specific requirement for the applicant to be enrolled in a degree-granting program. However, a successful applicant will have documented expertise and experience in research in one or more of the areas specified above.
- Projects must directly address this call for proposals.
- Projects should demonstrate sound theoretical grounding and relevance to policy or practice.
- Projects should employ rigorous methods that are appropriate for the proposal’s goals.
- Research plans must demonstrate feasibility in budgeting and timeline.
- The applicant must have proper training for the proposed research and relevant prior publications.
- Grants are awarded to a researcher, not to an institution.
- Funds must primarily support research activities and cannot cover overhead costs.
- Successful applicants must be prepared to present their work on invitation at relevant scientific conferences or public lectures.
Proposal submission
Proposals must be submitted via email as a single PDF file.
Two letters of support may be sent directly to DAN Research. The application comprises a short personal statement of motivation (letter of inquiry) and a proposal of the research to be undertaken. Please follow the instructions in the DAN Research Grant Application Guidelines. Please note that as a nonprofit organization, the DAN Foundation cannot cover indirect costs.
Proposal Review
Proposals will enter a peer-review process coordinated by the DAN Research Grant Committee for scientific merit, project feasibility and appropriateness for DAN funding. Applicants may be contacted during the 4- to 6-week review process to provide supplemental information.
Award Notification
Award notification will be emailed to the applicant within 6-8 weeks of proposal deadline. Approved awards are made available shortly after notification. The awards will be available upon resolution of all administrative issues (see Permissions). The award will be announced publicly at the UHMS Annual Scientific Meeting.
Permissions
IRB approval of human subject studies, collecting permits, animal care and use approval and other procedures must follow institutional policy and regulations and must be obtained before awarded funds can be collected. If a DAN employee is named as an investigator/collaborator in the study, the proposal must seek (additional) approval from the DAN IRB. For more details download the DAN Grant General Conditions.
Progress Reports and Publications
- DAN Research will periodically ask for progress reports; dates for progress updates and final reports will be specified once grant has been awarded.
- A final report is required for the project; it must be submitted no later than one year from the date on which funding is received.
- All publications, including print and oral presentation of findings, resulting from funding supported by DAN must include the following acknowledgement: “Financial support of Divers Alert Network is acknowledged.”