The primary purpose of the AARC Vision Grant is to provide funding to members conducting research initiatives that can document the clinical and economic impact of respiratory therapists related specifically to AARC’s mission to secure the highest quality care for all patients who suffer from cardiopulmonary disease.
Request for Applications
The AARC invites interested parties to submit a one-page letter of intent (LOI) by March 31, 2025 for possible funding that advances the respiratory care profession. Please submit your LOI and questions to Lynda Goodfellow at Lynda.Goodfellow@aarc.org.
Projects that focus on innovative ways to educate the workforce and continually increase the level of competency within the profession need to be reviewed. This includes how to communicate to respiratory therapy consumers (professionals and patients) about outcomes-based research that lowers mortality, increases quality and safety, and lowers costs when respiratory therapists are involved in care.
Deadline
Letter of Intent – March 31, 2025
Submission Requirements
Once a letter of intent is approved, an electronic (PDF) copy of the complete application in one document is required. Cost sharing is encouraged by educational institutions, professional organizations, hospital systems, and foundations. The deadline for an invited full proposal is June 1, 2025.
Overview and Goals
The AARC is funding research that investigates proposals that “elevate” or advance the recognition, value, and role of the respiratory therapist to the healthcare team. An emphasis on education that increases competency is encouraged. This may be reflected in the outcomes of educational advancement in the respiratory care workforce. Funding is also available for proposals based on outcomes that demonstrate the cost effectiveness of respiratory care in terms of lower morbidity and/or mortality, increased quality, and patient safety.
The review committee seeks proposals that may include AARC Clinical Practice Guidelines, clinical interventions, or issue paper statements. The committee stresses the need for proposals to adequately describe a research plan that addresses the outcomes that respiratory therapists provide on quality-of-care indicators, patient safety, and/or departmental/ institutional/company performance on core value measures.
Examples below illustrate the types of proposals the AARC Vision Grant seeks to fund:
- Proposals to evaluate methods or technologies used to educate either students or practitioners to increase competencies in the following areas:
- Patient outcomes: ventilator days, length of stay, readmission rates, reintubation rates, VAE rates
- Disease management: patient-driven protocols, recognizing and resolving patient deterioration on mechanical ventilation, acute disease exacerbation, airway emergencies, etc.
- Patient transport
- Pulmonary diagnostics, bronchoscopy, etc.
- Proposals to conduct data-set analysis outcomes – comparing test scores/educational levels to the competencies needed before and after entry into the workforce.
Other examples are proposals focused on outcome-based research projects that evaluate the cost and quality of having respiratory therapists as part of the patient care team. The research should compare morbidity, mortality, and/or the cost effectiveness of respiratory therapists in patient care settings. Incorporating the Safe and Effective Staffing Guide (SESG) is encouraged.
Proposal Contents and Page Limits
The one-page LOI should address the research questions, research methods, and significance of the research. If the LOI is accepted, researchers will be asked to apply with no more than ten pages, including:
- State the scientific rationale for the study and detail how this study advances the profession of respiratory care
- Provide specific research question(s) that are sufficiently focused on carefully mapping issues related to the safety and quality of respiratory care.
- Justify the study plan’s scientific merits and the proposed research’s potential impact.
- Provide a timeline for the proposed research and qualifications of all investigators.
- Prepare and justify a proposed budget
- Document that IRB approval is secured
- Description of any equipment to be purchased and any implementation expenditures
Review Process
Applications evaluated based on the ability of the award to:
- Leverage existing strengths of the primary investigators and co-investigators
- Execute well-designed studies that can reveal differences in quality and safety, if any
- Advance the profession of respiratory care and enhance the AARC’s mission and vision
- Include cost sharing with funding partners
- Support AARC members
Eligibiity
All are encouraged to submit an LOI that describes a research plan that can adequately investigate the effect of the educational level of respiratory therapists on quality-of-care indicators and patient safety, as well as departmental/institutional performance on core value measures. A preference for respiratory therapists who are PIs or co-PIs is requested. At least one research team member must be an active member of the AARC as verified by the AARC Executive Office. Applications of any amount up to $50,000 accepted for review.
