The Foundation hereby issues a Request for Research Proposals (RFP) for investigations of New treatments for orphan diseases of childhood: The Foundation prioritizes funding of proof of concept studies with open or controlled designs evaluating nutritional interventions as putative coronary artery endothelial protective strategies in children who have had full or partial recovery of coronary artery aneurysms caused by Kawasaki’s disease. Applicants are urges to give consideration to nutritional agents such as homocysteine reducing B vitamins (ie-folic acid and pyridoxine) and antioxidant nutritional agents such as omega-3 fatty acids. However, interventions with other agents and at other stages in the disease will also be given serious consideration.

Investigators are encouraged to share this RFP with prominent researchers in the fields of pediatric cardiology and clinical nutrition.

In order to encourage submissions the application process will be streamlined and consist of two stages in order to provide rapid feedback to the investigator.

Stage One: Submission of the application as Word document attachment by electronic mail to: grants@DGLDFoundation.org. All submitted applications should include as a minimum the following:

1. Credentials of the Investigator (s) and Site: Include a current curriculum vitae and a narrative describing the investigator, co-investigator (if applicable) and research site’s credentials to perform the study;
   
2. Rationale for the Investigation: Describe the scope and significance of the problem to be addressed; primary and other key secondary hypotheses; rationale for the proposed intervention; brief review of any pre-existing or supporting research in the area; and supporting references
   
3. Research Design/Plan including description and number of subjects; length of study; specific intervention(s); outcomes; blinding or control techniques, if applicable; specific nutritional intervention(s); proposed specific structural and/or functional outcome measures of coronary artery health; potential risks or adverse events to patients; blinding or control techniques; proposed statistical analysis plan; discussion of ethical issues; description of institutional review board that will oversee the study; timetable and itemized budget.

Stage Two: Applicants will be sent feedback within twenty business days of receipt indicating whether their application was sufficiently ranked to be evaluated in Stage Two. Applicants which are successful at this point may receive further queries before their applications are submitted to a review board with expertise in child psychology/child psychiatry and/or education and/or scientific method for a second stage of review. Every effort will be made to complete stage two within 60 days of response to follow-up queries or to notification of the applicant that the submission has reached Stage Two.

A review board comprised of at least three experts representing pediatric cardiology and the field of clinical nutrition will evaluate each Stage Two proposal and rank them on the basis of 1) credentials of the applicant; 2) likelihood of positively impacting the long-term outcome of Kawasaki’s disease; 3) safety; 4) rigor and validity of the scientific method; 5) cost-effectiveness.