SD5 - Report of the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Advisory Board on Aggregated Data on the Operations and Funds of the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Trust Fund


Executive Summary:
In Fiscal Year 2001, regulations implementing the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative (CNI) Trust Fund became effective and the program issued the first Request For Proposals (RFP) on March 1, 2001. In response to this initial RFP, the program received a total of $6.1 million in grant requests for community-based rehabilitation programs and research on the mechanisms and treatment of neurotrauma. The Advisory Board approved thirteen (13) proposals for disbursements from the Fund totaling $3.5 over a three-year period (FY 2002 through FY 2004).

Proposals received under Option A: Research on the Mechanisms and Treatment of Neurotrauma and Option B: Community-Based Rehabilitation Programs are reviewed and evaluated by different panels due to the technical and scientific nature of the research applications. To enhance the administration of the grants program, the Advisory Board voted to implement two different timelines for issuing the Option A and Option B RFPs. Thus, the RFP for Option B was issued in August 2002 with a deadline of October 1; the RFP for Option A will be issued February 1, with a deadline of April 1, 2003.

The General Assembly passed legislation, effective July 1, 2002, to amend and reenact Section 46.1-422 of the Code of Virginia, to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 51.4 a chapter numbered 3.1 and to repeal Article 12 (Section 32.173.1 et. seq.) of Chapter 2 of Title 32.1 relating to the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative. The changes in the Code designate the Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) as the agency that will administer the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative (CNI). The changes also authorize the use of up to five percent (5%) of the trust fund annually to cover the administrative costs of staffing the CNI Advisory Board, developing and issuing Requests For Proposals (RFPs), reviewing grant applications, and awarding and monitoring grantee activity.

As of August 31, 2002, the balance in the Fund totals $4,103,358, which includes the funds allocated for years two and three of the grants awarded in August/November 2001 under Option A and Option B. Funds available for grant awards, as of August 31, 2002 total $1,234,958.87. As of September 30, 2002, no charges have been assessed to the Trust Fund for the administrative cost of staffing the CNI Advisory Board by the Department of Rehabilitative Services. The projected annual inflow of funds is approximately $1.2 million.