RD85 - Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Advisory Board


Executive Summary:
On April 22, 2004 the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative (CNI) Advisory Board held the inaugural "Tri-Annual Emily Couric Research Colloquium" in Richmond. The colloquium was named in recognition of the late Senator Emily Couric, whose efforts created the initial legislation for the Trust Fund. The Research Colloquium provided an opportunity for CNI research grantees to highlight their projects and report results to the Board and to fellow grantees. It also provided a unique forum for Virginia researchers to network and share resources with one another. Members of the CNI Advisory Board, thirteen (13) research grantees, and other interested parties attended or participated in the colloquium. Steve Harms, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources, was a guest speaker. A broader goal of the colloquium was achieved when several researchers discussed plans for conducting future collaborative research projects with their colleagues across the Commonwealth.

Legislation was passed during 2004 General Assembly that empowers the Commissioner of the Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) to require applicants to the CNI Trust Fund to develop a plan for self-sufficiency at the end of their two-or three-year grant award period. It also allows the Commissioner to redistribute unspent grant funds from prior years for new research activities.

During this reporting period, the Advisory Board did not issue a Request For Proposals (RFPs). To support the grant awards approved in previous years, funds were encumbered through State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2006. During FY’04, one Option-B (community rehabilitation services) grantee funded initially in FY’03 was awarded second and third years of funding. Another Option-B grantee funded initially in FY’03 was awarded a second year of funding, with funding for the third year contingent on review of their request by the Advisory Board in FY’04.

A total of nine (9) grantees requested carryover of grant funds from SFY ’03 to SFY ’04. Seven of the carryover requests came from Option-B (community rehabilitation services) grantees: six grantees carried funds from Year One to Year Two and one grantee carried funds from Year Two to Year Three. Two Option-A grantees (research) asked for and received approval for carryover of funds to the third, and final, year of their grants. A total of two Option-A (research) grants - from the inaugural round of research awards in FY’02 - completed their grant years during SFY ’04 (note that both requested funding for only two years, rather than the more common request for three years of funding).

For FY’04, staff administrative costs were budgeted at $80,000; $67,000 was actually expended.