Funding Opportunity Details

Funding Organisation: European Association for the Study of Obesity

Program Name: Clinical Practice Guideline Development & Implementation Grants
Program Launch: September 30, 2024

The European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) is pleased to announce a grant opportunity for national association members to develop, adapt and implement evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the treatment and management of obesity. This initiative has been developed based on a gaps and needs assessment conducted by EASO.

CPGs are an important component in the obesity prevention and management ecosystem and are designed to optimise patient care by enabling health care professionals, patients living with obesity and policy makers to collaboratively select the best care for a unique patient based on his or her preferences. Distinct from expert position statements, CPGs are informed by a systematic review of evidence and an assessment of the benefits and harms between and among care options. They are not endorsements for obesity treatment products, programmes, therapies, or services — instead, they offer an independent evaluation of the quality of the relevant scientific literature, and an assessment of the likely benefits and harms of particular treatments. 

The specific objectives of this initiative are to:

  • Support the development, adaptation, and implementation of high-quality, scientifically rigorous clinical practice guidelines to improve obesity treatment and management across Europe;
  • Facilitate the development of a unified evidence-based approach to addressing obesity across disciplines and countries;
  • Lay the foundation for health services policy and practice through evidence-based tools and guidance that meet national needs; 
  • Help establish strong local communities of practice to foster obesity research, education, and advocacy across Europe.

Available Funds

This CPG grant is intended to complement additional local funding. Applicants are expected to demonstrate access to local financial or in-kind support in their applications.

EASO’s financial contributions for this initiative is subject to availability of funds. Should funding levels not be available or are decreased due to unforeseen circumstances, EASO reserves the right to reduce, defer, or suspend financial contributions to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for this grant, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • The Nominated Principal Applicant must be a national association member in good standing. 
    • The National Association must assign a lead coordinator which can be an independent researcher affiliated with a non-profit organisation and/or its affiliated institutions (including hospitals, research institutes, and other non-profit organisations with a mandate for obesity research and/or knowledge translation) that are going to use the guidelines for non-commercial purposes.
    • The lead organisation can invite additional professional and patient advocacy groups, organisations, and individuals to participate in the guideline development, adaptation or implementation process. However, the Nominated Principal Applicant, as the lead and grant recipient is responsible for the overall coordination of the guideline development, adaptation or implementation project.

Allowable Costs

Grant funds can be applied to the following project components:

  • Administrative Support and Project Management: Funding may be used for project coordinators, administrative personnel, or other relevant project management costs.
  • Guidelines Committee and Authors Meetings: Support for virtual or in-person meetings of the guideline development, adaptation, or implementation committee(s).
  • Training for Committee Members and Authors: Funding for workshops or courses on guideline development, adaptation, or implementation and other methodological approaches.
  • Independent Evidence Review and Synthesis: Support for the identification and synthesis of systematic reviews relevant to the research questions as identified by the local guideline committee.
  • In-Person Meeting for Developing Recommendations: Support for an in-person meeting where committee members and authors, guided by methodological experts, will draft new or adapt evidence-based recommendations; develop key messages, etc.
  • Manuscript Writing and Submission: Assistance for writing the final manuscript and submission fees for a summary article to a peer-reviewed journal.
  • Guideline Dissemination and Implementation Activities: Dissemination and implementation strategies to promote awareness, acceptance, adoption, and adherence to clinical practice guidelines among healthcare professionals, people living with obesity, and relevant policy makers. This includes dissemination and implementation strategies that can help: 1) embed clinical practice guidelines as the standard of obesity care in a specific country, region, or in a local organisation (e.g., hospital, clinic) in collaboration with patients living with obesity, healthcare providers and policy makers; 2) support patients living with obesity in applying clinical practice guidelines in their own self-care as well as in advocacy efforts to improve access and quality of obesity care regionally, nationally, and internationally; 3) normalise obesity care on par with other chronic diseases, with equitable access to care across demographics and geographic locations.

Conditions of Funding

Successful applicants must adhere to the following conditions:

  • Work on the CPG development project must commence within 3 months of receiving the grant.
  • Successful applicants will be invited and must attend an EASO guideline training workshop in May 2025 (Malaga, Spain) to be held during the European Congress of Obesity. Support for travel and accommodation for 2 representatives from CPG project management teams for successful applicants to this grant will be provided.  
  • Grantees must provide quarterly progress reports to EASO.
  • A final report, including financial accounting and outcomes of the project, must be submitted within 60 days of project completion.
  • New or adapted clinical practice guidelines must be published in an open-access format to ensure wide dissemination.
  • EASO funding must be acknowledged in all publications, presentations, and communications related to the project.

Review Process and Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated by an ad hoc committee of EASO-appointed experts. The evaluation criteria include:

  • Scientific Rigour: The proposal’s adherence to evidence-based methodology and the rigour of the proposed CPG development, adaptation or implementation process.
  • Feasibility: A clear, well-organised project plan with achievable objectives within the proposed timeline and budget.
    • Members of the Clinical Practice Guideline Executive Committee must be identified in the application and should include between 5-10 local interdisciplinary experts and patient representatives that will oversee and manage the project (e.g. scope, key priority topics). 
    • Members of the Clinical Practice Guideline Steering Committee or Panel of Experts must be identified in the application and can include interdisciplinary senior and early career investigators, clinicians, patients, and policy makers. 
    • A project coordinator who is able to commit the necessary time to the project must be identified in the proposal. 
  • Innovation and Impact: The need for clinical practice guideline development, adaptation or implementation at the local level and the potential impact of the guideline project to advance obesity care. If the proposal is mainly intended to implement existing guidelines, a detailed supplementary implementation plan needs to be included with the application (max. 2 pages).
  • Collaboration and Expertise: The qualifications of the guidelines development team (committee members and authors, management team, proposed suppliers), including experience in obesity management and evidence-based practice.
  • Additional Funding: Applicants must demonstrate that they have access to additional local funding or in-kind support for their proposed CPG development, adaptation or implementation project. Local funding from private and public sector sponsors or partners must be in the form of unrestricted research or education grants. Letters of support or notifications of awards must be provided.

Application Instructions

  • Application Form: Applicants must complete the application form on the EASO website.
  • Proposal: A detailed project proposal that includes the following:
    • Project description and rationale
    • Objectives and expected outcomes
    • Description of the guidelines development process (including training, evidence review, and decision-making frameworks)
    • Timeline of activities
    • Description of the project team, including abbreviated CVs and biographies of committee members
  • Budget: A budget breakdown using this template, specifying how grant funds will be allocated. Budget specifications must include additional funding or in-kind support available for the implementation of the project.
  • Supporting Documents: Proof of non-profit or charitable status and any relevant licences or certifications; letters of support from local professional associations and partners or funders.

Applications must be submitted through the EASO CPG grant application portal.

Budget

A budget template is provided with this call for proposals. Applicants must detail the expected costs for each of the allowable categories, including administrative support, meetings, training, evidence reviews, in-person sessions, manuscript writing, and publication fees. All costs must be justified and aligned with the scope of the project.

Application Form

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EASO has received funding to support the CPG Implementation programme via unrestricted grants from Boehringer-Ingelheim and Novo Nordisk. Neither Boehringer-Ingelheim nor Novo Nordisk have had any influence over the content or development of the programme.