Information for Current Grantees

All Association-supported investigators are required to submit Annual Progress Reports each year of the award in order to continue funding based upon the project's reported status and results. Please note that a Renewal Notification will not be issued, and continued funding may be delayed, unless the requirements listed below are received by their deadline date.

Progress Report Deadlines

Scientific Progress Reports are due 60 days prior to the grant’s renewal date. Financial Reports are due 30 days after the grant’s renewal date. A grant’s renewal date is defined as the date one year after the grants start date. For example, if a grant started April 1, 2025, the renewal date is April 1, 2026. The Scientific Progress Report will be due on February 1, 2026, and the Financial Report would be due May 1, 2026. 

Reporting Process

All Progress Report requirements must be submitted online through the Association's Grant Management Site. The Scientific and Financial Progress Report forms for the specific year of your award (Year 1, Year 2, etc) will be activated approximately 60 days prior to the requirement deadline. Investigators will receive an email notification when the forms are available online.

To complete the online form and upload required files, log-in to the Grant Management Site with the username and password associated with the award. If you don't remember your password, access the "Forgot Password?" link on the log-in screen to receive an email with your account details. Upon logging in, click the Activities tab and then click the "Progress Report" or "Financial Report" link. Please carefully review the first page of the online Progress Report to ensure you are in compliance with all Association requirements.

Failure to demonstrate adequate research or financial progress as determined by Association staff, may result in reduction(s), nonrenewal, suspension or termination of the Grant at the Association’s sole discretion. In the event the complete Annual Progress Report (scientific and financial portions) are not received within 60 days of the due date,  the Association reserves the right to reduce Grant Funds by five percent (5%) for any year of the Grant. Any reduction amount shall be deducted from the next scheduled payment(s).  Should an annual Progress Report not be received and deemed complete by the Association within ninety (90) days after its due date, the Grant may be terminated immediately by the Association without further notice. Hard copies and forms submitted via email will not be accepted. 

Scientific Report Requirements

The following documentation must be uploaded and submitted via the online Progress Report form:

Annual Scientific Progress Report

• Scientific Report: Details scientific accomplishments for the year
• Subsequent Funding Worksheet: Details all pending, current and completed funding (federal and collaborative) sources of support
• Publications: All submitted manuscripts and published papers relevant to the award must be uploaded to the Progress Report
• Institutional Assurance(s): Proof of IRB/IACUC renewal(s) must be submitted as applicable
• IP Report: an IP Report must be completed for all awards where a discovery or invention has been patented, or a patent application has been submitted. IP Reports can be accessed and opened and submitted through the “Reports” tab on your grant. 

Financial Report Requirements

The following documentation must be uploaded and submitted via the online Annual Financial Report form:

• Financial Report: The Financial Report must be submitted through SmartSimple. PDF and Excel copies will not be accepted.

Questions?
For questions about Progress Reports, please contact [email protected].

All Association-supported investigators are required to complete a yearly Budget Renewals. Budget Renewals are completed on a yearly basis through our Grant Management System and provide an opportunity to make any necessary adjustments to the upcoming year’s budget. The total amount awarded for a given year cannot be increased or decreased but can be rearranged as needed between categories and in accordance with our grant stipulations. Changes larger than 25% in each category can be made without a Budget Revision. 

Note: Budget Renewals allow you to make changes to the upcoming year’s budget; Annual Financial Reports require you to report expenses from the previous year.

All Association-supported researchers are required to complete a Final Report following the close of the award. The American Diabetes Association examines these reports to evaluate and publicize positive results resulting from ADA-funded research. Timely submission of Final Reports is highly important, as these are used to determine the effectiveness of the Association's Research Program—both as a department and as an organization striving to find a cure for diabetes.

Final Report (Cumulative) Deadlines

Final Reports are due to the Association 60 days following the project end date. For example, if a grant ends on March 31, 2024, then the Final Report will be due June 1, 2024. 

Reporting Process

All Final Cumulative Report requirements must be submitted online through the Association's Grant Management Site. All Final Report forms will be activated approximately 60 days prior to the requirement deadline. Investigators will receive an email notification when the forms are available online.

To complete the online form and upload required files, log-in to the Grant Management Site with the username and password associated with the award. If you don't remember your password, access the "Forgot Password?" link on the log-in screen to receive an email with your account details. Upon logging in, click the Activities tab then click the "Final Report" link.

Required items must be submitted to the Association no later than the Final Report deadline. Hard copies of the Final Report will not be accepted. In the event a complete Final Report is not received on or before the due date, the investigator's eligibility for future Association awards may be restricted or all-together denied.

Final Report Requirements

The following documentation must be uploaded and submitted via the online Final Report form. With the exception of the financial portion, the Final Report should be completed by the Principal Investigator (PI):

• Curriculum Vitae (CV): CV should be updated with all recent grants and publications.
• Final Financial Report: The Final Financial Report must be submitted through the online SmartSimple portal. PDF or excel copies of the Financial Report will not be accepted
• Subsequent Funding Worksheet: Supplementary worksheet to detail federal, collaborative, and other lines of funding. Same link as for the Scientific Progress report.
• List of Publications: Provide citation details for all publications associated with your ADA award. A publication associated with your ADA award is defined as a publication which is a direct result of, or includes findings related to, your ADA-funded research
• Publications: A PDF copy of all submitted manuscripts and published papers relevant to the ADA award should be uploaded with the Final Report.
• IP Report: an IP Report must be completed for all awards where a discovery or invention has been patented, or a patent application has been submitted. IP Reports can be accessed and opened and submitted through the “Reports” tab on your grant. 

*Please note: In an effort to continuously promote the work of funded researchers and conduct a program assessment of the Research Program, the Association will contact grant recipients to request updated information within 5 years following the close of the award. If your contact details change or you move to a different institution, please contact [email protected] with your updated information. Your participation is integral to the growth of our funding program. Thank you for your assistance.

Questions?

For questions about Final Reports, please contact [email protected].

Congratulations on your award! 

To move forward in the funding process, Association-supported investigators must submit the pre-award Intent to Fund requirements and any required documentation prior to award activation. Please note that an Award Agreement Letter will not be forwarded to you, and your final funding decision may be delayed unless the requirements are received by the deadline date. All other outstanding American Diabetes Association (ADA) grant requirements, such as Final Reports for previous Association awards, must also be fulfilled by that time.

The Intent to Fund Requirement Form and all required file(s) must be submitted through the Association's online Grant Management Site. To complete the Requirement form, log-in to the Grant Management Site with the username and password used to submit the grant. Upon logging in, select your profile in the top right corner, enter your profile then select “Applications” on the left side panel. Select the corresponding application, then click the Intent to Fund Details tab. The following documentation must be attached with the online submission:

Principal Investigator Photo

Provide a high resolution (>1 MB, >300 dpi) front-facing headshot of the Principal Investigator; labeled with the following naming convention: "Grant reference number_PI Last Name" (example: 1-17-ACE_Smith.jpg). This photo may be used in the Association's annual research report, monthly research updates, online researcher database, on the Association's website(s), and/or in other hardcopy or online publications.

Proof of IACUC and/or IRB approval(s)

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and/or Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval(s) must be obtained within 90 days of award activation, as applicable to the proposal. Upload proof of any new IACUC and/or IRB approvals that have not been previously submitted to the Association, either at the time of application or as an addendum. If you need to update or edit your approval(s) after the start of your award, please navigate to the “Reports” tab on your award and at the bottom of the tab, next to “Ethical Report,” select the “Create Ethical Report” button. Follow the instructions on how to upload your updated documents. Please contact [email protected] for any questions.

Proof of ADA membership

In accordance with the Award Stipulations, Principal Investigators are required to become members of the American Diabetes Association's Professional Section and maintain such membership for the duration of the award. Membership fees cannot be paid with ADA award funds unless you are an ADA Postdoctoral Fellowship Awardee. Refer to ADA's Membership site for further details and assistance in looking up your existing ID number.

Research Profile

Respond to a series of essay questions about your research via the online Intent to Fund Details form. The responses to this form will be uploaded to ADA's Funded Research Database and may be used as the basis for press releases and possible feature stories in future Association publications so please avoid including any confidential information.

Bank Manager

New grantees are required to connect their institution’s banking information to their grant in the section titled “Providers”. If your institution has been funded by the ADA in the past, the information is likely already in SmartSimple and can be searched for by selecting the Binoculars icon. There you can search for and select the correct information for your institution. Click into the box next to the Account Details titled Select Roles and select the Bank Manager role. If you do not find your institution, select the “Create new account” button. For more detailed instructions on how to navigate the Bank Manager, please refer to our FAQs at the top of this page.

Upon activation, the terms of the award will be governed in accordance to the Association's Award Stipulations. Your institution's grant administration officer should download and review the Award Stipulations and Intellectual Property Policy. If there are any concerns or conflicts regarding Association grant policies, contact [email protected] as soon as possible to avoid a delay in executing the Award Agreement.

Questions?

For questions about Intent to Fund requirements, contact [email protected].

The Award Letter serves as the agreement between the Grantee Institution, Grantee and the American Diabetes Association regarding the conferral and acceptance of an Association Grant. Funding approval for subsequent years is renewed on a yearly basis. Issuance of Award Letters is subject to Grantee’s timely filing of pre-award requirements. Failure to file pre-award requirements in a timely manner, or to adequately address administrative concerns, may result in reduction(s), revocation, suspension or termination of the Grant at the Association’s sole discretion.

By signing the Award Letter, the awardee acknowledges and represents that any and all waivers and releases the awardee grants are done knowingly and with no representation of inducement by the Association, apart from those contained in the letter and the Association’s research pages: diabetes.org/grants.

The Principal Investigator is responsible for ensuring ongoing compliance with the terms of the award; refer to PDF files for complete stipulations and policies. A summary of award terms and reporting requirements can be found under Reporting Requirements.

Association-funded grants are governed in accordance with the following policy documents:

• Stipulations Governing Research Grants (Updated December 2014)
• Intellectual Property Policy (Updated December 2014)
• Stipulations Governing Pathway Grants  (Updated December 2014)
• Pathway to Stop Diabetes Intellectual Property Policy (Updated December 2014)

If a Principal Investigator changes institutions, the ADA award may not remain at the former institution. The award must either be transferred to the new institution or relinquished. Institutional transfers are not permitted for awards approved for a no-cost extension or for Postdoctoral Fellowship awards unless the current mentor is also transferring.

Award transfers to another institution require prior ADA approval. The PI, original grantee institution, and the new (receiving) grantee institution, must coordinate to ensure a smooth transfer. The award will be placed on temporary hold until the transfer process is complete.

To initiate a transfer, please email [email protected] with your transfer request. 

After the administration team reviews the request, the PI will be notified that a transfer requirement has been opened in their online Grant Management account. The PI must upload a transfer request letter, a letter from the department chair at the receiving institution, and other transfer details.

Requirements:

1. Transfer Request Letter: The Principal Investigator must submit a formal transfer notification letter, co-signed by the award's Research Officer from the original Grantee Institution. This letter should include the reason for the transfer, the termination date at the original Grantee Institution, the start date at the receiving Grantee Institution, details on how the project will be modified due to the institution change, a description of how the research will continue (including any challenges, delays, and upcoming milestones), and confirmation that any equipment purchased with ADA funding at the original Grantee Institution will be transferred to the receiving institution.
2. Department Chair Letter: The Principal Investigator must submit a formal letter, co-signed by the Department Chair at the receiving Grantee Institution. This letter should confirm the institution's support for the Principal Investigator's ADA-funded research, provide a description of the available resources and facilities, confirm their institution's non-profit status and Tax ID number. 
3. Receiving Grantee Institution Contact information: The PI must provide the contact information for the Research Officer and Financial Officer at the receiving grantee institution (i.e. address, phone, email). Institutional IRB/IACUC Approvals: The PI is responsible to provide certification of IRB/IACUC related to the research being performed at the receiving institution, including the ethical approval letter, study protocol and any consent forms, if applicable. 

After ADA review and approval, the transfer will proceed to the second phase, which includes submission of a final expenditure report from the original grantee institution and financial reconciliation. Based on the report, ADA will either issue any final payment owed to the original grantee institution or request a refund of unexpended funds. Any required refund must be received before the transfer can proceed. Once received, the refunded amount will be applied as the first payment to the receiving institution after the transfer process is complete.

The award total, annual financial commitment, and award duration will remain as originally approved by ADA. Award budgets may not be increased beyond the originally approved terms.

If you have any questions, please contact Research Programs staff at [email protected].

A single, one-time, no-cost extension (NCE) may be requested, allowing for an extension of the project period without additional funding. This extension is usually up to 12 months and doesn't change the project's original scope. Grants must be in their final year to request a No-Cost Extension (NCE). 

A NCE will be considered upon written request to the Association and must be requested and submitted between 60 to 120 days prior to the end of your award. Requests made outside of this time frame will not be considered. Additionally, if the renewal notification for the final year states that you will not be considered for an NCE, you are not eligible to apply for such a request. To request an NCE, please contact the Association at [email protected].

Please complete all the requirements needed in our NCE Request Form.

In the event an ADA-funded award must be relinquished, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we will open an Award Relinquishment requirement in your SmartSimple Portal. PI salary payment for the quarter in which the relinquishment occurs should be pro-rated by dividing the scheduled quarterly payment due by the number of days in the applicable quarter. The commitment for the remainder of the award period is automatically null and void effective on the relinquishment date. Please follow the instructions below to relinquish an ADA-funded award. Note that all requirements must be submitted through the investigator’s online Grant Management account. 

The Principal Investigator is required to submit a formal relinquishment notification letter co-signed by their Department Chair or the Research Officer. The letter must state the relinquishment date and the reason for the early termination. 

The Grantee Institution is required to submit a Final Financial Report and a Final Scientific Progress Report within sixty (60) days of the Relinquishment Date. Following review of the Final Financial Report, any remaining unexpended funds must be returned to the American Diabetes Association.

Once the report is received and approved and all funds are reconciled, the Association will provide the Institution with a Relinquishment Notice stating the relinquishment date and relinquished grant amount for account close out. 

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Ethical Reports allow grantees to submit their approved IACUC/IRB forms to the ADA. These reports are opened at the start of your grant application in SmartSimple if applicable and are due 90 days after the start date. Additionally, if you need to submit updated forms later on in the grant, you can access the “Reports” tab on your grant and open one. Please refer to our FAQs at the top of the page for more detailed instructions on opening and completing ethical reports. 

The Association's Intellectual Property Policy (PDF) applies to all Core and Targeted award types. Patents resulting from a Core or Targeted award must be reported to the Association. If you are an active grantee, to report a patent, please open an IP Report through the “Reports” tab on your grant. Please refer to our FAQs at the top of the page for more detailed instructions on opening and completing IP reports. If you are a past grantee, to report a patent, please complete our Patent Disclosure Form and email it to [email protected].

The Principal Investigator of a Junior Faculty Development or Minority Junior Faculty Development Awards is eligible for up to an additional $10,000 per year toward repayment of the principal loans for their doctoral degree (MD, PhD, DO, DPM or the equivalent). All eligible investigators should follow the Student Loan Repayment Procedure (PDF) and should submit the information once the Annual Progress Report (scientific and financial portions) has been submitted and approved by ADA staff.

All Association funded grants are governed in accordance with the following policy documents (PDF file format):

• Misconduct Policy (Updated August 2014)
• Animal Use Policy (Updated September 2014)
• Data and Resource Sharing Policy (Updated January 2018)
  • Approved Repositories
• Grant Awardee Leave Guidelines (Updated April 2022)

Thank you to all the attendees of our first Postdoctoral Fellow Orientation! For those of you who were unable to attend, we highly encourage you to review the materials below. A recording of the orientation can be provided upon request to [email protected]. Additionally, please complete the feedback form. Your feedback will allow us to improve the orientation for future postdocs and includes an opportunity to sign up for contact sheet to be shared among your peers. If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected].

1. Recording: 
   Please contact [email protected] for the link to the recording.
2. Orientation Slide Deck
3. Feedback Form