Submitting a Concept or Proposal

A full proposal includes:

• The project title
• Expected duration of study
• Project objectives or hypothesis
• An explanation of the rationale and scientific novelty
• The methods of study/study design and justification
• A statistical analysis plan, including sample size justification and, where appropriate, a power analysis
• A list of products involved (if specific)
• References

Documents required for full proposal evaluation and funding review:

• The sponsor-investigator's curriculum vitae
• Line item budget

Concept or study idea includes:

• Short Study Title
• Therapeutic Area
• Primary Product
• Disease State
• Institution Payee
• BSC Support requested
• Estimated Budget
• Main Scientific Question
• Research Design Setting
• Primary Country/Geography

With this information, the Research Committee will determine whether or not Boston Scientific would like to explore the proposed study idea. If so, the additional information required for a proposal submission will be necessary before funding can be considered.

Please note: Approval of a Concept submission by the Research Committee is an invitation to submit a full proposal for your research and does not guarantee Boston Scientific support for the research.

Each Divisional Research Committee performs multi-functional reviews to evaluate proposals in terms of scientific merit, regulatory compliance and market impact as requests are submitted.

You can log-on to the Boston Scientific Global ISR System website to review the status of your request at any time.

You will receive an e-mail alert when the status changes or if the committee has questions or comments, including its decision whether to support your research. 

The Divisional Research Committees meet at least quarterly to review projects determined to be of interest to Boston Scientific and the medical community.

The expected impact of each study is weighed in relation to the timeframe and cost of the project. Based on this evaluation, the proposals are prioritized and the top projects will receive support.

If funding is approved, a research agreement is coordinated between Boston Scientific and the Investigator’s Institution. 

The research agreement protects physicians, patients and Boston Scientific by defining roles and expectations. It addresses issues such as level of patient/study risk, understanding the requirements of a sponsor-investigator, intellectual property ownership and publication.

It documents the final protocol and milestones so that support can be provided when it is needed as the steps are completed. 

The entire ISR program process is tracked through the Global ISR system website from initial submission to study completion. On the website, you can:

• Review your proposal and project history
• Notify the Committee or submit documentation of the completion of a milestone
• Ask questions
• Report results
• View the research agreement
• Submit essential documents (i.e. publications, IDE approval letter, IRB approval)