Florida Senate - 2006                      COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
    Bill No. SB 1826
                        Barcode 713122
                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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       03/15/2006 03:35 PM         .                    
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11  The Committee on Health Care (Saunders) recommended the
12  following amendment:
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14         Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 
15         On page 12, between lines 14 and 15,
16  
17  insert:  
18         (2)  The program shall provide grants for cancer
19  research to further the search for cures for cancer.
20         (a)  Emphasis shall be given to the goals enumerated in
21  s. 381.921, as those goals support the advancement of such
22  cures.
23         (b)  Preference may be given to grant proposals that
24  foster collaborations among institutions, researchers, and
25  community practitioners, as such proposals support the
26  advancement of cures through basic or applied research,
27  including clinical trials involving cancer patients and
28  related networks.
29         (3)(a)  Applications for funding for cancer research
30  may be submitted by any university or established research
31  institute in the state. All qualified investigators in the
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    12:01 PM   03/14/06                            s1826c-he37-t02

Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT Bill No. SB 1826 Barcode 713122 1 state, regardless of institutional affiliation, shall have 2 equal access and opportunity to compete for the research 3 funding. Collaborative proposals, including those that advance 4 the program's goals enumerated in subsection (2), may be given 5 preference. Grants shall be awarded by the Secretary of 6 Health, after consultation with the Biomedical Research 7 Advisory Council, on the basis of scientific merit, as 8 determined by an open, competitive peer-review process that 9 ensures objectivity, consistency, and high quality. The 10 following types of applications shall be considered for 11 funding: 12 1. Investigator-initiated research grants. 13 2. Institutional research grants. 14 3. Collaborative research grants, including those that 15 advance the finding of cures through basic or applied 16 research. 17 (b) In order to ensure that all proposals for research 18 funding are appropriate and are evaluated fairly on the basis 19 of scientific merit, the Secretary of Health, in consultation 20 with the council, shall appoint a peer-review panel of 21 independent, scientifically qualified individuals to review 22 the scientific content of each proposal and establish its 23 priority score. The priority scores shall be forwarded to the 24 council and must be considered in determining which proposals 25 shall be recommended for funding. 26 (c) The council and the peer-review panel shall 27 establish and follow rigorous guidelines for ethical conduct 28 and adhere to a strict policy with regard to conflicts of 29 interest. A member of the council or panel may not participate 30 in any discussion or decision with respect to a research 31 proposal by any firm, entity, or agency with which the member 2 12:01 PM 03/14/06 s1826c-he37-t02
Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT Bill No. SB 1826 Barcode 713122 1 is associated as a member of the governing body or as an 2 employee or with which the member has entered into a 3 contractual arrangement. Meetings of the council and the 4 peer-review panels are subject to chapter 119, s. 286.011, and 5 s. 24, Art. I of the State Constitution. 6 7 (Redesignate subsequent subsections.) 8 9 10 ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T =============== 11 And the title is amended as follows: 12 On page 2, line 1, after the first semicolon, 13 14 insert: 15 requiring the program to provide grants for 16 cancer research; providing procedures for 17 awarding cancer research grants; providing for 18 peer-review panels; providing requirements with 19 respect to ethical conduct and conflicts of 20 interest; providing for public records and 21 meetings; 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 3 12:01 PM 03/14/06 s1826c-he37-t02