Funding Agreement Research Articles

Who Cares? Women entrepreneurs and the transition to the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement in Nova Scotia

The Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreements signed in 2021/2022 represent an unprecedented investment into child care across Canada, supporting the expansion of care spaces, reductions in parent fees, and increased wages for care workers. In the province of Nova Scotia, however, the new funding model faced considerable pushback from women entrepreneurs in the care field, who felt overlooked and bullied by the provincial government amidst the policy rollout. This paper evaluates the experiences of child care owners in Nova Scotia during the transition to the new funding agreement through a series of interviews with entrepreneurs. The paper posits that the consultation and communications between the province and care owners reified gendered power relations, particularly through the devaluation and exploitation of women's care work. Interviewees report feeling treated as “glorified babysitters” and experiencing significant mental health strains as a result of the policy negotiation with the province.

UNPACKING PACCAR: STATUTORY INTERPRETATION AND LITIGATION FUNDING

AbstractIn the most important funding decision in 20 years, the UK Supreme Court has declared in R. (PACCAR Inc. and others) v Competition Appeal Tribunal and others [2023] UKSC 28, [2023] 1 W.L.R. 2594 that, as a matter of statutory interpretation, a third-party funder’s litigation funding agreement (LFA) is a damages-based agreement (DBA) because third-party funders are offering “claims management services”. This decision, which overturned both the earlier Divisional Court and the Competition Appeal Tribunal decisions, and long-held industry and judicial understanding, has had an immediate impact upon UK litigation. Many LFAs will require immediate re-negotiation, given their non-compliance with the DBA legislation; but for some, the ramifications are much more serious. This article traces the legislation, soft law and law reform activity which preceded this momentous event; it suggests that a key principle of statutory interpretation which governed the outcome might arguably be re-evaluated in future case law; it discusses the possibility of legislative reversal; and it predicts the ramifications of the PACCAR decision upon (especially consumer) litigation unless reversed.

Unpacking and unpicking the challenge of 600 hours of preschool attendance

The Australian Government’s (2022) Preschool Reform Funding Agreement and initiatives by state governments aim to lift enrolment and maximise the benefits of early childhood education (ECE) in the year before school. The Agreement is particularly relevant for children and families from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom do not utilise the annual attendance target of 600 hours available to every child. Children’s enrolment and daily attendance records are key to understanding participation in ECE, but few studies or government reports have examined this information in detail. Drawing on administrative records provided by 19 long day care and preschool centres/schools in areas of socio-economic disadvantage, we analysed weekly attendance for 971 preschool-aged children over four 10-week terms. Results for the ‘percentage of enrolled days’ attended (M = 88%) and ‘total hours’ attended (M = 576 h) approached the target but differed for children enrolled in preschool versus long day care.

Non-erythropoiesis stimulating agent, non-iron therapies for the management of anemia: A scoping review.

Non-erythropoiesis stimulating agent, non-iron therapies for the management of anemia: A scoping review.

Analiza dotycząca możliwości budowy modelu ryzyka kredytowego

FinAi has undertaken a project focused on the development of an innovative credit risk model utilizing alternative data sources, such as data from social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn) and mobile phone records. This project was co-financed through the European Regional Development Fund under a funding agreement between FinAi S.A. and the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR), headquartered in Warsaw. The initial phase of the project involved the collection of data and their utilization in constructing a network graph of customer relationships. Furthermore, leveraging external data as well as data managed by FinAi, specific indicators were formulated. These indicators were employed under the supervision of experts to train a predictive model that incorporated graph structures. The model thus constructed was to exhibit a higher predictive capability compared to conventional models commonly employed within the industry. The study explored the feasibility of creating a credit risk model based on the acquired data and assessed the quality of data originating from alternative sources. It was demonstrated that alternative data sources were populated for a small fraction of the population, and their quality has proven unsatisfactory. The scale of the dataset proved inadequate for establishing a robust credit risk model or attaining a competitive advantage over the models in use within banking institutions.

Challenges in the execution of public health research: Reflections from Public Health Research Initiative (PHRI) grant management in India.

Well-planned health research is fundamental to the success of any public health system in leading to better population health outcomes. Although the Indian public health system is unique, it lacks strong linkages between research and practice. There is a pressing need to address the gap in the research to reduce the disease burden in the country. Although various efforts are made to enhance public health research, such research is rarely documented as a process. The objective of the present paper is to document issues and challenges in managing public health research grants awarded to the PHRI fellows from 2013-to 2021 under the PHRI project. A mixed-method approach, including qualitative (in-depth) interviews and secondary review, was adopted to collect the challenges in executing PHRI grants (during 2013-2021). The in-depth interviews were conducted among the PHRI execution team, whereas the secondary document review was conducted among the PHRI fellows, and the findings are documented under major themes like administrative, technical, and financial issues and/or challenges. A total of 35 candidates 16 intramural (IM) candidates affiliated with PHFI or IIPH institutes and 19 extramural (EM) candidates affiliated to other academic institutes were selected for the fellowship, The common challenges identified amongst intra & extramural fellows were inability to disseminate the study findings, challenges in communication and getting audited statements, changes in study methods without prior permission, mid study attrition of CO-PIs and high budget utilization. The specific difficulties identified from extramural fellows were change in institute affiliation, lack of support to fund utilization from the parent institute and difficulties in field validation. The present perspective emphasizes that the management and implementation of a research grant is the crucial part of achieving a project's desired outcome. The learnings of PHRI grant execution allows the researchers to understand the issues in terms of methodological rigour and financial guidelines, rigorous tracking of the project activities, and complying with the terms of funding agreement are crucial. The challenges explored in this grant execution recommend developing a structured public health grant management leadership program for researchers and executors.

Agreements for the financial or material support of a non-commercial clinical trial in Germany

The following article outlines the essential clauses within agreements about the funding of German Universities or German clinical trial sites in order for them to conduct a non-commercial clinical trial on their own, a so-called Investigator-Initiated-Trials or Investigator-Sponsored-Trials. The authors explain the basic legal principles and clauses for such an agreement and clarify certain German Law specialities, which any funder should be aware of, if they were to fund an Investigator-Initiated-Trial in Germany. It becomes clear, that it is very important for the funding pharmaceutical company or foundation, not to be confused with the regulatory sponsor of the given clinical trial. Unclear wording in the funding agreement could lead to the actual transfer of a sponsor’s responsibilities from the University or clinical trial site to the funding pharmaceutical company or foundation, with all legal and monetary risks. In order to avoid unwanted penalties and costs, it is imperative for the funding entity to draft the essential clauses carefully. This article aims to help with that.

The economic burden of Parkinson disease among Medicare beneficiaries.

BACKGROUND: The progressive nature of Parkinson disease (PD), together with a lack of curative treatments, contributes to its economic burden. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the longitudinal incremental costs attributable to PD among Medicare beneficiaries. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we used data from the Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse to identify Medicare beneficiaries with and without PD-related claims identified from 2006 to 2014 with follow-up until 2015. We grouped PD cases and controls based on their survival profiles using a grouping algorithm that used the following baseline measures: age, race, sex, and comorbidity. We identified 3 survival groups and used them to stratify the descriptive annual cost estimates in the 9 years after the index date. We estimated the incremental 1-, 3-, and 5-year costs of PD using generalized linear models (GLM) that controlled for baseline factors. RESULTS: We identified 27,394 cases and controls who were grouped into 3 survival groups. The mean age of the full study sample was 73 years. No material differences were found in the incremental cost of PD across the survival groups. Based on the multivariable GLM, the 1-year incremental cost of PD was $9,625 (95% CI, $9,054-$10,197). The 3-year incremental cost of PD was $20,832 (95% CI, $19,390-$22,274). The 5-year incremental cost of PD was $27,466 (95% CI, 25,088-$29,844). CONCLUSIONS: Among Medicare beneficiaries, PD is associated with excess costs compared with controls. We did not identify substantial differences in the incremental cost of PD across the survival groups. DISCLOSURES:This study was funded by Pfizer Inc. The funding agreement did not impact the authors' independence in designing the study, collecting the data, interpreting the data, writing the manuscript, and submitting the manuscript for publication. Dr Onukwugha reports grants from Pfizer Inc for the conduct of this study and is an employee of University of Maryland, Baltimore, which received financial support from Pfizer Inc in connection with the development of this manuscript; Dr Shulman reports research funding from Pfizer Inc related to the current work, is an employee of University of Maryland, Baltimore, which received financial support from Pfizer Inc in connection with the development of this manuscript, and reports research funding from the NIH, The Rosalyn Newman Foundation, and the Eugenia and Michael Brin family unrelated to the current work and royalties from Oxford University Press and Johns Hopkins University Press; Ms Myers and Dr Alvir are employees and stockholders of Pfizer Inc; Dr Gray was an employee and stockholder of Pfizer Inc at the time of analysis.

SHARIA LOCAL FUNDING (SALAF CARD): INNOVATION ON SMES FUNDING USING ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOL VENTURE CAPITAL

Islamic boarding school is one of the educational institutions that have a strong network. Until now, there were 27,230 Islamic boarding schools scattered throughout Indonesia. Today, the function of Islamic boarding schools is not only functioning as an Islamic-based educational institution but also Islamic boarding schools has a function as a social institution. Islamic boarding schools are considered potential to become the basis of empowerment local people's economy and the center of economic development of the people in the regions, both in the form of Islamic financial institutions or Islamic boarding school cooperation. Law in Indonesia, No.33 of 2014 concerning guarantees on halal products provides significant opportunities for innovative product development given the huge potential of Indonesia's Muslim population. In the process, the requirement to use halal certification in trade as mandated by national law carries a dilemma on halal industrial players as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The problem of capital and funding is key problem. This qualitative paper offers a literature review. The purpose of this paper is to understand how innovative funding models are through Islamic Boarding School venture capital the company spurred the growth and development of the halal industry. The Sharia Local Funding Card (SALAF) is innovative Mudharabah and Musyarakah transaction models at Baitul Mal Wattamwil, which are realized in sustainable funding with the Sharia business capital company for halal industry players. Allocation of profit sharing is based on the contract by specifying several parts other than cards as productive deposits. These deposits will be managed as productive stimulus funds for maintenance of halal certification, training, and business assistance, and the SALAF card balance itself. SALAF card is an innovative model that has a sustainable funding agreement that involves several stakeholders to improve productivity, growth, and presence of halal products in the nation trade arena.
 Keywords: financing, SMES, SALAF card, Islamic Boarding School venture capital

Disrupt the Gambler’s Nirvana: Security for Costs in Investment Arbitration Supported by Third-Party Funding

ABSTRACT Third-party funding is a recent yet rapidly growing phenomenon in investment arbitration. While it enables investors lacking funds to pursue remedies against States, it exposes States to greater risk of inability to recover arbitration costs. Against this background, this article examines the legal principles on security for costs and, contrary to the view of several tribunals and commentators, it argues that in cases involving third-party funding and the funding agreement does not cover potential adverse costs, there is a presumption in favour of ordering security for costs. However, as revealed in recent decisions in Herzig, the current legal framework on security for costs, which is predicated on the bilateral investor–State relationship, is ill-suited to regulate the tripartite relationship involving third-party funders. Unfortunately, the discussions on Investor–State dispute settlement reform and the current proposal by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) on the ICSID Rules amendment have largely overlooked this problem. Thus, this article urges policy-makers to develop new rules to regulate the tripartite relationship involving third-party funders.

Proposal for capturing patient experience through extended value frameworks of health technologies.

BACKGROUND: Inclusion of patient experience (PEx) in health technology assessment (HTA) has become increasingly important; however, no harmonized approach exists to help manufacturers or decision makers ensure PEx considerations are fair, consistent, and thorough within global HTA frameworks. OBJECTIVE: To develop a proposal for including PEx in the HTA frameworks of health technologies. METHODS: A systematic literature review (SLR) on existing value frameworks (VFs) was conducted to capture how PEx-related value judgment is currently considered. Guided by the results of the SLR, a research group including HTA experts and patient representatives used an iterative process to develop potential value domains to capture PEx, in accordance with international guidelines. Subsequently, a panel of international payer experts was used to challenge the proposed PEx domains and provide recommendations for implementation. RESULTS: The SLR found 61 VFs and multi-criteria decision analyses (MCDAs) that considered PEx; however, PEx-related value elements were often referred to superficially, without clear definitions. Five potential PEx domains, with proposed measures for each, were developed and refined using expert feedback: (1) responsiveness to patient's individual needs, (2) improved health literacy and empowerment, (3) patient and caregiver reported outcomes, (4) household's financial burden, and (5) improved access for vulnerable patient populations. A flexible approach for framework implementation was proposed. CONCLUSIONS: Proposed PEx domains could be implemented at multiple levels of healthcare decision making to formalize consideration of PEx in the assessment of value, either through the extension of existing VFs or to create new PEx-focused VFs and more holistic decision making tools. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded and sponsored by UCB Pharma. The funding agreement ensured the authors' independence in designing the study, interpreting the data, writing, and publishing the report. Charokopou, Mountain, and Szegvari are employed by UCB Pharma. Inotai, Jakab, and Kalo are employed by Syreon Research Institute, which received funding from UCB Pharma for this research. Brixner has received fees from AbbVie, Elevar, Millcreek Outcomes Group, Novartis, Sanofi, UCB Pharma, and Xcenda. Campbell has received grants and contracts from the PhRMA Foundation and the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review. During a sabbatical leave, Campbell collaborated with Syreon Research Institute on research projects that included funding from UCB Pharma. Hawkins has received consultancy fees from UCB Pharma. Kristensen has received speakers bureau fees from Pfizer, AbbVie, Amgen, UCB Pharma, Celgene, Bristol-Myers Squibb, MSD, Novartis, Eli Lilly, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals and consultancy fees from UCB Pharma.

Implementasi Akad Pembiayaan Syariah pada GALA (Gadai Tradisional)

Islamic financial institutions instruments are required to synergize and provide new patterns and ideas in reconstructing previous ideas with the current context so that Islamic financial instruments can be applied by the current generation. This study uses qualitative research methods. The purpose of this study is to identify the implementation of the sharia funding agreement on gala. The research approach used in this study is a phenomenological approach. The type of data used is primary data. Data collection techniques use interviews and observation. The practice of traditional gala found in the lives of southwest Acehnese people was built from generation to generation from the 16th century to the present, approaching the pattern of contract existing in the Islamic economic system where one of them is a mudharabah contract. This contract is expected to be an alternative solution for islamic financial institutions in the future for productive financing which is based on the business practices of the Southwest Aceh community that are local wisdom.

Third party funding: The minimum claim value

Third Party Funding (TPF) is an agreement between a claimant and a funder, where the funder provides money to pursue or defend a lawsuit in return for a financial reward, usually a percentage of the sum recovered by the claimant. TPF is a useful tool to improve access to justice and through which the funded party can better allocate its financial resources. It is widely used in international arbitration and, in some countries, even in domestic litigation and arbitration. Many factors affect the decision of funding a lawsuit, in the first place its value, which has to be high enough to justify funder’s allocation of capital. In this paper, we analize litigation from the certainty equivalent perspective and provide interpretation on how differences between the parties may affect the size of the pie. Furthermore, we formalize TPF and – considering Italian costs, cost shifting rules and length of trials – derive a formula to compute the minimum value of a claim suitable for the funding agreement. Finally we use the formula to provide estimates for three-stage proceedings before two jurisdictions with different length of proceedings.

Government-nonprofit funding relationships in human services: Differences in cost-reimbursement and fixed-cost agreements

Funding agreements are the legal foundation for government-nonprofit funding relations and specify the terms and expectations for both parties. Yet little attention focuses on the funding agreements themselves, which vary in structure, form, compensation arrangements, and amount of risk each party bears in the funding relationship. Using data on human service nonprofits in the U.S., we examine whether the type of funding agreement—cost-reimbursement versus fixed-cost—influence the reliability of government funding during the Great Recession and the level of engagement by nonprofit providers. We find those who bear the burden of the risk at the outset have less reliable funding during recessionary times and nonprofit providers with a flat amount agreement are less engaged with government funders. Findings have implications for public and nonprofit managers to carefully consider risks and relationships to implement effective funding agreements.

Nova EU direktiva o kolektivnim tužbama i finansiranje vođenja parničnog postupka sredstvima trećih lica - prilika za evropske potrošače

After years of compensatory collective redress being left to a sort of regulatory competition among Member States, Directive 1828/2020 finally introduced an EU wide representative action scheme, aimed at strengthening the position of European consumers vis-à-vis new market dynamics such as globalisation and digitalisation. The new system, which shall run in parallel with national tools, introduces some innovations such as a cross-border action mechanism, the possibility of adopting an opt-out model and a specific regulation of third-party litigation funding in the context of collective redress. This aspect, addressed already in the 2013 Recommendation, is of particular interest, because third party funding represents a particularly powerful complement to collective redress in easing citizens' access to justice. However, the provisions introduced with Directive 1828/2020 leave some issues open. In particular, the Court's role in managing the funding agreement, with special reference to the funder's fee, and the effect of the funding agreement in case an opt-out adhesion mechanism is adopted are of paramount importance and still need to be addressed interpretatively. In this task, the comparative method will be particularly helpful in analysing the solution which Countries more familiar with third party funding, like Australia, Canada or the United States have introduced or discussed.

US science and technology funding boosted for 2020

A spending deal approved by the US Congress last month is good news for science and technology funding overall, with select agencies and programs receiving a roughly 6% increase in funding, according to an analysis by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The funding agreement resolves a months-long logjam for fiscal 2020. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2019, to Sept. 30, 2020. President Donald J. Trump signed the appropriations bills Dec. 20, 2019, before stopgap federal spending legislation expired. Trump had proposed major cuts to science programs in his March 2019 budget proposal, including 12% from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, and 31% from the Environmental Protection Agency. Congress and the White House struck a deal in July to increase the total US federal budget for 2020 and 2021. But House and Senate leaders struggled to agree on how to distribute

Tinkering at the margins: evaluating the pace and direction of primary care reform in Ontario, Canada

BackgroundPrimary care reform has been on the political agenda in Canada and many industrialized countries for several decades; it is widely seen as the foundation for broader health system transformation. Federal investments in primary care, including major cash transfers to provinces and territories as part of a 10-year health care funding agreement in 2004, triggered waves of primary care reform across Canada. Nevertheless, Commonwealth Fund surveys show, Canada continues to lag behind other industrialized nations with respect to timely access to care, electronic medical record use and audit and feedback for quality improvement in primary care. This paper evaluates the pace and direction of primary care reform as well as the extent of resulting change in the organization and delivery of primary care in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province.MethodsQualitative and quantitative methods were used for this study. A literature review was conducted to analyze the core dimensions of primary care reform, the history of reform in Ontario, and the extent to which different dimensions are integrated into Ontario’s models. Quantitative data on the number of family physicians/general practitioners and patients enrolled in these models was examined over a 10-year period to determine the degree of change that has taken place in the organization and delivery of primary care in Ontario.ResultsThere are 11 core reform dimensions that individually and collectively shift from conventional primary care toward the more expansive vision of primary health care. Assessment of Ontario’s models against these core dimensions demonstrate that there has been little substantive change in the organization and delivery of primary care over 10 years in Ontario.ConclusionsPrimary care reform is a multi-dimensional construct with different reform models bundling core dimensions in different ways. This understanding is important to move beyond the rhetoric of “reform” and to critically assess the pace and direction of change in primary care in Ontario and in other jurisdictions. The conceptual framework developed in this paper can assist decision-makers, academics and health care providers in all jurisdictions in evaluating the pace of change in the primary care sector, as well as other sectors.

Adapting Disclosure Obligations to the Realities of Modern Third-Party Funding

Third-party funding is becoming increasingly commonplace in international arbitration proceedings today. Although traditionally used to fund impecunious parties, modern third-party funding has shifted to financing parties who may have the necessary capital to pursue a dispute but wish to minimize cash flow disruptions.This prevalence of third-party funding in international arbitration is creating unique conflict of interest scenarios regarding an arbitrator’s independence and impartiality. However, many arbitral institutions and rules are not adapted to appropriately regulate the use of third-party funding to preserve the integrity of proceedings. For the most part, arbitral rules do not require a party to disclose the existence of a third-party funding agreement or the identity of the funder.This creates the risk of undisclosed or unknown conflicts arising after an arbitrator is appointed and severely disrupting the proceedings.This article examines how to best mitigate such risks by incorporating a disclosure regime within the current arbitral framework. This article contends that the mandatory disclosure of the existence of a funding arrangement and the identity of the funder would safeguard the requirements of independence and impartiality while allowing modern third-party funding to coexist with international arbitration.

Implementasi Akad Pembiayaan Syariah pada GALA (Gadai Tradisional)

Islamic financial institutions instruments are required to synergize and provide new patterns and ideas in reconstructing previous ideas with the current context so that Islamic financial instruments can be applied by the current generation. This study uses qualitative research methods. The purpose of this study is to identify the implementation of the sharia funding agreement on gala. The research approach used in this study is a phenomenological approach. The type of data used is primary data. Data collection techniques use interviews and observation. The practice of traditional gala found in the lives of southwest Acehnese people was built from generation to generation from the 16th century to the present, approaching the pattern of contract existing in the Islamic economic system where one of them is a mudharabah contract. This contract is expected to be an alternative solution for islamic financial institutions in the future for productive financing which is based on the business practices of the Southwest Aceh community that are local wisdom. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3236466

The creation of academies in England: expected effects, evolution, observed effects and concerns

School-based education in England has been radically transformed by the introduction of the academies programme. Academies are owned and run by not-for-profit private trusts that register as companies and are subject to company law. They are controlled and funded directly by central government by means of a contract – a funding agreement – between a trust and the most senior education minister. This paper argues that the academies programme, which has had mixed results as regards pupils’ academic attainment, has not only been costly for the public purse, but also raises serious concerns about the use public money at the level of the academy trust.