Frequently Asked Questions

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The Geneva Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit established in 1993 with the purpose to ensure optimal health for service members and the communities they serve. This purpose is accomplished through our mission to advance military medicine through research, development, and education.

Geneva has specialized capabilities in the areas of federally funded research and industry sponsored clinical trials and supports through full lifecycle research management at over 300 research programs at over 55 military treatment facilities and federal laboratories worldwide. Our work advances research in areas impacting military and civilian populations including infectious disease, biotechnology, human performance, trauma care, rehabilitative medicine, and brain health.

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There are many advantages of working with a nonprofit to conduct military medical research including a greater flexibility and the elimination of any real or perceived conflicts of interest with the Federal government. The FY 2014 National Defense Authorization Act amended Congressional language to clarify the role of certain nonprofit foundations, such as Geneva, to facilitate partnerships between military researchers and public or private organizations. Additional benefits of working with Geneva include:

• The ability to take contributions, gifts or funds from interested partners and proffer or gift to the Federal government.
• Access to a team of research professionals that work alongside investigators and partner organizations from idea conception to award closeout at no cost to the researcher.
• Assistance in navigating the funding process, project budgeting, financial award management, and support with regulatory submissions.
• The ability to help researchers and organizations navigate DoD/DHA regulations and processes, leveraging our 30+ years of experience working with military treatment facilities, federal laboratories, and other federal entities.
• Facilitating accelerated contract/acquisition processes.
• Offering expertise with regulatory reporting across the project lifecycle.
• Providing access to a network of diverse academic, federal, and industry partners.

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Geneva’s proposal development and pre-award services are provided at no cost to the researcher or collaborator. With a few exceptions, Geneva recovers its costs on all funded awards through the application of an indirect cost rate. Geneva’s federal indirect cost rate is approved by the Office of Naval Research, the cognizant federal agency for The Geneva Foundation.

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Investigators can work with research administration staff in their local resource management and/or contracting offices but that support is not prioritized as the primary role of those positions is to support contracts that fulfill DoD service requirements. Military sites often lack the resources to facilitate collaborations with extramural research partners, hire research staff efficiently, or procure necessary supplies or equipment in a timely manner.

While it is possible for military sites to receive funding from federal sponsors outside of DoD directly, it requires the establishment of an interagency agreement, the negotiation and execution of which is often a lengthy process. Funding provided through an interagency agreement comes with fiscal year limitations. The money must be spent prior to end of the fiscal year in which it was received. If it is not spent, the funding is no longer viable as there is no mechanism to carry forward unspent funds from one fiscal year to the next.

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Geneva’s services are aimed at relieving the PI of the administrative, daily burdens often associated with research by hiring qualified research staff and providing dedicated program management support. Geneva provides the researcher with targeted and tailored funding searches based on research interests and project budget needs. Geneva can help identify and apply for funding from both federal and non-federal sources.

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PI-driven contracts are used as a procurement funding mechanism by the Federal government to provide funding for R&D projects, where the PI/PD role and programmatic leadership is clearly defined. These types of R&D projects are governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and/or Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). Geneva will manage the contractual terms and conditions of PI-driven contracts and provides program management support for individual studies.

Government service contracts are used by the Federal government to purchase services for the direct benefit of the Federal government. They are also used as a procurement funding mechanism, to provide funding on R&D projects. However, the PI/PD role and programmatic leadership are not clearly defined. In cases where the PI/PD role and programmatic leadership are not clearly defined, Geneva can exclusively manage these contacts.

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Geneva has over 30 years of experience working with the DoD and in conducting clinical trials among military populations. We partner with military and industry to execute Phase II-IV clinical trials at military treatment facilities nationwide. Our team consists of experienced project leaders who provide on-time, quality data in accordance with the sponsor’s expectations and applicable governing regulations.

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The military medical community offers a diverse research population of active duty personnel, their families, and veterans within a wide range of research areas. Military populations are representative of the diseases and conditions that occur in the civilian community as well as those that are unique to members of military service. Benefits of conducting trials within the military include:

• Highly diverse patient populations
• Electronic health records
• Onsite primary care, specialty care, and auxiliary services
• A single clinical trial agreement that supports the involvement of several different military treatment facilities within the U.S.

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Military physicians have an interest in participating in Phase II – IV clinical trials, but due to regulations within the DoD/DHA, they are unable to contractually obligate or be paid directly for clinical trials. Geneva supports these military physicians by becoming the intermediary between the industry sponsor and the military physician. Geneva submits the research proposal and works with the research team and the industry sponsor on the terms of the agreement. Geneva has dedicated study coordinators, regulatory and contract personnel that are assigned to each of the studies to help navigate the study through the DoD/DHA processes and requirements.

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Reasons include access to research treatments and gaining experience in working with industry partners. While military researchers are not directly paid for clinical trials, Geneva often sets aside funds received from the trial(s) into a reserve fund on behalf of the respective department that researchers can access for education and research-related purposes. This includes continuing educational opportunities, travel, and other relevant departmental support (such as textbooks, registration with no correlating travel, manuscript publication fees, event support, or equipment).

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Most DHA sites can defer to a central IRB, but still require a local IRB administrative review to ensure that the study meets DoD regulations. Local IRB is a function of the academic/DoD research institution, and provides review of their specific trials, while central IRB is able to review services for multiple entities. Timelines for IRB review and approval are comparable if not faster than those in academia. Generally, it takes approximately 3-6 months from award to IRB approval. Geneva has dedicated regulatory specialists that work with the site IRB and sponsor regulatory team to get the submission completed in a timely manner.

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Geneva does not work with VA hospitals as it does with military treatment facilities, and thus does not manage VA clinical trials. The VA has its own foundation that works directly with sponsors and their patient population on industry sponsored, multi-center clinical trials.

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If you wish to join an ongoing federally sponsored clinical trial, you will work with Geneva’s Office of Research Management. Typically, the PI or research coordinator prepares and submits the protocol in federally sponsored clinical trials. Because the PI authored the research plan as part of the grant proposal, the translation of the research plan into the protocol templates is often straightforward. Geneva ensures that the time needed to prepare and submit the protocol is factored into the grant budget.

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Geneva operates similarly to a Site Management Organization (SMO) but we have subtle differences when it comes to being able to sponsor medical devices and/or drugs in clinical trials.

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Geneva operates similarly to a site management organization for military sites nationwide. We manage sites as a necessary intermediary between the CRO/sponsor and the military site, by helping the military site with contract execution, Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission, financial management, project management, and project timelines.

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Geneva has a master CRADA with the U.S. Army and routinely negotiates and executes single-use CRADAs with our collaborators. Geneva will prepare the CRADA with DHA and ensure all applicable DoD regulations are adhered to, including the Joint Travel Regulations.

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Geneva has the unique capabilities and experience in remote nonprofit research management to catalyze scientific and technical innovation through partnerships with industry, academia, and government. Geneva prides itself on fostering lasting relationships in support of its mission, partnering with institutions including Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR), and University of Michigan. Geneva is continually developing its research collaborations with industry and academia.

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Geneva welcomes the opportunity to support and partner with small businesses and small disadvantaged businesses. To be considered as a teaming partner, go to https://genevausa.org/contact/ and select “Partner with Us” in the Department field. Please email a copy of your firm’s capability statement to bd@genevausa.org.

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Connect with us by uploading your information, along with a resume, to receive updates on new job opportunities that become available.

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Your application will remain active until the job is filled, if you are not notified prior to the position closing. To apply for additional opportunities, you will need to submit an application to the job announcement.

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All new Geneva employees assigned to DoD/DHA facilities will be required to undergo in-processing. In-processing may take up to 2-3 days to complete and will include verification of citizenship and work authorization, along with security verification approval. New employees will complete appropriate background investigation requirements which depend on the employee’s access requirements to the military facility and/or previous background investigation. Additionally, clinical privileges credentialing may be required to perform certain aspects of the protocol and/or to administrator the investigational therapy/treatment. The credentialing process involves degree and/or professional licensure verification to validate the employee’s scope of practice.

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Geneva arranges, purchases, manages, and reconciles travel accommodations for our investigators, conference attendees, and speakers, ensuring compliance with Joint Travel Regulations, federal regulations, and Geneva standards. An emergency travel voicemail is available 24/7 to all travelers.

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Geneva provides dedicated purchasing support to investigators, ensuring compliance with all applicable acquisitions’ laws and regulations. The procurement services team strives to place orders for commonly used items and equipment within 48 hours of receiving the request, so that investigators obtain necessary supplies and equipment on time and at competitive prices.

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We are absolutely honored that you applied for positions with The Geneva Foundation. Due to high volume, we may not be able to respond to every application, however, to check the status of your application, log in to your applicant “Dashboard”. Under ‘Status’ view the most recent update. If we have any questions, a recruiter will contact you directly.

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Yes, depending on the position, work site, location, program or any other circumstances.

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There are no assigned closing dates. Job postings will close as soon as a position is filled or for any other reason. All applicants are notified when a job closes.

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If you are selected for a phone screen call and or interview, a recruiter will contact you. Interviews can be conducted by phone, video or in-person. A recruiter will ensure that you know by which method the interview will take place and will working closely with on scheduling. A great way to prepare for an interview is to become familiar with the organization through our website and be ready to answer interview questions clearly and concisely.

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Due to a high number of applications there is no guarantee, however we definitely consider applications and resumes within our system for current and future job opportunities. A recruiter may reach out to you to seek your interest in opportunities that we think you may be a great fit for.

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Yes, if you see a position you are interested in, you will need to complete an application.

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Yes, Geneva is 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing military medicine worldwide.

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Donor(s) will receive an emailed receipt at the time of their gift.

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Geneva’s Discovery Fund allows unrestricted donor contributions to be directed towards pressing research initiatives in real time. This pool of flexible dollars infuses innovation into existing research programs, enables our scientists to respond to urgent needs, amplifies the voices of novice researchers, supports pilot and proof-of-concept research, and leverages cross-sectoral partnerships.

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Geneva completes IRS Form 990 annually. The 990 is a public document.  Geneva’s latest IRS Form 990 can be found here: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/911593913. In addition, since Geneva expends more than $750,000 in federal awards during its fiscal year, Geneva is required to obtain and submit a Single Audit, which is housed in the Federal Audit Clearinghouse.

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Geneva’s tax documents by state can be found here. https://genevausa.org/tax-documents/

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The Corporate Headquarters for The Geneva Foundation is 950 Broadway, Suite 307, Tacoma, WA 98402. Geneva also maintains corporate offices in the National Capital Region at 6700-A Rockledge Dr, Suite 510, Bethesda, MD 20817; 201 Hay Street, Fayetteville, NC 28301; and Brooks-City Base, San Antonio, TX.  In addition, Geneva’s site employees can be found working at more than 55 military treatment facilities and federal laboratories all over the world.

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Please email marcom@genevausa.org for additional information about the contents of this website.