CIHR-Ethics Office
| Important Dates | |
| Opportunity Launched | June 2006 |
| Content Last Updated | (No updates since launch) |
| November 1, 2006 | Registration Deadline - Registration packages must be courier stamped by this date. |
| January 15, 2007 | Full applications must be courier stamped by this date. |
| June 30, 2007 | Anticipated notification of decision. |
| July 1, 2007 | Anticipated start date. |
| Funds Available | |
CIHR's contribution to the amount available for this initiative is subject to availability of funds voted annually to CIHR by parliamentary appropriations, and the conditions that may be attached to them.
| |
| Summary | |
| The purpose of this Request for Applications is to increase the knowledge and ability of Canadian research institutions to manage institutional conflicts of interest (ICOI) by funding empirical and conceptual research on the subject. It is expected that this targeted investment will lead to a better understanding of the concept of institutional conflict of interest, its prevalence in Canadian research institutions, and the mechanisms that exist both nationally and internationally, or that can be developed to address this issue. | |
Background
Objectives
Eligibility
Allowable Costs
Review Process and Evaluation Criteria
General CIHR Guidelines
Conditions of Funding
Communications Requirements
Monitoring, Performance Measurement and Evaluation
How to Apply
Contact Information
As Canada's lead federal health research funding agency, CIHR's mandate is to excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health-care system. As part of its mandate, CIHR is also committed to ensuring that the pursuit of scientific excellence takes place in research environments that adhere to the highest ethical standards and core values, which include public interest, freedom of inquiry, integrity in research, dissemination of research results, accountability and transparency.
While conflicts of interest in the pursuit of research are widely recognized as a problem at the level of individual researchers, little attention has been paid to date to the conflicts of interest faced by research institutions. To start addressing this issue, in October 2004, CIHR hosted an Invitational Meeting on Institutional Conflicts of Interest. The objectives of the meeting were:
Among the outcomes of this meeting were a set of Recommendations and Suggestions for Research Topics which informed the development of this RFA and which applicants may want to consider in the development of their research proposals.
Relevant Research Areas
The specific objectives of this initiative are:
Applicants may consider conducting an environmental scan of ICOI policies and practices in Canadian research institutions, as well as of the existing provincial, national and international guidelines in order to obtain necessary information and meet the objectives of this initiative.
Applicants are encouraged to consider the following general definition of Conflict of Interest in the design and execution of their study, as well as the more precise definition of institutional conflicts of interest. Conflict of interest is a set of conditions in which professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as, for example, a patient's welfare or the validity of research) tends to be unduly influenced by a secondary interest (such as, for example, financial gain).
More specifically, institutional conflicts of interest can affect appropriate decision-making with respect to the conduct of research in a variety of ways. For example, such situations may involve institutional decision-makers and research ethics board members responsible for approving and overseeing commercially-sponsored research, where an institutional decision-maker inadvertently or otherwise, encourages or permits research that fails to meet standards of research ethics, or that undermines the safety or respectful treatment of research participants. An institution may also exert pressure on a researcher or a research team to delay publication or otherwise restrict communication of research findings which are damaging or unhelpful to its reputation or financial position.
A successful applicant is strongly encouraged to disseminate the results of the study to appropriate audiences and through appropriate channels, including submission for a presentation to the annual conference of the Canadian Bioethics Society in the year that follows the completion of the final report.
Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding programs apply. The business office of the institution of an eligible Nominated Principal Applicant generally administers CIHR funds. Please refer to the Eligibility Requirements for CIHR Grants and Awards regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions.
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) will not be considered under this RFA.
Applicants should review the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) financial administration guidelines Use of Grant Funds for a complete listing and description of allowable costs and activities.
The full application must provide a detailed justification of all costs.
A CIHR peer review committee will evaluate the full applications. The committee may be drawn from one of CIHR's pre-existing committees or may be created specifically for this Request for Applications. Committee members are selected based on suggestions from many sources including the institute(s) / portfolio(s) and partner(s), following CIHR's Policy on Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest and Privacy Issues in Peer and Relevance Review (CCIP). For information on CIHR's peer review process in general, see Peer Review.
Peer review will be conducted in accordance with The CIHR Peer Review Process: Policies and Responsibilities of Grants Committee Members, including the standard evaluation criteria described under "Factors for Assessment" (section 6.2).
In addition, the following evaluation criteria specific to this Request for Applications will apply. CIHR recognizes that applications will emphasize different approaches to research and to knowledge translation, therefore reviewers and committees are expected to weight criteria such as these differently from one application to another.
This Request for Applications will follow the General Guidelines for Grant Programs. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the use of gender and sex-based analysis in applications.
All conditions specified in CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies shall apply to applications funded through this Request for Applications. Conditions cover areas such as Applicant and Institutional Responsibilities, Ethics, Official language policy, Access to Information and Privacy Acts, and Acknowledgement of CIHR Support. Successful applicants will be informed of any special financial conditions prior to the release of funds or when they receive CIHR's Authorization for Funding (AFF) document.
In addition to CIHR standard guidelines and requirements, the following special conditions shall apply:
Within six months after the end of the grant's term, the Nominated Principal Applicant is required to submit a detailed final performance report, summarizing the results and describing how the grant funds were used. A standard form will be provided by CIHR. The report should be submitted to the CIHR Ethics Office.
Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
All personal information collected by CIHR about applicants is used to review applications, to recruit reviewers, to administer and monitor grants and awards, to compile statistics, and to promote and support health research in Canada. Consistent with these purposes, applicants should also expect that information collected by CIHR may be shared as described in Use and Disclosure of Personal Information Provided to CIHR for Peer Review.
CIHR as a federal entity is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, therefore the requirements of these two statutes will apply to all information located in CIHR's premises including, without limitation, cost-sharing agreements related to this Request for Applications and all matters pertaining thereto.
While respecting the application of the Privacy Act to federal entities, all signing parties involved in a collaborative agreement will also be bound by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). All personal information (as identified by the PIPEDA) collected, used or disclosed in the course of any commercial activity under collaborative agreements related to the Request for Applications will be collected, used and disclosed in compliance with the PIPEDA.
Grant recipients are required to acknowledge CIHR, its institutes and partners in any communication or publication related to the project. See CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies, Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support for details on CIHR's communication requirements. The contributing institutes / partners will be identified on the Authorization for Funding and decision letter.
CIHR is committed to demonstrating results to Canadians for the money invested in health research. Therefore, processes for monitoring progress and appropriate use of funds, as well as for performance measurement and program evaluation are in place. As a result, funding recipients must:
The application process is comprised of two steps: Registration and Full Application.
Review the application instructions provided in How to Apply for Funding.
Select "Operating Grants" (Registration and Application) from the Grant Programs Application Packages.
Additional instructions must be followed for this RFA:
Send the completed registration and application packages by courier to:
RE: "Empirical and Conceptual Research on Institutional Conflict of Interest (ICOI) in Canadian Research Institutions - Grants"
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Address locator: 4809A
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
For questions on CIHR funding guidelines, how to apply, and the peer review process contact:
Krista McLean
Program Coordinator
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: (613) 954-7870
Fax: (613) 954-1800
Email: kmclean@cihr-irsc.ca
For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:
Geneviève Dubois-Flynn, Ph.D
Senior Ethics Policy Advisor, Ethics Office
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: (613) 948-5851
Fax: (613) 946-0885
Email: gdubois-flynn@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Natalia Bendin
Ethics Policy Advisor, Ethics Office
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: (613) 941-6270
Fax: (613) 946-0885
Email: NBendin@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
