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The last few months have been hectic and productive. In collaboration with a large number of major new partners, including the AllerGen NCE and the National Research Council, we launched (in June) our largest RFA to date: "Indoor Air Exposures, Genes, and Gene-Environment Interactions in the Etiology of Asthma and Allergy in Early Childhood." Please see the website link below to find out more. In July, we held the first two of what we hope will be annual summer institutes with NICHD, our "sister" Institute at NIH. The first, on reproductive and perinatal epidemiology, brought together PhD students in epidemiology from Canada, the U.S., and abroad and distinguished Canadian and NIH faculty and was held at the U.S. National Academy of Science's facility in Woods Hole, MA. The second, on maternal-fetal pharmacology, was held in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, and included Canadian and American academic faculty and a diverse group of learners including graduate students, fellows, and junior and senior faculty who are planning or beginning careers in research involving drug use during pregnancy, lactation, and the neonatal period. Neither of these research areas is well served by training programs in Canada or the U.S., and the summer institutes fill an important gap in building research capacity in these two key areas of reproductive and child health. The formats of the two Institutes varied considerably, but both were highly successful, and both are planned for "repeat performances" next summer. Finally, under the leadership of Anne-Cécile Desfaits and an outside consultant, M. Jacques Larivière, we have been actively pursuing a new 5-year strategic plan. Many of you have already participated in interviews or focus groups held across the country over the last few months, and some will take part in face-to-face discussions with Institute staff and IAB members at our strategic retreat in October. Those who have not given us input thus far are invited to do so by contacting M. Larivière at the coordinates shown below. All comments will be kept in strictest confidence.
Michael Kramer, MD
Spring 05 Priority Announcements:
RFA on the Influence of Indoor Air Quality on the Development of Childhood Asthma, Allergy and Recurrent Respiratory Infections
IHDCYH and its partners launched its largest RFA to date in June 2005 to conduct research on the influence of indoor environments on the development of asthma in young children and how those environments interact with genetic factors. A multi-disciplinary research approach is required to address the complex relationships that link the development of pulmonary diseases with exposures associated with the built environment and the quality of indoor air in homes and day care facilities for infants and young children, other environmental exposures (including diet, infection, and outdoor air pollutants), and their interactions with genetic susceptibility and protective factors.
The registration deadline to send a Letter of intent is September 15, 2005. For more information on this funding opportunity, please visit the Website.
Priority Announcements: IHDCYH Start-up grants for new investigators
IHDCYH will again offer start-up grants for new investigators through the Priority Announcements for the CIHR September 05 open grants competition. These one-year grants of up to $100,000 are offered only to investigators with less than six years of experience as independent investigator since their first academic appointment (i.e. after September 1999, including experience outside Canada), and who have never held a CIHR grant as a Principal Investigator (including the HSCF/IHDCYH New Investigators Grants Program). More information about eligibility criteria and how to apply is available on the Website.
IHDCYH Workshop Funding Program
The Institute will provide support or partial support up to $10,000 towards workshops or small meetings of investigators that have direct relevance to the Institute's mandate and research priorities. The workshop program is intended for a single, focused event, not repeated funding for annual meetings or conferences. Applications are accepted twice a year (March 15 and September 15). For more information, please consult the Institute's workshop guidelines.
IHDCYH and its partners are pleased to announce the following IHDCYH-related funding opportunities (For more details, please click on the RFA's title):
A complete list of funding opportunities of interest to the IHDCYH research community is available on the Website.
IHDCYH IAB Renewal
CIHR-IHDCYH is pleased to welcome 2 new members to fill the recent vacancies on its Institute Advisory Board. The new members will serve 3-year terms, effective September 1, 2005. During the next IAB meeting in Ottawa in October, Maureen Heaman (University of Manitoba) and KS Joseph (Dalhousie University) will officially join IHDCYH's IAB. The meeting will also sadly mark the departure of two founding members, Kathleen Cranley Glass (McGill University) and Patrick McGrath (Dalhousie University). Patrick McGrath's mandate was shortened due to its recent nomination on CIHR's Governing Council. We wish to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to both departing members for the commitment over the past 4 years. For further details regarding the Institute Advisory Board, please visit the Website.
IHDCYH Strategic planning
IHDCYH is developing a new strategic plan for the period 2006-2010. The new plan should be completed, approved, and published in early 2006. An external consultant (Jacques Larivière) has been hired to advise and assist the Institute with the process. This exercise includes a consultation with researchers, current and potential partners, and other stakeholders through individual interviews and focus groups across Canada. A strategic planning retreat will be held in October in conjunction with IHDCYH's next Advisory Board meeting. Any opinions or suggestions you may have on IHDCYH's strategic research priorities or main actions in the upcoming years are welcomed. Please forward them directly to M. Larivière at: jlariviere@eecgroup.com (All comments will be treated confidentially).
IHDCYH-NICHD Summer Institutes (July 2005)
CIHR-IHDCYH and the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) held their first Annual Summer Institutes In July. The Summer Institute in Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology was held from July 10-16, 2005 in Woods Hole (Massachusetts). During this week, 20 epidemiology PhD students from Canada and the U.S. with a background and interest in reproductive or perinatal epidemiology enjoyed highly interactive didactic presentations, methodologic discussions, and debates with distinguished faculty from both countries.
The Summer Institute in Maternal-Fetal Pharmacology was held in Gray Rocks (Quebec) from July 24-30, 2005. Graduates students, fellows, and faculty, planning or beginning a research career in pharmacology during pregnancy or the newborn period, interacted with Canadian and American faculty around substantive topics and development of research protocols around such diverse topics as pharmacokinetics, gestational diabetes, drugs in human milk, tocolytic therapy, illicit drug use, and treatment of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. A formal report about both Institutes is being prepared and will be published later in the Fall.
Open Forum for Researchers
In conjunction with its Institute Advisory Board Meeting in Ottawa on October 27, IHDCYH will organize an open forum for researchers. Presentations about the Institute, its mandate, research priorities and funding opportunities will be followed by a reception. This will be an excellent opportunity for local researchers and stakeholders to meet with the Institute staff and Advisory Board. If you are interested in attending this forum, please contact the Institute at: IHDCYH-IDSEA@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
New Principal Investigators (PI) Meeting
With CIHR's Institute of Genetics, IHDCYH is organizing a new PI meeting. The meeting will be held at the Briars Resort and Conference Centre, located in Jackson's Point, Ontario from November 4 to 6, 2005. This event is for new faculty (in their first four years) at Canadian universities, including scientists and clinician-scientists in the reproductive, child health, and genetics communities.
Approximately 100 new PIs from across the country will be invited to meet and engage with their peers. In addition, a major portion of the meeting will be devoted to mentoring through formal presentations and training sessions on topics such as grant writing, career planning, and lab management. If you are interested in participating in the meeting, the registration is open until September 23, 2005. Please visit the CIHR Website.
September 18-21, 2005: Canadian Public Health Association Conference - Mapping the Future of Public Health: People, Places and Policies (Ottawa, Ontario)
September 18-20, 2005: Improving Health by Advancing Healthcare - 6th International Conference on the Scientific Basis of Health Services (Montreal, Quebec)
September 26-29, 2005: Global Perspectives on Chronic Disease Management (Calgary, Alberta)
October 16-19, 2005: Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Care (CAPHC) 2005 Conference - Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds for Canada's Children and Youth (St. John's, Newfoundland)
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October 27, 2005: IHDCYH Board Meeting and Open Forum for Researchers (Ottawa, Ontario). For more information, contact the Institute at: IHDCYH-IDSEA@cihr-irsc.gc.ca November 4-6, 2005: 4th Annual New Principal Investigators Meeting hosted by CIHR Institute of Genetics and Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (Jackson's Point, Ontario) |
November 12-16, 2005: Society for Neurosciences 35th Annual Meeting (Washington, DC)
November 20-22, 2005: Canadian Congenital Anomalies Surveillance Network (CCASN) - 4th Scientific Meeting: Primary Prevention of Congenital Anomalies (Ottawa, Ontario)
February 12-16, 2006: International Conference Impact of Global Issues on Women and Children (Dhaka, Bangladesh)
(For more information, click on the event's title)
You are encouraged to submit any news, including external funding opportunities, special initiatives, or events that may be of interest to IHDCYH research community. Any comment on the newsletter format is also welcome. Please forward the information or feedback to the Institute at: IHDCYH-IDSEA@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Montreal-based Staff:
Michael S. Kramer
Scientific Director
michael.kramer@mcgill.ca
Stella DiPiano
Administrative Assistant
stella.dipiano@muhc.mcgill.ca
Anne-Cécile Desfaits
Assistant Director
adesfaits@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Anick Lambert
Administrative Assistant
IHDCYH-IDSEA@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Ottawa-based staff:
Louise Poulin
Assistant Director, Partnerships and International Relations
lpoulin@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
