For your convenience, please print these Guidelines
The following are guidelines for completing the CIHR Research Module. The guidelines are broken down section by section, organized in the same manner and in the same order as the fields on the CIHR Web forms.
Before completing the Research Module using the section by section instructions found below, it is imperative that you become familiar with the steps outlined on the How to Apply for Funding page, which provides an overview of how to apply to CIHR for funding.
Guidelines for Completing the Research Module
The following guidelines are broken down by section in the order that they are presented on the Research Module screens on the CIHR Web forms website. You should provide clear and concise answers to all applicable questions, noting that some data requirements are program-specific.
All the information provided may be revised in the subsequent full application with the exception of the Name of the Nominated Principal Applicant/Candidate, the Project Title and the Suggested Grant Committee.
Sections:
1. Research Funding Program(s)
2. Nominated Principal Applicant/Candidate
3. Project
4. Applicants/Co-Applicants
5. Abstract
6. Suggested External Referees
7. Collaborators and Committees
8. General Information
9. Appendix 1 - Letters of Collaboration, Appendix 2 and Appendix 2(a)
10. Text to be attached
11. Instructions regarding signatures
12. Instructions regarding the acknowledgement page
13. Instructions regarding the Applicant Consent form
1. Research Funding Program(s)
"Research Funding Programs" and "Salary Support" checkboxes
Check the box(es) for the opportunity(ies) for which you are seeking support. If applying for both salary support and research funding, check all applicable research funding and salary support boxes. You should note, however, that a separate Webforms file, and a separate complete Registration and/or Application Package must be submitted for each of the grant and salary funding opportunities applied to.
If you are submitting an application that contains any randomized controlled trial, you must apply through the Randomized Controlled Trials Program and not the Operating Grants Program.
Strategic Initiative/RFA
If you wish to apply to a Request for Applications, enter the name as it appears in the Current Funding Opportunities.
Industrial Partner(s)
If you wish to apply to an Industry-Partnered funding opportunity, enter the name of the industrial partner(s).
Partnership Program
If you wish to apply to a Partnership funding opportunity, enter the name of the opportunity.
Special Program
If you wish to apply to a special funding opportunity, enter the name of the opportunity.
Competition Date
Enter the competition deadline date for the opportunity to which you are applying. If you are applying to a regular funding opportunity, consult the opportunity's Application Package. If you are applying to an occasional funding opportunity, refer to the "How to Apply" section in the description of the funding opportunity.
Proposed CIHR Start Date
CIHR appreciates the uncertainty in predicting a starting date far in advance, but you should provide your best estimate.
2. Nominated Principal Applicant/Candidate
Enter the name of the Nominated Principal Applicant. The name of the Nominated Principal Applicant appears on page 1 of the Research Module printed report, along with signatures of the responsible officials of the Institution Paid. The Nominated Principal Applicant and other applicants sign on Page 2 of the Research Module printed report.
Refer to the Eligibility Requirements for the definitions of titles such as Principal Applicant/Candidate, Co-Applicants and Collaborators.
3. Project
Lay Title of Research
Provide a title for your project that is accessible to a lay audience. Lay titles are used by CIHR to inform the public and Parliament about the valuable research supported through public funds.
Primary location where research will be conducted
Indicate the institution or organization where all or most of the research will take place.
Institution Paid
Institution that will administer the funds for your project. Consult the Eligible Individuals and Institutions on the CIHR web site for more information.
Certification Requirements
If you are awarded a grant, the necessary certification requirements must be met in accordance with policies on ethical conduct of research.
Relevant policies:
Human Stem Cells
If the proposal uses human stem cells, please check this field. This will signal to CIHR staff that your application may use human pluripotent stem cells; in which case, it must conform to the Guidelines for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research. CIHR staff will contact you if it is determined that your application requires review by the Stem Cell Oversight Committee. This field is also useful for generating reports of CIHR's funding of human stem cell research.
Does this Application Contain a Randomized Controlled Trial?
Failure to disclose that your application contains a randomized controlled trial will result in the withdrawal of your application from the competition.
Period of Support Requested
Normally, the period of support requested is in complete years. You may request an additional 6 months if your projects will require a partial year of support in the final year. New grants are usually awarded for 3 years, and the maximum period of support is 5 years.
Descriptors
Provide keywords to describe your research project, the techniques and the methodologies it will employ, and the areas of interest.
4. Applicants/Co-Applicants
For this section, refer to the on-screen instructions of the Research Module and to the Participant Categories for CIHR Grants.
Note: The applicant roles, principal decision maker and decision maker, can only be used in the context of the funding opportunity 'Partnerships for Health Systems Improvement'.
5. Abstract
Describe your project in a way that is accessible to a lay audience. Be sure to indicate how your proposed research can improve personal health, the health of populations and / or the health delivery system. This information is used by CIHR to inform the public and Parliament about the valuable research supported through public funds.
6. Suggested External Referee(s)
Suggest reviewers that you feel have the expertise to review your application. CIHR reserves the right to make the final selection of external reviewers. You should not suggest reviewers in conflict of interest. Consult the conflict interest guidelines on the CIHR web site for more information.
7. Collaborators and Committees
Suggested Peer Review Committees
Suggest up to two peer review committees that you feel could review your application. Suggested committees must remain unchanged between registration and application. Only one committee will be selected. CIHR reserves the right to select the committee that it feels is the most appropriate. The final committee selected will not necessarily be your first or second choice. Consult the Peer Review Committees and Mandates on the CIHR web site for more information.
List Collaborators
List each prospective collaborator (other than applicants) associated with the proposal. If collaborators are expected to make a significant scientific contribution to the project, include a signed statement from each collaborator in the Appendix 1 attachments.
8. General Information
Areas of Research
Select the areas of research that best describe your proposal from the list provided.
Classification Codes
Select the classification codes that best describe your proposal from the list provided.
Suggested CIHR Institutes
Select a primary CIHR Institute whose research mandate is related to this application's research area(s) and objective(s). Additional Institutes should only be selected if the substance of this grant application significantly overlaps with the research mandate of more than one Institute.
Themes
Select a primary theme classification. Indicate additional theme classifications only if the substance of the grant application significantly overlaps more than one theme. Consult the definition of the four CIHR Themes on CIHR web site for more information.
Future Committee Member Nominations
Nominate individuals that you feel would be an attribute to a particular peer review committee.
Acknowledgement to be sent to:
Refer to the "Instructions regarding the acknowledgement page on the Research Module printed report" found in number 12 of this document.
9. Appendix 1 - Letters of Collaboration, Appendix 2 and Appendix 2(a)
For these sections, refer to the on-screen instructions of the Research Module.
10. Text to be Attached
Summary of Research Proposal - Attach one page numbered Page 9
Summarize your research proposal. Your summary should not exceed one page.
Summary of Progress - Attach one page numbered Page 10
If this application is a renewal, summarize progress under your current CIHR grant, and identify the term of the grant (if applicable). If this is a new application, summarize previous work relevant to this application. Maximum one page.
Response to Previous Reviews - Attach up to two numbered Page 11a and 11b
If you are resubmitting an unsuccessful application, you may respond to previous reviewer's comments. Your response should not require reference to any other document, because reviewers will not have access to previous application information. Maximum two pages.
Research proposal - numbered Page 12a, 12b, 12c, etc.
General Instructions for Grant and Salary Program Applicants
The research proposal should be clear and concise. Page limits do not include references, tables, charts, figures and photographs. Legends should be succinct. Detailed descriptions of methods and discussion of results should be included in the body of the proposal. They should not be in the legends nor included as an appendix. Questionnaires and consent forms may be attached as appendices, where applicable.
In the research proposal applicants must explain:
a. What they want to do (central hypothesis, research question, specific objectives)
b. Why this is a reasonable thing to do (review of previous work done on the subject matter, rationale)
c. Why this is important (new knowledge to be obtained, improvements to health which will result)
d. How they are going to do it (work plan, timelines, analysis and interpretation of results, pitfalls, ways around the pitfalls, alternatives)
e. Why they should do it (relevant prior experience and skills, collaborators for technical gaps, preliminary data showing feasibility)
Note: Certain funding opportunities have specific requirements for what to include in the research proposal. Consult the description of funding opportunities of interest in the Current Funding Opportunities.
Instructions for specific funding opportunities
Grant Programs - Provide a clear, concise description of your research proposal. A maximum of 11 pages may be attached in the case of one or two applicants. A maximum of 13 pages may be attached if there are three or more applicants. Apply for equipment/maintenance funds using the Operating Budget Module within the Operating Grants application, if applicable.
CIHR Randomized Controlled Trials Program - The page limit is 13 regardless of the number of applicants.
Clinician Scientist (Phase 2), and the Clinician Scientist (Phase 2) - Industry partnered programs - Provide a clear concise description of your research proposal. A maximum of 11 pages may be used.
New Investigator program - Provide a clear concise description of your research proposal. You will not be holding peer reviewed operating funds as of the first potential start date of the award (and six months beyond), the New Investigator application must be submitted simultaneously with an operating grant application, and the same research proposal must be included in both applications. If you will be holding peer reviewed operating funds as a Principal Investigator, a description of any ongoing (one only), funded project may be included as the research proposal in the New Investigator application. A maximum of 11 pages may be attached.
Investigator and Research Chair Programs - Industry Partnered - Describe your program of research for the next five years. A maximum of six pages may be attached.
New Investigator Program of Research - attach up to one page, numbered Page 13 (for New Investigator applicants only) - Attach a clear, concise description of how the project described in the Research Proposal section of the application fits within the applicant's planned program of research for the next five (5) years.
11. Instructions regarding signatures of the Research Module printed report
Signatures on Page 1 of the Research Module printed report
Institutional signatures are required only from the institution of the Nominated Principal Applicant. If a Principal Applicant or a Co-Applicant is normally the signing authority for the faculty, another senior official must sign instead. If the Principal Applicant's primary appointment is at an institution that has a university affiliation, the Dean of the appropriate Faculty at the university must sign the application. Stamped, electronic and faxed signatures from institutional officials will be accepted.
Consult the subsection titled "Meaning of Signatures" in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide.
Signatures on Page 2 of the Research Module printed report
CIHR requires an original signature from the Nominated Principal Applicant. For all other applicants, stamped, electronic and faxed signatures on additional signature pages will be accepted. An authorized official from each institution other than the Institution Paid must also sign page 2.
For salary support candidates, the nominating institution must provide the candidate with a faculty appointment, or maintain the faculty position of the candidate where applicable. In the case of a candidate who is sponsored jointly by two faculties, one of the faculties must be proposed as the major nominator with which CIHR will communicate.
Consult the subsection titled "Meaning of Signatures" in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide.
12. Instructions regarding the acknowledgement page on the Research Module printed report
The acknowledgement page is automatically populated with information that applicants enter into the Research Module. The name and mailing address of the Nominated Principal Applicant/Candidate should be entered in the text box "Acknowledgement to be sent to:", which can be found in the "General Information" section of the Research Module. Only one acknowledgment will be sent to the Nominated Principal Applicant/Candidate per application, and is normally sent two weeks after the application deadline date.
For Industry-Partnered funding opportunities, an acknowledgment will be sent both to the Nominated Principal Applicant/Candidate, and to the industrial partner(s), unless specifically requested otherwise. Submit one acknowledgement page per industrial partner.
13. Instructions regarding the Applicant Consent form on the Research Module printed report
One completed and signed Applicant Consent form must be submitted at both the registration and application stages.
