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Centres for Research Development (Archived)

Table of Contents

Description
Objectives
Who is eligible to apply?
Specific eligibility requirements
Allowable Costs
Funding
Evaluation Process and Criteria for Peer Review
General CIHR Guidelines and Conditions of Funding
How to Apply
Performance Measurement and Evaluation
Contacts for further information

1. Description

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is launching this inaugural funding program to support Centres for Research Development. These Centres are expected to be mission-driven and to include a formal and integrated research/knowledge exchange plan, along with evidence of institutionalized planning and evaluation cycles. These Centres are also intended to provide interdisciplinary teams of researchers, their stakeholder partners and research users such as policy makers, public and voluntary sector program administrators, and clinical and public health practitioners with core infrastructure support to access other research funds available through CIHR and other funding agencies, and optimize their productivity to conduct high quality research and facilitate its application into policy and practice. Finally, Centre applications will include evidence of clear leadership in developing a nurturing, interdisciplinary research and learning environment, and a governance structure to guide overall planning and decision-making processes, with relevant stakeholder representation clearly defined.

2. Objectives

The objectives of the Centres Program are to:

Align capacity building with strategic health research themes and knowledge exchange activities of participating Institutes
Better position interdisciplinary teams of researchers, in newly emerging and less developed fields, for accessing open-competition (investigator-initiated) research funding
Promote networking and mentoring across researchers and existing institutions
Foster meaningful interactions with research users such as policy makers, public and voluntary sector program administrators, and clinical and public health practitioners
Create a sustainable path for the activities of Centres for Research Development, with committed multi-year funding
Facilitate capacity building in regions of Canada with underdeveloped research strengths

3. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding (grant) programs apply. Please refer to Eligibility for Research Funding Programs on the CIHR website.

The business office of the institution of an eligible Principal Applicant generally administers CIHR funds. The eligibility requirements for Institutions are found on the CIHR website in the Financial Administration of Funds Guide.

4. Specific Eligibility Requirements

In addition to the standard CIHR eligibility requirements, the following special conditions apply:

This program requires applications from interdisciplinary teams. Teams will consist of:

Six or more independent researchers who will pool their expertise, perspectives, and resources.
At least 5 members of the team must be fully qualified independent researcher(s) employed at a Canadian not-for-profit institution.
A team leader who meets the eligibility criteria of "Nominating Principal Applicant" as described in the CIHR guidelines referred to above. The team leader is the person who will act as research program director and assumes administrative responsibility for the grant.
Researchers must be associated with at least three of CIHR's health research themes:
1. biomedical
2. clinical
3. health systems and health services
4. societal, cultural, and environmental influences on health and the health of populations.
In addition the following criteria apply:
Proposals with researchers working in at least two different institutions are encouraged. Please note that these Institutions may be affiliated.
Active partnerships are encouraged between a community organization(s) or policy-making institution, and research team(s) whose members are affiliated with local universities, clinical organizations, hospitals or other not-for-profit institutions capable of conducting health research. Partnering organizations may be encouraged to contribute funding or in-kind support to the research project (such as office space or staff time), resources permitting, and to provide other evidence of the level of commitment between partnering organizations (ie. letters of agreement between partnering organizations, evidence of commitment to the governance structure and Centre's vision, mission and planning activities).

5. Allowable Costs

Applicants should review CIHR's guidelines on Eligible Expenditures for Research Funding Programs for a complete listing and description of allowable costs and activities. The full application must provide a detailed justification of all costs.

Interaction Costs:
Training Costs:
Faculty and Community-Based Organization Release Time (pending amendments to CIHR's Terms and Conditions):
Set-up Costs (pending amendments to CIHR's Terms and Conditions):
Knowledge Exchange Costs:
Shared Facilities/Core Resources:
Administrative Core:
Pilot Projects:

6. Funding

The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $400,000 per annum for up to 6 years, including equipment.
The total amount available for this initiative is $1.6 to 2M, dependent on CIHR's 2003-04 budget. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
Funding will be provided for a period of up to six years, subject to a satisfactory interim review during the fourth year. This is a non-renewable grant.

7. Evaluation Process and Criteria for Peer Review

The evaluation process involved the submission of a letter of intent, review, and, if successful, an invitation to submit a full application. The letter of intent stage for this strategic initiative is now complete. For those invited to submit a full application, please see section 9c for instructions.

Full Application Evaluation Process
A separate peer review committee will be constituted with representation recommended by the participating Institutes and partners. Site visits to applicants' institutions may be part of the review. Names of committee members will be published on the CIHR/partner(s) website. The committee will follow the general process as outlined in the CIHR review process for grants.

General criteria for assessing applications are listed below. It is understood that referees and committees will weigh questions such as these differently from one application to another.

The Research Plan Proposed
- How critically and competently is the relevant literature appraised and evaluated?
- How coherent and compelling is the overall program of research that is planned?
- How important and/or original are the questions to be addressed, and how clearly are they formulated?
- How important and original are the contributions expected from the research proposed? What is the potential for important new observations or knowledge?
- How appropriate are the general sorts of methods (for e.g. analyses of data) as judged, for example, from the disciplinary mix of researchers on the applicant team? How well will the applicant team implement new methods that are to be introduced and/or explored?
- How well have the applicants anticipated difficulties in their approach and considered alternatives?
The Applicants' Productivity, Experience and Training
- How appropriate to the research proposed is the training or track record of the applicant(s)? How relevant is the recent research of the applicant(s)? How much confidence is there that the group of researchers can do the work proposed? (The proposed time commitment to the research may influence this judgment.)
Criteria for Peer Review
It is critical to demonstrate the proposed Program's excellence and that it brings added value, in terms of the approach to the research to be undertaken. In arriving at an overall rating for a proposed program, the reviewers will take into consideration the factors listed below.

Rationale/Objectives:
- The rationale for and objectives of the Centre (i.e. Centre's vision, mission, evidence of institutionalized planning and evaluation cycles, integrated research/knowledge exchange)
- Evidence of need for core infrastructure support to bring disciplines together, as well as to create sustainable linkages with research user partners.
Interdisciplinarity:
- The degree to which the Centre will involve a variety of research disciplines and approaches from across at least three of the four CIHR health research themes (i.e. biomedical, clinical, health systems and health services, societal, cultural, and environmental influences)
- Applicants should explain how the Centre will address one or more of the eligible research topics as defined by participating Institutes in the accompanying Centres for Research Development RFA
**Interdisciplinary is defined as the ability to analyze, synthesize and harmonize links between disciplines int[o a coordinated and coherent whole.
Engagement of Potential Research Users:
- Evidence of input from, and commitment to, the proposed program of research by the relevant potential users such as policy makers, private (e.g. workplace), public and voluntary sector program administrators, clinical and public health practitioners, and/or community-based organizations
- Evidence can include a letter of support that outlines:
1. Identified partnership(s) with community organizations, and a brief description of how they operate or will operate with regard to governance and interaction during the research.
2. The contribution and support for the project provided by the institution(s) and community organization(s). Their contribution may be in staff time, in kind, and/or in cash, where feasible.
Evidence of Institutional Support:
- The level of support in each Institution will be a consideration in the review of applications and conditional on local capacity to provide such support.
Leadership of the Centre:
- Leadership of the Centre is a critical success factor. Evidence that the approach to leadership will create a mission-driven Centre and a positive and nurturing research environment that fosters team work, opportunities for collaboration and learning, will be considered in the review of applications.
Governance of the Centre:
- Key stakeholders must be clearly defined/justified and represented in the governance of the Centre. Examples of stakeholder groups include community- based organizations, voluntary organizations, program administrators and public health practitioners.
Added value:
- Evidence of the added value in bringing together researchers and research users from different disciplines, institutes or sectors, in a meaningful collaboration

8. General CIHR Guidelines and Conditions of Funding

All conditions, as specified in CIHR's Grants and Awards Guides, shall apply to those funded through this initiative. Conditions cover areas such as Applicant and Institutional Responsibilities, Ethics, Official Language Policy, Access to Information and Privacy Acts, Acknowledgement of CIHR support etc. Successful recipients will be informed of any special financial conditions when they receive CIHR's Authorization for Funding Form (AFF). The principal applicant (with funding responsibilities) will be required to submit a final report to CIHR summarizing the results and describing how the grant funds were used.

In addition to CIHR standard guidelines and requirements the following special conditions shall apply:

Governance of Centre: Key stakeholders must be clearly defined/justified and represented in the governance of the Centre.

Progress Reports. Given the scope of the Centre, the Program Leader (i.e., Principal Investigator) is responsible for providing CIHR with a written progress report every two years outlining progress towards the Centre's key objectives, including a discussion of the progress of each funded trainee. The progress report will be assessed against the original adjudication criteria in order to maintain the intent of the initiative.

Interim Review. Funding will provided for a period of up to six years, subject to a satisfactory interim review in the fourth year.

Communication Requirement: CIHR (and other funding partners where applicable) must be acknowledged in written communications about the training program (including recruitment and marketing efforts) and in the communication of research results produced by program trainees. All Centres funded under this initiative should be referred to as "CIHR Centres for Research Development".

Annual Conference/Workshop: The program leaders and their research user partners of all CIHR Centres for Research Development will be expected to participate in an annual conference/workshop to be organized by CIHR, in collaboration with its partners, to share experiences, ideas, and best practices across programs and to work together in achieving the objectives of the CIHR Centres for Research Development.

Knowledge Exchange: The program leaders will be expected to actively engage potential research users in a variety of knowledge exchange activities early on and throughout the research cycle, including but not limited to, defining the research questions, conducting and acting on the research findings, in addition to ensuring advance release of research results to research user partners, and publishing findings in lay language and in a variety of accessible formats for different audiences.

9. How to Apply

a) Personal Information Number (PIN)

To complete CIHR application forms, all applicants and co-applicants must Acquire a PIN. There will be a delay of approximately one working day to receive confirmation of the PIN. More than one working day may be required in peak periods - late January and early August.

b) Letter of Intent (LOI)

The Letter of Intent stage for this strategic initiative is now complete. For those invited to submit a full application, please see section 9c for instructions.

The Principal Applicant(s) must submit a Letter of Intent, which will be reviewed for responsiveness to the initiative (see Section 7 of this document "Letter of Intent Evaluation Process").

The Letter of Intent is comprised of:

the first two pages of the Research Module for the CIHR Operating Grants program (Research Module, Page 1 and Page 2a).
a three page letter
attachments

CIHR Research Module:
The Research Module must be completed using the Webforms
- After entering your PIN and password, choose "Create New Application" at the top right of the screen, then complete the form for the "Operating" section under the Research Funding Programs heading.
- Note: page numbers will not be identified while you are entering the data. While you must complete all of the sections of this form for the full application, for the purposes of the Letter of Intent, it is sufficient to complete only the following sections: "Research Funding Program," Nominated Principal Applicant/Candidate," "Project," and "Applicants/Co-applicants."
- Once you have completed these sections, Save and Exit, then choose the print option for "Registration Pages Only." You will then be able to choose to print only the first two pages of the form.
- On the Research Module, Page 1, signatures are required from the appropriate authorities at the Nominated Principal Applicant's employing institution.
- On the Research Module, Page 2a, only the signature of the Nominated Principal Applicant is required. However, all applicants and co-applicants must be identified, including their institution, department and faculty.
Please refer to "The Meaning of Signatures on Application Forms" and "Applicant Categories for CIHR Grants," in the General Guidelines for All CIHR Programs
- Indicate CIHR Centres for Research Development - "Understanding and Addressing the Impacts of Physical and Social Environments on Health" at the top of Page 1, under the section: "Name of Industrial Partner(s) OR Partnership Program OR Special Program"
Three Page Letter
The letter itself must not exceed 3 pages and must address the following:
- Rationale for Centre Justify why this infrastructure funding is required and how it will help to bring disciplines together, as well as to create sustainable linkages with knowledge exchange partners.
- Leadership and Governance of Centre. Justify the leadership capacity of the individual identified as the Centre Director, and approach to governing the Centre's research initiatives.
- Interdisciplinarity. Explain how the Centre will bring together two or more research disciplines or approaches and the nature and extent of the collaboration between investigators.
- Engagement of knowledge exchange partners and stakeholders: Describe the approach to engaging partners and stakeholders such as policy makers, public and voluntary sector program administrators, clinical and public health practitioners working in government, non-governmental, hospitals and/or community-based organizations
- Capacity building. Briefly describe how the Centre will help create an environment for learning and growth, especially for trainees (graduate and postdoctoral), new investigators and users of research.
- Research Plan and Schedule. Briefly outline the preliminary research plan and schedule for the collaborative work to be undertaken in response to the eligible research topic, and include an evaluation of proposed program of research
Attachments
- CV's - An abbreviated CV (maximum two pages) for each of a maximum of three of the key applicants using the CIHR CV module as a guideline for content. This must include information on current grants held, relevant publications from the last five years, and expertise keywords.
- Development Grant Request - Applicants may request funds of up to $10,000 to be used in the development of a full application. One additional page may be used to outline and justify the budget.

Other material will not be sent to the review committee; this includes letters of support, updates on publications, updates on other support received, letters confirming academic appointment, etc.The general presentation guidelines for completing CIHR application forms must be followed, e.g., use single-spaced type NO smaller than 12 point. These and other important guidelines are available by selecting the Guidelines button at the top left of the Webform pages for each application module (please see "Mandatory Instructions for Data Entry" for formatting instructions).

Please also refer to the appropriate 2002-2003 Grants and Awards Guides

In completing CIHR forms, be sure to refer to both the Grants and Awards Guides and the guidelines for completion specific to each module. The proposals must address all criteria as described in the "Evaluation Criteria for Peer Review", Section 7 of this guide.
The following application forms/modules are required, using the CIHR application forms (modules).

c) Full application

Those applicants who have been invited to submit a full application will need to provide:

A complete Research Module for the CIHR Operating Grants program, in which the space provided will be used to describe the proposed program fully, and to address the evaluation criteria described above
A CIHR Operating Budget module, including justification for all budget items
A CIHR CV module for all applicants and co-applicants involved in the program

Please use the CIHR application forms to complete these modules.

Applicants are advised to refer to the "Guidelines for Completion" specific to each application module, and the instructions on 'How to Apply,' including the applicable Grants and Awards Guides. Note that the proposals must address the criteria described under the "Evaluation Process and Criteria for Peer Review" described above in Section 7a and 7b.

To ensure that your application is forwarded to the appropriate CIHR staff, please indicate: CIHR Centres for Research Development "Understanding and Addressing the Impacts of Physical and Social Environments on Health, under the heading: "Name of Industrial Partner(s) OR Partnership Program OR Special Program (if applicable)" on page 1 of the Research Module.

Send the original and nine copies of the Application by courier to:

RE: "CIHR Centres For Research Development"

Vinayini Murty
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Research Portfolio
410 Laurier Avenue W., 9th Floor
Address Locator 4209A
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9

10. Performance Measurement and Evaluation Framework

Objective	Outcome	Measure / Indicator
Align capacity building with strategic health research themes and knowledge exchange activities of participating Institutes;	The research capacity built appropriately reflects the thematic priorities and knowledge exchange activities of participating Institutes.	Increased number and improved quality of interdisciplinary programs of research/knowledge exchange in thematic priority areas of participating institutes. Increased number and quality of researchers involved in interdisciplinary research/knowledge exchange in thematic priority areas of participating institutes.
Better position interdisciplinary teams of researchers, in newly emerging and less developed fields, for accessing open-competitions (investigator-initiated) research funding;	Improved health research in newly emerging and less developed fields.	Increased number and quality of interdisciplinary programs of research in newly emerging and less developed fields. Increased number and improved quality of interdisciplinary research applications from newly emerging and less developed fields accessing open competitions
Promote networking and mentoring across researchers and existing institutions	Improved integrated approach to health research resulting from increased collaboration.	Increased number and quality of partnerships and linkages with diverse disciplines and sectors beyond the traditional health sector The identification of mechanisms to engage diverse disciplines and sectors in defining programs of research and its application
Foster meaningful interactions with research users such as policy makers, public and voluntary sector program administrators, and clinical and public health practitioners	Evidence of meaningful interactions with a variety of research users	Increased quality interactions leading to effective knowledge exchange and transfer
Create a sustainable path for the activities of Centres for Research Development, with committed multi-year funding;	Activities of Centres for Research Development are sustained in the long term.	Evidence of secured long-term funding Identification of other sources of funding. Evidence of support from home institution.
Facilitate capacity building in regions of Canada with underdeveloped research strengths	All regions are able to further develop research strengths. Equalization of national access to health research funding.	Increased number and quality of applications from regions with underdeveloped research strengths.

11. Contacts for Further Information:

For questions on CIHR funding guidelines or how to apply contact:

Vinayini Murty
Program Delivery Coordinator
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
410 Laurier Avenue West, 9th floor, Address Locator 4209A,
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9
Telephone: (613) 954-5396; Fax: (613) 952-2277; Email: vmurty@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Kalpana Phansalker
Program Officer
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
410 Laurier Avenue West, 9th floor, Address Locator 4209A
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9
Telephone: (613)954-5998; Fax: (613) 952-2277; Email: kphansalker@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:

Erica Di Ruggiero
Assistant Director,
Canadian Institutes of Health Research -
Institute of Population and Public Health
Suite 207-L, Banting Building
100 College Street
Toronto, ON M5G 1L5
416 946-7987 (telephone) 416 946-7984 (fax)
Email address: e.diruggiero@utoronto.ca

Michelle Gagnon
Senior Associate
Partnerships and Knowledge Exchange
Institute of Health Services and Policy Research
Institute of Population and Public Health
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
410 Laurier Avenue West, Address Locator 4209A
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9
Telephone: 613-952-4538, Fax: 613-941-1041
E-mail: mgagnon@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Created: 2003-04-16
Modified: 2003-04-16
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