CIHR > Funding Health Research > Funding Opportunities > Current Funding Opportunities

Team Grant (2006-2007)

(CIHR Team Grant Program)

Request for Applications

Important Dates
Opportunity Launched	June 2006
Content Last Updated	August 24, 2006 (Contact Information)
February 15, 2007	Letter of Intent must be courier stamped by this date.
May 28, 2007	Anticipated notification of Letter of Intent decision
September 1, 2007	Full applications must be courier stamped by this date.
March 1, 2008	Notification of decision.
April 1, 2008	Anticipated funding start date.
Additional Information	Questions and Answers
Funds Available
CIHR's contribution to the amount available for this competition is subject to availability of funds voted annually to CIHR by parliamentary appropriations, and the conditions that may be attached to them. Teams invited to submit full applications may be offered development grants of up to $10,000 if requested at the Letter of Intent stage (see Letter of Intent instructions). Funds Available for Research in All Areas Funds available in this competition for applications in all areas of research that address any important health problem or issue: $ 6 M, at a minimum, per annum for 5 years of CIHR funding will be available for this competition, beginning in fiscal year 2008-2009. CIHR anticipates that 4 to 10 Teams will be funded through this competition. Funds Available for Research in Specific Areas In this competition, funds are available to encourage and support applications in specific areas that are aligned with strategic research priorities. For information on the research areas to be funded as well as the maximum amounts per grant that can be requested, follow the links to the individual Requests for Applications. Team Grant Priority Announcement: Clinical Research Networks (2006-2007) Duration of Projects: The CIHR Team Grant program will provide support for a maximum duration of five years. The final 2 years of funding are subject to a satisfactory progress review in the third year of funding. CIHR Team Grants are renewable, subject to competition and peer review. The equipment amount is awarded in year one.
Summary
The objective of the CIHR Team Grant program is to strengthen Canadian health research by supporting teams of talented and experienced researchers conducting high-quality research and providing superior research training and mentorship. The program emphasis is on the production of new knowledge, and the translation of research findings into improvements in the health of Canadians and the Canadian health care system. These results will be realized more rapidly and more efficiently through the CIHR Team Grant program than if the components were to be funded as a series of separate operating grants. Eligible teams will consist of at least three independent investigators, each of whom has an established research track record in areas related to the collaborative project(s) proposed. Collectively, team members will have an extensive record of success, be creative and original in their approach to research and its translation¹ and have experience working in research teams. This competition is open to applications that address issues related to health and disease, health care and the health system. Through this flexible CIHR Team Grant program, it is the intent of CIHR to fund a variety of expert teams (uni-disciplinary teams, multi-disciplinary teams, trans-disciplinary teams, community-partnered teams², academic-industry teams, etc.). Proposals that represent active and meaningful partnerships between community organizations and research teams based in institutions (including universities, colleges, hospitals, and affiliated research institutions) are encouraged. The unifying element underlying all successful CIHR Teams will be a commitment to excellence and the pursuit of a problem-based, collaborative approach to health research. The application process is comprised of two steps: 1. Letter of Intent (LOI) and 2. Full Application. CIHR Team Grant proposals will be evaluated as a single, integrated entity. While each research component included in the application must be meritorious, it is critical to demonstrate that the CIHR Team Grant brings added value, in terms of the approach to improving the health of Canadians or strengthening the Canadian health care system.

Background
Objectives
Eligibility
Allowable Costs
Review Process and Evaluation Criteria
General CIHR Guidelines
Conditions of Funding
Communication Requirements
Monitoring, Performance Measurement and Evaluation
How to Apply
Contact Information

Background

CIHR's "Blueprint", its strategic direction through 2008 states that: "The complexity and scale of today's research challenges increasingly require that researchers and countries reach out beyond their own areas of expertise and that we experiment with new models to bring people and sectors together. This work will be enabled through the technological advances that support virtual networks. Partnerships and shared vision will underpin the most successful health research stories of the 21st century in ways unimaginable in the 20th century."

"Blueprint" commits CIHR to "Continue to catalyze and encourage the convergence of disciplines that underlie the most exciting and important discoveries in health research, and to resolve ever-more complex health problems."

Introduction of the CIHR Team Grant program puts this commitment into action. The purpose of this program is to strengthen the Canadian health research by supporting teams of talented and experienced researchers conducting high-quality research and providing superior training and mentorship. Its emphasis is on the production of new knowledge and the translation of research findings into improvements in the health of Canadians and the Canadian health care system that will be realized more rapidly and more efficiently than if the components were to be funded as a series of separate operating grants. It is expected that this investment will further the Canadian capacity for high-quality, problem-based research on relevant health, health care and health system issues.

Objectives

CIHR collaborative programs are designed to facilitate and provide support for collaborative research. The programs are designed to provide sufficient flexibility to accommodate all area of health research. While the Research Resource grant (1st launch in June 2005) puts emphasis on support for research enabling environments, the Emerging Team grant and the CIHR Team grant focus on research teams and a problem-based research culture.

With the introduction of the flexible CIHR Team Grant program it is the intent of CIHR to fund a variety of expert teams (uni-disciplinary teams, multi-disciplinary teams, trans-disciplinary teams, community-partnered teams, academic-industry teams, etc.). The unifying element underlying all successful CIHR Teams will be a commitment to excellence and the pursuit of a problem-based, collaborative approach to health research.

To further the Canadian capacity for high-quality, problem-based research on relevant health and disease, health care and health system issues, the specific objectives of the CIHR Team Grant program are:

to support expert teams of talented and experienced researchers
to support high-quality research that address an important health and disease, health care or health system problem or issue which is best approached through a collaborative team
to provide superior research training and mentorship environments
to support the production of new knowledge and the translation of research findings into improvements in the health of Canadians and the Canadian health care system

Proposals that represent active partnerships between community organizations and research teams based in institutions (including universities, colleges, hospitals, and affiliated research institutions) are encouraged.

For community-focused proposals, the guiding principle for participation is that community groups are active, influential and ongoing participants in the research, training, mentoring and knowledge translation activities, and that their roles have been formally agreed upon in the spirit of ensuring equity and mutual benefits from the partnership.

It is expected that the partners will contribute to:

Formulating research agendas
Providing input into the development of research and training projects
Synthesizing and disseminating findings
Applying the research findings to inform policies, programs and/or practices, and
In some cases, conducting the research

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding (grant) 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 be considered under this program. Applicants who are considering submitting a Randomized Controlled Trial application in response to this Request for Applications are required to consult the CIHR RCT staff listed in Contact Information are advised to familiarize themselves with the RCT specific guidelines and instructions, which are fully described in Randomized Control Trials.

Applicants should register their Randomized Controlled Trial application for August 1, 2007 and submit their full Randomized Controlled Trial application for September 1, 2007, in addition to their CIHR Team Grant application, which is also due on September 1, 2007.

Specific Eligibility Requirements

Each eligible CIHR Team Grant application will include:

A team leader who meets the criteria of "Principal Applicant" as described in the CIHR Participant Categories for CIHR Grants. The Team Leader must be a researcher with proven leadership capabilities and experience who will act as research program director and who will assume administrative responsibility for the grant.
At least two additional independent investigators who have an established research track record in areas related to the collaborative project(s) proposed, who together with the team leader will form an integrated and more effective research team. Teams with a nucleus of experienced and productive investigators are encouraged to include some promising new investigators in the Team.
Collectively, team members must have an extensive record of success, be creative and original in their approach to research and its translation and have experience working in research teams. The specific contribution of each team member and community partner, where applicable, must be described.

In addition, the following special conditions apply:

The members of the Team may pursue other avenues of research in addition to their commitment to the CIHR Team Grant; however, each individual investigator must contribute sufficient time to the CIHR Team Grant research program to ensure the achievement of its research objectives.
Members of a team may be located in one or more departments, faculties or CIHR-eligible institutions in Canada. As well, international or private sector collaborators who make a substantial intellectual contribution to the research program may be listed as additional team members; however, CIHR funding is restricted to work performed within CIHR (eligible Institutions), except where second order transfer agreements are in place.

Allowable Costs

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.

Funding can be used to support:

Research operating costs for the proposed collaborative research program, which must be distinct in its objectives from those for which team members currently receive funding¹.
Purchase of equipment and maintenance contracts for common services and shared facilities;
Costs of data collection, database and maintenance of information holdings directly related to the CIHR Team Grant research program;
Costs of regional, national and international networking activities, including collaboration, planning, and knowledge exchange activities, directly related to the CIHR Team Grant research program;
Salaries of research assistants, technicians and other personnel who will enhance the collaborative research productivity of the Team;
Support of research trainees, at the rate specified by CIHR for trainees paid from research grants. CIHR Team Grants are expected to provide a superior training environment;
Salary of a professional coordinator and/or administrative assistant;
Release time payments to enable employees of community partners to participate in the research program, limited to 50% of salary costs, and an overall maximum of $100,000 per year;
A maximum of $20,000 annually for a release time stipend for the team leader;
Costs involved in linkage with and dissemination of research findings to those who use the results, as appropriate for the research program, (including other researchers, the public, practitioner and policy communities, and the industrial sector).

With the exception of co-applicants who are trainees or research associates, co-applicants may not receive a salary, stipend, or honorarium from CIHR grants on which they are a co-applicant (as described in Participant Applicant Categories for CIHR Grants). The only exception is the release time stipends for the team leader and employees of community partners as described.

The full application must provide a detailed justification of all costs.

Review Process and Evaluation Criteria

Eligible Letter of intents (LOI's) and applications will be evaluated by a specifically-constituted, multidisciplinary peer review committee(s) designed specifically for the review of CIHR Team Grants. The committee may include individuals from partner communities. The expert committee may make suggestions to the applicants on how to strengthen their detailed proposal. It could, for example, suggest the grouping of complementary applications, and propose additional partnerships or funding sources.

When the review of LOI's will be completed, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by the deadline date. The names of teams that will be invited to apply and the topic of their research will be published on the CIHR website.

CIHR Team Grant applications will be evaluated as a single, integrated entity. While each research component included in the application must be meritorious, it is critical to demonstrate that the CIHR Team Grant brings added value, in terms of the approach to the health and disease, health care or health system issue, and the speed and efficiency with which new knowledge will be generated, or translated into improvements in health or the health care system, when compared with funding the proposed work as a series of separate operating grants.

For Teams submitting Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) as part of their Team Grant proposal

The CIHR RCT peer review committee will evaluate the RCT component(s) of the CIHR Team Grant applications for scientific merit and appropriate methodology and will make a funding recommendation to the CIHR Team Grant peer review committee for the RCT component only.

General criteria for assessing applications are listed below. Because different applicant teams will emphasize different approaches to research and to knowledge translation, it is understood that reviewers and committees will weight questions such as these differently from one application to another.

Address an important health and disease, health care or health system problem or issue:

How important is the health problem being addressed? Will anticipated findings be of broad interest and applicability?
How important, novel and/or original are the hypotheses or 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 knowledge or impact on health and health research?

Research proposed:

How well will the proposed research address the hypotheses or questions?
How appropriate are the methods for the conduct of the research? Where applicable to the type of research proposed, does the proposal take into account the social, cultural and environmental factors surrounding the research problem?
Do the methods represent the best current practice, and the most economical, effective approach?
How well have the applicants anticipated difficulties in their approach and considered alternatives?
How critically has the relevant literature been appraised and evaluated?

Applicants' productivity, experience and training:

How appropriate to the research proposed is the training or track record of the applicants?
How important and original is the recent productivity of the applicants?
What is the likelihood that the Team can do the work proposed? (The proposed time commitment to the research may influence this judgment).

Appropriateness of the Team:

Do key members have a track record of having participated and/or having provided leadership to collaborative research teams?
Have team members demonstrated sustained productivity, creativity and originality in their research?

Value added of funding through a collaborative program:

How well will a CIHR Team Grant enhance the understanding and accelerate the resolution of the health and disease, health care or health system issue, when compared to independent research projects?

Propose a coherent, integrated and feasible research plan:

Is the health and disease, health care or health system issue approached through an original, cohesive/integrated and feasible research plan that will generate valid, reliable and useful knowledge?
Does the Team have a plan for engaging and linking with, and dissemination of research findings to, those who will utilize and apply the results?
Has the Team identified the roles and contributions of all the parties in planning, execution, and evaluation as well as management activities?

Provide superior training opportunities:

Will the research training and mentoring environment provide a superior experience for undergraduate, graduate and/or post-doctoral trainees, including those with a health professional background?

Propose an innovative problem-based approach to research:

Does the proposed program of research challenge current research thinking and paradigms and/or address unexplored areas?
Does the proposed program of research bring together, in a meaningful collaboration, researchers from different disciplines?
How is this approach going to build on the different expertise and perspectives of team members?

For those engaged with partners:

Are governance and management structures in place to ensure the meaningful integration of community partners in the decision-making process?
To what extent are partners involved and committed to formulating the research agenda, providing input into the development of research and training projects, disseminating findings, and applying the outcomes of research?
Does the proposal demonstrate the involvement of the necessary local, regional, provincial/territorial, national and/or international partners in the planning and execution of the research plan, and the application of the research results? Will this involvement permit research activities and outcomes that would not otherwise be possible?

Based on the total funds available for the competition, applications will be funded from the top-ranked down as far as budget will allow. Applications receiving a score less than 3.5 on the CIHR 0 to 4.9 rating scale will not be considered for funding. The CIHR rating scale is described in Policies and Responsibilities of Grants Committee Members.

General CIHR Guidelines

CIHR's General Guidelines for Grant Programs will be followed. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the use of gender and sex-based analysis in applications.

Conditions of Funding

All conditions specified in CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies shall apply to applications funded through this competition. 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.

Communication Requirements

In addition to following the policies relating to the Acknowledgment of CIHR's Support, team grant recipients will also be required to adhere to special branding requirements as a condition of receiving a CIHR Team Grant. The official Team name is "CIHR Team in (area of research)." In cases where there is another major funding partner a shared title should be considered. The format of a shared title is " CIHR/(partner name) Team in." The Team name must be used in all communication and promotion relating to the CIHR Team Grant. A team name must be proposed as part of the application for a CIHR Team Grant. Successful applicants and their host institutions will be required to agree in writing to proper use of the Team name as well as the CIHR (and applicable partners) logo(s) on appropriate communications materials such as brochures, letterhead, publications and media materials. Recognition guidelines, including instructions on logo use, will be provided to successful applicants as part of the approval package.

Monitoring, Performance Measurement and Evaluation

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, grant recipients must:

adhere to CIHR's reporting requirements and provide required information in a timely fashion. For CIHR Team Grants, a progress report will be required in year 3 of five-year grants. Grantees are required to submit a "Progress Report for 5-year grant holder (Form 44)" describing the progress made and the publications issued since the start of the grant. CIHR will cancel the last 12 months of the grant if the progress is unacceptable and will cancel the final two years of the grant if it does not receive a report by the date requested.The Progress Report for 5 Year Grant Holder (Form 44) can be found under List of Forms and Guidelines for Completion;
contribute to the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes by participating in evaluation studies, surveys, workshops, audits and providing data or reports as required for the purpose of collecting information to assess progress and results;
encourage their associates, trainees and administration to participate in the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes as required.

How to Apply

The application process is comprised of two steps: 1. Letter of Intent (LOI) and 2. Full Application.

1. Letter of Intent (LOI):

In the first stage of the application process, the nominated principal applicant is required to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI). [PDF (297 KB)| Help]. One original, plus five copies, of the LOI must be sent to CIHR. Applicants must follow the instructions on the Acceptable Application Module Formats page, which outlines formatting requirements for the letter and attachments.

The LOI must include:

a) The Registration pages of the CIHR Research Module:

To generate the Registration pages, you must access the CIHR Web forms. Under Research funding program select "CIHR Team Grant" and complete the following six sections of the Research Module Web form:

Research Funding Program
Nominated Principal Applicant / Candidate
Project
Applicants/Co-Applicants
Suggested External Referees
Collaborators and Committee (do not fill Suggested Peer Review Committee)
Total requested is maximum $10,000 for development grants.

The Nominated Principal Investigator/Team Leader and co-applicants must provide their signatures on the Signature page.

b) A cover page of maximum one page (free form; standard form is not available for cover page) indicating:

the title of the Team program as it will appear in publicity and other announcements (CIHR Team in area of research);
The title of the proposal
If you are applying to a Request for Application aligned with this program, indicate the title of the Request for Application. Links to the Requests for Applications aligned with this program are provided under Funds Available for Research in Specific Areas (maximum one)
A brief description (10 lines maximum) of the research area of the proposal;
Five key words describing the research
If the research proposed includes a Randomized control Trial (RCT) component it must be indicated on the cover page

c) In a table format, a list of all team members with their affiliations and their expertise (the list need not be final at the letter of intent stage).

d) Proposal:

In a maximum of five pages (not including references), the proposal must clearly outline each of the elements below:

The objectives of the research program to be undertaken by the Team over the period of funding;
The nature of the Team and extent of collaboration between investigators, with an explanation of the anticipated value added to the research program through the synergy of the Team (why this cannot be funded through one or more operating grants);
The capacity of the Team to carry out the program of research proposed;
The research training and mentoring environment that will provide a superior experience for undergraduate, graduate and/or post-doctoral trainees, including those with a health professional background;
The preliminary plan for the research program and schedule of work;
The nature and extent of the host institutions' financial and other forms of long-term commitment to the Team's research, and to ensuring a favorable environment for carrying out the research activities;
A brief description of the importance and novelty of hypotheses or questions to be addresses and expected findings;
The plan, including proposed organizational structures for engaging and linking with those who will ultimately use the research findings;

If the team involves partners:

The proposed roles of partners in the planning and execution of the research program and the dissemination and utilization of the research results.

e) Attachment:

On one page: the name, title, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the team leader;
A brief curriculum vitae (maximum two pages per applicant) for a maximum of five of the key applicants, including the team leader. This must include information on grants held (source, type, title, amount/yr, duration), relevant publications from the last five years, and 5-10 expertise keywords. Full CV s will not be considered;
A development grant request whereby applicants may request funds of up to $10,000 to be used in the development of a full application. A one-page request must be submitted with the LOI, outlining the activities for which the development grant will be used, plus a one-page budget description;

f) Reference: A short bibliography (one page maximum) of any references cited in the Letter of Intent.

Any additional material will be discarded and not sent to the review committee; this includes letters of support, figures not included in the proposal, updates on publications, updates on other support received, letters confirming academic appointment, reprints, etc.

Results of the LOI will be posted on the CIHR web site.

Send the original Letter of Intent and five copies by Courier to:

RE: CIHR Team Grant Program
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Address locator: 4809A
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9

2. Full Application

Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application. Details of the application procedure will be provided to those invited to apply. Information required will include a description of the individual components making up the Team's research program, as well as the justification for supporting the synergistic aspects of the entire proposal. The review process may involve external reviews and/or a meeting of the leader and team members with sub-sets of the review committee, as appropriate.

Contact Information

For further information on the CIHR Team Grant Program please contact:

Matt Cyr (Updated: 2006-08-24)
Program coordinator, Knowledge Creation Programs
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: (613) 948-5999
Fax: (613) 954-1800
Email: mcyr@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

¹ CIHR defines knowledge translation as "the exchange, synthesis and ethically-sound application of knowledge - within a complex system of interactions among researchers and users- to accelerate the capture of the benefits of research for Canadians through improved health, more effective services and products, and a strengthened health care system". CIHR recognizes that the approach to translation of research results will vary depending on the type of research being performed, and the likely users of research knowledge. For example, some biomedical research may give rise to intellectual property of commercial potential, with Industry as the user of this product of research. The results of health services research would be expected to influence the organization and policies of the health care system, through interactions with provincial or regional health authorities.

²Partners can include decision-makers, program administrators, care givers, policy makers and practitioners working in health-oriented community organizations, community-based foundations and organizations, local, provincial/territorial and national health charities and non-profit organizations, hospital and research institute foundations, municipal and regional health authorities, public health departments, district health councils, and provincial/territorial government agencies. Where an application includes overlap with an existing CIHR grant, and that application is successful in the CIHR Team Grant competition, continued funding of the ongoing grant will be reviewed.

Created: 2006-06-15
Modified: 2006-08-24
Reviewed: 2006-06-15
Print

Top of Page

Important Notices

Français	Contact Us	Help	Search	Canada Site
CIHR Home	About CIHR	What's New	Funding Opportunities	Funding Decisions