Institute of Infection and Immunity
with the Institute of Population and Public Health
Summary
This request for applications (RFA) represents the culmination of many months of planning and consultation between the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (III), the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH) and a coalition of partners. The objective of the RFA is to support and encourage excellent research into the microbial contamination of food and water and antimicrobial resistance in the food chain. The goal of the RFA is to promote the formation of new research teams, or to expand existing teams, in which academic and federal government funded researchers combine their skills and resources in order to more efficiently and effectively address important research questions. This initiative signals a long-term commitment, by the coalition, to the support of the cross-disciplinary, cross-sector research necessary to ensure safe food and water for all Canadians.
| December 11, 2002 | Application Development Workshop (optional but recommended) Registration date: November 30th, 2002 |
| February 1, 2003 |
Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply must be courier stamped by this date. |
| March1, 2003 | Notification of acceptance of Letter of Intent |
|
June 1, 2003 |
Full proposals must be courier stamped by this date. |
|
September 15th, 2003 |
Notification of decision |
| October 1, 2003 | Anticipated start date |
|
Duration of projects |
Grants will be awarded for up to three years with possible renewal for a further two years depending on successful evaluation. |
|
Funds Available |
In total, $1.5M per year of new money will be made available for this initiative by contributing partners (see Funds Available and Mechanisms of Support section). The remaining partners will participate by 'in kind and in house' contributions as described below These 'in kind' contributions will be assigned a monetary value by the department sponsoring a researcher who becomes part of a funded team. Therefore, the total value of an individual research team's project (including the 'in kind' contribution from partners) could range up to $1million annually. |
Table of Contents
Introduction
Background
Partners
Eligible Research Areas
Eligibility Requirements
Funds Available and Mechanism of Support
Allowable Costs
How to Apply
Evaluation Process and Criteria For Peer Review
General CIHR Guidelines and Conditions of Funding
Performance Measurement and Evaluation
Address for Submitting Application and Contact Information
Introduction
Food and water borne infectious agents represent a significant health threat for Canadians. In addition to the short and long-term health effects of such illnesses, there is also a substantial cost to the Canadian economy in terms of work days lost and the potential impact of a contamination incident on international trade. These points have been well illustrated, in Canada, by outbreaks of water contamination such as occurred in Walkerton by numerous food borne outbreaks and in Britain, by the devastating effects caused by the recent foot and mouth epidemic. Moreover, the consequences to public health, of the widespread use of antimicrobials in agriculture are yet to be determined.
The CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (III) has made food and water safety a major research priority for strategic funding. In order to coordinate Canada's research in this area, III has played an instrumental role in the formation of the Canadian Research Coalition for Safe Food and Water. This coalition is comprised of representatives from many major Canadian stakeholder groups and funders of research related to the microbial contamination of food and water and antimicrobial use in agriculture. Members of the coalition are committed to working together to facilitate the coordination of Canada's research agenda with respect to safe food and water in order to better protect the health of Canadians. Coalition members include Health Canada, Agriculture Agri-food Canada, Environment Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Research Council, CIHR, NSERC, Genome Canada, Canadian Bacterial Disease Network, Canadian Water Network, Canadian Aquaculture Alliance, Canadian Pork Council, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Canadian Agri-food Research Council and Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
The goal of the coalition is to build a national, coordinated research agenda in the area of microbial contamination of food and water and antimicrobial resistance in the food chain. As a beginning and in collaboration with two members of the coalition: NSERC and the Canadian Water Network (CWN), Phase I was launched in May, 2002 as a Needs, Gaps, Opportunities Assessment (NGOA). The final reports generated by successful teams will be made available to coalition members and will provide researchers from all sectors with an environmental scan of current research activity in Canada and abroad combined with evidence based recommendations on the most urgent areas of research to pursue and the most effective strategies for knowledge translation in this field.
The purpose of this current Phase II RFA is to lay a framework for the coordination of Canadian research by combining the strengths, resources and expertise of researchers, stakeholder partners and research users such as policy makers, program administrators and public health practitioners from different sectors. This process will be facilitated by the creation of new research teams, or expansion of existing teams, comprised of scientists drawn from federal departments and from academia, working in collaboration to address specific research questions. It will also provide an opportunity for environmental and agricultural research to be directly linked to health outcomes. In the long term, this mechanism will reduce research duplication and will establish cooperation and partnership between government and university-based researchers.
Background
It has been estimated that over 200 known diseases are caused by food and/or water borne transmission of pathogens or their toxins. In reality, this number is likely much higher as the cause of a food and/or water borne illness is often never identified. Severity of disease can vary from mild discomfort lasting a few hours or days to severe vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. In some cases infection leads to acute illness involving renal failure, anemia, chronic disease and even death. Globally, these food and water borne diseases have significant health and economic impacts.
The severity of disease depends not only on the virulence of the pathogen but also on the immune status of the host. Most at risk are the very young, the very old and people with compromised immune systems such as those receiving cancer therapy, transplant recipients receiving immunosuppressive drugs to prevent graft rejection or people living with HIV/AIDS. As our population continues to age and the number of immunocompromised people increases, the health and economic effects of infectious diseases, including those that are food and water borne become an increasing concern.
Increasing globalization has the potential for negative impacts on the incidence and severity of food and water borne disease by removing geographic barriers to both new and traditional pathogens. We have less knowledge and influence on the agricultural and processing practices used in food production abroad, and so it becomes increasingly important that international standards that are based on good science be applied.
The pathogens themselves also change over time. New pathogens emerge and previously non-pathogenic organisms become pathogenic. The introduction of genetically modified produce may also change the distribution of pathogens and prompt the emergence of new strains. Global climate changes affect the emergence of pathogens both directly and indirectly by leading to changes in the environment. This effect is likely to increase in the future. Genomics technology is providing scientists with new tools to help in the identification of these organisms and in our understanding of microbial ecology, evolution and virulence, but there is a need for better coordination and uptake of this research.
Food and water borne pathogens can emerge at any point in the food chain starting with the agricultural environment in which the food is grown, continuing through harvesting, processing and packaging procedures to storage, retail and food handling methods. In addition, the continuum from watershed to tap provides many opportunities for the introduction, or concentration of emerging or resistant pathogens from both human and animal sources, to the water supply. This may in turn have implications for the food supply chain. Consumer knowledge and practices when handling and preparing food play a significant role in food safety and food borne illness. This applies not only to food handling and preparation in the home but also to practices observed in eating establishments, grocery stores and other food retail outlets.
Modern agricultural practices are often blamed for contributing to the emergence of more severe infections. A growing body of evidence links the widespread use of antibiotics in both aquatic and land based food production to the emergence of resistance among common pathogens. These resistant pathogens have a significant impact on both human and animal health if they enter the environment via the food chain or water supply.
In view of these continuing changes in demographics, globalization, emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance, food and/or water borne illness is likely to become an increasing problem. In order to best protect our food and water supplies, strategic national food and water safety policies need to be developed that are flexible enough to respond to changing conditions. Procedures and policies that are based on the latest scientific evidence are needed.
Partners
The partners supporting this initiative include:
The CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (III) supports and champions health research into diseases involving infectious pathogens and the immune system such as allergy, autoimmune and infectious diseases and the rejection of transplants. These diseases cause much human suffering and place a major burden on our health care system. The goal of the Institute is to develop integrated programs that best represent the conceptual and pragmatic interdependence of the disciplines of immunology and microbiology with host defense mechanisms. A major research priortiy for the Institute is the microbial contamination of food and water and antimicrobial resistance in the food chain.
The mandate of the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH) is to support research into the complex interactions (biological, social, cultural, environmental), which determine the health of individuals, communities, and global populations; and, the application of that knowledge to improve the health of both populations and individuals, through strategic partnerships with population and public health stakeholders, and innovative research funding programs. Public health services, perhaps more important than ever in an era of environmental threat, global, social and economic change, play a critical role in communicable disease control (especially in outbreaks, including regulation and inspection of food handling, and water/sewage treatment facilities). However, new and emerging global threats to the public's health are calling for innovative and collaborative interdisciplinary research, policy and practice initiatives to help understand and address these complex problems and ensure that they inform corrective and sustainable policy and legislative responses. These activities also require the engagement of a broad array of researchers, stakeholder partners and research users such as policy makers, public and voluntary sector program administrators, and clinical and public health practitioners in the research cycle.
Based on the results of a national consultation tour (documented in Charting the Course , which underscored some of the similar health concerns, the Institute has identified, under the guidance of its Advisory Board, five priorities in its Strategic Plan for 2002-07. This RFA addresses two of IPPH's five priorities, "building the capacity of the population and public health research practice community" and the substantive theme of "understanding and addressing the impacts of physical and social environments on health". These environments are both physical and social, and include the home/family, daycare, school, workplace, recreation, chronic care-settings, neighbourhood and community, region, society and nation/state. A complex array of public, private and voluntary sector policies and programs often involving multiple jurisdictions are specifically devised to improve the quality of these environments, or impact them secondarily; however, their effects are not always optimal in terms of human health.
Eligible Research Areas
In order to cover the full spectrum of research in the area of microbial contamination* of food and water and antimicrobial resistance in the food chain, III and its partners, are inviting applications in any research area relevant to the safe food and water agenda. However, four broad theme areas have been identified. Applications are invited which address, but are not limited to, any of the topics identified in these theme areas.
*For the purposes of this initiative the word "microbe" includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoan parasites and prions.
Diagnosing the Problem
Addressing the Problem
Antimicrobial Resistance in the Food Chain
Knowledge Translation
Eligibility Requirements
Successful teams will be comprised of researchers from one or more federal departments working with university or institute-based researchers to answer specific research questions.
Teams should consist of 3 to 6 independent investigators of which at least two should have an established research track record, indicated by their history of high-quality, peer reviewed publications, in areas related to the collaborative project(s) proposed.
Teams must clearly demonstrate the 'value added' in the formation of the team and identify the advantages gained by combining resources and expertise, as opposed to each team member or organization working alone.
Any team member can be a Principal Applicant on the application, including federal government department researchers. However, it is essential that the Nominated Principal Applicant(s), eligible to receive CIHR funding, are clearly identified (please refer to Eligibility for Research Funding Programs on the CIHR website).
Members of a team may be located in one or several departments, faculties or institutions in Canada.
Although members of the team may pursue other avenues of research in addition to their commitment to the team, each individual investigator must contribute sufficient time to the team to ensure the achievement of its research objectives.
Funds Available and Mechanism of Support
Funding mechanisms for successful teams will be determined in consultation with partner organizations and will vary depending of the composition of the team. The research costs of team members from the various sectors will be paid by the sector partners either in the form of new money or 'in kind and in house' contributions. Successful teams will be required to sign a research agreement with participating partners in which the applicable funding mechanisms will be clearly described and agreed to by all team members and sponsoring partner institutions. It is fully expected that the financial contribution of some partners will be 'in kind' rather than provision of 'new' funds. Both new funds and 'in kind' contributions made available to teams for a proposed research project will be included in the total value of the project and will be administered by the investigator representing the organization providing the funds and his/her host institution.
CIHR
Institute of Infection and Immunity
The Institute of Infection and Immunity has committed up to $1million per year for a period of three years in support of successful teams. However, the amount awarded to any individual team by III will not exceed $300,000 annually per team application. The award may be renewed for an additional two years pending the outcome of an evaluation.
Institute of Population and Public Health
The Institute will consider co-funding applications that examine one or more of the following priority areas:
1) the cost-effectiveness of population-level policy and program interventions and their impacts on public health practice
2) comprehensive strategies that facilitate the uptake and utilization of knowledge by a variety of audiences (e.g. policy makers in a variety of sectors, public health decision makers and practitioners, different population groups, administrators such as day care workers, eating establishments, the media, etc.)
IPPH is prepared to contribute up to $150,000 per year, for three years towards applications that are responsive to our priority areas.
CIHR funds will be administered, on behalf of the team, by the team member who is eligible to receive CIHR funding according to the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide . This individual must be the nominated Principal Applicant on the application and must be a fully qualified independent researcher employed at a Canadian not for profit institution/organization. The business office of the institution of the Nominated Principal Applicant generally administers CIHR funds. For information on the eligibility requirements for Institutions, please refer to the Eligibility for Research Funding Programs on the CIHR website.
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. Allowable costs include:
Salaries for research personnel as deemed necessary and appropriate by the team, including graduate or postdoctoral students, technicians and administrative assistants. Such individuals, although performing a valuable function for the benefit of the entire team and the proposed research project, must be based at institutions eligible to administer CIHR funds.
Operating costs for the proposed new collaborative research projects, which must be distinct from those for which the CIHR eligible team member(s) currently receive funding.
Equipment purchase and maintenance necessary to advance the team research, provided such equipment is housed at the host institution of the CIHR eligible team member(s).
Costs of data collection and maintenance of information holdings directly related to the team research program.
Costs of networking activities, including collaboration, planning and research exchange activities directly related to the team's research program and extra travel funds required for members.
Costs involved in dissemination of research findings to user groups (for example, informing livestock producers of improved practices intended to reduce groundwater contamination).
The full application must provide a detailed justification of all costs.
Health Canada (HC)
Health Canada is participating in this RFA as a pilot project to facilitate the development of new or enhanced research teams comprised of government scientists and those working in other sectors (e.g. academia). The Office of the Chief Scientist has allocated up to $250,000 per year for three years (may be renewable pending outcome of evaluation) to fund scientific work undertaken by Health Canada scientists as part of successful collaborative research proposals in priority areas. Please note that in-kind contributions to a collaborative research project are allowable and expected in this RFA in order to expand work that is already underway.
As indicated under Eligibility Requirements, government scientists may apply as principal investigators in this competition. The funding mechanism used for each successful proposal will be determined by the collaborating agencies and will generally be based on the composition of the research team - for example, Health Canada team members will be funded by Health Canada, and university-based researchers by CIHR.
Applications will be peer reviewed through the CIHR peer review process. Successful projects that include Health Canada scientists on the research team will be eligible to receive funds from the allocation of the Office of the Chief Scientist in Health Canada.
To participate in this pilot program, Health Canada scientists must comply with the general eligibility requirements listed in this RFA and must:
Please note that scientists working in Health Canada who also have university cross-appointments may choose to apply either through their university or Health Canada.
Because this is a pilot program, potential applicants are encouraged to discuss their project in its early stages of development with the contact person named below.
Contact:
Kimberly Elmslie
Executive Director
Health Research Secretariat
Office of the Chief Scientist
Health Canada
Sir Frederick Banting Building, Tunney's Pastures
Ottawa, Ontario. K1A 0K9
Tel.: 946-5600
E-mail: kim_elmslie@hc-sc.gc.ca
Environment Canada (EC)
Environment Canada is interested in developing research collaborations between departmental and CIHR scientists on the environmental aspects of microbial contamination of food and water. Three priorities of particular interest to EC are: microbial contamination of source waters; development of anti-microbial resistance in natural ecosystems; and wildlife, including shellfish, as vectors of human pathogens. In addition to any CIHR funding that eligible EC investigators may be receiving through their university adjunct appointments, EC investigators will receive in-kind and in-house contributions from their host institutions. Before being submitted, Letters of Intent and Full Proposals must be approved internally by the appropriate scientific director at EC.
Contact:
Dr. John Carey
Director General
Environment Canada
National Water Research Institute
867 Lakeshore Road
PO Box: 5050
Burlington, Ontario
Canada, L7R 4A6
Tel.: (905) 336-4625
Fax: (905) 336-6444
E-mail: john.carey@ec.gc.ca
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC)
Research scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are encouraged to jointly submit proposals on research issues that would benefit from cooperation with university and other federal colleagues on matters related to microbial contamination of food, water and antimicrobial resistance in the food chain. Funding from AAFC scientists will come from in-kind and in-house contributions while university counterparts will access funding from CIHR. This will give an opportunity to link health research to agriculture and agri-food studies. Before being submitted, letters of intent and full proposals from AAFC must be approved internally by the appropriate scientific director.
Contact:
Dr. Yvon Martel
Chief Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
930 Carling Avenue
Sir John Carling Building
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0C5
Telephone: 613-759-7836
E-mail: martely@em.agr.ca
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
Under this RFA, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency encourages it's scientists to collaborate with university, other government departments and/or industry to address priority research areas in relation to microbiological safety of food and water. The CFIA is particularly interested in research collaborations in the areas of rapid detection of pathogens in support of HACCP and ongoing assessment of food safety; intervention strategies to reduce pathogens in food and water; new predictive models towards enhancing risk management capabilities; and surveillance methodology and tools for monitoring microbiological agents in food and water. The CFIA's contribution to the collaborative projects will be through internal allocations and in-kind contributions while the academic partners would seek funding from the CIHR. As an incentive, the CFIA is committing up to $100,000 per year to encourage Agency scientists to establish expanded collaborations and partnerships through this research program. This is in addition to the in-kind contributions such as salary and infrastructure costs which the CFIA will contribute to successful projects. All applications from CFIA scientists under this program should be directed through the office of:
Contact:
Dr. Primal Silva BVSc PhD
Chief, Science and Technology
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
3851 Fallowfield Road
Nepean, Ontario K2H 8P9
Tel. (613) 228 6698 x 4910
Fax. (613) 228 6675
e-mail psilva@inspection.gc.ca
National Research Council (NRC)
NRC has strong research programs aimed at early detection, diagnosis and intervention of food-borne and water-borne diseases. Collaborative opportunities with CIHR funded scientists are encouraged as part of the National safe food and water initiative. Current activities at the NRC include developing rapid and sensitive methods for pathogen detection and disease surveillance, including applications involving microarray and spectroscopic techniques; understanding the mechanisms of transmission and pathogenesis of disease and host-pathogen interactions; and, research and development into appropriate and effective disease intervention strategies, including anti-infective approaches, vaccine design and delivery and immunostimulation.
Contact:
Dr. Jim Richards,
Director of Immunochemistry,
Institute for Biological Sciences,
National Research Council of Canada,
100 Sussex Drive,
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0R6 Tel. 613-990-0854
Fax. 616-941-1327
e-mail. mailto:jim.richards@nrc.ca%20
How to Apply
Phase 1 Application:
Interested researchers must first identify and make contact with researchers working on similar or complementary research questions in other sectors. Many researchers may be familiar with eligible colleagues through publications and participation in workshops and conferences. However, to facilitate initial contact and communication between researchers in the various government laboratories and academic environments, an Application Development Workshop will be held on December 11th, 2002 provided there is sufficient interest from potential applicants. Registration for this workshop is optional, although it is highly recommended as a means to facilitate team formation. For registration details see section on Application Development Workshop.
Applicants should review the instructions on "How to Apply" on the CIHR website.
Personal Information Number (PIN)
All principal and co-applicants must obtain a CIHR PIN number in order to complete the full application, even if they are working in a government department or industry. If you do not already have a PIN, please follow the application procedures and allow at least one working day to receive confirmation. More than one working day may be required in late January.
There are two stages in the application process:
1. Letter of Intent (LOI)
The team must submit one original and six copies of a Letter of Intent, which will be reviewed for responsiveness. Letters of Intent must be postmarked no later than the date indicated in this RFA, February 1st, 2003.
The Letter of Intent is comprised of:
i) The first two pages of the CIHR Research Module for the CIHR Operating Grants Program (Research Module, Page 1, and Page 2a).
j) a three page letter
k) attachments
i) CIHR Research Module:
The Research Module must be completed using the Webforms :
Please refer to "The Meaning of Signatures on Application Forms" and "Applicant Categories for CIHR Grants," in the General Guidelines for All CIHR Programs.
ii) Letter
The letter itself must not exceed 3 pages and must address the following:
Research program and relevancy. Describe the program and justify why it is responsive to this Request for Applications, including a brief description of the:
Individual research components that make up the program;
Objectives of the research program;
Principal Applicants: Justify the leadership capacity of the individual(s) identified as Principal Applicant(s).
Team. Describe the team including the nature and extent of the collaboration between investigators, with an explanation of the anticipated added value added to the research program through the formation of the team. Explicitly address the contributions that the investigators' institutions will make to facilitate the teams success.
Research Plan and Schedule. Outline the preliminary research plan and schedule for the new collaborative work to be carried out by the team.
Other Funding. It is expected that team members may be receiving funding for their work from their host institution/ department. This funding will be included in assessments of the monetary value of any given project and is therefore advantageous to the team as whole.
iii) Attachments
The general presentation guidelines for completing CIHR application forms must be followed, eg. use single-spaced type NO smaller than 12 point. These guidelines are available on the CIHR web site.
Any additional material will be discarded and not sent to the review committee; this includes letters of support, updates on publications, updates on other support received, letters confirming academic appointment, reprints, etc.
2. Full application
Complete the full application using the CIHR Operating Grants application package , which consists of the CIHR Research Module, the CIHR Operating Budget Module and a CIHR CV Module or Common CV for each applicant and co-applicant participating in the research project. Courier the original, plus eight copies of the full application by the application deadline indicated in the text of this document.
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" section in the text of the RFA.
When completing the CIHR Operating Budget Module provide a detailed justification of all project costs. Costs to be covered by CIHR's funding partners should be listed in the "Other Funding Sources" column on Page 1 of the Budget Module.
The following special instructions apply to this RFA:
To ensure that your registration and application are forwarded to the appropriate CIHR staff, indicate 'Safe Food and Water Initiative, Institute of Infection and Immunity (exactly as specified in the Title are at the top of the RFA) under the heading "Name of Industrial Partner(s) OR Partnership Program OR Special Program" in the General Information section of the Research Module (page 7 of the PDF form).
Application Development Workshop - December 11th, 2002
In order to facilitate the formation of teams and enhance the development of successful applications, a one day team building and grantsmanship workshop for researchers with a serious interest in submitting an application for this RFA will be held in Ottawa on December 11th, 2002. The purpose of this workshop will be to:
Participation in this workshop is optional. Registrations from up to 10 researchers from each of the partner organizations/departments will be accepted for the workshop. Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by the individual's host government department or in the case of university researchers, by the Institute of Infection and Immunity. Please register your interest in attending by e-mail to jbray@cihr.ca by November 30th and include a brief (no more than one page) description of your area of expertise and specific research interests as they relate to this RFA. For further information, please contact Judy Bray at 613-954-7223.
Evaluation Process and Criteria for Peer Review
Each letter of Intent must describe how the grant will address the identified research area. III and Partner representatives will first evaluate the Letters of Intent for responsiveness to the RFA. If the Letter of Intent is deemed responsive and relevant to the RFA and fulfills the eligibility requirements, the Nominated Principal Applicant will be invited to submit a full application.
Full applications will be evaluated by a CIHR peer-review committee created specifically for this Initiative. Committee members are selected based on suggestions from many sources including the Institute(s) and partner(s). Names of committee members are published on the CIHR website. The committee will follow the CIHR peer 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. Each team 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 team brings added value that would not be possible if the components were to be carried out in isolation.
The Research Proposed
The Applicant's Productivity, Experience and Training
In addition to these general criteria, the peer review committee shall consider whether the proposal:
On completion of the review, the Institute(s) and partner(s) will receive the ranking lists, merit scores (ratings) and recommendation of the Committee for the applications submitted. Based on the total funds available for the initiative, applications will be funded from the top-ranked down as far as the budget will allow. Applications receiving a score less than 3.0 will not be considered for funding.
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 shall apply:
Communication Requirement
Recipients who receive funding are required to acknowledge the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity and other funding partners in any communication or publication related to the grant.
Performance Measurement and Evaluation
The CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity and its partners have made plans to assess performance of this initiative through ongoing monitoring and periodic evaluation. We are committed to informing Canadians about the performance of our initiatives and the results that they deliver.
The following table is intended to further clarify objectives by linking them to expected outcomes and measures. All funded applicants will be expected to participate in the evaluation strategy, contributing advice, data and reports as required for assessment purposes.
| Objective | Outcome | Measure / Indicator |
| To bring together researchers from academia and government departments to work together on common research themes in order to form a framework for the development of a national research agenda |
Creation of a number of cross sector teams Increase in knowledge facilitated by researchers working together rather than alone |
Number of new teams
|
|
Demonstration of clear 'value added' in the team approach | ||
| To overcome existing barriers to collaboration between university and government researchers and set a precedent for a coordinated approach to Canadian research on public health issues | Increased networking between academic, and government researchers | Number of researchers from the different sectors in each team and also collectively in all funded teams. Production of joint publications |
| To foster excellent research to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of food and waterborne illness | Increased quantity and quality of publications in identified areas of research | Number of publications and reportsOther knowledge translation activities |
| To create team environments that will facilitate the development of new large scale collaborative research projects. | Growth and sustainability of teams | Successful applications for infrastructure team funding and the development of new fundable research projects |
Address for Submitting Application and Contact Information
Send Application by Courier to:
Jennifer Gunning
RE: Safe Food and Water Initiative
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Research Portfolio
410 Laurier Avenue W., 9th Floor
Address Locator 4209A
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9
Contacts for Further Information:
For questions on CIHR funding guidelines or how to apply contact:
Program Officer
Jennifer Gunning
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Research Portfolio
410 Laurier Avenue W., 9th Floor
Address Locator 4209A
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9
Tel.: (613) 941-4483; Fax: (613) 954-1800;
Email: jgunning@cihr.ca
For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:
Institute Representative
Dr Judith Bray
Assistant Director, Special Projects
Institute of Cancer Research
Institute of Infection and Immunity
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
410 Laurier Avenue West, 9th floor, Address Locator 4209A,
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9
Tel.: (613) 954-7223; Fax: (613) 941-1040;
Email: jbray@cihr.ca
