Important Dates

Notices

Table of Contents

• Description
• Objectives
• Eligibility
• Guidelines
• Performance Measurement
• Review Process and Evaluation
• How to Apply
• Contact Information
• Partner/Collaborator Description
• Additional Information

Description

The purpose of this Applied Health Services and Policy Chairs Program is to support mid-career faculty (5-10 years experience) who conduct policy-relevant research, are dedicated to the exchange of this research with decision makers, and train and mentor students, Fellows, junior faculty and others seeking career opportunities in this field similarly committed to applied health services and policy research.

Background

Applied health services and policy research has the potential to improve the overall functioning of the healthcare system. But there are barriers to the generation of applied research and its translation to decision makers. Scholarship in applied health services and policy research and time spent working with decision makers may not be valued as it should in the university environment, particularly when compared to the high value placed on publishing in academic journals. To provide support to mid-career scholars dedicated to applied health services and policy research, the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) in conjunction with its partners (see Partner/Collaborator Description section) is launching a program of Applied Chairs in Health Services and Policy Research. Successful applicants will be mid-career scholars who:

1. show excellence in applied health services and policy research;
2. have strong mentoring and training skills; and
3. provide explicit strategies and demonstrate commitment to promoting the relevance of their research in the policy context through linkage and exchange activities with research knowledge users.

The Applied Chairs Program seeks to bridge the current gap between researchers, decision makers and other knowledge users and to encourage mutual learning through the process of planning, disseminating and facilitating the use of new knowledge in decision-making.

Funds Available

CIHR's contribution to the amount available for this initiative is subject to availability of funds voted annually to CIHR by parliamentary appropriations, and the conditions that may be attached to them.

It is anticipated that approximately $6.5 million over five years will be available through the current funding opportunity, enough to fund approximately seven (7) Applied Chairs ($1.3 million annually). These funds are a combination of CIHR funds and partnership funds.

The maximum amount awarded for a single award is $185,000 per annum for up to five years:

• Salary contribution: $100,000 per annum including fringe benefits. If the Chair's salary exceeds this amount, all additional costs are to be borne by the host institution. If as a result of this Award, host-institution-controlled salary funds are freed up then it is expected that the host institution will reinvest these funds (minus the actual cost of the teaching release to the university) in the Chair Program (e.g. graduate students, post-graduate students, new investigators, workshops, meetings, etc.)
• Research, education, mentoring and knowledge translation allowance: $85,000 per annum

Amounts awarded are valued in Canadian dollars.

This award is non-renewable.

For individuals not presently employed by a university, there should be a commitment for their integration as full-time faculty at the time they would take up the Chair.

Partner/Collaborator Participation

CIHR is dedicated to identifying and developing collaborations with other funding organizations and stakeholders to enhance the availability of funding for this strategic initiative, and to create, where appropriate, opportunities for knowledge exchange and translation related to the scope of this particular initiative. Applicants are invited to visit the Partner/Collaborator Description section to find a list of partners/collaborators and their respective mandates and/or strategic interests. This list will continue to evolve as new partners/collaborators join in this initiative. The specific research foci and requirements for Chairs with confirmed partners/collaborators are outlined in the section "Objectives".

Objectives

The objectives of the Applied Chairs Program are to:

• support high quality applied health services and policy research that is relevant to health system managers, policy makers and healthcare providers in the areas of:
• Access to Appropriate Care Across the Continuum
• Health Information
• Drug Policy
• Patient Safety
• foster linkages and create an environment of collaboration and exchange with health system managers and policy makers to support the timely and effective application of research into policies, programs and practice;
• support Canadian universities in developing and strengthening education programs in applied health services and policy research;
• stimulate innovative approaches to applied health services and policy research, mentorship, education and knowledge linkage and exchange; and
• educate and mentor the current and next generation of applied health services and policy researchers (graduate students, post-graduate students and junior faculty) both in applied research methods and facilitating opportunities for knowledge exchange and linkage with decision makers.

Note: Chair candidates are expected to address the objectives noted above in a balanced and integrated manner.

Relevant Research Areas:

IHSPR, together with its partners, will fund up to seven (7) Applied Chairs in the following areas:

I. Access to Appropriate Care across the Continuum:

1. Community-based Healthcare (CIHR)
2. Primary Healthcare Reform (CIHR/Canadian Health Services Research Foundation)
3. Health Human Resources (CIHR/Health Canada)

II. Health Information

4. e-Health (CIHR/Canada Health Infoway)

III. Drug Policy

5. Ontario Chair in Drug Policy (CIHR/Ontario Ministry of Heath and Long-term Care)

IV. Patient Safety

6. Patient Safety in Community-Based Settings (CIHR/Canadian Patient Safety Institute)

V. Listening For Direction (LFD) III Theme Areas

7. Listening for Direction III (CIHR)

Detailed Description of Relevant Research Subject Areas Above Follows:

I. Access to Appropriate Care across the Continuum:

Canadians expect timely, co-ordinated access to high quality healthcare services. They expect that the health services and treatments they receive are based on the best and most current evidence, and will improve their health and quality of life. They also expect the latest innovations (drugs, therapies, diagnostics, etc.) to be publicly-funded. Meeting these expectations is a challenge for federal, provincial and territorial governments alike. For the most part, decision makers are aware of the problems, disparities and barriers that exist. But they need evidence-informed approaches and implementation strategies to improve access to, and the public's understanding of, appropriate care across the continuum, including services offered by the private sector.

1. Community-based Healthcare (i.e., long-term care, home care, mental health services, rehabilitation, etc.) (CIHR)

Increasingly, Canadians are receiving care outside hospitals in a range of community settings from various healthcare providers. Despite improvements, there are still barriers to comprehensive and coordinated care within the publicly funded healthcare system. Moreover, care provided outside of hospitals may fall into the mixed, fragmented world of public and private financing. The result is that patients do not always receive timely and appropriate care as they move through the complex "system." Policy makers, managers and providers need strong evidence on effective interventions and practical solutions to improve healthcare across the continuum, whether publicly or privately financed, as well as the means to overcome barriers to change. Better information is required on how governance, financial and delivery arrangements impact on the delivery of timely and appropriate care, and the impact of and barriers to improved self-management by the recipients of care.

Decision makers recognize that the healthcare system must place greater emphasis on chronic disease prevention and management. Effective coordination of community-based care, including primary healthcare, is critical to this endeavour. In addition, policy makers need proven approaches to address the unique needs of at-risk, minority and rural and remote communities.

The CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research will support one (1) Applied Health Services and Policy Chair in Community-based Healthcare.

Areas of investigation must include one or more of the following:

• Strategies and mechanisms to improve access to timely, comprehensive and coordinated care (e.g., how to implement what we know works and to overcome barriers to change)
• The effects of the public/private divide on continuity of care
• Assessment of the different governance, financial and delivery models (impact of various funding models, mixed financing models and/or delivery, public/private financing, for-profit/not-for-profit delivery, etc.)
• How to empower care recipients through education and self-management
• How to achieve better coordination of chronic disease prevention and management
• The role of collaborative teamwork and decision making in improving community-based care as well as an evaluation of its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness
• The reporting and accountability structures needed to improve integration within the community-based care sector and with other parts of the system
• The reporting and accountability structures needed to improve the quality of care and outcomes
• How to address the particular needs of at-risk and minority populations
• How to address the needs of rural and remote communities

Funding for this Chair is provided by CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research.

2. Primary Healthcare Reform (CIHR/Canadian Health Services Research Foundation)

Across the country there has been significant innovation and experimentation with primary care reform, including team-based approaches, changing practice roles, alternative funding models, etc. Existing evidence on the impact of these different approaches needs to be synthesized and best practices identified. Overall, we need better evidence on how to provide comprehensive primary care (and coordination of primary care with other parts of the system) that will result in improved health outcomes. This requires a focus on delivery, managerial structures, funding models, governance structures, performance measurement, continuous quality improvement, and change management. In addition, policy makers need proven approaches to address the unique needs of at-risk and minority populations and the needs of rural and remote communities.

The CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, in partnership with the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, will support one (1) Applied Health Services and Policy Chair in Primary Healthcare Reform.

Areas of investigation must include one or more of the following:

• The impact of different team-based approaches in family practice, models of delivery in primary healthcare (including integrated health and social service models), changing roles and scope of practice, alternative funding models, etc. on cost, outcomes and patient and provider satisfaction
• Evaluation of new population-based funding models and models of professional remuneration
• Generation of better evidence on the cost and consequences of attempts to enhance comprehensiveness and coordination in primary care, e.g., delivery, managerial structures, governance structures, performance measurement, continuous quality improvement and change management
• Impact on health outcomes of the use of performance indicators and ongoing systematic evaluation in primary healthcare
• Overcoming regulatory, cultural and legal impediments to collaborative practices
• How to develop effective leaders and a culture of change to achieve effective team-building and collaborative practices
• Impact on quality of service and patient outcomes of innovations in information systems and decision-support in primary healthcare
• The effects of changing structures on requirements for reporting and accountability structures needed to improve primary care and its integration with other parts of the system
• The reporting and accountability structures needed to improve the quality of care and outcomes
• Comparisons of the Canadian efforts in primary healthcare reform within the international context
• How to empower care recipients through education and self-management
• How to achieve better coordination of chronic disease prevention and management
• The impact of gender and part-time employment on the provision of primary healthcare
• High-quality primary healthcare for at-risk and minority populations in the community
• High-quality primary healthcare for rural and remote communities

Funding for this Chair is provided by CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research in partnership with The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF). The Foundation's objectives are listed in the Partner/Collaborator Description section below. Specific requirements that relate to this Chair are as follows:

In co-sponsoring this Chair, the Foundation seeks to advance primary healthcare as one of its priority themes by ensuring:

• outstanding science to ensure that Canadians benefit from an evidence-informed primary healthcare system
• proximity of decision makers responsible for the quality of primary healthcare to rigorous, relevant and timely research and academic expertise, and
• creative models of funding and collaboration across academic and non-academic environments

Specific requirements that relate to this Chair are as follows:

• The candidate must demonstrate how their research is relevant to primary healthcare reform. In their application, candidates should show how collaborative arrangements with decision makers/policy makers will contribute to the quality, relevance and accelerated application of the research findings, as well as contribute to opportunities for education and mentoring and knowledge transfer and exchange of generalizable understanding from primary healthcare research.
• Candidates are encouraged to establish a formal partnership with a decision maker / policy maker organization (for example, a provincial ministry of health or regional health authority) with leadership responsibility for primary healthcare reform. Where possible and mutually beneficial, this could include an arrangement where the Chair is located (for some or all of the Chair's time) in the decision-making organization to conduct their research and related activities. In this case, evidence of infrastructure support (e.g. administrative support, meeting and office space, access to senior management) for the Chair by the decision / policy maker organization must be provided.

The Foundation's agenda for advancing scholarship in health services and policy research is consistent with the intent of this competition. The Foundation seeks to enhance recognition for the value of research about and within primary healthcare reform and satisfy unmet demands from decision makers for better evidence in this regard. Additional funding for activities related to the program of research and/or linkage and exchange for this Chair may be available from CHSRF to the partnering healthcare organization (successful candidate to contact CHSRF grants and awards with a proposal).

3. Health Human Resources (CIHR/Health Canada)

Health human resource (HHR) issues continue to top decision makers' concerns. Effective approaches to the planning, management and training of HHR are vital in a responsive healthcare system that meets the population's needs today and in the future.

Five major areas have been identified for further research: evaluation of innovative service delivery models; capacity to identify, track and share HHR planning information; alignment of education curricula with health system needs and policy; effective use of all health professionals' competencies; and capacity to retain healthcare providers.

The CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, in partnership with Health Canada, will support one (1) Applied Health Services and Policy Chair in Health Human Resources.

Areas of investigation must include one or more of the following:

• Evaluation of HHR competencies, curricula, entry-to-practice requirements, roles, new providers, collaborative practice, practice environments, innovative models of care, deployment, retention initiatives, and change management initiatives vis-à-vis patient outcomes, wait times, costs, and patient and provider satisfaction
• Assessment of ways to move towards a system of HHR planning that better reflects underlying population health needs, including the development of the methodologies and models required for such planning and the assessment of existing data in terms of requirements for improvements and gaps
• Assessment of coordinated ongoing mechanisms to identify, track, acquire, transfer and exchange HHR knowledge

Funding for this chair is provided by the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research in collaboration with Health Canada. Health Canada's objectives are listed in the Partner/Collaborator Description section below. Specific requirements that relate to this Chair are:

• The successful Chair's expertise may be asked by Health Canada for input into the Framework for Collaborative Pan-Canadian HHR Planning
• Additional knowledge translation funding may be available from Health Canada for this Chair. Further information regarding the availability of this funding will be available at the time of Chair funding

II. Health Information

4. e-Health (CIHR/Canada Health Infoway)

Just over four years ago, the Romanow Report emphasized the urgent need to establish the information infrastructure required to support reform efforts of Canada's healthcare system. Federal health accords, Health Council of Canada reports and many other national and provincial organizations have continued to stress the importance of IT investment to enable healthcare transformation.

Subsequently, initiatives to build this infrastructure have included Canada Health Infoway's (Infoway) efforts together with those of the provinces to create electronic health records (EHRs) and to increase its complement of electronic databases and improve the compatibility and intra-operability of data across jurisdictions.

Despite these initiatives, there is a significant gap in understanding of the impacts of health information systems, in terms of healthcare quality (including patient safety), access and productivity. Understanding these impacts is critical to driving and shaping future investments, and encouraging clinicians to adopt e-Health solutions. In addition, we are a long way from the point where all researchers can conduct timely cross-jurisdictional health services and policy research using the available electronic resources. Coherent national frameworks must be developed now to allow for the secondary use of data by decision makers and researchers.

Investment in the area of Health Information is important as Canada lags behind internationally in the development of frameworks for the secondary use of data by health services researchers and the implementation of EHRs.

The CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, in partnership with Infoway, will fund one (1) Applied Health Services and Policy Chair in e-Health.

Areas of investigation must include one or more of the following:

• Evaluate the impacts of provincial EHRs and other innovative e-Health solutions, particularly in terms of healthcare quality, outcomes, productivity and access
• Identify factors for successful and sustainable e-Health implementation, adoption and benefits realization
• Assess the impact of privacy laws and ethical requirements on the secondary use of health-related electronic data resources and develop methods and techniques to protect privacy and ensure confidentiality whilst ensuring access on the part of clinicians, researchers and decision makers to data, including EHR data, e.g. alternative mechanisms for acquiring informed consent
• Develop frameworks, methods, techniques and strategies for improving data quality, definitions, linkability and strategies so as to improve access to data for all clinicians, researchers and decision makers

Funding for this Chair is provided by the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research in partnership with Infoway. Infoway's objectives are listed in the Partner/Collaborator Description section below. Specific requirements that relate to this funding opportunity are:

• In order to improve the relevance of research to applied policy settings and increase the potential for collaboration between researchers and decision makers, the successful applicant will commit approximately 15% of their time to working on issues related to Infoway's mandate, particularly the development of frameworks for evaluation of EHR initiatives and frameworks to ensure the secondary use of EHR data by researchers and decision makers. The specific terms of the relationship will be negotiated by the successful applicant with Infoway. The Institute of Health Services and Policy Research expects these negotiations to balance the successful applicant's academic workload, research focus and interests, as well as Infoway's objectives.

III. Drug Policy

5. Ontario Chair in Drug Policy (CIHR/Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care)

The Institute of Health Services and Policy Research has identified drug policy as a priority research area. Prescription medications are a vital part of the Canadian healthcare system. They save lives, treat diseases and improve the quality of life for many. As well as improving lives in some cases, drugs may ease the burden on the healthcare system by reducing hospital stays. However, prescription drug use presents several challenges to the healthcare system. For example, drugs are the fastest growing and second largest category of healthcare expenditures in Canada, they are sometimes used inappropriately, and there can be poor adherence to drug therapy. Governments across Canada are endeavouring to address the challenges and ensure both good health outcomes and system sustainability.

To inform evidence-informed policy making, improved "real-world," population-based evidence is needed on the impact of drug utilization on costs and outcomes. Greater evidence is required with regard to the impact of the use of new drugs (those recently approved for marketing and sale) on both patient and health system outcomes related to the treatment of a particular condition within a patient population. Innovative methodologies are needed to conduct such evaluations and greater use of public, administrative and private data sources is required.

The CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, in partnership with the Drug System Secretariat of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, will support one (1) Applied Health Services and Policy Chair in Drug Policy. The Drug System Secretariat is funding this Chair through the Drug Innovation Fund, a key initiative of the Ontario Government's plan to reform the provincial drug system. The Secretariat's main area of interest is the impact of drugs on health outcomes, non-drug health system outcomes and costs.

Areas of investigation must include one or more of the following:

Impact of Drug Access and Utilization

• Assess the association between the use of drugs, and health and health system outcomes (including non-drug expenditures)
• Assess the impact of the use of newer drugs (for a particular health condition) on:
• patient health outcomes (e.g., reduced risk of complications, improved survival)
• health system outcomes (e.g., inpatient hospital stays, ambulatory care, home care and associated costs)
• cost (i.e., the impact on the overall cost of treating a given disease)
• cost effectiveness / cost benefit (i.e., a comparison of drug costs to outcomes or potential cost savings in other parts of the healthcare system)
• Assess the relationship between the number of drugs a patient has access to and drug age (the length of time a drug has been on the market since approval) on health outcomes and other (non-drug) health expenditures, including hospital costs
• Evaluate health outcomes and costs among those with differential access to newer drugs through private and public drug plans or for those with no drug coverage

Optimal Use of Drugs

• Determine the factors that impact on safe, appropriate, and effective drug use
• Assess the infrastructure and organizational influences on optimal drug use
• Determine effective ways to improve prescribing and patient safety related to prescription drugs, including physical, procedural, behavioural, technical and system innovations
• Develop methods for uptake of best practices among healthcare providers
• Identify key sources of influence in patients' decisions to seek a prescription drug, including the influence of direct marketing efforts such as direct-to-consumer advertising, toll-free lines, patient forums and patient support groups, free equipment (pens, monitoring devices, etc.), third-party support for accessing public or private coverage, etc.
• Assess the impact of disease management programs (e.g., for asthma, hypertension or diabetes) and/or direct pharmacist involvement in drug therapy on patient and system outcomes and other (non-drug) expenditures

Drug Adherence

• Evaluate adherence among those with differential access to prescription medications
• Assess the impact of financial barriers on drug adherence
• Assess the impact of drug non-adherence on healthcare costs and health outcomes - including disease-related work-day absences and disabilities - and on other healthcare-related expenditures
• Assess the causes of poor adherence in the treatment of chronic conditions, including the impact of limited access to certain drugs, side effects, and ineffective therapy

Funding for this Chair is provided by the Drug System Secretariat, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC). The Secretariat's objectives and mandate are listed in the Partner/Collaborator Description section below. Specific requirements that relate to this funding opportunity are:

• Since funding is provided by Ontario's Drug Innovation Fund, this specific funding opportunity is only open to candidates from universities or affiliated institutions in Ontario
• The successful applicant and the host institution must work with the Ministry to ensure that its reporting requirements are met
• The successful applicant's host institution must provide financial reports on a quarterly basis to the Research Unit at the MOHLTC using the Ministry's template
• The interim and final reports required by CIHR must also be submitted to the Research Unit at the MOHLTC

IV. Patient Safety

6. Patient Safety in Community-Based Settings (CIHR/Canadian Patient Safety Institute)

Healthcare advances have increased the complexity of many care processes, while other components of healthcare delivery- information sharing, staff training, etc. - have failed to keep up, thus compromising patient safety. An aging population, limited resources, health human resource shortages and healthcare restructuring initiatives have put additional strains on the system and increased the likelihood of errors such as facility-acquired infections, prescribing errors, adverse drug events, and unintended injuries.

To improve safety, greater collaboration must occur across all sectors and the health system must promote a culture of safety. This involves cultivating a no-blame atmosphere of openness and trust, systematically identifying hazards through reporting and recording, promoting appropriate disclosures to all stakeholders, and involving of health personnel. Improved information and communication, legal and regulatory processes, measurement and evaluation, and professional education and development programs can facilitate safer client care.

Safety is fundamental to healthcare quality. As outlined in the 2004 Baker and Norton Report (The Canadian Adverse Events Study)¹, approximately 7.5% of acute care hospital patients experienced at least one adverse event while in hospital (FY 2000). While there is increasing evidence on patient safety in hospital settings, there is less available on safety in a range of community-based settings including home care, long-term care, primary care, rehabilitative care, mental health, etc. More evidence is needed on the nature of patient safety issues in all settings, but particularly in community-based settings such as home care, long-term care, primary care and other community settings, and effective approaches to improve it.

The CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research in partnership with the Canadian Patient Safety Institute will support one (1) Applied Health Services and Policy Chair in Patient Safety in Community-Based Settings.

Areas of investigation must include one or more of the following:

• Determining the factors that impact on safe, appropriate and effective healthcare delivery in the community
• Assessing the infrastructural and organizational influences on safe healthcare delivery in the community
• Evaluating the impact of current policies and regulations on safe, appropriate and effective community-based care, and developing alternative recommendations as appropriate
• Determining effective ways to improve patient safety, including physical, procedural, behavioural, technical and system innovations
• Exploring patient safety issues that arise during transitions between community-based settings and acute care
• Assessing enablers of and barriers to implementing of effective adverse-event reduction systems
• Developing methods for uptake of best practices in patient safety
• Investigating the role of the patient and consumer in improving safety

Funding for this Chair is provided by CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute. Canadian Patient Safety Institute objectives are listed in the Partner/Collaborator Description section below.

V. Listening for Direction III Theme Areas

7. Listening for Direction III (CIHR)

In addition to the priority areas described above, at least one (1) additional Applied Health Services and Policy Chair will be funded related to the theme areas identified in Listening For Directions (LFD) III: National Consultation on Health Services and Policy Issues. These theme areas were determined through a consultation process with decision makers across Canada. At the time of writing, the LFD III theme areas were not yet finalized. However, a list of the preliminary research themes is available on-line and the final consultation report will be available as soon as possible. Applicants will not be penalized for working from the draft as opposed to the final consultation document.

Funding for this Applied Chair is provided by the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research. Additional partners may be added to this theme as partners confirm funding.

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding 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.

Specific to CIHR salary awards, please refer to the General Guidelines for Salary Programs.

Eligibility requirements specific to this Funding Opportunity include the following:

1. In order to increase capacity and allow as many researchers as possible to benefit from federal, peer-reviewed funding, individuals may not hold concurrently a CIHR salary award and another federally funded salary award, for example, a Canada Research Chair. Current holders of such funding will have to renounce it before assuming an Applied Chair.
2. Candidates must be health services and policy researchers with a demonstrated track record of five to ten years in health services and policy research, mentoring, and linkage and exchange with decision makers.

NOTE: For those applicants who have not followed a traditional research path, the date of their first independent academic appointment will be used to calculate eligibility. For those applicants who do not hold a full time academic appointment, the number of years of experience will be calculated using the date of completion of their most recent qualifying degree. Any applicants whose career path is in question will be contacted and asked to clarify why they should be considered eligible. All dates are calculated as of the date of application deadline for this funding opportunity.

3. For individuals currently working at universities or research institutions who are not presently employed full time by a university, there should be a demonstrated commitment for their integration as full-time faculty at the time they would take up the Chair.

Note: The balance of time, effort and resources should be devoted to the implementation of an integrated research, mentoring, education and knowledge transfer Chair Program. Significant ongoing administrative duties (i.e., more than 15%) are not allowable within this time allocation.

Guidelines

This funding opportunity will follow the CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the use of Gender and Sex-Based Analysis in applications.

Allowable Costs

The awards consist of a salary contribution (including fringe benefits) and a research, mentoring, education and knowledge translation allowance.

For the research, mentoring, education and knowledge translation allowance, awardees should review the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) financial administration guidelines, Use of Grant Funds section for a complete listing and description of allowable costs and activities.

In addition, the following expenditures will be considered eligible for funding received through this Funding opportunity.

• Mentoring, education and knowledge translation related costs such as: curriculum development, regional, provincial/territorial, national and international networking and exchange activities during the planning and dissemination of the research, costs associated with the creation and distribution of communication tools, graduate student stipends, and data purchasing.

Conditions of Funding

All conditions specified in CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies shall apply to applications funded through this Funding opportunity. Conditions cover areas such as Applicant and Institutional Responsibilities, Ethics, Official languages policy, Access to Information and Privacy Acts, and Acknowledgement of CIHR's 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.

In addition the following conditions apply:

• The Host institutions must submit with the application a statement of the support, (financial and otherwise) they will provide the Applied Chair in each year.
• If as a result of this Award, host-institution-controlled salary funds are freed up then it is expected that the University will reinvest these funds (minus the actual cost of the teaching release to the university) in the Chair Program.
• Chairs must submit an annual report to CIHR with a detailed summary of their research, education, mentoring and knowledge translation activities and a discussion of the impact of their research. A standard reporting template will be provided by the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research and partners.

Within six months after the end of the award's term, the award recipient is required to submit:

• A final report to CIHR, outlining the research, education, mentoring and knowledge translation activities undertaken, the impact of the Chair research and that of his/her trainees, and a summary of the Chair's experience and impressions (e.g., what worked well, what did not work well, and why.) A standard reporting template will be provided by the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research and partners.

Communication Requirements

In addition to following the policies relating to Public Communication and Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support, award recipients will also be required to adhere to special branding requirements as a condition of receiving a CIHR Salary Support Award. The official Award name is "CIHR Applied Health Services and Policy Research Chair in (area of research)." In cases where there is another major funding partner a shared title will be considered. The format of a shared title is "CIHR/(partner name) Applied Health Services and Policy Research Chair in (area of research)." The Award name must be used in all communication and promotion relating to the CIHR Salary Support Awards. An award name must be proposed as part of the application for a CIHR Mid-Career Investigator Salary Award. Successful applicants and their host institutions will be required to agree in writing to the proper use of the award name together with 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. The official name will be confirmed by CIHR when funding is confirmed by partners.

Performance Measurement

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, funding recipients must:

• adhere to CIHR's reporting requirements and provide required information in a timely fashion. A Progress Report for Long-Term Grant Holders (5 or more years) will be required in year 3 of five-year grants. Grantees are required to submit the "Progress Report for Long-Term Grant Holders (5 or more years)" 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. The "Progress Report for Long-Term Grant Holders (5 or more years)" 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.

Review Process and Evaluation

For the Letter of Intent stage, the review process will take place in two stages: the relevance review and the merit review.

Relevance Review

The CIHR Institute of Health Service and Policy Research and all partners listed in the Partner/Collaborator Description section (as applicable) will provide funding for applications that are relevant to (in alignment with) the objectives and relevant research areas described in the "Objectives" section.

A relevance review will be conducted at the Letter of Intent stage, prior to merit review. Representatives from all partners listed in the Partner/Collaborator Description section will have access to anonymized copies of the one-page proposal overview which should describe how the award and research proposed addresses the objectives and relevant research areas described in the section "Objectives." At that time, partners will identify those submissions that are relevant and reflect their research objectives. Projects that are not deemed relevant by funding partners, will not be reviewed in the LOI merit review process nor invited to the Full Application stage.

Merit Review of LOI

Letters of intent deemed eligible will then be evaluated by a CIHR Merit Review Panel. The panel will be created specifically for this program. Committee members are selected based on suggestions from many sources including the Institute(s), partner(s) and the research community. Names of panel members are published on the CIHR website. The committee will use the CIHR Merit Review Scale.

All letters of intent will be reviewed by at least one decision maker and one researcher, who will assess potential impact and scientific merit. Potential impact and scientific merit will be given equal weight in the assessment of the LOI by the merit review panel. The entire merit review panel will then determine the consensus score of each letter of intent. Only those letters of intent that exceed the threshold score on both potential impact and scientific merit will be considered for invitation to the full-scale application stage.

Merit Review of the Full Application

Invited full applications will be evaluated by a CIHR Merit Review Panel. The panel will assess potential impact and scientific merit. Only those full applications that exceed the threshold score on both the potential impact and scientific merit will be considered for funding.

After merit review of the full applications, the representatives from all partners listed in the Partner/Collaborator Description section will receive the rankings, the funding level and term for the applications that are rated in the CIHR fundable range and are found to be relevant to the specific objectives of the research initiative and the research areas described under "Objectives" and "Relevant Research Areas." These applications will be funded from the top down in order of ranking as far as budgets will allow. Applications that receive a rating below 3.5 will not be funded.

Separate funding pools will be established to ensure that at least one meritorious application - within the fundable range, top-ranked by the merit review panel and deemed relevant by the funding partners - is funded in each of the seven relevant research priority areas.

Review Criteria

Merit review will be conducted by a separate merit review panel (for details see below). Merit review will be conducted in accordance with the CIHR Peer Review Process: Policies and Responsibilities of Awards Committee Members.

The following general criteria for evaluating the Applied Health Services Research Chair applications will be used:

Scientific Merit

• A demonstrated research and knowledge translation track-record in health services and policy research with linkages to decision makers
• A focused strategic research program of national relevance to health services and policy research
• An integrated research, mentoring, education and knowledge translation program
• Demonstrated experience working with the health system and policy issues at the national, provincial/territorial, regional and/or local level
• Demonstrated experience in mentorship and health services and policy graduate education

Integrated Research, Mentoring, Education and Knowledge Translation Program

The expectations for the integrated research, mentoring, education and knowledge translation contributing to scientific merit are outlined in this section.

Research

• Focused research plan that holds promise to expand the quality and relevance of the evidence base used in decision making by policy makers and practitioners, including plans for collaboration with decision makers on an ongoing basis, including they role they will play in generating research questions and engaging in knowledge exchange

Mentoring and Education

• Plan to mentor and educate the current and next generation of health services and policy researchers (graduate and post-graduate students, junior faculty, and others seeking career renewal opportunities in this field), many of whom may be supported by future CIHR and other career renewal and training awards. This plan should build on the candidate's research platform

Knowledge translation

Knowledge translation component of the plan should clearly:

• Identify the intended user audiences and knowledge translation strategies
• Demonstrate potential for uptake and use of knowledge by identified users (including an analysis of potential contextual barriers faced) generated through the knowledge translation strategies, including the researcher's plans to involve intended users early and often in the research process

Potential Impact

• Partnership (extent and depth) with health services and policy organizations locally, regionally, provincially/territorially or nationally
• Demonstrated involvement with health policy decision making structures at local, regional, provincial/territorial and/or national levels
• Demonstrated commitment by the University or other host institution to provide protected time and other resources for the Chair's research, mentoring, education and knowledge translation program, such as to support the development of mentoring programs in the area of health services and policy
• Unless the successful applicant is presently funded through soft money, the expectation is that the University or other host institution will reinvest funds freed as a result of the salary contribution into the Chair Program.
• For individuals working at universities who are not presently employed full time by a university, there should be a commitment for their integration as full-time faculty upon completion of the Chair funding.
• Contribution to capacity development in the Chair's field of expertise or university

For additional information, please refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of Applications for Salary Support.

How to Apply

Applicants are advised to review CIHR's grants and awards policies and guidelines outlined in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide.

1) Letter of Intent (LOI)

In the first step of the application process, the Applicant is required to submit a Letter of Intent.

The Letter of Intent must include:

a) The Registration pages of the CIHR Research Module:

To generate the Registration pages, you must access the CIHR Web Forms. When creating a new application, select "New Investigator" under "Salary Programs" and complete the following six sections of the Research Module web form. Print the "Registration Pages Only."

• Research Funding Program
• Applicant / Candidate
• Project
• Suggested External Referees
• Collaborators

Signature page: provide signatures of the Applicant.

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

• the name of the Applicant;
• the official title as it will appear in publicity and other announcements "CIHR Applied Health Services and Policy Research Chair in (area of research)" or in cases where there is another major funding partner a shared title will be considered. The format of a shared title is "CIHR/(partner name) Applied Health Services and Policy Research Chair in (area of research).";
• the title of the proposal;
• the title of this Funding opportunity;
• a brief description (10 lines maximum) of the Applicant's proposed research areas and activities;
• five keywords describing the Applicant's proposed program.

You must clearly indicate in the cover page, one of the following seven priority areas your project is addressing - please select only one priority area.

I. Access to Appropriate Care across the Continuum:

1. Community-based Care
2. Primary Healthcare Reform
3. Health Human Resources

II. Health Information

4. e-Health

III. Drug Policy

5. Ontario Chair in Drug Policy

IV. Patient Safety

6. Patient Safety in Community-Based Settings

V. Listening For Direction (LFD) III Theme Areas

7. Listening for Direction III

c) Proposal.

Overview: (one page)
Written for an international Panel, this must provide sufficient context to convey an appreciation of the coherence of the plan and the fit of the candidate, home institution and decision maker partners. In addition, the Proposal Overview should clearly describe how the award and research proposed addresses the objectives and relevant research areas described in the "Objectives" section of this RFA.

Candidate: (two pages)
Describe background and demonstrated abilities; excellence in education and mentoring; the impact of research and experience in research program management; and leadership in knowledge translation and linkage and exchange.

Program Plan: (two pages)
Outline summary plans, inter-related objectives and key milestones for a program of education and mentoring; research; and linkage and exchange.

Home Institution: (half page)
Provide evidence of financial and other commitments to the plan; the compatibility of the award with the institution's strategic plan and priorities; and the institution's profile in relation to the award.

Decision Maker Partner(s): (half page)
Provide evidence of the relevance of partner(s), and involvement with respect to the candidate's five-year plan. Special emphasis should be placed on knowledge translation and linkage and exchange activities.

d) Registration pages of the Common CV:

Complete and print the registration pages of the Common CV (Validated for CIHR). Do this by selecting "Finalize and submit my CV" and then selecting "Registration CV" in the options

e) Reference:

Provide a short bibliography of any references cited in the proposal.

Any additional materials not requested in this Funding Opportunity will not be sent to the review committee (this includes non-requested letters of support, figures not included in the proposal, updates on publications, updates on other support received, reprints, etc.)

Applicants will be notified of the LOI decisions.

Send the original Letter of Intent and six copies by courier to:

RE: "Applied Chairs in Health Services and Policy Research"
Research Capacity Development Branch
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 by the deadline date. Details of the full application procedure will be provided by CIHR to those invited to apply.

Contact Information

For questions specific to the Applied Chairs in Health Services and Policy Research Program including CIHR funding guidelines, how to apply, and the peer review process contact:

April Amponsah (Updated: 2008-04-28)
Program Delivery Coordinator
Research Capacity Development
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-957-0296
Email: april.amponsah@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about the objectives and relevant research areas contact:

Michèle O'Rourke
Associate, Strategic Initiatives
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-952-4539
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: morourke@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Partner/Collaborator Description

Note: Additional partners/collaborators, including partners/collaborators from industry and the private sector are expected to join this funding initiative over the coming year.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
CIHR is Canada's major federal funding agency for health research. Its objective is to excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian healthcare system.

CIHR - Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR)
IHSPR is dedicated to supporting innovative research, capacity-building and knowledge translation initiatives designed to improve the way healthcare services are organized, regulated, managed, financed, paid for, used and delivered, in the interest of improving the health and quality of life of all Canadians.

CIHR - Institute of Gender and Health (IGH)
IGH supports research that addresses how sex (biological-genetic dimensions) and gender (social-cultural dimensions) interact with other socio-cultural, bio-physical, and political-economic factors to influence health and create conditions that differ with respect to risk factors or effective interventions for males and females throughout the lifespan. The objectives of the Institute for Gender and Health are to (1) generate evidence regarding the impact of sex and gender on health status, health behaviour, and health services use throughout the life span; (2) enhance understanding of how gender, sex and health interact with other health determinants; (3) provide evidence to inform the design of programs, policies and practices; (4) build the capacity of gender and health researchers in Canada; and (5) advance the gender and health perspective nationally and internationally.

Depending on available funds, IGH will support successful applications in all research theme areas that are relevant to its mandate and any of the following research priorities:

• Access and equity for vulnerable populations;
• Promoting health in the context of chronic conditions and disabilities;
• Gender and health across the lifespan;
• Promoting positive health behaviours and preventing addictions; and
• Gender and the environment.

The Institute of Gender and Health strongly encourages applicants to demonstrate the use of Gender/Sex-based or Gender/sex-sensitive analysis (GSBA) in applications. GSBA is an approach to research and evaluation which systematically inquires about biological (sex-based) and sociocultural (gender-based) differences between women and men, boys and girls, without presuming that any such differences exist. The purpose of GSBA is to promote rigorous sex/gender-sensitive health research which expands understanding of health determination in both sexes, in order to provide knowledge which can result in improvements in health and health care. Consult the GSBA Resource Guide for applicants and reviewers produced by IGH for more information.

* Please note that if you locate and/or use alternate sex and gender sensitive guidelines, we would appreciate their citation.

Partners:

Canada Health Infoway
Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) is an independent, not-for profit organization that works with public sector partners to develop and implement health information systems to support a safer, more efficient healthcare system. Infoway works on a national level, with jurisdictions and stakeholders, to accelerate the development and adoption of electronic health information systems and Electronic Health Records (EHR). It provides strategic investment and leadership in projects that promote the development and implementation of electronic health information systems across Canada.

Infoway is working with its partners at federal/provincial/territorial levels to implement electronic health information systems in Canada. Development of a network of interoperable electronic health record solutions across Canada - linking clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and other points of care - will help improve Canadians' access to healthcare services, enhance the quality of care and make the healthcare system more productive.

Each of Infoway's nine investment programs contributes towards the implementation of comprehensive integrated electronic health record solutions. The investment program strategies and targets are aligned with the electronic health record plans of each of the jurisdictions.

An Electronic Health Record (EHR) provides authorized healthcare professionals with immediate access to their patients' accurate lifetime health histories, including laboratory and radiology test results, past treatments, prescription drug profiles and immunizations, while protecting privacy and confidentiality. The EHR supports improved clinical decision-making leading to more effective diagnosis and treatment, greater patient safety, increased efficiency and improved access to services

Canadian Health Services Research Foundation
The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation promotes and funds management and policy research in health services and nursing to increase the quality, relevance and usefulness of this research for health-system policy makers and managers. In addition, the foundation works with these health-system decision makers to support and enhance their use of research evidence when addressing health management and policy challenges. Any foundation project, process or activity always involves both researchers, and managers, policy makers from academia and Canada's health system.

The foundation is an independent, not-for-profit corporation, established with endowed funds from the federal government and its agencies.

The Foundation's four strategic objectives are:

1. To create high quality new research that is useful for health service managers and policy makers (especially in the foundation's priority theme areas)
2. To increase the number and nature of applied health services and nursing researchers
3. To get needed research into the hands of health system managers and policy makers in the right format, at the right time, through the right channels
4. To help health system managers, policy makers and their organizations to routinely acquire, appraise, adapt and apply relevant research in their work

Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI)
The CPSI is dedicated to achieving measurable improvement in the rate of adverse events patients experience in the Canadian healthcare system, and to optimizing successful national and international patient safety initiatives. It's vision is a Canadian health system where patients, providers, governments and others work together to build and advance a safer health system; where providers take pride in their ability to deliver the safest and highest quality of care possible; and where every Canadian in need of healthcare can be confident that the care they receive is the safest in the world.

The Institute provides leadership on patient safety issues, and seeks to create a culture open to disclosure and committed to innovative change that will improve patient safety and care. In its role the CPSI:

• plays a leadership and coordination role across sectors and systems, and fosters collaboration, open communication and knowledge exchange among governments, health organizations and other stakeholders;
• promotes effective strategies and leading practices to improve patient safety, such as the Canadian Root Cause Analysis Framework, and raises awareness with stakeholders, patients and the general public about patient safety;
• supports the development of patient safety initiatives, influences cultural shifts and champions change;
• facilitates ongoing research through funding applied health services research projects and demonstration projects;
• promotes a research environment that encourages the exploration, exposure and resolution of patient safety issues;
• seeks to increase the scope and scale of patient safety research, and collaborates with health research organizations, such as CIHR and CHSRF; and
• empowers patients and their families with information and support.

Health Canada
Health Canada is the federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, while respecting individual choices and circumstances. By working with others, Health Canada strives to:

• Prevent and reduce risks to individual health and the overall environment;
• Promote healthier lifestyles;
• Ensure high quality health services that are efficient and accessible;
• Integrate renewal of the healthcare system with longer term plans in the areas of prevention, health promotion and protection;
• Reduce health inequalities in Canadian society; and
• Provide health information to help Canadians make informed decisions.

Pan-Canadian Health Human Resource Strategy
Appropriate planning and management of health human resources are key to developing a health-care workforce that has the right number and mix of health professionals to serve Canadians in all regions of the country. To ensure that Canadians have access to the health providers they need both now and in the future, Health Canada is working with the provinces, territories and other key health-related organizations to improve HHR planning and coordination. The Pan-Canadian Health Human Resource Strategy is guiding these efforts in three critical areas:

• Health Human Resource Planning - ensuring we have enough of the right types of health-care providers to meet the needs of Canadians;
• Recruitment and Retention - encouraging more people to enter the health-care field and improving working conditions to keep them there, and
• Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centred Practice - changing the way we educate health providers so Canadians will have better and faster access to the health-care provider they need when they need it, ultimately boosting the satisfaction of both patients and health-care providers.

Health Quality Council (HQC)
The Health Quality Council's mission is to improve the quality of care and the caring experience in Saskatchewan by encouraging use of best practice. They are doing this by:

• Engaging their partners
• Measuring and reporting on quality of care
• Promoting quality improvement

The mandate of the Health Quality Council in Saskatchewan is to:

• Monitor standards of care
• Research and develop new standards of care
• Assess prescribing and use of prescription drugs
• Oversee drug approval processes
• Review new technologies
• Promote training and education programs
• Monitor and assess quality of services
• Explore human resource issues

The Health Quality Council may in part fund a Chair from Saskatchewan pending availability of funding, relevancy review and appropriate merit review ranking.

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care - Drug System Secretariat
Through the Transparent Drug System for Patients Act (formerly known as Bill 102), the Ontario Government has committed to provide annual funding for innovative health system research through the establishment of the Drug Innovation Fund. Short-term and multi-year funding will be provided to eligible researchers and organizations in Ontario to support evidence-based research on the impact of drugs on patient outcomes and health system outcomes (including non-drug expenditures) in Ontario in order to support drug policy decision making in the province. Capacity building and knowledge transfer are also important objectives of the Fund.

The mandate of the funding program is to:

• generate strong, high-quality, independent scientific evidence on the impact and value of new and existing drugs across the healthcare system, by linking drug interventions to health or system outcomes
• support linkages between researchers, clinicians and drug policy decision makers to ensure the timely and effective application of relevant evidence-based scientific information and to support the objectives and priorities of Ontario's Drug System Secretariat
• support and develop research capacity in the area of drugs and health outcomes in Ontario

Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation
The Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) is responsible for funding, facilitating and promoting health research in Saskatchewan. This includes leading the implementation of Saskatchewan's Health Research Strategy, with four strategic themes: advancing priority research areas; emphasizing knowledge translation; building health research capacity; and evaluating impact.

Health services and policy research is one of the five priority research areas defined in the Health Research Strategy, with emphasis on: workforce planning, training and forecasting; quality management and improvement; primary healthcare; mental health and addiction services; timely access to care; innovative cost-effective service delivery models; and rural and remote health services.

In addition to stated program criteria, SHRF's partnering decisions will be based on: i) alignment with strategic priorities (above); ii) funding availability; iii) other partnership opportunities that materialize in a similar timeframe; and iv) the goal of increasing nationally funded research in Saskatchewan. SHRF's partnering commitment will not exceed 50% of the overall value of any award.

The Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation may in part fund a Chair from Saskatchewan pending availability of funding, relevancy review and appropriate merit review ranking.

Additional Information

1. G. Ross Baker, Peter G. Norton, Virginia Flintoft, Régis Blais, Adalsteinn Brown, Jafna Cox, Ed Etchells, William A. Ghali, Philip Hébert, Sumit R. Majumdar, Maeve O'Beirne, Luz Palacios-Derflingher, Robert J. Reid, Sam Sheps and Robyn Tamblyn. The Canadian Adverse Events Study: the incidence of adverse events among hospital patients in Canada. CMAJ, May 25, 2004; 170 (11).