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Description
The funding opportunity provides support for planning and/or development activities that normally precede complex, multi-stakeholder and/or team research programs across the range of intrinsic and extrinsic challenges (from biological to environmental) in mobility in aging.
This funding opportunity is one of a number of mechanisms under the Mobility in Aging Initiative led by the CIHR Institute of Aging.
Background
In the context of the Mobility in Aging Initiative and this funding opportunity, mobility encompasses not only participation in society (e.g., ability to drive and having accessible public transportation) and physical activity, but also the performance of specific maneuvers such as walking or climbing stairs and the carrying out of instrumental activities of daily living.
Mobility is a challenge for a significant proportion of the older population. In addition to extrinsic barriers of mobility, such as inappropriate aids, transportation infrastructure and physical environments, older adults also cope with intrinsic barriers, such as fear of falling and mobility impairments. Currently of those 60 years of age or over, 13% have mobility impairments; the proportion climbing to 30% by 80 years of age.1 As baby boomers move through their senior years over the next 4 decades, the number of Canadians living with mobility impairments will grow exponentially. Already, 54% of Canadians 55 and older believe that they are less mobile than they were 10 years ago: more than one third have difficulty climbing several flights of stairs and one quarter have difficulty bending or stooping (28%) or walking a kilometer or more (24%).2
Mobility in older adults can significantly affect social and economic independence along with physical and mental health. Research addressing the range of intrinsic and extrinsic challenges (i.e., from biological to environmental) associated with mobility in aging has the potential to optimize the well-being of a large number of Canadians as well as significantly reduce the nation's health care costs.
This Catalyst Grant: Planning and Development in Mobility in Aging funding opportunity is being offered to enable researchers to prepare substantively for CIHR open competitions (such as Operating Grants and Team Grants) or future strategic proposals in the context of the Mobility in Aging Initiative.
NOTE: The Catalyst Grant: Planning and Development in Mobility in Aging funding opportunity is specifically targeting planning and development activities and is being launched under the framework of the CIHR Catalyst Grant Program, which covers other activities beyond planning and development. In general, the CIHR Catalyst Grant program provides seed money, on a short-term basis, to support health research activities which represent a first step towards the pursuit of more comprehensive funding opportunities (e.g. operating grants, team grants), such as pilot projects, high risk projects, and new inventions, tools and methodologies.
More information about this program can be found in the CIHR Catalyst Grant Program overview.
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.
- The total amount available for this initiative is $520,000. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
- The value of a single grant will range from $80,000 - $100,000 per annum for up to one (1) year (non-renewable); the funding level depending on availability of funds and quality of the proposal. The equipment amount is awarded in year one.
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 each partner/collaborator are outlined in the section "Objectives".
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Objectives
The specific objectives of the Catalyst Grant: Planning and Development in Mobility in Aging are:
- To promote and advance Canadian research in mobility in aging;
- To encourage innovative research questions and novel approaches and methods;
- To provide opportunities to strengthen research approaches;
- To better position individual researchers and/or teams of researchers for CIHR open competitions and Institute strategic funding opportunities;
- To facilitate the integration of stakeholders for the purpose of refining research questions and/or knowledge translation and exchange.
In general, the CIHR Catalyst Grant program is designed to:
- Generate preliminary observations, data or knowledge, or to facilitate team formation, as a first step towards the pursuit of more comprehensive funding opportunities (e.g., operating grants, team grants) by researchers or teams of researchers
- Support original, high quality projects which have the potential to generate high impact results and/or innovative research proposals, research tools, techniques, devices, inventions, or methodologies.
Relevant Research Areas
Planning and development activities should lead to research projects that address research and knowledge translation needs within the range of intrinsic and extrinsic challenges (from biological to environmental) associated with mobility of older Canadians. Such application must be related to aging and/or the aged in one or more of the following relevant research areas:
- biological and physiological factors
- behavioural and psychosocial factors
- biomedical, clinical and technological innovations
- prevention, rehabilitation and management
- environmental factors - social, economic, policy and physical
Within or across any of the above areas, eligible activities also include addressing ethical issues/impact of the research, research translation and research outcomes. There is potential overlap between the above areas, and restriction to solely one area is not expected. Similarly, addressing multiple areas is not an absolute requirement, although multi-disciplinary approaches are encouraged.
Through various consultations, research and knowledge translation gaps in mobility in aging have been identified. Applicants are encouraged to direct their proposals to address these issues:
- Understanding and defining mobility in aging: trajectory of mobility status in health and disease, and from function to impairment
- Maintaining and restoring mobility in aging: impact of behavior, prevention, intervention and health system models
- Measures, tools, and technologies in research, assessment and mobility aids
- Supportive designs for mobility in aging: housing, communities, and transportation
More details on the outcomes of these consultations, the 4 targeted research areas, and other gaps can be found in the document: Mobility in Aging Initiative - Priorities for Research and Research-advancing Activities Identified through Consultations.
Other Mobility in Aging Partners engaged in this initiative will consider supporting applications under this funding opportunity. Their interests are detailed under the “Review Process and Evaluation” section.
In the context of eligible and relevant planning and developmental activities, of which one or more might be included in the application, the following examples are provided. These examples are not intended to be exhaustive and there is no intent to imply that applications in these areas would be more successful than those in other areas.
- Development of collaborations among researchers and potential stakeholders, including those who may not typically associate with CIHR (e.g., architects, engineers, transportation planners and analysts, construction industry, consumer groups);
- Consultation involving a cross section of stakeholders (which may include experts from key international centres and institutions) to address the needs, gaps and opportunities related to both Canadian research activity and research capacity;
- Engagement of stakeholders with researchers from a number of disciplines to develop a program of research on emerging issues in Canada;
- Validation of the application of existing, or development of new, methodologies, conceptual theories or frameworks (including a clinical or scientific controversy) to guide research and knowledge translation;
- Analyses of existing population health and/or linked databases to assist in the development of new insights and theoretical models;
- Development and testing of novel research protocol(s);
- Pilot research on 'natural experiments' such as emerging policy, practice or social/environmental shifts;
- Adaptation and feasibility testing of programs successfully undertaken in other jurisdictions;
- Evaluation of current methods of knowledge translation to, and uptake by, various stakeholders, i.e., consumers, practitioners, public, policy, and private sector.
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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.
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) will not be considered under this Funding opportunity.
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Guidelines
This Funding opportunity will follow the CIHR Guidelines for Grant Programs.
Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the use of Gender and Sex-Based Analysis in applications. This encouraged approach does not contradict CIHR Institute of Aging's promotion and support of research that advances the health and quality of life of older adults (generally above the age of 65).
Allowable Costs
Applicants should review the Use of Grant Funds section of the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) Financial Administration Guide for a complete listing and description of allowable costs and activities.
In the context of this funding opportunity for Planning and Development in Mobility in Aging and the above financial administration guidelines, the following allowable costs apply:
- Operating support for specific research-related activities undertaken by the researchers,
- Purchase and maintenance of equipment and other research tools, maintenance funding for common services and shared facilities (up to $5,000),
- Costs of data collection and maintenance of information holdings,
- Costs of regional, national (and, if necessary, international) networking activities, including stakeholder and community mobilization and consultation, collaborative planning, and knowledge exchange activities directly related to the research project,
- Systematic review(s) of relevant research literature,
- Salaries of a professional coordinator and/or research assistants (as appropriate),
- Salaries of excellent trainees (students or fellows as stipulated in CIHR's Grants and Awards Guide) only if they are generating pilot data of relevance to the research, and if it is in the best interest of the attraction, retention and career development of that trainee,
- Costs involved in dissemination of the results of the work funded under this funding opportunity to target audiences,
- Consulting fees (as appropriate).
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 to CIHR standard guidelines and requirements, the following special conditions shall apply:
- Within six months after the end of the grant's term, the Nominated Principal Applicant is required to submit a final performance report, summarizing the results and describing how the grant funds were used. A standard form will be provided by CIHR.
- Proceedings of any workshop or consultative event must be submitted electronically to the CIHR Institute of Aging within 3 months of the event. A standard form will be provided by the CIHR Institute of Aging. CIHR may decide to post such proceedings on its website or other public document.
Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
All personal information collected by CIHR about applicants is used to review applications, to recruit reviewers, to administer and monitor grants and awards, to compile statistics, and to promote and support health research in Canada. Consistent with these purposes, applicants should also expect that information collected by CIHR may be shared as described in Use and Disclosure of Personal Information Provided to CIHR for Peer Review.
CIHR as a federal entity is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, therefore the requirements of these two statutes will apply to all information located in CIHR's premises including, without limitation, cost-sharing agreements related to this Funding opportunity and all matters pertaining thereto.
While respecting the application of the Privacy Act to federal entities, all signing parties involved in a collaborative agreement will also be bound by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). All personal information (as identified by the PIPEDA) collected, used or disclosed in the course of any commercial activity under collaborative agreements related to the Funding opportunity will be collected, used and disclosed in compliance with the PIPEDA.
Communication Requirements
Grant recipients are required to acknowledge CIHR, its institutes and partners in any communication or publication related to the project. See CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies, Public Communication and Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support for details on CIHR's communication requirements. The contributing institutes / partners will be identified on the Authorization for Funding and decision letter.
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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:
- 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.
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Review Process and Evaluation
Relevance Review
The CIHR Institute of Aging and other Mobility in Aging Partners will provide funding for applications that are relevant to (in alignment with) the specific objectives and relevant research activities and areas described in the "Objectives" section.
The relevance of proposals will be determined prior to peer review. For this process, senior Institute of Aging staff (in consultation with the Institute Advisory Board members, as required) and other Mobility in Aging Partners will have access to anonymized project titles and summaries to conduct relevance review. The review of applications for relevance to the strategic initiative will have no impact on the peer review process.
The following criteria will be used in conducting the relevance review:
- Alignment of the proposed program with the objectives of this Planning and Development in Mobility in Aging funding opportunity;
- Extent to which the proposal addresses the above relevant research areas described in the "Objectives" section;
- For the Institute of Aging, it is critical that proposals include aging and/or the aged as essential elements of the research objectives, hypotheses and analyses (e.g., dynamics of aging, age-relevant models and/or aged subjects);
- For the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research proposals must be relevant to its strategic priorities and may include research in capacity-building and knowledge translation initiatives designed to improve the way health care 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;
- For the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis, relevant activities are those that are consistent with CIHR-IMHA's research priority in Physical Activity, Mobility and Health. The CIHR-IMHA encourages researchers across disciplines within the arthritis, bone, skin, muscle, oral health and/or rehabilitation research communities, and across all four of CIHR research pillars to develop research in this priority;
- For the Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine - Strategic Initiative Announcement, applications must be relevant to its strategic focus in the area of rehabilitation sciences;
- For other Strategic Initiative Announcement - Mobility in Aging Partners, many of these will consider funding applications in mobility in aging that are also relevant to their priority areas.
The review of applications for relevance to the strategic initiative will have no impact on the peer review process.
Upon completion of peer review of the full applications, the representatives from senior Institute of Aging staff (in consultation with the Institute Advisory Board members, as required) and other Mobility in Aging Partners will receive the ranking list, merit scores (ratings) and recommendations of the peer review committee with regards to funding level and term for the submitted applications that fall in the fundable range and have been determined to be relevant to the specific eligible areas of inquiry and objectives of the funding opportunity. The list will be used for funding decision-making purposes and will remain anonymous. These applications will be funded from the top down in order of ranking as far as budgets will allow. Applications that receive a ranking below 3.5 will not be funded.
Peer Review
A CIHR peer review committee will evaluate the full applications. The committee may be drawn from one of CIHR's pre-existing committees or may be created specifically for this Funding opportunity. Committee members are selected based on suggestions from many sources including the institute(s) / portfolio(s) and partner(s), following CIHR's Policy on Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest and Privacy Issues in Peer and Relevance Review (CCIP). For information on CIHR's peer review process in general, see the Peer Review section of CIHR's web site.
Upon completion of peer review, senior Institute of Aging and staff, in consultation with the Institute Advisory board members, as required, and other Partners will receive the ranking list, merit scores (ratings) and recommendations of the peer review committee with regards to funding level and award term, for the submitted applications that fall in the fundable range and have been determined to be relevant to the specific eligible areas of inquiry and objectives of the funding opportunity. The list will be used for funding decision-making purposes and will remain anonymous.
Evaluation Criteria
Peer review will be conducted in accordance with The CIHR Peer Review Process - Policies and Responsibilities of Grants Committee Members, including the standard evaluation criteria described under "Factors in the Assessment" (section 6.2).
The following evaluation criteria will apply to peer review of Catalyst Grant applications:
- How important and original are the hypotheses, questions, or issues to be addressed, and how clearly are they formulated?
- How important and novel are the outcomes expected from the proposed research activities? What is the potential for important new observations, tools/techniques, knowledge or impact in health research, or for the expected outcomes to build a foundation for the pursuit of more comprehensive funding opportunities?
- How well will the proposed approach address the hypotheses or questions? How well have the applicant(s) anticipated difficulties in their approach and considered alternatives? How critically is the relevant literature appraised and evaluated?
- How appropriate to the proposed research activities is the training or track record of the applicant(s)? Are the reviewers confident that the applicant(s) can accomplish the work proposed?
In addition, the following evaluation criteria specific to this Funding opportunity will apply.
- Outcome Potential. Applications will be evaluated on the potential of the proposed planning and developmental work to lay the foundation for a meritorious and valuable long-term research project in the selected theme;
- Innovation / Advancement. The project should challenge current research thinking and paradigms and/or address new areas demonstrating potential for significant advance in understanding important, emerging issues associated with mobility in aging in Canada and internationally (as relevant);
- Breadth. The proposed work should involve the necessary perspectives, expertise and disciplines relevant to the issues being studied. Does any proposed team (researcher(s) and stakeholders) bring together the necessary expertise and collaboration to accomplish the work proposed? Are any relevant current (or future) funding or intellectual or knowledge translation partners identified?
- Approach. Where relevant, the application should describe the conceptual framework, methods, hypotheses, design and analyses for projects to be funded by the planning and development grant.
Notes:
- It will be recognized by reviewers that preliminary data or observations for novel ideas or totally new research directions will generally not be available, and therefore there will be a minor emphasis on preliminary data or observations.
- Researchers, regardless of career stage, would not be expected to have an extensive publication record in the new field, but rather to possess a set of transferable competencies that will enable them to accomplish the proposed objectives.
- For projects of a high risk nature, the potential for great scientific gain should offset the risk of failure.
- There should be minimal or no overlap with other funded work.
CIHR recognizes that applications will emphasize different approaches to research and to knowledge translation, therefore reviewers and committees are expected to weight evaluation criteria such as the above differently from one application to another.
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How to Apply
The application process is comprised of two steps: Registration and Full Application.
Review the application instructions provided in How to Apply for Funding.
Applicants are required to complete their applications using the CIHR Web Forms.
Select "Operating Grants" (Registration and Application) from the Grant Programs Application Packages.
Additional instructions must be followed for this Funding opportunity:
- In the Research Funding Program section of the Research Module, select "Strategic Initiative" and enter the title of this funding opportunity: "Catalyst Grant: Planning and Development in Mobility in Agin".
- Research Proposal section of the Research Module is limited to 8 pages, laid out as follows:
- In order to give sufficient emphasis to the work being planned, confine your background discussion to issues that are directly pertinent to the topic of your application, rather than generalities of mobility, such as descriptions of its epidemiology. Provide an overview of research in the specific area nationally and internationally. Limit this discussion and review of the literature to two pages.
- In no more than two pages of text, describe the larger project being planned and/or developed through the work proposed in this application.
- Use the remaining four pages to outline the planning and development activities themselves, including anticipated outcomes and their timelines, justification of how they are important to the larger project, and the names and roles of key individuals and organizations involved.
Send the completed registration and application packages by courier to:
RE: "Catalyst Grant: Planning and Development in Mobility in Aging"
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Address locator: 4809A
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
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Contact Information
For questions on CIHR funding guidelines, how to apply, and the peer review process contact:
Marie-France Roy
Coordinator, Program Delivery
Knowledge Creation Programs Branch, Research Portfolio
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-941-3420
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: maroy@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:
Sharon Nadeau
Associate, Strategic Initiatives
Institute of Aging
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-946-1270
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: snadeau@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
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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.
The CIHR-IA is currently soliciting interest in co-funding this initiative from external partners. Researchers are also strongly encouraged to seek out additional partners to support and disseminate research in Mobility in Aging.
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 health care system.
CIHR - Institute of Aging (IA)
The CIHR Institute of Aging (IA) supports research to promote healthy aging and to address causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with aging. IA has identified five priority areas for research on aging and health (in no particular order): healthy and successful aging, biological mechanisms of aging, cognitive impairment in aging, aging and maintenance of functional autonomy, and health services and policy relating to older people.
CIHR - Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR)
The CIHR- Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) is dedicated to supporting innovative research, capacity-building and knowledge translation initiatives designed to improve the way health care 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.
Other Health Services and Policy Research opportunities exist through the Institute's funding initiatives.
CIHR - Institute of Musculosckeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA)
The goal of the CIHR - Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) is to support research to sustain health and enhance quality of life by eradicating the pain, suffering and disability caused by arthritis, musculoskeletal, oral and skin conditions. To achieve its vision, IMHA will focus on three strategic research priorities:
- Physical Activity, Mobility and Health
- Tissue Injury, Repair and Replacement
- Pain, Disability and Chronic Diseases
Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine Initiative
The Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine Initiative, one of the Large Strategic Initiatives of CIHR, will consider funding Mobility in Aging Planning and Development Grants for proposals deemed relevant to its strategic focus in the area of rehabilitation sciences. Please see the latest initiative for more information on eligible research activities and additional funding opportunities through the Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine - Strategic Initiative Announcement.
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Additional Information
- Hébert et al. American J Epidemiology, 1997; 145: 935-944.
- Canadian Physiotherapy Association/Ipsos-Reid poll (April 2002).
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