Important Dates

Notices

Table of Contents

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

Description

Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grants are intended to provide support for meetings, planning and/or dissemination activities consistent with the mandate of CIHR and relevant to CIHR Institutes, Initiatives, or Branches.

Activities eligible for funding may include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

• Scientific meetings where the sharing of information takes place (workshops, symposia, conferences, colloquia, etc);
• Gatherings of health researchers, non-researchers, and/or users of health research where the main objective is to facilitate collaboration among individuals or groups (for example, consensus meetings, planning and/or development meetings, networking and partnership development events);
• Opportunities for knowledge exchange involving stakeholder linkages (to inform practice, care, and/or policy);
• Knowledge translation activities at the end of a CIHR grant when it is appropriate to disseminate the results of the research beyond the traditional scientific community.

CIHR's Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) is committed to supporting and integrating knowledge translation and exchange that informs and has an impact on policy and practice. CIHR-IHSPR is committed to developing this capacity within the health services and policy research community and facilitating research community linkages with the end users of research.

To this end, the purpose of this Meetings, Planning and Dissemination (MPD)  funding opportunity is to support health services and policy research development and knowledge translation and exchange activities that contribute to the advancement of the following strategic research and knowledge exchange priority area :

• MPD grants related to the Listening for Direction III (LfD III) and the CIHR-IHSPR Priority Research Areas

These research and knowledge exchange priority areas are described in detail in the Relevant Research Areas section of this funding opportunity.

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 the current funding opportunity is $60,000. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
• The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $20,000 for up to one year. MPD Grants are non-renewable.
• During the ResearchNet e-Submission process, applicants must apply to at least one MPD Grant funding opportunity, and can apply to up to three separate MPD Grant funding opportunities. Funding for successful applications may be granted through a single funding opportunity or through a combination of funding opportunities. However, the total of all MPD Grants received from CIHR cannot exceed $ 25,000.
• Individual applicants may apply to more than one MPD grant competition per year; however, the total funding received from CIHR to support a particular project cannot exceed $25,000.

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".

Objectives

The purpose of the MPD Grant program is to provide financial support for the broad category of Meetings, Planning and/or Dissemination activities that are consistent with the mandate of CIHR and relevant to CIHR Institutes, Initiatives, or Branches.

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity, announced through the MPD Grant program, are:

CIHR-IHSPR will fund meritorious research development and knowledge translation and exchange activities (e.g., workshops, symposia, background papers) to facilitate collaboration among individuals from a variety of fields, disciplines, backgrounds and roles (e.g., Canadian health researchers and research users such as program managers, decision makers and practitioners) with the objective of developing and/or enhancing:

• Collaborative research development and knowledge translation and exchange initiatives to address at least one or more of the research and knowledge exchange priorities identified in this funding opportunity
• Canadian networks of researchers and research users across institutions and geographic regions dedicated to address one or more of the research and knowledge exchange priorities identified in this funding opportunity
• The health services and policy research community in Canada to become increasingly successful in investigator-initiated and strategic research competitions;
• Consensus on priority policy issues and research questions in the research and knowledge exchange priorities identified in this funding opportunity where such common understanding is currently lacking or requires further development;
• Support for activities intended to assist CIHR-IHSPR and its community in identifying new and emerging priorities and issues.

Relevant Research Areas

Following is a description of the research and knowledge exchange priority, eligible for this CIHR-IHSPR MPD grants competition:

• MPD grants related to the Listening for Direction III (LfD III) and the CIHR-IHSPR Priority Research Areas:

CIHR-IHSPR is committed to supporting research development and knowledge exchange activities that contribute to the advancement of the 11 theme areas that emerged from the Listening for Direction III (LfD III) consultation exercise that took place across Canada in early 2007. A detailed description of the LfD III themes is available.

Complementary and corresponding to the LfD III themes, CIHR-IHSPR has identified the following three priority research areas and has an interest in supporting research development and knowledge exchange activities in:

1. Access to Appropriate Care across the Continuum

• Health human resources
• Primary health care reform
• Community-based care (e.g., long-term care, home care, mental health, rehabilitation)
• Chronic disease prevention and management
• Strategic management for timely treatment
• Citizen engagement

2. Drug Policy

• Effectiveness, safety and adverse events
• Policies for equitable access to medicines (e.g., provincial formularies, regulation, financing and sustainability)
• Citizen-centeredness and public expectations (e.g., direct-to consumer advertising, role of the media, role of the public in resource allocation decision-making)

3. Health Information

• Electronic health records (e.g., evaluation, implementation, secondary use of data, ethical and privacy issues)
• Improving the quality, access to, linkage of, and use of data by decision makers and health services researchers
• Linkability of datasets across jurisdictions
• Harmonizing data privacy laws and consent for use of data for health services research

A more detailed description of these three CIHR-IHSPR priority research areas is available.

Examples of activities eligible for funding are provided below. These examples are not intended to be exhaustive and there is no intent to imply that applications for these types of activities would be more successful than for activities not captured in the list below.

Scientific Meetings (e.g., workshops, symposia, etc):

The purpose of workshops or symposia will generally be to reach consensus on emerging priority policy/system/service issues or related research questions in the priority research and knowledge exchange areas described above, or to identify and elaborate on new issues and/or priority areas that are likely to be of interest to healthcare decision makers, managers and providers, and therefore to CIHR-IHSPR. All events should involve a mix of researchers and research users, although it is generally expected that many participants will hold academic appointments in Canada.

Research Development Activities:

The range and definition of research development activities is less prescriptive. CIHR-IHSPR would like to allow for and support creativity and innovation where such activities are likely to contribute to improving the approaches to, and the dissemination and uptake of, its funded research. New approaches and strategies, particularly involving the collaboration of researchers from various fields of expertise and disciplines as well as research end users, are encouraged.

Eligibility

Please refer to the Eligibility Requirements for CIHR Grants and Awards regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions.

The following eligibility requirements apply to the CIHR MPD Grant program:

• Applicants affiliated with Canadian non-governmental not-for-profit organizations (including community or charitable organizations) with a research or knowledge translation mandate consistent with the mandate of CIHR may be eligible to apply for funds through the CIHR MPD Grant program.
• If an organization or institution is uncertain about its eligibility for funding through the MPD Grant program, it is encouraged to seek clarification from CIHR staff designated in "Contact Information".
• The CIHR definition of Principal Applicant does not apply to the MPD Grant program. Applications are equally welcomed from independent researchers, research trainees, activity/event coordinators affiliated with Canadian non-governmental not-for-profit organizations, and/or community leaders. In the context of the MPD Grant program, the term Principal Applicant is defined as any individual who plays a primary role in the organization or administration of the proposed activity / event.
• A Nominated Principal Applicant, who assumes administrative responsibilities for the grant, must be named for each MPD Grant application.
• The business office of the institution / organization of an eligible Nominated Principal Applicant will generally administer CIHR funds. If the institution / organization of the Nominated Principal Applicant has not previously signed a memorandum of understanding with CIHR, then additional paperwork will be required as a condition of funding. Additional details will be provided by CIHR.

Specific Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility requirements specific to this funding opportunity include the following:

• All events should generally involve a mix of researchers and research users although an applicant can justify why this is not required or appropriate.

Guidelines

This funding opportunity will follow the General Guidelines for Grant Programs.

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.

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

Expenses eligible for support through the MPD Grant program include:

• Costs associated with planning, publication, translation, and/or dissemination;
• Fees or honoraria for the preparation of background documents (e.g., environmental scan).

For meetings funded through the MPD Grant program, the following expenses are eligible for support:

• Travel and accommodation for participants;
• Meeting rooms and associated meeting costs (e.g., audio-visual equipment, videoconferences);
• Hospitality costs (non-alcoholic refreshments or meals);
• Modest honoraria (up to $500 CAD) for guest experts.

The following costs are not eligible for support through the MPD Grant program:

• Stipend/salary support for investigators, research trainees or technical assistants (other than for aforementioned purposes);
• Purchase or maintenance of equipment;
• Operating costs of research projects.

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 requirements 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 requirements shall apply:

• Within three months after the activity / event, the Nominated Principal Applicant is required to submit a final report, summarizing the outcomes and describing how the grant funds were used. A standard form will be provided by CIHR.
• CIHR-IHSPR may, at its discretion, make these final reports available to relevant partners and stakeholders. CIHR-IHSPR reserves the right to publish all or part of these reports on the CIHR website or in other CIHR communication tools (newsletters etc.).

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 the CIHR Institutes, Initiatives, Branches and/or partners providing funding in any communication, materials, or publications related to the activity / event. See CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies, Public Communication and Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support for details on CIHR's communication requirements. The contributing CIHR Institutes, Branches, and/or funding partners will be identified on the Authorization for Funding and decision letter.

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.

Review Process and Evaluation

Review Process (Updated: 2008-08-18)

The CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research will provide funding for applications that are relevant to (in alignment with) the objectives and relevant areas described in the "Objectives" section.

Relevance Review

The relevance of applications will be determined prior to peer review. For this process, the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research and other Partners, as required, will have access to the project titles, the brief description of the proposed activity and the relevance of the application to the objectives sections. Applications deemed not relevant to the initiative will be withdrawn from the competition and will not proceed to peer review.

The following relevance criterion will be used in conducting the relevance review:

• Alignment of the objectives of the proposed activity with the specific objectives of the CIHR Institute, Initiative, or Branch offering funding through the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant program 

Peer Review

A CIHR review committee will evaluate the full applications. The review committee will be comprised of CIHR staff and in some cases, external delegates with expertise necessary to conduct the review. 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).

The review committee will review the applications for merit in the context of the objectives and research priorities outlined in the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant funding opportunities to which the applicant is applying. (Updated: 2008-08-18)

Evaluation Criteria

The following set of evaluation criteria will be employed to assess applications:

Activity objectives:

• Clarity of the stated objectives and defined scope
• Likely impact of the anticipated outcomes (consensus, research priorities, guidelines, research project)

Knowledge exchange and/or Dissemination:

• Inclusion of relevant stakeholders (research community, decision-makers, health care providers, etc.) and sectors (private, public, charities)
• Potential to catalyze new initiatives; to develop new inter- and multi-disciplinary collaborations among researchers and/or users of research
• Clearly defined dissemination plans for activity outcomes

Feasibility:

• Perceived ability of applicant(s) or coordinating group(s) to meet objectives of Funding Opportunity
• Appropriate budget and justification for amount requested

The following evaluation criteria are specific to this funding opportunity:

• Extent to which the proposed research or knowledge exchange activities add to or complement existing evidence and knowledge in the identified strategic research and knowledge exchange priorities
• Potential to catalyze new initiatives in health services and policy research and/or its application to policies, programs and practice
• Appropriateness of the proposed activity and likelihood of success
• Schedule of planned activities
• Reporting and evaluation plan

How to Apply

Applicants to the MPD Grant program are required to submit their applications electronically using ResearchNet.

ResearchNet is a tool available on the Internet which allows the research community to electronically submit grant registrations and applications, to obtain funding-related information, and to actively share, collaborate on, and complete administrative tasks. The applicant will be able to submit their information electronically and will be acknowledged electronically. This allows CIHR to receive and begin processing the data and documents which comprise the application almost immediately.

Apply using ResearchNet as follows:

1. Register to obtain a CIHR PIN. If you already have a CIHR PIN, do not re-register.
   
   
2. Register to obtain a ResearchNet account. You should only have one ResearchNet account. If you have already accessed ResearchNet, please do not register for a new account.
   
   
3. Logon to ResearchNet and follow the on-screen instructions; these will guide you through the application process. Provide clear and concise answers to all applicable questions in one of the official languages.
   
   
4. In order to be considered for funding, applicants must apply and state the relevance of their proposal to at least one MPD Grant funding opportunity. However, the same application can be used to apply to up to three separate MPD Grant funding opportunities, provided the proposed activity is relevant to multiple funding opportunities. Funding for successful applications may be granted through a single MPD funding opportunity or through a combination of MPD funding opportunities.
   
   
5. During the ResearchNet e-Submission process, applicants will be prompted to select the MPD Grant funding opportunities to which their application is relevant from a pull-down menu, and to describe the relevance of their application to the specific objectives and evaluation criteria listed in those funding opportunities.

(Updated: 2008-08-18)
Reminder to applicants: Please ensure that your application is complete (including all required signatures) and submitted on time to CIHR. Effective September 1, 2008, CIHR will assume no responsibility in following-up with applicants who submit an incomplete application. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted into the competition.

Additional instructions must be followed for this funding opportunity:

• In the Detailed Activity Description, applicants must include a schedule of planned activities as well as a reporting and evaluation plan
• If applicable, applicants can attach signed letter(s) of support from partner(s)

Contact Information

For questions on CIHR funding guidelines, eligibility, how to apply, and the MPD Grant application review process contact:

Grace Almasi
Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant Program Coordinator
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-941-3485
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: MPD-SRPD@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and the objectives of this funding opportunity contact:

Krissy Davidge
Associate, Strategic Initiatives
Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Health Services and Policy Research
Telephone: 613-952-4539
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: krissy.davidge@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Partner/Collaborator Description

Note: Additional partners/collaborators, including partners/collaborators from industry and the private sector may 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 health care system.

CIHR - Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR)
CIHR 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