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Description
Doctoral Research Awards are intended to provide special recognition and support to students who are pursuing a PhD degree in a health-related field in Canada or abroad. These candidates are expected to have an exceptionally high potential for future research achievement and productivity.
The top ranked Doctoral Research Award (DRA) applicants pursuing doctoral research training in Canada may be eligible for a Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) Doctoral Research Award. (For more information, please refer to the CGS Doctoral Research Award program description). Candidates interested in a CGS Doctoral Award must apply for a DRA; all DRA candidates will be automatically considered for a CGS based on CGS eligibility requirements and ranking in the DRA competition. If you already hold, or have held, any federally-funded doctoral award, you are not eligible for a CGS Doctoral Award, unless the term of the doctoral award awarded was less than the maximum allowed and you continue to meet the eligibility requirements for a DRA described below.
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.
Applications are invited in all areas of health research:
For this competition, applications will be accepted in all areas of health research.
The maximum amount awarded for a single award is $ 27,000 for up to 3 years:
- Trainee stipend: $ 21,000 per annum.
- Research allowance: $ 1,000 per annum.
- For awards held outside Canada, $5,000 is added to the annual stipend.
- This award is non-renewable.
Funding Opportunities in Specific Research Areas
Funds are available for this competition to support Doctoral Research Award applications in specific research areas:
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Objectives
The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:
- To provide recognition and funding to students early in their academic research career, providing them with an opportunity to gain research experience;
- To provide a reliable supply of highly skilled and qualified researchers.
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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.
Specific to CIHR training awards, please refer to the General Guidelines for Training Programs.
Specific Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements specific to this funding opportunity include the following:
- The program is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada at the time of application.
- Only those students engaged in full-time research training in a graduate school are eligible for support. At the time of application, all candidates must have completed at least 12 months of graduate study at the Master's or PhD level.
In addition, at the time of application:
- candidates holding a Master's degree (or who have completed 12 months or more in a Master's degree program prior to transferring to a PhD degree) cannot have been registered for more than 22 months as a full-time student in a PhD program; OR
- candidates who have completed less than 12 months in a Master's degree program prior to transferring to a PhD program cannot have been registered for more than 30 months as a full-time student in a PhD program; OR
- candidates who have transferred directly from a Bachelor's degree to a PhD program (with no time in a Master's program) cannot have been registered for more than 34 months as a full-time student in a PhD program.
Awards will take effect only after the recipient has registered in a full-time PhD program.
The research for which support is being sought should be under the supervision of a researcher who holds research funds obtained through a recognized competitive peer review process. These awards are normally held at Canadian institutions, but applications may be made for awards to be held outside of Canada.
A candidate may not hold more than three years of federal award funding (in total from any federal source) to undertake and/or complete a PhD degree. The maximum duration of award funding from all federal sources to undertake graduate studies is four years. The only exception to this is in the case of a Health Professional funded through the CIHR Fellowship award program. Individuals already holding a doctoral award from a federal source for a term of three years are not eligible to apply.
Individuals with a health professional degrees who seek support for doctoral research training are eligible to apply, but should also consult the guidelines for the CIHR Fellowship program. Those eligible for both have the option of applying to either program but not to both in the same year (i.e., September through August). Please note that a person holding a health professional degree would receive a higher stipend only through the CIHR Fellowships program.
A recipient of a Doctoral Research Award (DRA) with a health professional degree may apply to the Fellowship program no earlier than during the last year of their DRA. If a recipient of a DRA with a health professional degree applies to the Fellowship program for PhD support before the last year of the DRA, funding for the currently-held DRA will be cancelled as of the first potential effective date of the Fellowship award, even if the application is not successful through the Fellowship program.
Students pursuing a combined MD/PhD program are eligible to apply, but are encouraged to review the guidelines of the CIHR Undergraduate: MD/PhD Students program.
Awards must be taken up within 12 months of the earliest possible start date and must start May 1, September 1 or January 1 following the offer of award.
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Guidelines
This funding opportunity will follow the General Guidelines for Training Programs. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the use of Gender and Sex-Based Analysis in applications.
Allowable Costs
The awards consist of a stipend and a research allowance.
For the research allowance, awardees 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.
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.
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
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).
Evaluation Criteria
Doctoral Research Awards are reviewed in accordance with the Guide for Reviewers - CIHR Doctoral Research Awards.
The following general criteria for evaluating training award applications will be used:
- Achievements and Activities of the Candidate;
- Characteristics and Abilities of the Candidate;
- Research Training Environment.
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How to Apply
Note: This funding opportunity requires the use of ResearchNet to apply for funding.
- A step-by-step overview of CIHR's application processes can be found under How to Apply for Funding.
- The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of one step: Application.
- To complete your Application, follow the steps identified below.
- 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.
To complete your Application using ResearchNet:
- Register to obtain a CIHR PIN. This will allow you to validate your Common CV for CIHR. Please note that the CIHR PIN cannot be used to logon to the Common CV, which is an external site. If you already have a CIHR PIN, do not re-register.
- Register with the Common CV network. This will allow you to access the Common CV. If you have already registered with the Common CV, do not re-register. During the ResearchNet e-Submission process, you will be directed to complete a Common CV (for CIHR) by entering the data requirements which are common to all agencies on the first screen of each section (Identification, Contact Information, etc…) and by completing additional CIHR-specific data.
- 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.
- Logon to ResearchNet and follow the on-screen instructions for full application. Provide clear and concise answers to all applicable questions in one of the official languages.
Additional instructions that must be followed for this funding opportunity:
A complete application consists of:
- Common CV Modules (validated for CIHR) for the candidate and the proposed supervisor(s). Draft copies will not be accepted;
- Sponsor's Assessment of a Candidate for a Doctoral Research Award or an Industry Partnered Doctoral Research Award to be completed by the candidate's most recent research supervisor and two other sponsors who have had an opportunity to assess the candidate's potential; and,
- Official transcripts of the candidate's complete academic record to date. CIHR will only accept an official student's copy of the transcript if submitted in the original sealed envelope from the institution. Certified true copies will only be accepted from institutions outside North America.
In order to ensure fairness in the evaluation of Doctoral Research Award applications, equivalent time must be guaranteed for each reviewer to assess each complete application. As a result, CIHR will accept updates to applications (notices of acceptance of publications, letters confirming academic appointment, and notices of any other funding requested or received only) until November 15, 2008. (Updated: 2008-10-27)
Send the completed application package by courier to:
RE: "Doctoral Research Awards"
Research Capacity Development
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:
CIHR Doctoral Research Awards Program Delivery Coordinator
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-954-1963
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: DRA@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
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Additional Information
Appendix
- Audiologist/Speech-language Pathologist
- Chiropodist/Podiatrist
- Chiropractor
- Dentist/Dental Surgeon
- Registered Dietician/Nutritionist
- Medical Laboratory Technologist
- Medical Radiation Technologist
- Midwifery
- Naturopath
- Occupational Therapist
- Optometrist
- Pharmacist
- Physician/Surgeon
- Physiotherapist
- Psychologist
- Registered Nurse
- Registered Psychiatric Nurse
- Respiratory Therapy
- Social Worker
- Veterinarian
Notes:
- To be considered eligible for CIHR programs, the health profession must require at least a Bachelor's degree for licensure in Canada and be regulated by provincial legislation.
- The provincial legislation regarding licensing requirements for the above professions will vary from province to province.
- All health professionals in one of the disciplines listed above and licensed to practice in Canada are eligible to be considered for the higher stipend level under the CIHR Fellowships program and when being paid from a CIHR grant.
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