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Description
As outlined in the CIHR Institute of Genetics (IG) Strategic Plan, the IG recognizes the need to increase and foster clinical genetics research in Canada. In response, the IG created the Clinical Investigatorship Award to increase researcher capacity in this critical area.
The IG Clinical Investigatorship Award affords recipients the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to initiate and conduct research - in the area of clinical genetics - by contributing to their salary. This award is designed to provide protected time for early-career clinical investigators to undertake clinical or translational genetics research for a term of two years, renewable once. Candidates who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply:
- Completed at least two years of research training, or have a record of active clinical research and demonstrated research productivity for at least five years at the time of application;
- Beginning to be involved in research as an independent investigator - i.e., not more than five years at the time of application (candidates can be later in their career in terms of clinical experience); and
- Be qualified as a: (i) clinician in any specialty; (ii) clinician specializing in medical genetics - clinical geneticist, clinical cytogeneticist, clinical biochemical geneticist or clinical molecular geneticist; (iii) genetic counsellor; or (iv) PhD medical geneticist. Clinical qualification is normally indicated by certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, le Collège des médecins du Québec, Canadian College of Medical Geneticists or the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors.
In addition, formal association with at least one competitively-funded independent investigator is required to provide mentorship to the recipient.
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 maximum salary amount for a single award is $140,000 (including fringe benefits) per annum, for up to two years (renewable once).
- Salary contribution:$140,000 per annum, including fringe benefits.
- Applications receiving a rating of less than 3.7 will not be considered for funding.
- This award is renewable once.
Funds Available for the Current Funding Opportunity:
- A minimum of $560,000 over a term of two years is available in support of two awards. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
Partner/Collaborator Participation
The CIHR Institute of Genetics 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 "Objectives" section.
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Objectives
The specific objective of this funding opportunity is to increase Canada's capacity in the area of clinical genetics research.
Relevant Research Areas
- Clinical Genetics Research
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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 salary awards, please refer to the General Guidelines for Salary Programs.
In order to be eligible for this award, an individual must:
- By the start date of the award, hold a full-time appointment at a Canadian university, medical school, teaching hospital, or research institution
- Devote at least 0.6-0.75 FTE (full-time equivalent) to clinical genetics research activities and limit clinical service, teaching and administrative activities to a total of no more than 0.25-0.40 FTE during the period of the award.
- Have completed: (i) at least two years of research training, or (ii) have a record of active clinical research and demonstrated research productivity for at least five years at the time of application
- Be at the beginning of a career in research as an independent investigator- i.e., not more than five years at the time of application (Candidates can be later in their career in terms of clinical experience)
- Be qualified as a: (i) clinician in any specialty; (ii) clinician specializing in medical genetics - clinical geneticist, clinical cytogeneticist, clinical biochemical geneticist or clinical molecular geneticist; (iii) genetic counsellor; or (iv) PhD medical geneticist. Clinical qualification is normally indicated by certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, le Collège des médecins du Québec, Canadian College of Medical Geneticists or the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors.
- Establish a formal association with at least one competitively-funded investigator who will provide mentorship to the recipient. The mentoring investigator must have a competitive operating grant from a recognized Canadian or international funding agency.
- For renewal application only, the home institution must provide a firm written commitment of ongoing support for protected research time that will enable the recipient to continue their career in clinical research after the IG Clinical Investigatorship Award has been completed.
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Guidelines
General CIHR 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 following expenditures will be considered eligible for funding received through this funding opportunity:
- $140,000 per year, for a term of two years, will be provided as a contribution to salaries (including fringe benefits) at a level commensurate with the individual's existing clinical service funding and to release the awardee from clinical, teaching and administrative responsibilities. The award cannot be used to supplement income without reduction of clinical services, teaching and administrative activities to the level of no more than 0.25-0.4 FTE. These funds cannot be used to pay the salary of a person other than the awardee.
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.
Awardees are expected to:
- have read and agree to the communication requirements.
- accept the award within 2 months of the date of offer, and may commence on the first day of any month between the October 1 following the date of offer and March 1 of the following year.
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.
CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People
The CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People came into effect as policy for CIHR-funded research on July 1, 2008. Applicants whose proposed research will involve Aboriginal People are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with these guidelines and in particular with the section "Application of the Guidelines," which outlines the situations in which these guidelines apply.
Communication Requirements
In addition to following the policies relating to Public Communication and Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support, award recipients are required to acknowledge CIHR, its institutes and partners in any communication or publication related to the project. 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 Genetics and partners will provide funding for applications that are relevant to (in alignment with) the specific objectives and relevant research areas described in the Objectives section.
Prior to peer review, the Institute of Genetics and Partners will have access to anonymized project titles and summaries for the purpose of conducting a relevance review. The relevance review will focus on the extent to which the proposed research relates to the Relevant Research Areas described in the "Objectives" section.
Upon completion of peer review, the Institute of Genetics and Partners will receive the ranking list, merit scores (ratings) and recommendations on funding level and award term for the applications that fall in the fundable range and have been determined to be relevant to the specific research areas and objectives of the initiative. The list will be used for funding decision-making purposes and will remain anonymous.
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, the Institute of Genetics and Partners will receive the ranking list, merit scores (ratings) and recommendations on funding level and award term for the applications that fall in the fundable range and have been determined to be relevant to the specific research areas and objectives of the initiative. The list will be used for funding decision-making purposes and will remain anonymous. Based on the total funds available for the initiative, applications will be funded from the top-ranked down as far as the budget will allow.
Applications receiving a score of less than 3.7 will not be considered for funding.
Evaluation Criteria
Peer review will be conducted in accordance with the CIHR Peer Review Process - Policies and Responsibilities of Grants Committee Members.
The following criteria for evaluating applications will apply:
- Applicant track record, including:
- clinical genetics training and experience; and
- research training, accomplishments and productivity of the applicant.
- Research proposal
- Environment and support, including:
- quality of the host research environment (including level of institutional support); and
- quality, appropriateness and commitment of the applicant's mentor(s).
The above evaluation criteria are specific to this funding opportunity. CIHR recognizes that applications will emphasize different approaches to research and to knowledge translation, therefore reviewers and committees are expected to weight criteria such as these differently from one application to another.
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How to Apply
Note: This funding opportunity requires the use of CIHR Web Forms to apply for funding.
- The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of one step: Application.
- To complete your Application, follow the instructions identified in the New Investigator Salary Awards - Web Forms "Application" Phase Instructions.
- An overview of CIHR's application processes can be found under Apply for Funding.
- Reminder to applicants: Please ensure that your application is complete, includes all required signatures (application participants, organizational and partner signatures both National and/or International, as identified in the "Participant Categories for CIHR Grants" and the "Meaning of Signatures on Application Forms" sections of the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide) and is submitted on time to CIHR. As of September 1, 2008, CIHR no longer assumes responsibility in following-up with applicants who submit an incomplete application. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted into the competition.
Additional instructions that must be followed for this funding opportunity:
(Note: These additional instructions supersede all other policies or guidelines published by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, including, but not limited to, the Grants and Awards Guide, the Memorandum of Understanding, etc.)
- When completing the Web Forms, applicants should follow the instructions addressed to "Investigators".
- In the Research Funding Programs section of the CIHR Research Module, select "Strategic Initiative" and enter the title of this funding opportunity– "Clinical Investigatorship Award – Institute of Genetics".
- CIHR Research Module Specific Instructions:
- Page 1:
- Do not check any Program box;
- Under the proposed start date, indicate a date between October 1, 2009 – March 1, 2010; and
- Signatures required: (i) Candidate; (ii) President or Principal; (iii) Head of the Department at the home institution; and (iv) Dean or Research Director at the home institution
- Page 2: Complete as indicated. Co-applicant(s) and associate(s) do not apply
- Pages 3, 4, 5, 6: complete as indicated
- Page 7: select "Strategic Initiative" and enter the title of this funding opportunity – "Clinical Investigatorship Award – Institute of Genetics"
- Page 9: Summarize the objective(s), hypothesis and research plan, using one page
- Page 10: For renewal applications only, complete as indicated
- Pages 11a, b: Complete as indicated if applicable
- Pages 12a, b, c, etc.: Provide a clear and concise description of the research proposal, including the role of the applicant. A maximum of 6 pages may be used
- Appendix 1: Does not apply
- Appendix 2: Letters of support - Ensure all signatures have been obtained prior to mailing:
- Sponsor letter from one or more research mentor(s) who receive funding from a recognized national or international funding agency. The letter must include a description of the proposed research collaboration with the applicant and a statement of commitment to serve as a research mentor to the applicant. For renewal applications, a letter from the mentor(s) on the first Clinical Investigatorship Award is required, and the research collaboration(s) indicated as the result of the first Clinical Investigatorship Award from IG
- Three reference letters: of which one should be from the research mentor; and one from an individual outside the candidates current department or where the award will be held
- A letter of support from the Dean, Research Director or equivalent at the home institution
- Appendix 2A (sections 1, 2 and 3): Complete as indicated
- Head of the department at the home institution, granting the applicant 0.6 – 0.75 FTE time for research if the award is received and providing assurance that the applicant's clinical service, teaching and administrative duties will be limited to no more than 0.25 – 0.4 FTE for the duration of the award. If the candidate needs the approval from additional Clinical or Academic Departments to guarantee the 0.6-0.75FTE research time, the applicant should provide additional letters of support. The letters must describe and justify the contribution to salaries (including fringe benefits) required to release the awardee from clinical service, teaching and administrative responsibilities. The letter must clearly outline all forms of institutional support, including degree of support for protected research time after the completion of the IG Clinical Investigatorship award. For renewal applications only, the letter must provide a firm written commitment of ongoing institutional support for protected research time after the completion of the award.
- Letter from the applicant:
- Describe commitment to pursuing a career in clinical genetics research (250 words)
- For the proposed research, outline plans for securing research funding if (i) funds are not currently held or (ii) if current funding will end during tenure of the IG Clinical Investigatorship Award.
- Canadian Applicant Consent Form: complete as indicated
- Canadian Common CV Module of the applicant
- Common CV Module of the research mentor(s) at the host institution
Send registration and application by courier to:
RE: "Clinical Investigatorship Award – Institute of Genetics"
Research Capacity Development Branch
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 specific to the Institute of Genetics Clinical Investigatorship Award program, including CIHR funding guidelines, how to apply, and the peer review process contact:
April Amponsah
Program Delivery Coordinator
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-957-0296
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: april.amponsah@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:
Jennifer Ahlgren
Institute Project Officer
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-957-6126
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: jennifer.ahlgren@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.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health-care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to nearly 12,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
CIHR Institute of Genetics (CIHR-IG)
The CIHR Institute of Genetics supports research on the human and model genomes and on all aspects of genetics, basic biochemistry and cell biology related to health and disease, including the translation of knowledge into health policy and practice, and the societal implications of genetic discoveries.
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