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Description
The objective of the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project (Terry Fox New Frontiers) Grant at CIHR program is to support Canadian research teams to explore new frontiers in cancer research (i.e., breakthrough and transformative biomedical, clinical, and translational research providing information which may form the basis for innovative cancer prevention, diagnosis and/or treatment). The program will strengthen Canadian cancer research by supporting teams of talented and experienced researchers conducting high-quality research. The Terry Fox New Frontiers grant is designed specifically to support high-risk projects of large potential impact, where the environment will maximize the chances of success. The funding program emphasis is on the production of new knowledge, and the translation of research findings into improvements in the health of Canadians. These results will be realized more rapidly and more efficiently through the collaborative team approach support by Terry Fox New Frontiers Program grants than if the component projects were to be funded as a series of separate operating grants.
Eligible Terry Fox New Frontiers teams will be made up of at least three independent investigators, one of which will be identified as the Nominated Principal Applicant and Program Coordinator and the others as Principal Applicants. The projects in the Program must represent scientific input from all Principal Applicants contributing substantially to the primary research goal. This competition is open to applications that address issues related to the cause of cancer, cancer prevention and diagnosis, cancer care and the cancer care system.
Background
This funding opportunity is announced under the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grants Competition at CIHR.
The Terry Fox New Frontiers grant program funds expert collaborative teams (uni-disciplinary teams, multi-disciplinary teams, trans-disciplinary teams, academic-industry teams, etc.).
Funds Available
The Terry Fox Foundation's contribution to the amount available for this initiative is subject to availability of funds raised by the Foundation.
- $2.6M, at a minimum, per annum for 5 years of funding will be available for this competition, beginning in fiscal year 2010-2011. The Terry Fox Foundation anticipates that 2 to 3 Teams will be funded through this competition.
- Teams recommended for funding through this funding opportunity may be required to submit a revised budget based on the total funds available.
Duration of Projects:
- The Terry Fox New Frontiers Grant program will provide support for new teams applying for the first time for a period three years.
- Terry Fox New Frontiers Grants are renewable, subject to competition and peer review, for a maximum duration of five years.
- Funds for equipment, where applicable, are awarded in year one.
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Objectives
The primary objective of the Terry Fox New Frontiers Grant program is:
- to support new frontiers in cancer research (i.e., breakthrough and transformative biomedical, clinical, and translational research providing information which may form the basis for innovative cancer prevention, diagnosis and/or treatment).
Secondary objectives are:
- to support expert teams of talented and experienced cancer researchers;
- to support high-quality research that addresses an important cancer problem or issue which is best approached through a collaborative team;
- to support high-risk projects of potentially large impact, where the research environment will maximize the chances of success; and
- to support the production of new knowledge and the translation of research findings into improvements in the health of Canadians and the Canadian cancer care system.
Relevant Research Areas
The Terry Fox Foundation will provide funding for applications that are determined to be relevant to the following research areas:
- Breakthrough and transformative research in the biomedical, clinical and translational sciences with potential to impact cancer causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
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Eligibility
Please refer to the Eligibility Requirements for CIHR Grants and Awards regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions. The business office of the institution of an eligible Nominated Principal Applicant generally administers CIHR funds.
Each eligible Terry Fox New Frontiers Grant application will include:
- A team leader, or program co-ordinator, who meets the criteria of "Nominated Principal Applicant" as described in the CIHR Participant Categories for CIHR Grants. The Team Leader must be a researcher with proven leadership capabilities and experience, adequate scientific expertise, administrative experience and time commitment for the overall co-ordination and administration of the program project.
- At least two additional independent investigators who meet the criteria for "Principal Applicant", and who have an established research track record in areas related to the collaborative project(s) proposed, who together with the team leader will form an integrated and more effective research team. Teams with a nucleus of experienced and productive investigators are encouraged to include some promising new investigators in the Terry Fox New Frontiers team.
- Collectively, team members will have an extensive record of success, be creative and original in their approach to research and its translation and have experience working in research teams. The specific contribution of each team member must be described.
In addition, the following special conditions apply:
- The members of the team may pursue other avenues of research in addition to their commitment to the Terry Fox New Frontiers grant; however, each individual investigator must contribute sufficient time to the Terry Fox New Frontiers grant research program to ensure the achievement of its research objectives.
- Members of a team may be located in one or more departments, faculties or CIHR-eligible institutions in Canada. As well, international or private sector collaborators who make a substantial intellectual contribution to the research program may be listed as additional team members; however, Terry Fox Foundation funding is restricted to work performed within CIHR eligible Institutions, except where second order transfer agreements are in place.
- The program project must comprise a minimum of three (3) components or projects that contribute to the common objective or focus.
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) will not be considered under this funding opportunity.
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Guidelines
General CIHR Guidelines
This funding opportunity will follow the General Guidelines for Grant Programs. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the use of Gender and Sex-Based Analysis in applications.
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.
Funding can be used to support:
- Research operating costs for the proposed collaborative research program, which must be distinct in its objectives from those for which team members currently receive funding. Where an application includes overlap with an existing CIHR grant, and that application is successful in the Terry Fox New Frontiers grant competition, continued funding of the ongoing grant will be reviewed.
- Purchase of equipment and maintenance contracts for common services and shared facilities essential for the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project.
- Costs of data collection, database and maintenance of information holdings directly related to the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project.
- Costs of regional, national and international networking activities, including collaboration, planning, and knowledge exchange activities, directly related to the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project.
- Salaries of research assistants, technicians and other personnel who will enhance the collaborative research productivity of the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project team.
- Support of research trainees, at the rate specified by CIHR for trainees paid from research grants. The Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project is expected to provide a superior training environment.
- Salary of a professional coordinator and/or administrative assistant.
- Costs involved in linkage with and dissemination of research findings to those who use the results, as appropriate for the research program (including other researchers, the public, practitioner and policy communities, and the industrial sector).
With the exception of co-applicants who are trainees or research associates, co-applicants may not receive a salary, stipend, or honorarium from Terry Fox New Frontiers grants on which they are a co-applicant (as described in Participant Categories for CIHR Grants).
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 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.
- Each Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project principal applicant becomes an affiliated member of the Terry Fox Research Institute. The Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project is expected to participate in, and report annually throughout the lifetime of the grant at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Terry Fox Research Institute.
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.
Policy on Access to Research Outputs
The Terry Fox Foundation and CIHR believes that greater access to research publications and data will promote the ability of researchers and knowledge users in Canada and abroad to use and build on the knowledge needed to address significant health challenges. Open access will promote accessibility to Terry Fox Foundation and CIHR-funded research and will serve to increase the international visibility of Canadian research. Grant recipients are reminded to adhere with the responsibilities outlined in the Policy on Access to Research Outputs. Under this policy, grant recipients must make every effort to ensure that research papers and bio-molecular data generated from CIHR funding are freely accessible online.
Communication Requirements
Recipients of Terry Fox Foundation funding are required to acknowledge Foundation's support in peer-reviewed research publications by citing the corresponding five digit funding reference number. Funder attribution will enable The Foundation and CIHR to utilize and promote their publishing output. Terry Fox New Frontiers grant recipients will also be required to adhere to special branding requirements as a condition of receiving a Terry Fox New Frontiers Grant. The official name for the grant will be "The Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project in (area of research)." The grant name must be used in all communication and promotion relating to the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project grant. A grant name must be proposed as part of the application for a Terry Fox New Frontiers grant. Successful applicants and their host institutions will be required to agree in writing to proper use of the grant name as well as the Terry Fox Foundation and CIHR logos 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.
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Performance Measurement
The Terry Fox Foundation and CIHR are committed to demonstrating results to Canadians for the money invested in cancer 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 Index of Funding Related Forms;
- 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; and
- 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
Relevance review will be conducted at the letter of intent stage. Representatives from the CIHR Institute of Cancer Research and the Terry Fox Research Institute will have access to the anonymized Letter of Intent package and the one-page attachment describing how the proposed research addresses the objectives and relevant research areas (see "How to Apply").
The following criteria will be used in conducting relevance review:
- the extent to which the objectives of the program are addressed; and
- evidence of, or potential for, real synergies between projects and within the research team.
Peer Review
Eligible and relevant Letters of Intent (LOIs) and applications will be evaluated by a specifically-constituted, multidisciplinary peer review committee(s) designed specifically for the review of Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project grants. The peer review committee may make suggestions to the applicants on how to strengthen their detailed proposal. It could, for example, suggest the grouping of complementary applications, and propose additional partnerships or funding sources.
Once the review of LOIs is completed, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by the deadline date. The names of teams that will be invited to apply and the topic of their research will be published on the CIHR website.
Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project grant applications will be evaluated as a single, integrated entity. While each research component included in the application must be meritorious, it is critical to demonstrate that the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project brings added value, in terms of the approach to cancer problems or issues, and the speed and efficiency with which new knowledge will be generated, or translated into improvements in health or the health care system, when compared with funding the proposed work as a series of separate operating grants.
Site Visit
Following review of written application, the peer review committee may chose to further evaluate a limited number of highly rated applications by holding site visits.
Evaluation Criteria
General criteria for assessing applications are listed below. Because different applicant teams will emphasize different approaches to research and to knowledge translation, it is understood that reviewers and committees will weight questions such as these differently from one application to another.
Address an important health and disease, health care or health system problem or issue:
- How important is the health problem being addressed? Will anticipated findings be of broad interest and applicability?
- How important, novel and/or original are the hypotheses or the questions to be addressed, and how clearly are they formulated?
- How important and original are the contributions expected from the research proposed? What is the potential for important new knowledge or impact on health and health research?
Research proposed:
- How well will the proposed research address the hypotheses or questions?
- How appropriate are the methods for the conduct of the research? Where applicable to the type of research proposed, does the proposal take into account the social, cultural and environmental factors surrounding the research problem?
- Do the methods represent the best current practice, and the most economical, effective approach?
- How well have the applicants anticipated difficulties in their approach and considered alternatives?
- How critically has the relevant literature been appraised and evaluated?
Applicants' productivity, experience and training:
- How appropriate to the research proposed is the training or track record of the applicants?
- How important and original is the recent productivity of the applicants?
- What is the likelihood that the research team can do the work proposed? (The proposed time commitment to the research may influence this judgment.)
Appropriateness of the Applicants:
- Do key members have a track record of having participated and/or having provided leadership to collaborative research teams?
- Have team members demonstrated sustained productivity, creativity and originality in their research?
Value added of funding through a collaborative program:
- How well will the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project enhance the understanding and accelerate the resolution of the health and disease, health care or health system issue, when compared to independent research projects?
Propose a coherent, integrated and feasible research plan:
- Is the health and disease, health care or health system issue approached through an original, cohesive/integrated and feasible research plan that will generate valid, reliable and useful knowledge?
- Does the Team have a plan for engaging and linking with, and dissemination of research findings to, those who will utilize and apply the results?
- Has the Team identified the roles and contributions of all the parties in planning, execution, and evaluation as well as management activities?
Provide superior training opportunities:
- Will the research training and mentoring environment provide a superior experience for undergraduate, graduate and/or post-doctoral trainees, including those with a health professional background?
Propose an innovative problem-based approach to research:
- Does the proposed program of research challenge current research thinking and paradigms and/or address unexplored areas?
- Does the proposed program of research bring together, in a meaningful collaboration, researchers from different disciplines?
- How is this approach going to build on the different expertise and perspectives of team members?
Upon completion of peer review of the full applications and site visits, the CIHR Scientific Council's subcommittee on programs and peer review will receive the ratings, rankings and peer review committee recommendations on funding level and term for the applications that are rated in the CIHR fundable range. Upon the recommendation of the sub-committee, the CIHR Scientific Council will approve funding of applications from the top down in order of ranking as far as budgets will allow. Applications receiving a score less than 3.5 on the CIHR 0 to 4.9 rating scale will not be considered for funding. The CIHR rating scale is described in Policies And Responsibilities of Grants Committee Members.
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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 two steps: Letter of Intent and Application.
- To complete your Letter of Intent and Application, follow the steps identified below.
- 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, the Required Signatures on Application Forms, 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.
1) Letter of Intent (LOI)
In the first stage of the application process the Nominated Principal Applicant is required to submit a Letter of Intent. (Updated: 2009-04-29)
Applicants are advised to follow the instructions on the Acceptable Application Module Formats page which outlines formatting requirements for the letter and attachments.
The Letter of Intent must include:
- The Registration pages of the CIHR Research Module. To generate the Registration pages, you must access the CIHR Web Forms. Under Research Funding Program select "CIHR Team Grant" and complete the following sections of the Research Module Web Form:
- Research Funding Program
- Nominated Principal Applicant/Candidate
- Project
- Applicants/Co-Applicants
- Suggested External Referees
- Collaborators
- The Nominated Principal Applicant/Team Leader, other Principal Applicants, and co-applicants must provide their signatures on the Signature page. An original signature is required for the Nominated Principal Investigator; Principal Investigator and co-applicant signatures do not need to be originals.
- A cover page of maximum one page (free form; a standard form is not available for the cover page) indicating:
- the title of the Terry Fox New Frontiers research program as it will appear in publicity and other announcements (Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project in area of research);
- the title of the proposal;
- the title of this funding opportunity: Team Grant – Terry Fox New Frontiers Program in Cancer;
- a brief description (10 lines maximum) of the research area of the proposal; and
- five keywords describing the research.
- In a table format, a list of all applicants with their affiliations and expertise (the list need not be final at the Letter of Intent stage).
- Proposal. In a maximum of five pages (not including references), the proposal must outline clearly each of the elements below:
- the objectives of the research program to be undertaken by the research team over the period of funding;
- the nature of the research team and extent of collaboration between investigators, with an explanation of the anticipated value added to the research program through the synergy of the research team (why this cannot be funded through one or more operating grants);
- the capacity of the research team to carry out the program of research proposed;
- the research training and mentoring environment that will provide a superior experience for undergraduate, graduate and/or post-doctoral trainees, including those with a health professional background;
- the preliminary plan for the research program and schedule of work;
- the nature and extent of the host institutions' financial and other forms of long-term commitment to the Team's research, and to ensuring a favourable environment for carrying out the research activities;
- a brief description of the importance and novelty of hypotheses or questions to be addresses and expected findings;
- the plan, including proposed organizational structures for engaging and linking with those who will ultimately use the research findings; and
- if the program project involves partners, the proposed roles of partners in the planning and execution of the research program and the dissemination and utilization of the research results.
- Attachment:
- on one page: the name, title, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the or team leader; and
- a brief curriculum vitae (maximum two pages per applicant) for a maximum of five of the key applicants. This must include information on grants held (source, type, title, amount/year, duration), relevant publications from the last five years, and 5-10 expertise keywords. Full CVs will not be considered.
- Reference: a short bibliography (maximum one page) of any references cited in the Letter of Intent.
- Provide an additional one page attachment (to be identified by the title of this funding opportunity - Team Grant: Terry Fox New Frontiers Program in Cancer) describing how the research proposed addresses the objectives and relevant research areas described in the section "Objectives."
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.)
- Within the Research Funding Program section of the application web form, select the box marked "Strategic Initiative" and enter the title of this funding opportunity in the space provided.
- Complete the Applicant Consent Form for Use and Disclosure of Personal Information Provided to CIHR for Peer Review, which is included in the application form.
- Any additional materials will not be sent to the review committee; this includes letters of support, figures not included in the proposal, updates on publications, updates on other support received, letters confirming academic appointment, reprints, etc.
- Once the review of LOIs is completed, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by the deadline date. The names of teams that will be invited to apply and the topic of their research will be published on the CIHR website.
Send the original Letter of Intent, plus five copies by courier to:
RE: "Terry Fox New Frontiers Program in Cancer"
CIHR Team Grant Program
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Address locator: 4809A
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
2) Application
Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by the deadline date. Details of the application procedure will be provided to those invited to apply. Information required will include a description of the individual components making up the team's research program, as well as the justification for supporting the synergistic aspects of the entire proposal. The review process may involve external reviews and/or a meeting of the leader and team members with sub-sets of the review committee, as appropriate.
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Contact Information
For questions specific to the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project grants Program, including CIHR funding guidelines, how to apply, and the peer review process contact:
Josée Lacroix (Updated: 2009-11-02)
Team Lead, Porgram Delivery
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone:
613-954-5999
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email:
terryfoxgrants@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
For questions about the objectives and relevant research areas:
Benoît Lussier
Assistant Director
CIHR Institute of Cancer
3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler
Suite 701
Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6
Telephone: 514-398-4964
Fax: 514-398-8845
Email: benoit.lussier@mcgill.ca
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Partner/Collaborator Description
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
CIHR is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to catalyze 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 more than 11,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
CIHR – Institute of Cancer Research
The CIHR Institute of Cancer Research fosters research based on internationally accepted standards of excellence, which bear on preventing and treating cancer, and improving the health and quality of life of cancer patients. ICR is dedicated to supporting research that reduces the burden of cancer on individuals and families through prevention strategies, screening, diagnosis, effective treatment, psycho-social support systems, and palliation. ICR is also committed to identifying and developing collaborations with funding organizations and stakeholders to enhance the availability of funding in strategic research priority areas and to create, where appropriate, opportunities for knowledge exchange and translation related to the scope of these priority areas.
Partners
The Terry Fox Foundation
The Terry Fox Foundation strives to maintain the heroic efforts and integrity that Terry Fox himself embodied. The first annual Terry Fox Run in 1981 was organized in conjunction with the Canadian Cancer Society. In 1988, The Terry Fox Foundation became a Trust, independent of the Canadian Cancer Society, and received tax-exempt charitable status under the Income Tax Act. Its mission is to maintain the vision and principles of Terry Fox while raising money for cancer research through the annual terry Fox Run, memoriam donations and planned gifts. In accordance with Terry's whishes, all monies raised in his name are to be uses strictly for cancer research.
The Foundation is committed to operating in a fiscally responsible manner and prides itself on its ability to direct close to 90 cents of every dollar raised to support cancer research in Terry's name.
The research areas relevant to the Foundation's mandate include research leading to an improved understanding of cancer, its prevention, early detection, treatment and cure.
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Additional Information
The value of a Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grant will vary between $750,000 and $1,500,000 per annum for 3 to 5 years.
A Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project is comprised of at least 3 fundable research components. Applications should include at least 3 distinct but interrelated and synergistic components. Applications that include less than 3 components will not be reviewed. Though applications will be evaluated as a single, integrated entity, each research component included in an application will be reviewed for scientific merit and the added value it brings to the overall research program. Reviewers may find that one or more research component is not meritorious or does not add value to the overall research program. If less than 3 research components are judged meritorious, the application will not be funded. The overall recommended budget of fundable applications will be reduced appropriately when the number of meritorious components is less than the number originally submitted.
Exceptionally, the principal applicants and co-applicants who are invited to submit a full application by December 1, 2009, will be permitted, if they so wish, to submit a proposal for individual components of their Terry Fox New Frontiers grant application to the March 2010 CIHR Operating Grants competition. If the proposal is successful in both competitions, the project will be funded by the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grant only. Applicants will be notified of the result of the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Competition before the results of the March 2010 operating Grants competition will be announce on the CIHR Website in July 2010.
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