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

CIHR's mandate is to excel in the creation of new knowledge and to translate it into improved health for Canadians. One way in which this translation occurs is through the dissemination of health knowledge and its application to the Canadian public.

The Program

The CIHR Journalism Award program supports media coverage of health related issues so as to better inform Canadians of health research evidence of relevance in their lives.

For the purposes of this award, health research includes, but is not limited to the following:

• biomedical research;
  
• clinical research;
  
• research in health systems and services; and
  
• research in population and public health.

Recipients may undertake projects in print, broadcast and on-line media. Projects are expected to include a period of investigation and study to assemble the information needed for a series of in-depth news or feature articles or documentaries. Some travel to interview information sources would be anticipated.

Funds Available

CIHR's contribution to the amount available for this initiative is subject to availability of funds voted annually to CIHR by parliamentary appropriations, and the conditions that may be attached to them.

• The total amount available for this initiative is $225,000. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
• The Program will fund up to seven Tier 1 Awards (worth $20,000 each), up to six Tier 2 Awards (worth $10,000 each) and up to five Tier 3 Awards (worth $5,000 each).
• Awards will be made via a one-time payment and must be taken up by March 15, 2010. The period of the award is 12 months.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:

• To encourage Canadian journalists to go "above and beyond" their normal level of coverage of health research issues, and report in depth on key issues of interest to the Canadian public;
• To support the synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically sound application of research-based knowledge to improve the health of Canadians;
• To build interest in health research issues among Canadian reporters, photographers, freelancers and editors;
• To increase the number of journalists with an interest and expertise in health research issues;
• To satisfy the continuing demand by Canadians for more quality coverage of health related issues; and
• To recognize and support excellence in Canadian health research reporting and journalism.

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding programs apply.

Specific Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility requirements specific to this funding opportunity include the following:

Any working journalist - reporter, editor, photographer, producer, editorial writer or freelancer - reporting on health or health research issues, or wishing to do so, is eligible. Applicants must be Canadian citizens, or permanent residents of Canada. (Canadian citizens working as journalists outside the country are also encouraged to apply).

Applicants must clearly indicate which level of Award they are applying for and should provide a comprehensive rationale for the choice. Individuals may only apply once for a Tier 1 or Tier 2 Award. Individuals applying for a Tier 3 Award may also apply for a Tier 1 or Tier 2 Award (or vice versa).

Tier 1 applicants must have at least seven years of prior work experience as a journalist.

Tier 2 applicants must have:

• at least two years of prior work experience as a journalist, or
• a degree or diploma from a university or college, with courses or specialization in health or science journalism, or
• full time employment at a mainstream media outlet

Tier 3 applicants must be working journalists employed at media outlets meeting one of the following three criteria:

• a daily newspaper with an average daily circulation of less than 100,000;
• a local radio station (i.e., a commercial radio station licensed to operate in a market where the licensee is expected to provide local news and information); or
• a local television station (i.e., a commercial television station licensed to operate in a market where the licensee is expected to provide local news and information)

Freelance journalists are expected to have had six articles published between October 15, 2008 and October 15, 2009. In the case of magazine articles, any article published after October 15, 2008 or scheduled for publication before April 30, 2010 can be used as one of the six articles needed to meet this requirement. As well, any book written by an applicant and published since October 15, 2007, or accepted for publication by a reputable printing house can be used to fully meet the six-article requirement for freelancers.

The proposed project must focus on a health research issue or issues.

Applicants for Tier 1 and Tier 2 Awards must have a letter of intent from a reputable, wide-audience media outlet to publish/broadcast their work. Applicants for Tier 3 Awards must have a letter of intent from their employer (Managing Editor or equivalent or higher) to publish/broadcast their work.

Recipients of Tier 1 Awards may not apply for additional CIHR Journalism Awards before December 31, 2010. Recipients of Tier 1 Awards from the 2008 competition may not apply for awards under this competition.

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.

The following expenditures will be considered eligible for funding received through this funding opportunity:

• Travel
• Accommodations and food
• Miscellaneous expenses related to conduct of interviews (not to include purchase of equipment)
• Stipend (up to half of the award value for Tier 1 and Tier 2 Awards only)

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 six months after the end of the grant's term, the Awardee is required to submit a final performance report, summarizing the results and describing how the grant funds were used. A standard template will be provided.

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

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.

All Recipients must provide a copy of the materials prepared for publication or broadcast to CIHR. Where the target publication is in a language other than an official language (English or French), an official language translation must be provided. All Recipients must consent to the full and unlimited reuse of their materials by CIHR (including but not limited to publication on the CIHR Web site, citation in annual reports or other documents, etc.) at any time six months after the initial publication or broadcast of the material, or if the materials are not published or broadcast, 12 months after receipt of the Award.

The Recipients will also ensure that their Agreements with any third party to publish or broadcast or in any other way use the materials do not impede CIHR's right to re-use of the materials in any way as described above.

Recipients may be asked to make presentations at CIHR journalist workshops or at the annual meetings of the Canadian Science Writers Association and/or by the Association des communicateurs scientifiques du Québec.

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.

Review Process and Evaluation

Peer Review

A peer review committee will evaluate the full applications. The committee will include members nominated by the Canadian Science Writers Association and by the Association des communicateurs scientifiques du Québec. Nominations will be in conformance with CIHR's Policy on Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest and Privacy Issues in Peer and Relevance Review (CCIP).

Recipients will be selected primarily on the basis of previous work and commitment to report on health issues, as well as the scope and merit of work proposed in their applications. There should be a strong connection between the work proposed and Canadian health research.

Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria for evaluating applications will be used:

• Novelty and/or importance of the topic proposed for investigation by the Applicant. (Special consideration will be given to proposals that address areas of health research that are underreported in Canada.)
• The extent to which the proposed media outlet(s) is appropriate for the dissemination of the work produced (e.g. reputation, audience reach).
• The extent to which the use of research-based information is a key component of the work proposed. (There should be a strong connection between the topic proposed and Canadian health research.)
• Achievements and activities of the Applicant, including publication credits, experience reporting on the topic proposed for investigation.
• The extent to which the scope of the proposed project represents good value relative to the monetary amount of the Award

NOTE: Applications will be pooled separately into Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 groups for evaluation. Only the applications with scores greater than 3.5 in each pool will be considered for funding.

How to Apply

(Please note that there is no formal application form.)

Applications with all supporting materials must be submitted by October 15, 2009. To apply, e-mail the following materials to journalism.awards@cihr-irsc.gc.ca, with subject line "lastname firstname CIHR Award Application:

1. Your Curriculum vitae, with details of your previous awards, prizes or fellowships.
2. Your research proposal (three pages maximum), describing:
   1. Your career goals and reasons for applying for the Award;
   2. A clear indication of whether you are applying for Tier 1, Tier 2or Tier 3 Award, along with a comprehensive rationale as to why your application meets the criteria for the award level you have chosen; and
   3. A short outline of the project(s) you would want to complete during the Award, including justification for the importance of the topic, along with proposed target media for publishing/broadcast.
3. Your budget, outlining your planned expenses in conducting the research required for the Award and estimated timeframe for the research.
4. Samples of recent work (Maximum six - see conditions below.).
5. A letter of intent from a reputable, wide-audience media outlet to publish/broadcast your work
6. (Freelancers only) A list of articles or books recently published or about to be published that demonstrate that you are eligible to apply as a freelancer as per the criteria specified above in Section 5.F "Eligibility." The list should include title, date of publication, and media outlet (name of paper, magazine, broadcast, etc.).

As well, you must arrange for two letters of support from other journalists familiar with your work, including a letter from your current senior editor or news director supporting your application (If you are a freelance journalist, you may send a letter of support from an editor, producer or colleague familiar with your recent work.) Letters must be sent directly to CIHR via mail to 160 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario. K1A 0W9 Attention Michael Dwyer.

Finally, you must send an original, signed consent form [ PDF-Fillable (71 KB) | PDF (48 KB) | Help ] to CIHR (address above), courier stamped no later than October 16. 2009.

NOTES

We will send you confirmation of the receipt of your e-mailed application.

Samples of recent work should be provided as follows:

• Print applicants: Original clips should be provided as PDF files where possible. Freelancers may also wish to provide original text files as submitted to the publishing medium. Photographs should be submitted as .jpg or .tiff files.
• Broadcast applicants: applicants may send files as MPEG files. Each piece must be identified with your name, program title, running time and date aired.
• Material in languages other than Canada's official languages (English and French) must be accompanied by an official-language translation.

Applicants should indicate how the Award will enable them to undertake a project beyond the normal scope of their work. Proposed projects must have some linkage to Canada and relevance to Canadian audiences.

Applicants must apply as individuals and not as teams of two or more. If a proposal would require the resources of a team (e.g., a cameraperson to accompany the reporter/producer), the applicant should treat the additional personnel as subcontractors. Applicants should choose the award level that best matches the scope of the project they are undertaking, in terms of time and budget required.

Please ensure that your application is complete and is submitted on time to CIHR. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted into the competition.

Contact Information

For questions about this initiative how to apply, and the review process, contact:

Michael Dwyer
Public Affairs Officer
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-941-0688
Email: michael.dwyer@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

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 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 13,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

CIHR – Knowledge Synthesis and Exchange Branch
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research's (CIHR) principal 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. The CIHR Knowledge Synthesis and Exchange Branch is dedicated to supporting outstanding research and research synthesis, building capacity for the uptake of knowledge and strengthening the science of knowledge translation best practices in the interest of improving the health and quality of life of all Canadians.