Important Dates

Notices

Table of Contents

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

Description

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support the prompt initiation of intervention research on rapidly unfolding programs, policies and resource distribution approaches that have the potential to impact health and health equity at the population level. This funding opportunity strongly encourages close collaboration between program implementers (e.g. decision-makers and researchers). Only research projects that are out of the control of the researcher will be considered, meaning that the researcher is not responsible for designing or implementing the intervention.

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. Should CIHR funding levels be decreased by Parliament, CIHR reserves the right to defer or suspend payments to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.

• The total amount available for the First Competition cycle of this funding opportunity is $1,800,000. Remaining funds from this competition will be rolled into the Second Competition. The total amount available for the Second Competition cycle is dependent in the number of successful applicants from the First Competition. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
• The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $100,000 per year for up to 2 years.
• The equipment amount, where applicable, is awarded in year one.
• Partner contribution amounts will be determined following the outcome of peer review.

Partner 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 Description section to find a list of partners and their respective mandates and/or strategic interests. This list will continue to evolve as new partners join in this initiative. The specific research foci and requirements for each partner are outlined in the "Objectives" section.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

• support population health intervention research on rapidly unfolding "natural experiments" of programs, policies and resource distribution approaches that have the potential to promote health and health equity at a population level.
• encourage collaboration of community, non-profit, private, and/or public partners, where appropriate.
• develop knowledge exchange opportunities between researchers and community, non-profit, private, and/or public partners.

Relevant Research Areas:

Population health interventions can include program, policy and resource distribution approaches in public health and other sectors (e.g. education, recreation, transportation, employment and housing). This funding opportunity will support research that examines rapidly unfolding interventions and their impact on health and health equity.¹

This funding opportunity also encourages the application of novel measures, research designs and frameworks emanating from different disciplinary traditions to support the study of these rapidly unfolding population health interventions. This includes but is not limited to how they might adapt to the changing social, cultural or political context or their responsiveness to "policy windows" that may open (often unpredictably, at more than one system level and in more than one sector). Research supported through this funding opportunity is expected to contribute to our understanding of how contextual conditions may intersect with population health interventions to promote health and health equity.

Examples of research that might be conducted are provided below. These examples are not intended to be exhaustive and there is no intent to imply that applications in these research areas would be more successful than those in other research areas.

• New/changes to health-related tax incentives and their differential impacts on vulnerable groups (e.g. lone mothers, immigrants and refugees, working poor)
• New/changes to employment opportunities in resource poor settings and their potential effects on workers' mental health or on the employability of those returning to work after illness or injury
• New programs aimed at improving health that are led by non-health sectors (e.g., housing initiatives, income assistance programs, literacy programs, changes to public transit options/costs/availability)
• The impact of intersectoral policy changes on health and health equity (e.g., rural or urban planning guidelines, workplace management policies, policies related to the environment)

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 Individual Eligibility Requirements regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions

Eligibility to Apply:

In order for your application to be accepted:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant must be an independent researcher;
2. At least one project participant, other than the Nominated Principal Applicant, must be:
   1. An independent researcher;
   2. A knowledge user;
   3. Trainee.
3. The intervention must not be under the direct control of any member of the team, meaning that the researcher is not responsible for designing or implementing the intervention;
4. The research proposed is relevant to at least one of the funding partners, as defined by their relevant research areas noted above;
5. Due to the time-sensitive nature of this Request for Applications, applicants must be eligible to receive funding (according to eligibility requirements for CIHR Grants and Awards described above) at the time of application.

Randomized Controlled Trials:

Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) will not be considered under this funding opportunity.

Guidelines

General CIHR Guidelines

This funding opportunity will comply fully with the policies and guidelines outlined in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide. 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 cannot be used to cover the cost of implementing of interventions. This RFA is for research on population health interventions (programs, policies or resource distribution approaches) already planned or initiated, and funded by others. In addition, grants must not be used:

• As bridging or emergency funding;
• To support ongoing research studies.

Global Health Research and International Collaborations
 
As outlined in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide Global Health Research Section and International Collaborations Section, applicants who are eligible for CIHR funding may apply to CIHR's funding opportunities for funds to support research to be carried out in, or in direct collaboration with researchers and/or decision-makers based in, other countries. CIHR contributes to, and supports international research projects and international collaborations to address a range of research areas, including but not limited to established priorities in global health research and contributes to the development of health-research capacity both internationally and at home.

Conditions of Funding

Successful applicants funded through this funding opportunity and any other persons working on the project must comply fully with the "policies and guidelines in the conduct of research". Policies and guidelines cover areas such as Applicant Responsibilities, 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.

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 CIHR's Policy on Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality in the context of Merit, Relevance and Peer Review (CCIP).

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 familiarize themselves with these guidelines and in particular with the section "Application of the Guidelines," which outlines the situations in which these guidelines apply.

Policy on Access to Research Outputs

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 CIHR-funded research and will serve to increase the international visibility of Canadian research. As of January 1, 2008, CIHR 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

Grant recipients are required to acknowledge CIHR, its institutes and partners in any communication or publication related to the project. See Communication of Competition Results for details on CIHR's communication requirements. The contributing institutes/partners will be identified on the Authorization for Funding and decision letter.

Performance Measurement

CIHR is committed to collecting and disseminating information on the outputs and impacts of the research it funds. This information is an important part of CIHR accountability within the Federal Government and to Canadians.

• The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) has developed guidelines to help researchers write a reader-friendly report, in a 1:3:25 format. The reports have been very well received as well as helpful to knowledge users. As the scope of projects funded through this RFA may be somewhat limited by the rapid turnaround time required, CIHR will require that applicants use these guidelines to complete reports in a modified 1:3:10 format (1 page of bullet points on the main messages, 3 page executive summary, and 10 pages for the complete report of your work) within six months of the completion of the project. Please refer to the CHSRF reader-friendly report writing guidelines.
• The Nominated Principal Applicant 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;
• The Nominated Principal Applicant must also 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

Relevance Review Process

The CIHR Institutes of Population and Public Health, Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD), Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), as well as the Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), The New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF) and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through its Applied Health Research Networks Initiative (AHRNI) will provide funding for applications that are relevant to (in alignment with) the objectives and research priority areas described in the Objectives section.

Prior to peer review, The CIHR Institutes of Population and Public Health, Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD), Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), as well as the Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), The New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF) and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through its Applied Health Research Networks Initiative (AHRNI) will have access to anonymized project titles and summaries or, upon written consent of the applicant, letters of intent to conduct relevance review.

Applications that are not deemed to be relevant will be withdrawn from the competition.

Review Committee (Updated: 2010-02-04)

Once relevancy review of LOIs is completed, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application.

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) / branch(es) and partner(s), following CIHR's Policy on Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality in the context of Merit, Relevance and Peer Review (CCIP). For information on CIHR's peer review process in general, see the Understand Peer Review section of CIHR's website.

Evaluation Criteria:

Peer review will be conducted in accordance with CIHR Peer Review Manual for Grant Application. Reviewers will use the following set of criteria for the evaluation of all CIHR grant applications:

1. Research Approach
2. Originality of the Proposal
3. Applicant(s)
4. Environment for the Research
5. Impact of the Research

A detailed elaboration of these criteria can be found in the Information for Peer Reviewers section of CIHR website.

To support the strategic objectives of this funding opportunity, the following factors will be considered in addition to the standard set of evaluation criteria:

1. Research Approach

• How clearly have the researchers justified their need for the rapid review and funding disbursement offered by this RFA, showing that these elements are necessary in order to answer the scientific question and implement the research design? Could the study otherwise be supported by standard CIHR funding mechanisms?
• Is the study design appropriate for making inferences at the population level?
• Does the research plan take full advantage of the funding opportunity described?
• How well have the applicant(s) anticipated and prepared for time delays (such as ethics approval) and difficulties in their approach? To what extent have they considered alternatives?
• To what extent have the applicant(s) provided sufficient justification for the requested budget? [Note that a request for a third year of funding is permissible only if a strong rationale is provided.]

3. Applicant(s)

• How much experience do the investigators have in initiating and maintaining research partnerships with the organization(s) implementing the study intervention (if applicable)?

4. Environment for the Research

• How clearly is the program, event, or policy change to be studied described and documented?

5. Impact of the Research

• How likely is it that the program, event, or policy change to be studied will have an impact on health and health equity at a population level?
• How will this new knowledge help guide policy or program decisions and development or refinement of initiatives?
• To what extent are the investigators demonstrating the potential for collaboration with involved organizations for implementing the study and applying its findings?
• To what extent will this research complement/enhance any existing evaluation plans already in place, if applicable?

Funding Decision:

Upon completion of peer review, the CIHR Institutes of Population and Public Health, Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD), Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), as well as the Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), The New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF) and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through its Applied Health Research Networks Initiative (AHRNI) will receive the ranking list, 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 unless applicants have provided written consent to share nominative information.

Applications will be funded from the top down in order of ranking as far as budgets will allow.

Applications that receive a ranking below 3.5 will not be funded.

How to Apply

• The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of two steps: Letter of Intent and Application.
• To complete your Letter of Intent follow the instructions identified in the Emerging Team Grant - ResearchNet "Letter of Intent" Phase Instructions in addition to those provided below.
• To complete your Application follow the instructions identified in the Grants - ResearchNet "Application" Phase Instructions in addition to those provided 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 (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.

Submission Requirements

• Your Application will be submitted using ResearchNet. Scan and upload the signed signature pages including Partner signature(s), the routing slip in the Print/Upload Signature Pages task in ResearchNet prior to submitting your application.
• Note: Signatures MUST be uploaded for all applicants (Nominated Principal Applicant, Principal Applicant(s), and co-applicant(s)), and individual(s) with signing authority from the Institution Paid. (Updated: 2010-02-04)

Specific Requirements (Updated: 2010-02-04)

Phase 1: Letter of Intent:

With regards to the "Emerging Team Grant - ResearchNet "Letter of Intent" Phase Instructions" provided above:

1. Replace "Task 2: Attach Common CVs and Supporting Documents" with the following:
   • For each applicant, attach page 1 of the Common CV validated for CIHR. Full CVs will not be considered.
2. For "Task 3: Enter Project Information and Supporting Documents", additional information on what can be attached is as follows:
   • Attachments
     • Research Proposal: (two page maximum, not including references)
   • The proposal should outline clearly each of the elements below:
     • Description of the specific program, event, or policy change to be studied and its potential impact on the promotion of health and health equity;
     • Overview of the proposed research questions and methods;
     • Justification of the need for the rapid review offered by this RFA.
3. For "Task 4: Attach Other Application Materials", additional information on what can be attached is as follows:
   • Applicant table:
     • In a table format, list all applicants and include their affiliations, expertise and roles (as per CIHR's definitions of individual eligibility). This list does not need to be final at the Letter of Intent stage.
   • Organization list:
     • List all organization(s) involved in the initiative under study and their intended level of involvement in the research study.

Phase 2: Application:

With regards to the "Grants - ResearchNet "Application" Phase Instructions" provided above:

1. For "Task 2: Attach Common CVs and Supporting Documents", additional information on what can be attached is as follows:
   • For each applicant, attach the Full Common CV or the Knowledge User CV, as appropriate, validated for CIHR.
2. For "Task 3: Enter Project Information and Supporting Documents", additional information on what can be attached is as follows:
   
   • Attachments
     • Research Proposal: (nine page maximum, not including references)
   • The proposal should include the following:
     • Background;
     • Summary of the relevant literature;
     • Research question(s);
     • Research and data collection plan with description of how this will contribute to answering the research question(s);
     • If appropriate, listing of the population-level measures relating to the promotion of health and health equity that will be assessed;
     • Details of any existing research or evaluation plans already in place for studying the program, event, or policy, and describe how the proposed research will contribute to addressing these existing plans. Demonstrate minimal overlap between these existing plans and the research study proposed (i.e., research questions are not already being pursued);
     • Verification that the program or policy change is occurring outside of researcher control, in that it is not already part of a controlled trial, other researcher-manipulated environment, and that this application would not be used as bridge funding between previously-funded research projects. Note that this funding may be used to study the adaptation of researcher-developed and tested programs to different sectors/settings/populations/communities as long as this work is not part of another CIHR-funded research plan;
     • Time lines of the program, event, or policy change as well as how these correlate with the research time lines (layout of milestones and deliverables for the Research Plan during the term of the project);
     • List of organizations involved in the program, event, or policy change to be studied with descriptions of any existing relationships between the investigators and these organizations. Include the extent to which investigators will collaborate with these organizations for implementing the study. If no decision-maker will be involved in the research, please explain why not.
3. For "Task 4: Complete Summary of Research Proposal", the summary should include the following:
   • Description of the rapidly unfolding initiation, change, adaptation, adoption or ending of the community- or population-level program, event, or policy that will be studied;
   • Description of its potential impact on the promotion of health and health equity;
   • Explanation why the proposed project cannot be funded through other CIHR funding streams and requires the rapid review offered by this funding opportunity.
4. For "Task 6: Attach Other Application Materials", additional information on what can be attached is as follows:
   • Letters of Support (if applicable)
     • Signed letters of Support are required from all organization(s) listed as partners on the application.
   • Letters of Collaboration:
     • Signed letters of Collaboration are required from all collaborator(s) listed as Collaborators at the application stage.
     • Please note original signatures are not required. Letters of Support and Letters of Collaboration should be uploaded directly onto ResearchNet.

Contact Information

For questions on CIHR funding guidelines, how to apply, and the peer review process contact:

Stéphanie Chenard (Updated: 2010-03-10)
A/Program Delivery Coordinator
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-941-0848
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: stephanie.chenard@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:

Kim Gaudreau
Associate, Strategic Initiatives
160 Elgin St. Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9
Telephone: 613-957-6128
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: kim.gaudreau@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Partner/Collaborator Description

Note: Additional partners are expected to join this funding initiative over the coming year.

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 more than 13,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health
The institute aims to improve population health and reduce health inequities in Canada and globally. The Institute has identified the following priorities and encourages applications to address same: pathways to enhance equities and reduce inequities in population health; and, population health interventions and implementation systems to reduce inequities and promote equity in Canada and globally.

Partners

CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA)
The vision of the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA) is that innovative research will provide new knowledge of the biological and socio-cultural processes underlying neurological, mental and addictive disorders. As such, the INMHA's mission is to foster excellence in innovative, ethically responsible research in Canada that aims to increase our knowledge of the functioning and disorders of the brain and the mind, the spinal cord, the sensory and motor systems, as well as mental health, mental illness and all forms of addiction. The INMHA intends to support initiatives that mobilize and link scientists in innovative collaborative programs across these research domains. The INMHA seeks to translate this new knowledge into a better quality of life for all Canadians through improved outcomes, health promotion and health care services.

Through this funding opportunity, INMHA will provide support for population health intervention research in the area of workplace/workforce mental health and/or addictions and problematic use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace.

For the purposes of this research priority, "mental health" includes the prevention of mental disorders and illnesses (common disorders such as anxiety and depression and severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia), as well as positive mental health, mental well-being and resilience.

The research program should be built around interventions whose outcomes will have the potential to improve the mental health or drug or alcohol-related behaviours of the workforce, reduce disability or improve the quality of life in workplaces or for individuals, Interventions could include any planned change in a workplace (e.g. implementation, modification or discontinuation of programs or policies designed to effect change in the organization or targeted at individuals' mental health and substance use problems; layoffs; workplace closure). In line with the overarching objectives of this funding opportunity, a focus on health equity must be part of the research program (for example, innovative programs for small or low-paid workplaces, or immigrant workers).

Researchers can also consider health services and systems issues related to workplace mental health problems that have an impact at a population level (e.g. the impact of variations in supplemental insurance benefits on access and use of services and return to work; determination of cost-effective screening, assessment and intervention approaches to prevent mental health problems in the workplace; evaluation of collaborative strategies to link occupational health and disability management with other providers in the mental health sector).

CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes
INMD supports research to enhance health in relation to diet, digestion, excretion, and metabolism; and to address causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions and problems associated with hormone, digestive system, kidney, and liver function.

INMD will support research which relates to one of its strategic priority: obesity and maintenance of healthy body weight (e.g., healthy eating, physical activity and sport), that are in line with the overarching objectives of this funding opportunity.

The Canadian Population Health Initiative of the Canadian Institute for Health Information
In 1999, the Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI) was launched to expand the public's knowledge of population health. CPHI's mission is to foster a better understanding of factors that affect the health of individuals and communities; to contribute to the development of policies that reduce inequities and improve the health and well-being of Canadians. As a key actor in population health, CPHI provides analysis of Canadian and international population health evidence to inform policies that improve the health of Canadians; commissions research and builds research partnerships to enhance understanding of research findings and to promote analysis of strategies that improve population health; synthesizes evidence about policy experiences, analyzes evidence on the effectiveness of policy initiatives and develops policy options; works to improve public knowledge and understanding of the determinants that affect individual and community health and well-being; works within the Canadian Institute for Health Information to contribute to improvements in Canada's health system and the health of Canadians.

Mental Health and resilience from a population health perspective - With a focus on the positive aspects of mental health and resilience, including self-perceived mental health, coping abilities and self-esteem. The determinants of mental health—what makes people mentally healthy—in order to prevent the onset of mental illness.

Reducing Gaps in Health - CPHI is interested in work to create an improve understanding of the relationship between health and the many factors that, together, may contribute to gaps in health. The focus will be to identify these gaps in health and highlight the complex interactions amongst the various determinants of health and the gaps in health.

Place and Health - CPHI is interested in research that focuses on modifiable attributes of both the natural and built environments that may have an impact on health. The theme is broad and the players diverse—from individuals and community groups to architects, municipal planners and governments.

Promoting Healthy Weights - CPHI is interested in research on how best to address the complex challenges of child and adult obesity and what interventions really work.

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy. For more than 50 years, Canadians have looked to HSFC to fund research that will reduce their risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease and improve the quality of their lives.

HSFC allocates approximately 10% of its annual research investment toward strategic research in areas of mission priority (presently obesity, stroke and resuscitation) through its Federation Research Fund. Through the Fund, HSFC launches strategic Requests for Applications and partners with other organizations like CIHR to support research in common areas of priority.

As a competition partner in the Population Health Intervention Research program, HSFC is specifically interested in supporting research related to:

Obesity - Within the area of obesity, HSFC is particularly interested in supporting research related to the prevention of childhood obesity.

Stroke - HSFC is interested in supporting stroke research that helps to advance the efforts of the Canadian Stroke Strategy. For more information, please visit their web site.

New Brunswick Health Research Foundation
The New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF) was created in July 2008 with a mandate to co-ordinate, support and promote health research in New Brunswick. Our vision is a healthy and prosperous New Brunswick through excellence in health research and innovation. Our mission is to provide leadership and support to build health research capacity, improve the health of New Brunswickers and advance the knowledge economy.

The NBHRF is an independent organization governed by a board of directors comprised of key stakeholders from the health research community in New Brunswick. Provincial funding is provided by Business New Brunswick.

The core business areas of NBHRF are to:

• Develop and administer funding programs that will build health research capacity and produce world class health research
• Encourage connections among stakeholders to produce a vibrant and collaborative health research community
• Increase funding levels for health research through the formation of strategic partnerships
• Lead in the translation of new knowledge and innovation in the health care system

The New Brunswick Health Research Foundation will contribute funding to this program for principal investigators and Decision Makers that are New Brunswick based and/or affiliated with a New-Brunswick Organization.

Priority Areas:

• Rural Health: create a broader understanding of rural health needs and to inform and support policy and program development. What interventions can be utilized to assist rural populations reach health equity?
• Chronic Illness: effective community-based programs to address chronic illness prevention.
• Mental Health
• Violence - Given existing provincial research strength in intimate partner abuse, family violence, and workplace bullying, the broad category of violence is also of interest.

The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is changing its focus and embracing a new direction. As staff continues to work towards better health care for Ontarians, stewardship will become the ministry's mission and mandate. This new stewardship role will mean that the ministry will provide overall direction and leadership for the system, focusing on planning, and on guiding resources to bring value to the health system. The ministry will be less involved when it comes to the actual delivery of health care and more involved in:

• Establishing overall strategic direction and provincial priorities for the health system;
• Developing legislation, regulations, standards, policies, and directives to support those strategic directions;
• Monitoring and reporting on the performance of the health system and the health of Ontarians;
• Planning for and establishing funding models and levels of funding for the health care system;
• Ensuring that ministry and system strategic directions and expectations are fulfilled.

Partnership funding for direct or indirect costs associated with applications for this initiative may be available from the Applied Health Research Network Initiative funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Research teams whose members include researchers from Ontario and whose research will be undertaken in whole or in part in Ontario are potentially eligible for this partnership funding. Funding opportunities include contributions to pilot initiatives, knowledge translation activities and secondary analysis of data; and support for graduate students or postdoctoral fellows whose research work is directly related to the project under review.

All inquiries about potential partnership funding should be directed to Dr. Ivy Bourgeault, Director, Population Health Intervention Research Network, University of Ottawa.

Final decisions will be taken in consultation with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

For additional information about the Applied Health Research Network Initiative and their current program priorities please consult their website.

Additional Information

¹ Health equity suggests that everyone can reach their full health potential and that they should not be disadvantaged from attaining this potential as a result of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, social class, socioeconomic status or other socially determined circumstance