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

Part of the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction mandate is to promote research that addresses illicit drug use. The Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada 2002 study estimated the social costs of all illicit drug use, including cannabis, cocaine, opioids such as heroin and other injection drugs. Although fewer Canadians die from illicit drug use than from alcohol or tobacco use, the deaths tend to involve younger people and so the impact is significant in terms of years of life lost.

In 2002, an estimated total of 1,695 Canadians died as a result of illicit drug use, accounting for 0.2% of all deaths. The leading causes of death linked to illicit drug use were overdose (958), drug-attributable suicide (295), drug-attributable hepatitis C infection (165), and HIV infection (87). Deaths linked to illicit drugs use resulted in 62,128 potential years-of-life lost. Illicit drug-related illness accounted for 352,121 days of acute care in hospital.

Costs linked to illicit drugs were estimated to be approximately $8.2 billion. This represented 20.7% of the total costs of substance abuse (i.e. including tobacco and alcohol). The largest category of economic costs related to illicit drug use were $4.7 billion for lost productivity due to illness and premature death, $2.3 billion for law enforcement costs, and more than $1.1 billion in direct health care costs.

Although there is a lot of concern about the abuse of methamphetamine (Crystal Meth) in Canada, reliable data are scarce and limited. More research is needed to determine the extent of its use and to plan successful prevention programs and treatment strategies as well as effective policies responding to methamphetamine issues.

The National Anti-Drug strategy announced by the federal government on October 4, 2007, includes three action plans: preventing illicit drug use, treating those with illicit drug dependencies and combating the production and distribution of illicit drugs. Within the framework of the Treatment Action Plan, CIHR received funds targeted specifically on drug treatment models and approaches. This grant program is known as the Addiction Treatment Research Program. This new research program targets areas in which optimum addiction treatment approaches have not yet been developed, implemented or evaluated. The current strategic initiative will support research focussing specifically on the development, improvement and evaluation of addiction treatments for Canadians with illicit drug dependencies.

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support teams of independent researchers and knowledge users to produce knowledge syntheses and scoping reviews. So that these projects contribute to the use of synthesized evidence in decision-making and practice, proposals will require strong partnerships with knowledge users and well-developed knowledge translation strategies.

Knowledge syntheses are the cornerstone of knowledge translation. At their most basic they render our vast libraries of scientific literature useful to decision makers—turning that knowledge into form that is reliable, relevant and readable. They are also a means to integrate the established literature with other forms of knowledge. A synthesis's comprehensiveness and application of scientific methods to literature analysis required by systematic synthesis minimizes the risk of bias and error that may accompany single studies, so decisions are less likely to be based on poor evidence. A synthesis also maps the state of our knowledge on a topic, revealing to decision makers where there is or is not strong evidence to inform their decisions, and guiding researchers to new avenues for primary research.

This funding opportunity will support two types of projects: knowledge syntheses and scoping reviews.

Knowledge syntheses
All forms of knowledge synthesis are invited, including systematic reviews, realist syntheses, narrative syntheses, meta-analyses, meta-syntheses and practice guidelines that synthesize evidence. Syntheses in this funding opportunity may synthesize results from qualitative research, quantitative research or draw on mixed methods. Syntheses of empirical as well as theoretical knowledge are invited.

Scoping reviews
These entail the systematic selection, collection and summarization of existing knowledge in a broad thematic area for the purpose of identifying where there is sufficient evidence to conduct a full synthesis or where insufficient evidence exists and further primary research is necessary.

The syntheses supported through this funding opportunity are meant to respond to the information needs of knowledge users in all areas of health. To support this objective, all applications are required to include integrated and end-of-grant knowledge translation practices.

Integrated knowledge translation involves collaboration with knowledge users throughout the research process, including development of the research questions, deciding on the methodology, data collection and tools development, interpreting findings, and disseminating the research results End-of-grant knowledge translation covers activities undertaken at the end of the research process to disseminate the research findings to the appropriate audiences. For more on integrated and end-of-grant knowledge translation go to CIHR's knowledge translation website.

Funds Available

CIHR's contribution to the amount available for this initiative is subject to availability of funds. Should CIHR funding levels not be available or are decreased due to unforesseen circumstances, CIHR reserves the right to defer or suspend payments to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.

• The total amount available for this initiative is $350,000. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
• The maximum amount awarded for a synthesis grant is $100,000 per annum for up to one year.
• The maximum amount awarded for scoping reviews is $50,000 per annum for up to one year.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

• Produce scoping reviews and syntheses that respond to the information needs of knowldege users in the areas of prevention and treatment of illicit drug use.
• Support the use of synthesis evidence in decision-making by building integrated and end-of-grant knowledge translation practices into the production of scoping reviews and syntheses.
• Extend the benefits of knowledge synthesis to new kinds of questions relevant to knowledge users and areas of research that have not traditionally been synthesized.

Relevant Research Areas

• Addressing scientific questions/problems related to the Treatment Action Plan of the New Anti-Drug Strategy
• Improving the effectiveness of illicit drug use treatments and prevention strategies for highly vulnerable populations, such as youth and First Nations, Métis and Inuit
• Informing policy and program development in the area of illicit drug use prevention and treatment
• Developing best practice guidelines for illicit drug use prevention and treatment
• Addressing knowledge translation questions/problems related to prevention and treatment of illicit drug use.

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.

• Understanding factors that encourage illicit drug users to accept and engage in treatment
• Treatment modalities related to problematic cannabis use
• Substitution therapies and promising interventions that target specific forms of illicit drug use (e.g., stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine ["crystal meth"])
• Analysis of the association between the need and the availability of services for drug treatment and the match to best practices
• Treatment of cannabis use combined with psychotropic pharmaceuticals

Specific Research Foci and Requirements

• The substances covered by this initiative are illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and methamphetamine (crystal meth). Other psychoactive substances such as alcohol, psychotropic pharmaceuticals (over-the-counter and prescription), solvents and inhalants can be studied only if they are used in combination with an illicit drug.

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 eligible:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant must be one of the following:
1. An independent researcher;
2. A knowledge user;
2. The team (including the Nominated Principal Applicant) must involve one of each of the following listed as a Principal Applicant:
1. An independent researcher;
2. A knowledge user;
3. Applications to undertake Cochrane reviews are eligible only if the requested funds will not overlap with funding from the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre (CCNC) and the proposed review is not one of the 30 reviews already funded by CIHR through its contribution to the CCNC;
4. CIHR recognizes that updating out-of-date syntheses can be as important as conducting new ones. Applicants wishing to do an update must clearly justify the need to do the update.

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.

The full application must provide a detailed justification of all costs.

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 familiarise 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. 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:

• 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. Detalis on the format of the report will be provided at that time.
• Each successful team will be expected to be represented at a meeting of funded researchers, stakeholders and knowledge users to review progress on funded projects and research outcomes in 2012. Details of the meeting will be provided to the grantees.
• 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.

Review Process and Evaluation

Relevance Review Process

The CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction 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 merit review, the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction. will have access to anonymized project titles and projet summaries to conduct relevance review. (Updated: 2010-08-24)

The following criteria will be used in conducting the relevance review.

• Alignment of the proposed program with the objectives and relevant research areas for this Knowledge Synthesis Grant Program as described under Objectives above

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

Merit Review Committee (Updated: 2010-08-24)

A CIHR merit review committee, comprised of researcher and knowledge-user peers, 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 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: (Updated: 2010-08-24)

Application will be evaluated by merit review.

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

Research Question (Updated: 2010-08-24)
Explanation of the research project and justification for the need to conduct the research:

• To what extent does the project respond to the objective(s) of the Funding Opportunity?
• To what extent is the research question clear and respond to an important information/decision-making need identified by the knowledge user(s) on the research team?
• To what extent does the proposal demonstrate that the synthesis, scoping review or update is needed and has not already been done?

Research Approach (Updated: 2010-08-24)
Detailed description of the research approach and justification for the proposed methods/strategies:

• To what extent is it likely that the proposed methods will address the research question(s)?
• To what extent is the study design appropriate and rigorous?
• To what extent are the knowledge user team members meaningfully engaged where appropriate (e.g. in defining the research questions, informing the research plan, interpreting the findings, informing the end-of-grant KT plan)?
• To what extent does the end-of-grant KT plan detail strategies appropriate for its goals and target audiences?

Feasibility (Updated: 2010-08-24)
Demonstration that the researcher-knowledge user team has the requisite skills, experience and resources to complete the project in the proposed time frame:

• To what extent are the knowledge users on the team committed to applying the findings when they become available and is their application achievable in the particular practice, program and/or policy context?
• To what extent does the researcher-knowledge user team have the necessary expertise, time and track record to deliver on the project's objective(s), including the objectives of the end-of-grant KT plan? (includes expertise in the content area to be covered by the synthesis, expertise in synthesis methods, and expertise in information retrieval, etc)
• To what extent is the project accomplishable in the given timeframe with the resources available/described?

Outcomes (Updated: 2010-08-24)
Results expected from the successful uptake of project findings:

• To what extent will the project have a substantive and sustainable impact on health outcomes, practice, programs and/or policy in the study context?
• To what extent will the project's findings be relevant to other practice, programs and/or policy contexts?

Funding Decision: (Updated: 2010-08-24)

Upon completion of merit review, the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction 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.

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

Potential Impact and Scientific Merit will be weighted equally. Only those applications receiving a score of 3.5 or more on both potential impact and scientific merit will be considered for funding. These scores will be averaged into a single score to determine the ranking of the application.

How to Apply

• The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of one step: Application.
• To complete your Application, follow the instructions identified in Grants - ResearchNet "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 (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 the routing slip in the Print/Upload Signature Pages task in ResearchNet prior to submitting your application.

Specific Instructions:

The following criteria must be met for your application to be accepted:

• The Research Proposal in the "Enter Project Information and Supporting Documents" task under "Project Information" is limited to 9 pages. References, figures and tables may be listed in additional pages in the "Research Proporsal Appendix" tab.
• The Research Proposal must include the following sections:
  • Research Question (approximately 3 pages)
    • Description of the research project including: the objectives of the proposed project; an explanation of the knowledge gap that will be filled, contextualized in the current literature and accounting for previous work done in this area.
    • Justification for the need to conduct the project (i.e. demonstration that the synthesis, scoping review or update is needed and has not already been done) including a description of the knowledge users involved and the project's relevance to the identified knowledge users.
    • If this project is an update to an out-of-date synthesis, provide a clear justification for the need to do an update.
    • Explanation of how the project responds to the objective of this Funding Opportunity.
    • Note: If this is an application to undertake a Cochrane review, you must submit a letter from the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre (CCNC), confirming that the proposed review is not one of the 30 reviews already funded by CIHR through its contribution to the CCNC. This letter may be included as part of the references submitted for the Research Proposal.
  • Research Approach (approximately 4 pages)
    • Description of the proposed research methods and the rationale for the approach selected, including detailing the data sources, inclusion/exclusion criteria, critical appraisal techniques, methods for synthesizing findings, and strategies to ensure methodological rigor.
    • All applications are required to include integrated and end-of-grant knowledge translation practices.
    • Description of how knowledge user team members are engaged in the project, including the nature of the collaboration and the extent to which it is, and will continue to be, an effective partnership.
    • The project must involve at least two interactive sessions between researchers and knowledge users to share interim results and to review the synthesis or scoping review results and agree on recommendations for practice or policy. Detail the plan to share interim results with the participating knowledge users and how they will be involved in crafting the recommendations near the completion of the project.
    • Description of the end-of-grant KT plan for disseminating the outcomes of the project, including how the strategies employed should lead to the use of synthesis evidence in decision-making and/or practice. What knowledge should be transferred? What are the goals of the plan? Who is the audience? How will this be accomplished? With what effect?How feasible is it? What resources are required?
  • Feasibility (approximately 1 page)
    • Demonstrated or potential strength of the team: the training or track record of the applicant(s), including expertise in the content area covered by the synthesis, expertise in synthesis methods, and expertise in information retrieval; the relevancy of the recent research of the applicant(s).
    • Description of how each team member will contribute to the project.
    • Description and justification of timeline.
  • Outcomes (approximately 1 page)
    • Description of the impact the project will have on health outcomes, practice, programs and/or policy.
    • Relevance of the project's findings to other practice/program/policy settings.
• CV: Please note you are required to identify your role on Research Net and the applicant role you select will determine which CV you are required to submit.
  Common CV (Validated for CIHR):
  • Independent Researchers: Submit full common CV modules for the Nominated Principal Applicant, Principal Applicants, and Co-Applicants.
  • Knowledge-Users: A Knowledge-User CV has been created to capture relevant information for Knowledge-Users. Knowledge-Users must submit a Knowledge-User CV for the Nominated Principal Applicant, Principal Knowledge-User, and Knowledge-User roles.
• Letters of support: Submit signed letter(s) from each of the Knowledge user applicant(s). The letter should explain the role, amount of time committed to the project, the cash and/or in kind contribution, and the precise degree of involvement of each of the knowledge user applicants as well as a description of how they intend to use the results of this research project. Please note: the review committee reads these letters carefully to assess the degree of commitment of the knowledge user applicant(s). Knowledge users are advised to personally write their letters, rather than sign a template letter.
• Fill in the Budget Information in the "Budget Information and Supporting Documents" task and clearly justify all budget items (including cash and in-kind contributions, if relevant)

Contact Information

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

Alison Chayka (Updated: 2010-08-24)
Team Lead, Program Delivery
Targeted Initiatives Branch
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-946-5621
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: alison.chayka@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:

Nathalie Gendron
Assistant Director
Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-948-4877
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: nathalie.gendron@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

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)
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 Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
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.