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Description
The purpose of the New Investigator Salary Award program is to provide New Investigators the opportunity to develop and demonstrate their independence in initiating and conducting health research through provision of a contribution to their salary. A New Investigator is defined as a researcher who has held a full time research appointment (e.g., faculty appointment providing eligibility to apply for grants and/or supervise trainees), for a period of 0 to 60 months as of the competition deadline.
These guidelines apply to all New Investigator funding opportunities including Partnership, Industry-Partnered and other Targeted New Investigator programs, unless otherwise stated. For more information, see Background to CIHR's Salary Support Programs.
Funds Available
CIHR's and partner contribution to the amount available for this initiative is subject to availability of funds. Should CIHR or partner funding levels not be available or are decreased for some overseen circumstances, CIHR and partner reserve the right to defer or suspend payments to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.
Applications are invited in all areas of health research:
For this competition, applications will be accepted in all areas of health research.
- It is anticipated that approximately $2,400,000 per annum over five years for a total of $12,000,000 will be available through the current funding opportunity, enough to fund approximately 40 awards.
- The maximum salary amount for a single award is $60,000 (including fringe benefits) per annum, for up to five years.
- A Research Allowance of $50,000 may also be available for eligible applicants (see Eligibility for more information).
Funding Opportunities in Specific Research Areas:
Funds are available for this competition to support New Investigator Salary Award applications in specific research areas:
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 to find a list of partners/collaborators and their respective mandates and/or strategic interests. This list will continue to evolve as new partners/collaborators join in this initiative. The specific research foci and requirements for each partner/collaborator are outlined in the "Objectives" section.
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Objectives
The New Investigator Salary Award program is designed to provide outstanding New Investigators the opportunity to develop and demonstrate their independence in initiating and conducting health research through provision of a contribution to their salary.
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Eligibility
Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding programs apply. The business office of the institution of an eligible Nominated Principal Applicant generally administers CIHR funds. Please refer to the Individual Eligibility Requirements regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions.
Specific Eligibility Requirements
- In order for your application to be eligible, the Nominated Principal Applicant must be an independent researcher.
- Individuals may only apply to one CIHR salary award competition in the same year (September 1 to August 31).
- In order to increase capacity and allow as many researchers as possible to benefit from federal, peer-reviewed funding, individuals may not hold concurrently a CIHR salary award and another federally funded salary award, for example, a Canada Research Chair. Current Canada Research Chair holders are not eligible to apply for a CIHR salary award.
At the time of application, candidates must:
- hold a professional degree or a PhD degree;
- not be registered for a higher degree during the tenure of the award;
- hold, or have a formal commitment to, an appointment as an independent investigator at the time of application. The appointment must be effective at the time of taking up the award;
- have held a full time research appointment (e.g., faculty appointment providing eligibility to apply for grants and/or supervise trainees), for a period of 0 to 60 months.. Time spent in research appointments in a non-academic setting (e.g., industry, government) count towards the 60-month limit if the candidate has been actively engaged in research, as demonstrated by the candidate's publication record, and the candidate was not considered to be in training (e.g., as a student or postdoctoral fellow).
- have a written commitment from the Institution, via letter from the Dean of Faculty or Research Director which accompanies the application, committing to:
- Institutional support of an appointment or pending appointment for the candidate.
- Details of the appointment, including teaching load, clinical and administrative duties, lab/office space, start up funds, etc.
- A commitment to protect a minimum of 75% of the candidate's time for research for the duration of the award.
- hold peer-reviewed operating funds as a Nominated Principal Applicant or Principal Applicant as of the earliest possible start date for the New Investigator award (i.e., the July 1 following the September application deadline). If the applicant does not meet this condition, it is mandatory to seek operating grant support as a Nominated Principal Applicant or Principal Applicant in one of the following ways:
- by submitting an eligible operating grant application to the CIHR September 15 Operating Grant competition. The research project must be the same in both the new investigator application and the operating grant application; or
- by submitting an eligible application in response to a CIHR funding opportunity for which the application is similar in nature to an operating grant application and which has an application deadline in the period July 1 to October 1 of the year of application to the New Investigator Award and with an Application Notice of Decision available by January 31.
Research Allowance:
- If an applicant is successful through the New Investigator Salary Award competition but is not successful in obtaining $50,000 in peer reviewed operating grant funding, the awardee is eligible to apply for a research allowance that would bring their total level of operating support, from all peer reviewed sources, to $50,000 per annum for up to five years, subject to annual review. Candidates must apply to CIHR to be considered for this research allowance. If you are a successful New Investigator awardee and would like to be considered for this top-up funding please refer to the How to Apply section (refer to How to Apply for detailed application information). The annual deadline for receipt of top-up funding requests is July 1st.
- In order to be considered eligible for this research allowance, the awardee must submit an application for operating support, as a Nominated Principal Applicant or Principal Applicant, to a funding agency with an external peer review process, within the 12 months preceding the July 1 deadline of the request for a research allowance.
- This top-up funding may not be applicable to awards funded through Funding Opportunities and Priority Announcements. Please see the relevant program descriptions for details.
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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
For the research allowance (if available), awardees 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.
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.
In addition to CIHR standard guidelines and requirements, the following special requirements shall apply:
- This award must be accepted within 15 working days of the date of offer or the award will be cancelled and offered to the next fundable applicant. Note: This requirement supersedes all other policies or guidelines published by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, including, but not limited to, the Grants and Awards Guide.
- Award recipients may commence the award on the first day of any month between the July 1 following the date of offer and March 1 of the following year. (Updated: 2010-08-26)
- award recipients must devote at least 75% of their time to research. This represents no less than 30 hours per week. They may engage in teaching and consultation to a limited extent, and there is no restriction on the time they spend in the supervision of research trainees. Time spent, within the 75% of protected time to research, on consultations in a clinical field should be related to the award recipient's research and be undertaken with the agreement of the Head of the Department and the Dean of Faculty or Research Director.
- award recipients must hold an appointment as an independent investigator at the time of taking up the award, and throughout the term of the award.
- have read and agree to the communication requirements.
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.
Communication Requirements
Award 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, 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.
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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 funding recipient 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.
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Review Process and Evaluation
Review Committee
A CIHR 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
New Investigator Salary Awards are reviewed in accordance with the CIHR Peer Review Manual for Salary Award Applications.
The following standard criteria for evaluating applications will apply:
- Applicant Track Record
- Research Proposal
- Environment and Support
Note that reviewers will evaluate if the candidate has shown promise to become an independent researcher.
If the applicant does not hold current operating funds, internal and external reviews as well as the summary of discussion from the applicant's submission for a CIHR operating grant (or equivalent), submitted as part of the New Investigator application package, will be used to assist in the evaluation of the New Investigator Salary Award application.
Funding Decision:
Upon completion of peer review, CIHR 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 rating below 3.5 will not be funded.
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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 the Salary Award – 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.
- Reference letters must be sent by courier to:
RE: New Investigator Salary Awards
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
160 Elgin Street, Room 97
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0W9
Canada
Note: The letters must have a courier date stamp that is on or before the deadline date. Letters of references received from sponsors not identified in the Sponsor task of the application will not be considered.
Specific Instructions
In addition to the Salary Award "Application" Phase Instructions, the candidate must adhere to the following instructions.
- 5 Year Research Plan (maximum of 5 pages)
- The 5 year research plan may address the following:
- how can the proposed research be incorporated, developed or integrated into clinical research? Clinical research combines discoveries from the basic science laboratory incorporating the observations and insights of health professionals (a key aspect of translational research). This may include basic research endeavours that have not yet reached the clinic, per se.
- Appendix 2A - Part 2
- The candidate is encouraged to establish contact with a research mentor to assist in the initial phases of a research career. Plans by the institution and/or the candidate to develop contacts with such a mentor should be described in the Appendix 2A - Part 2 section of the application.
- Dean of Faculty/Research Director letter
- The commitment letter from the Dean of Faculty or Research Director which accompanies the application, must:
- indicate the nature of the appointment or pending appointment (e.g. name of position, tenured-track or not, effective dates, definition of position, etc). If the candidate is appointed to both an academic research institution/university and an institute/hospital, the letter should specify the nature of both positions;
- provide a detailed breakdown of how at least 75% of the candidate's time will be protected for research for the duration of the award. The committee will be expecting a clear description of the engagement of the institution towards the protection of time of the candidate. All non-research related activities (e.g. clinical consultation, teaching, administrative duties, etc) should be clearly described and the amount of time spent to each activity should be detailed. If the candidate is appointed to both an academic research institution/university and an institute/hospital, the detailed breakdown of how the candidate time will be protected should be provided with both positions in mind.
- Important: Institutional support is a criterion that is considered in the evaluation of a New Investigator application and is therefore an important component of the application. All commitments listed above must be clearly addressed in the letter from the Dean of Faculty or Research Director.
- In order to ensure fairness in the evaluation of salary award applications, equivalent time must be guaranteed for each reviewer to assess each complete application. As a result, CIHR will accept updates to applications (i.e. notices of final acceptance of publications and notices of any other funding requested or received only) until October 15, 2010.
Research Allowance:
- Top-up funding requests must include the following information:
- A signed letter from the recipient requesting the top-up research allowance funding;
- An updated version of pages 8, 9 & 10 of your Common CV validated for CIHR;
- A letter from the Dean of Faculty or Research Director of your institution that confirms your level of funding for the period of July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011.
- Decisions and revised Authorizations for Funding (when applicable) will be mailed to applicants September 15.
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Contact Information
For questions on CIHR funding guidelines, how to apply, and the peer review process contact:
New Investigator Salary Award Program Delivery Coordinator
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-954-1968
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: newinvestigators@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your ResearchNet account or the e-Submission process contact:
CIHR ResearchNet Support
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-941-9080
Email: support@researchnet-recherchenet.ca
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Partner/Collaborator Description
Note: Additional partners/collaborators, including partners/collaborators from industry and the private sector are expected to join this funding initiative over the coming year.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
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.
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Additional Information
Background to CIHR's Salary Award Programs
- Personnel awards are an important element of CIHR's overall funding strategy, with the full spectrum of personnel awards comprising research training awards as well as salary awards to independent investigators.
- At its June 2003 meeting, Governing Council (GC) determined that it was not possible to invest more funding in Mid-Career and Senior Investigator Salary Award programs without having a negative impact on other priority programs and agreed to suspend the competitions.
- In June 2004, GC recommended the continued suspension of the Mid-Career and Senior- Investigator Salary Award programs, but further recommended the establishment of a National Task Force to provide GC with advice on CIHR's future role in providing salary awards to health researchers at all stages of their research careers.
- In November 2004, considering the final recommendations of the Task Force on Career Support, GC decided to continue the suspension of the Mid-Career and Senior Investigator Salary Award programs pending both clarification of CIHR's future budget scenario and the design of a new "portfolio" of salary awards following a broader consultation with Institute Advisory Boards and selected Canadian research organizations to help guide decisions. Long-term sustainability of any newly introduced salary award programs was considered to be of paramount importance.
- In March 2006, incorporating feedback from both the Task Force and subsequent consultations, CIHR's Research Priorities and Planning Committee reviewed CIHR's commitment to a sustainable program of salary awards and reached the following conclusions:
- Decisions surrounding CIHR's overall financial commitment to salary support will continue to be made annually over the coming years in light of strategic considerations and budgetary constraints.
- CIHR will formally announce its salary award opportunities each June. While program continuity and predictability remain important objectives, a formal annual announcement will allow for modifications to programming on a year by year basis in light of strategic priorities and budget constraints.
- CIHR remains committed to the New Investigator Salary Awards program. To ensure a measure of predictability with respect to CIHR's salary support for New Investigators, CIHR plans to maintain a commitment to the program at least at the following level:
- 60 new awards per year for each of the next 5 years
- awards valued at $60,000 per year for five years
- ongoing total program investment annually of $18 million (300 ongoing awards at $60,000 each)
- At this time, no new program types will be introduced.
- In 2005/06, a consultation on CIHR Career Awards was conducted. In acknowledgement of the importance of Mid-Career Investigator Salary Awards outlined by respondents during the consultation, CIHR Institutes intend to work together in future years to pool strategic funds and to engage partners in order to offer a sustainable small-scale competition for Mid-Career Investigator Salary Awards. The feasibility of such an option will be examined annually. Again, the long-term sustainability of any newly introduced salary award program will be a key factor in decision making.
Related Materials
Messages from the President:
Task Force on Career Support:
Consultation with IABs and other research organizations:
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