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 Clinician-Scientist program has two phases. Phase 1 provides stipends for up to six years of training support. Phase 2 provides a contribution to the salary of the recipient for up to six years.

This program (Phase 1) is directed towards highly qualified and motivated clinicians who have been identified by a Canadian medical school or dental school as having strong potential to become clinician scientists.

For Industry-Partnered Programs in this launch, candidates must secure the sponsorship of an eligible Rx&D member company before a registration can be submitted. To learn more about the CIHR/Rx&D Collaborative Research program you can visit the Innovation Programs Website.

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 decrease due to unforeseen circumstances, CIHR and partner reserve the right to defer or suspend payments to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.

The total amount available for the two phases of the Clinician-Scientist program is $6,652,500, of which $3,420,000 is for the Industry-Partnered program. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.

The maximum amount awarded for a single award is $ 62,500 for up to six years:

• Trainee stipend: $52,500 per annum.
• Research allowance: $5,000 per annum.
• For awards held outside Canada, $5,000 is added to the annual stipend.

The candidate will receive three years of support, renewable once for a total of six years.

It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure that the renewal application is submitted at the appropriate time to avoid a gap in the funding period.

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/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.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:

• To provide training support for up to six years to clinician scientists.
• To provide a reliable supply of highly skilled and qualified clinician scientists.

Relevant Research Areas:

• Applications are invited in all areas of health research.

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:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant must be a Trainee
2. At least one project participant, other than the Nominated Principal Applicant, must be a Supervisor

Eligibility requirements specific to this funding opportunity include the following.

At the time of application, candidates must:

• hold a health professional degree in medicine or dentistry.
• have completed at least two years of post graduate clinical training. For those with a medical degree, the clinical training must be in an area accredited with or without certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
• have a commitment from the nominating medical or dental school or affiliated institution that if successful he/she will be offered a full-time faculty or equivalent position as a clinician-scientist at the completion of the training, subject to satisfactory performance in the research training period. This commitment is required at the time of the initial application and with each request for renewal.

Clinician Scientist Training Award recipients must maintain the status of a trainee until the final year of their award. CIHR recognizes the need for a transition period from trainee to independent researcher. As such, it is expected that Clinician Scientist Training Award recipients will begin to transition into an independent investigator position in the final year of their award. (Updated: 2010-08-26)

Canadian citizens and permanent residents may apply for awards to be held outside Canada. Candidates who are neither Canadian citizen nor permanent residents may apply for awards to be held in Canada only.

Industry-Partnered Programs: The applicant must secure the sponsorship of an eligible company before an application can be submitted. For purposes of this launch, a company is eligible provided that it:

• is a member of Rx&D;
• is federally or provincially incorporated in Canada (exceptions will be considered upon receipt of documentation that a researcher has been unable to develop a collaboration with a suitable federally or provincially incorporated company in Canada);
• demonstrates adequate resources to meet its commitment to a program; and
• has a demonstrable ability to apply the results of research and development itself or through agreements with other companies having the capacity to produce and market products and processes.

In addition, specific to CIHR Industry-Partnered Programs, please refer to the General Guidelines for Industry-Partnered Programs.

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

The awards consist of a stipend and a research allowance.

For the research allowance, 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 (Updated: 2010-08-26)

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.
• The candidates may commence the award on the first day of any month between April 1 following the application deadline and March 1 of the following year.
• The candidate must maintain an active Canadian license to practice as a health professional during the tenure of the award. For candidates outside Canada, an active licensure to practice as a health professional in the jurisdiction in which the award is held must be maintained for the tenure of the award.
• Should the candidate be an independent researcher at the time of application or at any point prior to the final year of the award, he/she must take a leave of absence from their academic or research position.
• Candidates transitioning into an independent researcher position during the final year of their award must request approval from CIHR. The research institution  must submit a letter confirming the change in status from a trainee to an independent researcher and the effective date. Approval to hold a Clinician Scientist Training Award (Phase 1) during this transition period will be granted for a maximum of one year. Candidates must apply to the Clinician Scientist Salary Award (Phase 2) program as of the earliest application deadline following this change in status.
• For Industry-Partnered Programs, candidates must secure the sponsorship of an eligible company. Funding is conditional to continuing financial support by the industry partner(s).

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 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 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.

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

Clinician-Scientist Training Awards (Phase 1) are reviewed in accordance with the CIHR Peer Review Manual for Clinician Scientist Award Applications.

The following standard criteria for evaluating applications will apply: (Updated: 2010-08-26)

• Achievements and Activities of the Candidate
• Characteristics and Abilities of the Candidate
• Research Training Environment

Note that reviewers will evaluate if the candidate has shown promise to become a clinician scientist.

Funding Decision

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.

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 Training Awards - 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.
• Your official transcripts and Sponsor's Assessment of a Candidate for a Fellowship forms [ PDF (291 KB) ] must be sent to the following address and must have a courier date stamp that is on or before the deadline date:
  
  RE: Clinician-Scientist Training Awards (Phase 1)
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  160 Elgin Street, Room 97
  Ottawa, ON, K1A 0W9
  Canada

Specific Instructions

In addition to the General Awards "Application" Phase Instructions, the candidate must adhere to the following instructions:

• Identify Participants
  • A Nominated Principal Applicant and Primary Supervisor must, as a minimum, be identified.
  • A Common CV (validated for CIHR) for the candidate and the proposed supervisor(s) is required.
• Identify Sponsors
  • Three Sponsor's Assessment of a Candidate for a Fellowship forms [ PDF (291 KB) ] from individuals under whom the candidate has trained and who have had a good opportunity to assess the candidate's potential for research are required. Note that it is the responsibility of the candidate to collect sealed assessments. These must be sent via courier by the applicant or the sponsor directly by the deadline date.  Assessments received from sponsors not identified in the Identify Sponsors task will not be considered.  
• Attach CVs and Supporting Documents
  • Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residency is required for candidates applying for awards to be held outside Canada.
  • Proof of a current and valid Canadian licensure with an expiry date. For candidates who will hold the award outside Canada, a copy of a current and valid licensure, with an expiry date, for the jurisdiction in which they will hold the award is required. (Updated: 2010-08-26)
• Contribution Details - Most Significant Contributions (to be completed by the supervisors only)
  • Identify a maximum of five (5) contributions, with a maximum length of one page, that best highlight your contribution or activities in the field of research, defining the impact and relevance of each. A contribution is understood to be a publication, literary or artistic work, conference, patent or intellectual property right, contract or creative activity, commission, etc. Your complete description may include the organization, position or activity type and description, from and to dates, and the basis on which this contribution is significant (i.e. relevance, target community and impact). (limit to one page)
• Enter Project Information and Supporting Documents
  • Institution Paid
    • If you are proposing to do research outside of Canada, you will be paid directly. As such, there is no "Institution Paid". Enter the name of the institution where the research will be conducted.
  • Training Expectations (limit to two pages)
    • Follow the instructions below on what the content of this document should contain as information:
      • Provide an overview of how your previous research training relates to the present proposal and elaborate on your career goals. Describe how the training you expect to acquire will contribute to your productivity and to the research goals you hope to achieve and how this award will enable you to establish yourself as an independent investigator;
      • Indicate why you decided upon the training location and what you expect to learn from the training experience.
• Research Proposal Summary
  • Follow the instructions below on what the content of this document should contain as information:
    • Project Title;
    • Summary of the research project. Include the specific hypothesis of the research and describe the candidate's role on the project. This summary should be written in general scientific language.
  • The title and summary of the research project should be completed in collaboration with the proposed supervisor(s). Note that the Research Proposal Summary must be a minimum of 3 pages and a maximum of 6 pages. Page limits include references.
• Enter Space, Facilities and Personnel Support
  • This task describes the space, facilities and personnel support that is available to the candidate.
• Enter Foreign Training Environment Rationale (if applicable)
  • This task identifies whether or not the research is conducted outside of Canada.
• Attach Other Application Materials
  • A letter of support from the nominating institution is required. This letter must include a commitment from the nominating medical or dental school or affiliated institution that the candidate will be offered a full-time faculty or equivalent position as a clinician-scientist as the completion of the training.
  • A letter from the Dean or appropriate authority from the candidate's faculty, should the candidate hold a faculty appointment (if applicable). This letter must confirm that the candidate is not considered to be an independent researcher.
• Confirm Documents Sent
  • Official transcripts of the candidate's graduate studies (i.e. Master's, Doctoral) and/or health professional training are required. This includes proof of any degrees completed. Certified true copies will only be accepted from institutions outside North America; these must be translated in English or French. A certified true copy is defined as a copy of the original document that has been certified to be a true copy by a commissioner of oath such as a notary or lawyer. The copy must bear the original signature and stamp of the official authority.

In order to ensure fairness in the evaluation of 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.

Contact Information

For questions on CIHR funding guidelines, how to apply, and the peer review process contact: (Updated: 2010-08-26)

Clinician-Scientist Program Delivery Coordinator
Research Capacity Development
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-954-1968
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: clinicianscientists@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:

Sue Geffken-Graham
Assistant Director, Patient-Oriented Research Strategy
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-948-2803
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: sue.geffken-graham@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.

Additional Information

Transfers

During Phase 1, candidates are discouraged from seeking a change in the nominating institution, but may undertake training in more than one institution. In addition to the documents listed in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide, a letter from the nominating institution indicating knowledge of the transfer must also accompany the request to transfer.