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

The HIV/AIDS CBR Program assists community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations and institutions in developing the knowledge necessary to carry out their HIV/AIDS work in the most effective manner, and in creating the expertise within these communities to conduct their own research.

Background

The CIHR Catalyst Grant program provides seed money, on a short-term basis, to support health research activities which represent a first step towards the pursuit of more comprehensive funding opportunities (e.g. operating grants, team grants), such as:

• the planning and execution of pilot projects or feasibility studies aiming to generate preliminary data, observations, or knowledge;
• the planning and execution of novel projects which clearly demonstrate the potential for significant impact, but which are considered high risk in nature in that they may be unsupported by proof of concept / preliminary data;
• development and / or validation of new inventions, tools, methodologies, protocols, theoretical models or frameworks;
• planning and / or development activities of expert teams (multi-disciplinary, trans-disciplinary, etc…) coming together to address health research priorities.

The CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (CIHR-III), in partnership with the CIHR Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (CIHR-IAPH), is pleased to announce the launch of the next round of Requests for Applications (RFA) under the HIV/AIDS CBR Program, a component of the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative.

The CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative is supported by the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada. The Federal Initiative reaffirms the Government of Canada's commitment to addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic both in Canada and globally. As one of the partners in this initiative, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research sets priorities for and administers the HIV/AIDS Research Initiative and funds meritorious research grants and research personnel awards across the entire spectrum of HIV/AIDS research.

The goals of the Federal Initiative are to:

• Prevent the acquisition and transmission of new infections;
• Slow the progression of the disease and improve quality of life;
• Reduce the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS; and
• Contribute to the global effort to reduce the spread of HIV and mitigate the impact of the disease.

The Federal Initiative builds on the successes of the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS (CSHA) which recognized that collaboration across many different sectors was necessary to ensure an effective response to HIV/AIDS. The CSHA promoted the greater role of communities in the research process with the creation of the HIV/AIDS CBR Program. By building on the strengths of communities they will be best equipped to provide care, treatment and support to those already affected and to prevent the further spread of the HIV epidemic. Please visit the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada website for more information.

Community-based research involves community members in all stages of the research process from the definition of the research question to ensure relevance to the community, to capacity-building and integration of community members in conducting the research. It also promotes the active participation of communities in the development and implementation of knowledge dissemination strategies. In addition to these principles, CBR espouses the same values of methodological rigour and ethical review as other research approaches.

Community Leaders play an integral role in the research processes to ensure that the research will lead to useful and practical outcomes that will directly benefit the community.

Researchers from academic and other research institutions bring to community groups their research expertise in methodology, scientific rigor and supervision of future researchers. 

The HIV/AIDS CBR Program supports knowledge development and capacity-building initiatives of relevance to communities addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic. There are two different streams of activities, each with distinct budgets, within the HIV/AIDS CBR Program - Aboriginal and General.

Funds Available

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

• The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $198,000. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
• The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $33,000 per annum for up to 1 year. The equipment amount, where applicable, is awarded in year one.
• This grant is non-renewable.

General Stream
The total available for this stream is $99,000 over 1 year.

Aboriginal Stream
The total available for this stream is $99,000 over 1 year.

Partner/Collaborator 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/Collaborator 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 primary objectives of the Catalyst Grant program are to:

• Generate preliminary observations, data or knowledge, or to facilitate team formation, as a first step towards the pursuit of more comprehensive funding opportunities (e.g., operating grants, team grants) by researchers or teams of researchers
• Support original, high quality projects which have the potential to generate high impact results and/or innovative research proposals, research tools, techniques, devices, inventions, or methodologies.

The Catalyst Grant program is further expected to contribute to:

• Providing new or established investigators with funding to pursue new areas of investigation
• Providing investigators the opportunity to pursue high risk health research questions with the potential for high impact
• Providing the opportunity for a unique combination (e.g. multi-disciplinary, trans-disciplinary, international) of individual researchers to develop as a team
• Development of a culture of invention and innovation in Canada
• Mobilization of research communities to develop research agendas and/or action plans to advance research in specific priority areas.

Within the framework of the overall objectives of the CIHR Catalyst Grant Program, the specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:

• To support the development of partnerships between the community and researchers to facilitate the conduct of community-based research; and/or
• To support the development of future applications for more comprehensive community-based research grants.

Examples of activities that might be conducted under this RFA are:

• Facilitation of dialogue between communities and researchers in order to establish research partnerships;
• Workshop to design a research project and/or develop a proposal for a future CBR operating grant;
• Planning and execution of pilot projects or feasibility studies to generate preliminary data, observations, or knowledge; and/or
• Development or validation of research methodology and procedures.

Relevant Research Areas:

The HIV/AIDS CBR Program is aimed at undertaking research that benefits Canadian communities engaged in addressing issues related to HIV/AIDS. The impact of the proposed research on Canadian communities must be clearly demonstrated.

Research supported within this program is intended to address the needs deemed relevant by the affected communities while at the same time supporting the goals of the Federal Initiative.

CIHR - Institute of Infection and Immunity (III)
The Institute of Infection and Immunity, with the guidance of the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee (CHARAC) and through consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, has established six priorities for the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative. These HIV/AIDS Research Priorities reflect areas of particular interest for funding but are not intended to lessen the importance of other areas of HIV/AIDS research or limit applications. All areas of HIV/AIDS research will remain eligible for funding through the HIV/AIDS CBR Program. The Institutes do not wish to further limit the areas of HIV/AIDS research eligible to ensure its inclusiveness and responsiveness to the needs of the different communities. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including epidemiology, intervention research, case studies and interviews will be considered.

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 Eligibility Requirements for CIHR Grants and Awards regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions.

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

Specific Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility requirements specific to this funding opportunity include the following:

• A Community Leader based in an eligible not-for-profit organization may be considered a Principal Applicant for the purpose of the HIV/AIDS CBR Program.
• A Community Leader is defined as an individual who has direct involvement with a community affected by HIV/AIDS, understands the needs of the community and how research can lead to useful practical outcomes for the community and who can facilitate the involvement of the community in the research process.

Please note: For the purpose of this RFA, and while completing the CIHR Webforms, Community Leaders are invited to identify themselves Principal Decision Maker Applicant and Decision Maker Applicant, which are equivalents to Principal Applicant and Co-applicant respectively.

• A Nominated Principal Applicant must be named and will be given the administrative responsibility for the grant.
• This Nominated Principal Applicant may be a Principal Applicant according to the standard CIHR requirement, or a Community Leader acting as Principal Decision Maker for the HIV/AIDS CBR project;
• As per the eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding programs, Canadian non-governmental, not-for-profit organizations (including community or charitable organizations) with a research or knowledge translation mandate may be eligible to hold CIHR funds.

Organizations intending to seek eligibility to hold CIHR funds for the first time are encouraged to contact the Program Delivery Coordinator (see coordinates at the end of this RFA) upon registration for further details on the requirements for becoming eligible.

Please note that Community-based Research Facilitators (CBRF) are not eligible to act as Principal Applicants, co-Applicants or to actively engage in the conduct of research (e.g., participant recruitment, data collection, writing final report) for any research project funded by CIHR. This is to avoid conflict of interest and ensure that CBRFs are able to fulfill their key objective of developing capacity throughout their region. CBRFs may serve as Collaborators on applications in which they have a significant role in fostering partnerships, providing ongoing advice, facilitating knowledge dissemination and other activities as appropriate.

Guidelines

General CIHR Guidelines

This funding opportunity will follow the General Guidelines for Grant Programs. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the use of Gender and Sex-Based Analysis in applications.

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.

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

• Funds are intended to support activities associated with establishing partnerships (e.g. travel, accommodations, community consultations) as well as developing research proposals (e.g. testing of methodologies and procedures);
• Rental of space in non-academic institutions if it is justified as a direct cost of the research project. The cost must cover the rental of space required specifically for the research project, which would not otherwise be available to the institution;

Conditions of Funding

All conditions specified in CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies shall apply to applications funded through this Funding opportunity. Conditions cover areas such as Applicant and Institutional Responsibilities, Ethics, Official languages policy, Access to Information and Privacy Acts, and Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support. Successful applicants will be informed of any special financial requirements prior to the release of funds or when they receive CIHR's Authorization for Funding (AFF) document.

In addition to CIHR standard guidelines and requirements, the following special requirements shall apply:

• For development projects focused on testing research methodologies and project feasibility, at least one Principal Applicant on the team must meet the standard requirements for Participant Categories for CIHR Grants.
• Prior to the release of funds and when applicable, the Nominated Principal Applicant must demonstrate that an appropriate ethics approval from a certified Research Ethics Board has been obtained by submitting their initial ethics review certification;
• 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.
• The report should not exceed five pages and should:
  • Provide a summary of the objectives, project design and methods;
  • Demonstrate that the objectives of the RFA have been met;
  • Provide a summary of the major findings/outcomes and recommendations; and
  • Provide a summary of the dissemination of the project findings.

In the event that a Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) leaves the institution/organization administering project funds, funds may remain at that administering institution/organization if the responsibilities of the NPA are transferred to a qualified individual. For more information see Replacing a Nominated Principal Applicant on a Grant. Alternately, project funds may be transferred to a new eligible institution. For more information see Transferring Grant(s) to an Eligible Canadian Institution. It must be clearly demonstrated that the transfer of the project to either a new NPA or institution will not affect the outcomes of the project and the involved community.

Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

All personal information collected by CIHR about applicants is used to review applications, to recruit reviewers, to administer and monitor grants and awards, to compile statistics, and to promote and support health research in Canada. Consistent with these purposes, applicants should also expect that information collected by CIHR may be shared as described in Use and Disclosure of Personal Information Provided to CIHR for Peer Review.

CIHR as a federal entity is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, therefore the requirements of these two statutes will apply to all information located in CIHR's premises including, without limitation, cost-sharing agreements related to this Funding opportunity and all matters pertaining thereto.

While respecting the application of the Privacy Act to federal entities, all signing parties involved in a collaborative agreement will also be bound by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). All personal information (as identified by the PIPEDA) collected, used or disclosed in the course of any commercial activity under collaborative agreements related to the Funding opportunity will be collected, used and disclosed in compliance with the PIPEDA.

CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People

The CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People came into effect as policy for CIHR-funded research on July 1, 2008. Applicants whose proposed research will involve Aboriginal People are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with these guidelines and in particular with the section "Application of the Guidelines," which outlines the situations in which these guidelines apply.

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 CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies, Public Communication and Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support for details on CIHR's communication requirements. The contributing institutes/partners will be identified on the Authorization for Funding and decision letter.

Performance Measurement

CIHR is committed to demonstrating results to Canadians for the money invested in health research. Therefore, processes for monitoring progress and appropriate use of funds, as well as for performance measurement and program evaluation are in place. As a result, funding recipients must:

• contribute to the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes by participating in evaluation studies, surveys, workshops, audits and providing data or reports as required for the purpose of collecting information to assess progress and results;
• 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

Merit Review

A CIHR Merit 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) / 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

Merit review will be conducted in accordance with The CIHR Peer Review Process - Policies and Responsibilities of Grants Committee Members.

Each proposal must describe how the grant will address the objectives described under "Objectives and Relevant Research Areas" most notably the responsiveness to the principles of CBR as defined in that section.

The following evaluation criteria are specific to this funding opportunity. CIHR recognizes that applications will emphasize different approaches to research and to knowledge translation, therefore reviewers and committees are expected to weight criteria such as these differently from one application to another.

Potential Impact

Assessment Criteria include:

• The likely significance of the potential partnerships and research for the involved community - Aboriginal and/or non-Aboriginal - and relevance to the goals of the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada;
• The involvement of the community as partners in the developmental project and/or the potential to develop partnerships through this grant. Information on community involvement and partnership could include:
  • A clear description of the community and community-based organization involved in the project;
  • Extent, nature and cultural relevance of community involvement in the identification of the project focus, implementation and knowledge translation activities;
• The extent, appropriateness and potential impact of the knowledge translation plans for involved and affected communities.

Scientific Merit

Assessment Criteria include:

• The clarity and originality of proposed project and objectives, relative to relevant prior research;
• The feasibility and appropriateness of the proposed developmental activities (including the research question (s), methods and data analysis if applicable);
• The overall experience and skills of the investigative team including their community-based research experience; track record and relevance of past experience; likelihood that this team can complete the proposed project; and reasonableness of time commitments to the project; and
• The likelihood that the proposed project will result in a future funding application for a more comprehensive HIV/AIDS community-based research project.

Evaluation Process

The committee will use the following Merit Review Scale:

Each application will be assigned and reviewed by four merit committee members - two reviewers and two readers. One reviewer will focus on the assessment of Potential Impact and the other will focus on the assessment of Scientific Merit. The role of both reviewers is to present the application to the Merit Review panel. Readers will act as discussants at the review meeting. Potential Impact and Scientific Merit will be given equal weight in the assessment of the application by the Merit Review panel. Following the initial reviewers' and readers' comments and the discussion of the application by the entire panel, the two reviewers will determine a consensus rating for both Potential Impact and Scientific Merit. The Merit Review panel will then provide individual confidential votes within +/- 0.5 of the consensus ratings. Once the ratings have been determined, the Merit Review panel will review the requested budget and recommend an appropriate budget for the project. Only those applications that exceed the threshold rating of 3.5 on both Potential Impact and Scientific Merit will be considered for funding. The mean of the two scores will be calculated for the applications with a rating of 3.5 and above on both criteria to determine the final rating and establish a ranking list.

On completion of the review, the appropriate CIHR institute, portfolio and partner representatives will receive the ranking list, final merit review ratings and recommendations of the Merit Review committee with regards to funding level and period of support for the submitted applications that fall in the fundable range. Based on the total funds available for the RFA, applications will be funded from the top-ranked down as far as the budget will allow in both the General and the Aboriginal funding streams.

How to Apply

Note: This funding opportunity requires the use of CIHR Web Forms to apply for funding.

• The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of two steps: Registration and Application.
• To complete your Registration and Application, follow the instructions identified in the Catalyst Grants - Web Forms "Registration" Phase Instructions and the Catalyst Grants - Web Forms "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.

Additional instructions that must be followed for this funding opportunity:
(Note: These additional instructions supersede all other policies or guidelines published by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, including, but not limited to, the Grants and Awards Guide, the Memorandum of Understanding, etc.)

• Applicants are encouraged to resubmit previously unsuccessful applications, taking into consideration past reviewers' comments.

Research Module

• In the Research Funding Program section of the Research Module (page 7 of the web form printed report), select "Strategic Initiative/RFA" and enter "HIV/AIDS CBR Program - Catalyst Grant – STREAM: (General or Aboriginal)";
• The Summary of Research Proposal (page 9) is mandatory and must address in a maximum of one page the objectives of this funding opportunity and describe the likely significance of the project for the involved community;
• The Summary of Progress (page 10) is not mandatory but up to one page may be used to summarize previous work relevant to this application;
• The Response to Previous Reviews (page 11) is not mandatory but up to two pages may be used to respond to previous reviewer's concerns if the application is a resubmission;
• The Research Proposal (page 12) is mandatory and is to be limited to a maximum of five pages. Page limits do not include figures, tables and references, where applicable. The proposal must provide a clear, concise description of the developmental project including the community and community-based organization(s) involved in the research;
• The CBR Principles Summary (page 13) is mandatory and must demonstrate in a maximum of one page, the level of partnership with relevant community stakeholders as well as a clear description of community involvement in the identification of the research question, development, implementation and possible knowledge translation activities of the project;
• It is not necessary to select a specific Peer Review Committee on the application form as all applications to the CBR Program will be reviewed by a specifically created Merit Review committee.

Attachments

• Signed letters of support from the community are accepted and encouraged;
• Ethics certification can be appended if required and available at the time of submitting the application.

Budget Module

• Submit a complete Budget Module ensuring that a detailed justification for all costs is provided;
• Salaries for Peer Research Assistants can be listed under ''Research Assistants'' or ''Other'' and must be justified in the budget details;
• Include information on other revenue sources (e.g., partner and in-kind support), if applicable.

Community CV

• A Community CV Form [ Fillable PDF (466 KB) | DOC | Help ] has been created for the purpose of the HIV/AIDS CBR Program to capture relevant information for Community Leaders;
• Submit either a Community CV or full Common CV for all applicants listed on the project;
• Community Leaders may submit either a Community CV or a Common CV;
• Researchers based in academic or affiliated institutions must complete the Common CV.

For applicants using the Common CV:

• Volunteer experience can be inserted into the 'Work Experience' section if deemed relevant;
• Community recognition can be inserted in the 'Distinctions/Awards/Credentials' section;
• The section called "Activities/Contributions" should include information on both academic and non-academic contributions, publications including peer-reviewed articles and significant reports in the public domain. It should focus on achievements of the applicant with community-based research, relevant volunteer experience and experience working with community-based organizations;
• Please note that draft Common CVs will not be accepted. If using the Common CV, after logging into the Common CV web site and completing your CV click on "Validate my CV" (on the right hand side of your screen) for CIHR. After correcting any errors, click on "Finalize and submit my CV"; a PDF will be generated and you will be able to print your finalized CV module.

Additional Assistance:

• Contact the CIHR staff noted at the end of this request; and/or
• Contact the Community-based Research Facilitator in your region.

Send the completed registration (original plus 1 copy) and application package (original plus 6 copies) by courier to:

RE: "HIV/AIDS Community-based Research Program – Catalyst Grant"
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Address locator: 4809A
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9

Contact Information

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

Julien David
HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research Program Delivery Coordinator
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-941-6493
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: julien.david@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:

Suzette Dos Santos (Updated: 2009-11-02)
Officer, HIV/AIDS Research Initiative
Institute of Infection and Immunity
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Telephone: 613-941-4464
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: suzette.dossantos@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Partner/Collaborator Description

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
CIHR is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health-care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to nearly 12,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

Partners

CIHR - Institute of Infection and Immunity (III)
The CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (III) supports research to enhance immune-mediated health and to reduce the burden of infectious disease, immune-mediated disease, and allergy through prevention strategies, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation. CIHR-III is the lead CIHR Institute for the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative.

CIHR - Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (IAPH)
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health supports health research that addresses the special health needs of Aboriginal peoples in Canada, and aims to improve the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples through the assertion of Aboriginal understandings of health and by fostering innovative community-based and scientifically excellent research.