Important Dates

Notices

Table of Contents

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

Description

This funding opportunity is announced under the Strategic Initiative on Official Languages Minority Communities.

The Strategic Initiative on Official Languages Minority Communities aims at understanding the health issues of French and English speaking Canadians who live in communities where they a minority. An official language minority community is a group of Canadians for whom the mother-tongue or the language of choice is French or English in a province where this language is a minority. More precisely, this term refers to English-speaking communities living in Quebec and French-speaking communities living in provinces and territories other than Quebec.

In 2001, a report revealed that more than half of the French-Speaking Minority Communities rarely, if ever, have access to health services in their language and hypothesized that there is a direct connection between language and population health. This problem has also been observed in the English-Speaking Minority Communities for whom regional access is often limited or non-existent in some locations. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that language barriers negatively affect access to health care services, access to preventive services, and therefore timely diagnosis and treatment. Access to health services in one's language of choice (French or English) is a critical health care issue, since the relationships between professional and patient have been shown to be an important determinant of quality of care. However, evidence for understanding the health issue of these linguistic communities regarding their state of health, determinants of health, and issues related to access to services is lacking. This lack of scientific evidence hinders the development of targeted health strategies and effective policies.

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.

Funds Available

CIHR's contribution to the amount available for this initiative is subject to availability of funds voted annually to CIHR by parliamentary appropriations. Should CIHR funding levels be decreased by Parliament, CIHR reserves the right to defer or suspend payments to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.

• The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $200,000. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
• The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $100,000 for one year.

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.

Specific Objectives

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

• To support research on the health issues experienced within official language minority communities.
• To increase our knowledge related to health determinants and accessibility, or lack of, health services in one's language of choice (French or English) and its impact on the health status of these two linguistic communities.
• To increase our knowledge on one of the three major relevant research areas: 1) determinants of health, 2) health service governance, management and delivery, and 3) the link between language, culture and health.

Relevant Research Areas:

CIHR Research Initiative on Official Language Minority Communities will provide funding for applications that are determined to be relevant to the following research areas:

• Determinants of health – This research area seeks to identify the bio-psycho-social determinants of health and the health needs of official language minority populations, document the access these populations have to health services and determine how accessibility affects their health.
• Health service governance, management and delivery – This area seeks to gain a better understanding of minority community governance regarding health in Canada. It is also important to identify the political and administrative issues raised by jurisprudence and institutional duality and better grasp the new health-related observations. Issues relating to greater participation by official language minority communities in governance bodies and decision-making guide this branch of research. The concerns of official language minorities surrounding health service delivery in both official languages and the management of this service suggest that governance of health care institutions is undergoing far-reaching changes that must be better documented.
• Language, culture and health – This area seeks to gain understanding of the effects of the minority linguistic and cultural experience on identity development and health. Included are studies on access to health promotion and prevention services and to primary and specialized health care; communication between people receiving health care and health workers as it applies to certain "client groups": early childhood, youth, seniors, women, new Canadians and people with mental health or psychosocial problems, new Canadians, seniors with memory problems and depressive people.
• Relationships between access in one's language of choice and quality of care.

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding programs apply. The business office of the institution of an eligible Nominated Principal Applicant generally administers CIHR funds. Please refer to the Individual Eligibility Requirements regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions

Eligibility to Apply:

In order for your application to be accepted the Nominated Principal Applicant must be an independent researcher;

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.

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.

• The Nominated Principal Applicant, will be required to submit an End of Grant report to CIHR 18 months after the authority to use the grant fund period. This online report would be made available to the Nominated Principal Applicant on ResearchNet at the beginning of the grant funding period and can be filled in as the research progresses.
• The Nominated Principal Applicant must contribute to the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes by participating in evaluation studies, surveys, workshops, audits and providing data or reports as required for the purpose of collecting information to assess progress and results;
• The Nominated Principal Applicant must also encourage their associates, trainees and administration to participate in the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes as required.

Review Process and Evaluation

Relevance Review Process

The CIHR Research Initiative on Official Language Minority Communities will provide funding for applications that are relevant to (in alignment with) the objectives and research priority areas described in the Objectives section.

Prior to peer review, the CIHR's Research Initiative on Official Language Minority Communities will have access to anonymized project titles and summaries.

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

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

• The target population will be official language minority communities as described in section Objectives and Relevant Research Areas
• Includes access to (or lack of) health services, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitation and impact it has on the health of the targeted populations.
• Includes determinants of health, or health service governance, management and delivery or language, culture and health

Upon completion of peer review, the CIHR's Research Initiative on Official Language Minority Communities will receive the ranking list, merit scores (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.

Review Committee

A CIHR peer review committee will evaluate the full applications. The committee may be drawn from one of CIHR's pre-existing committees or may be created specifically for this funding opportunity. Committee members are selected based on suggestions from many sources including the institute(s) / branch(es) and partner(s), following CIHR's Policy on Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality in the context of Merit, Relevance and Peer Review (CCIP). For information on CIHR's peer review process in general, see the Understand Peer Review section of CIHR's website.

Evaluation Criteria:

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

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

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

The following evaluation criteria will apply to peer review of Catalyst Grant applications:

1. Potential Impact
   • How important and novel are the outcomes expected from the proposed research activities?
   • What is the potential for important new observations, tools/techniques, knowledge or impact in health research, or for the expected outcomes to build a foundation for the pursuit of more comprehensive funding opportunities?
2. Research Question
   • How important and original are the hypotheses, questions, or issues to be addressed, and how clearly are they formulated?
3. Research Approach
   • How well will the proposed approach address the hypotheses or questions?
   • How critically is the relevant literature appraised and evaluated?
4. Feasibility
   • How well have the applicant(s) anticipated difficulties in their approach and considered alternatives?
   • How appropriate to the proposed research activities is the training or track record of the applicant(s)?
   • Are the reviewers confident that the applicant(s) can accomplish the work proposed?

Notes:

• It will be recognized by reviewers that preliminary data or observations for novel ideas or totally new research directions will generally not be available, and therefore there will be a minor emphasis on preliminary data or observations.
• Researchers, regardless of career stage, would not be expected to have an extensive publication record in the new field, but rather to possess a set of transferable competencies that will enable them to accomplish the proposed objectives.
• For projects of a high risk nature, the potential for great scientific gain should offset the risk of failure.
• There should be minimal or no overlap with other funded work.

CIHR recognizes that applications will emphasize different approaches to research and to knowledge translation, therefore reviewers and committees are expected to weight evaluation criteria such as the above differently from one application to another.

Funding Decision:

Upon completion of peer review, the CIHR Research Initiative on Official Language Minority Communities 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.

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 two steps: Registration and Application.
• To complete your Registration and Application, follow the instructions identified in the Catalyst Grants - ResearchNet "Registration" Phase Instructions and the Catalyst 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 for this funding opportunity

Step 2: Application

• The following criteria are mandatory for your Application to be accepted:
  • The Research Proposal must be no more than 13 pages not including references, charts, tables, figures and photographs.
• The following criteria are optional and your Application be accepted whether or not they are followed. However, please note that this information may be used by the peer review committee to make recommendations on funding and hence could have an impact on your evaluation. :
  • The maximum number of publications to be appended is 5.

Contact Information

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

Carole Chow (Updated: 2010-03-04)
Program Delivery Coordinator
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-948-2903
Fax : 613-954-1800
Email : carole.chow@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:

Carole Reece
Initiative officer, Strategic Research Initiatives
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-954-0526
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: carole.reece@cihr-irsc.gc.ca