Important Dates

Notices

Notice 1:

• The content of this funding opportunity has been updated
  Date updated: 2010-01-22
  Sections updated: How to Apply, Contact Information

Notice 2:

• The 2009-2010 launch of the Science to Business Program includes the following important changes:
  • Switch from the school-as-applicant model to a student-as-applicant model;
  • Revised award amounts;
  • Expanded eligibility (no longer limited to MBA programs with a health-stream)

Table of Contents

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

Description

Knowledge Translation is a dynamic and iterative process that includes the synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically-sound application of knowledge to improve the health of Canadians, provide more effective health services and products and strengthen the healthcare system. Commercialization and innovation refer to the component of knowledge translation that is focused on bringing new products, tools, or services to a state of use in the private, not-for-profit, or public sectors. It can extend beyond bringing IP to the marketplace for profit (e.g. cost savings in the health system, humanitarian licensing). CIHR is committed to facilitating the commercialization of health research in Canada in support of its overall mandate to excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system.

CIHR's Science to Business (S2B) program is designed to encourage individuals with PhDs in a health related field to pursue an MBA. It is anticipated that successful applicants to the program will go on to apply their management and scientific expertise by pursuing careers in fields that support commercialization and innovation in Canada such as management, regulatory affairs, finance, research, technology transfer, and public policy. The goal of this program is to develop a cadre of professionals knowledgeable in health research and management, and to foster an entrepreneurial culture within and around the research community.

CIHR's S2B award is administered separately from MBA admissions processes at business schools and applying for or receiving the S2B scholarship will not necessarily facilitate acceptance into an MBA program.

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 initiative is $500,000.
• The maximum amount awarded for a single award is $30,000 per annum for up to 2 years:
• Stipend:
  • $30,000 per annum pro-rated monthly while registered in full-time classes;
  • $15,000 per annum pro-rated monthly while registered in part-time classes.
• This award is non-renewable

Objectives

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

• Encourage and enable individuals who have obtained a recent health-related PhD to pursue an MBA;
• Develop a cadre of management-trained scientists;
• Train scientists to recognize and manage health research innovations;
• Build Canadian capacity in careers that support commercialization;
• Foster an entrepreneurial culture within and around the health research community in Canada;
• Promote economic development through health research in Canada;
• Support the application of health research results to improve the health of Canadians.

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 a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
• Be residing in Canada for the majority of the duration of their MBA;
• Have obtained a PhD in a health-related field within 7 years of the application deadline. Applicants who are expecting to receive a PhD after the application deadline may apply however the award will be contingent upon receipt of a confirmation of completion of all requirements of the PhD program. To be considered eligible, the applicant must provide a justification that the PhD topic of research was relevant to one or more of the CIHR areas.

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.

The following allowable costs are specific to this funding opportunity:

• Funds will be paid to the host institution, and then transferred to the awardee on a pro-rated monthly basis.

The following costs are not eligible for support through this Funding Opportunity:

• Awardees are not eligible to receive this funding while they are on a paid co-op term or other periods where they are not enrolled in classes;
• In order to increase capacity and allow as many researchers as possible to benefit from federal, peer-reviewed funding, individuals may not hold both a CIHR training award and another federally-funded training award.

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, awardees the following requirements apply:

1. Students are required to be enrolled in an MBA program in Canada at a CIHR Eligible Institution. For further in formation, please consult the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide*. Executive MBA programs are not eligible for this award.
2. Students are required to accept the award within 2 months of the date of offer, and may commence on the first day of any month between August 1 following the date of offer and July 1 of the following year.
3. For applicants whose PhD was in progress at the time of submitting an application, this award will be contingent upon receipt of official notice from the Registrar's Office of the university were you completed your PhD, that you have completed all requirements for the degree.
4. Candidates who did not include an institutional signature in their S2B application because they were not accepted into a program at the time of submission, will be required to provide an institutional signature as a CIHR condition for payment on the offer of award.
5. Information applicants provide regarding program length, enrolment status (part- or full-time), and interim breaks (if applicable) will be used for budgeting purposes at the time of decision and it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that this information is accurate. If amendments are required later based on information provided by the school, the funding amount may be reduced but not increased. S2B funding will not extend beyond 2 years.
6. Note that funding is based in part on the alignment of the chosen program to your career objectives and the objectives of the S2B program. Should you wish to change to a different eligible program after being awarded an S2B scholarship, you must contact CIHR to request the change. CIHR will consider budget implications as well as fit with the stated objectives when considering approval of such requests.

*CIHR does not provide funds directly to individuals but to the institution/organization with which the Nominated Principal Applicant is affiliated. If an applicant is targeting a Canadian MBA program that is not currently on the list of CIHR Eligible Institutions, the applicant is encouraged to approach the responsible official from that institution and suggest they contact the CIHR Finance Department for information on eligibility.

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 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

The following general criteria for evaluating training award applications will be used:

• Achievements and Activities of the Candidate
• Characteristics and Abilities of the Candidate

To support the strategic objectives of this funding opportunity, the following factors will be considered in addition to the standard set of evaluation criteria:

• Demonstrated entrepreneurial experience
• Demonstrated potential for advancing S2B objectives based on the alignment of the applicant's profile, the targeted MBA program and their career objectives
• Demonstrated PhD area of focus that would have qualified as eligible for CIHR funding

Funding Decision:

Upon completion of peer review, the Knowledge Synthesis and Exchange Branch 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.

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 General Awards - ResearchNet "Application" Phase Instructions and in the "Specific Instructions" section below.
• 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 in the Print/Upload Signature Pages task in ResearchNet prior to submitting your application.
  
• Transcripts (including Proof of Graduate Degree completed), letters of support (submitted in the original signed sealed envelope) and Signature pages* (Original candidate signature required) must be sent to CIHR courier-stamped by the deadline date to:
  
  RE: "Science to Business (S2B) Program"
  Research Capacity Development
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  160 Elgin Street, Room 97
  Ottawa, ON, K1A 0W9
  Canada

* If at the time of application the candidate has been accepted into the MBA program for which they are requesting funding, the applicant must obtain a signature from the authorized individual at this institution.

* If at the time of application the candidate has not been accepted into the MBA program for which they are requesting funding, the applicant does not need to submit an institutional signature. Instead, an institutional signature will be requested as a CIHR condition for payment on the offer of award, if the candidate is successful in their application and they are accepted in the MBA program for which they are requesting funding.

Specific Instructions: (Updated: 2010-01-22)

• The following criteria are mandatory for your Application to be accepted:
  
  
  1. Under the Identify Sponsors task: Applications must include two letters of support from sponsors. It is recommended the letters of support be written by a supervisor from a past or present academic or work position. These letters of support will be used to help assess:
     • the relevancy of your previous academic work to a health-related field;
     • your past and/or present academic success;
     • your past and/or present entrepreneurial experience.
       
       
  2. Under the Enter Project Information and Supporting Documents task: Under subtask Project Overview, in Project Title, Lay Title and Abstract, identify this funding opportunity, the business school, and the program for which you are applying for funding. Complete the subtask Project Descriptors in reference to your health-related PhD. The attachments must consist of:
     1. Training Expectations which provide a description of your target MBA program (1 page maximum) including:
        • the school, program title, specialization (if applicable), list of courses you intend to take, and brief description of any other activities associated with the program (internships, coop, mentoring, etc) that you intend to pursue
        • Start-date of your program of study
        • Expected end-date of program
        • Start and end dates of any interim periods where you will not be enrolled in courses (e.g. summer semester)
        • Part-time or full-time status (give breakdown if combination)
        • Expected duration of any period of residence outside Canada over 6 months while enrolled in courses.
     2. Research Project Summary which must include the following:
        • Demonstration of how your PhD was in a health-related field by describing your topic of research and how it fit into one or more of the CIHR areas (1/2 page maximum)
        • Detail your previous entrepreneurial experience(s) (1 page maximum) (e.g. business, policy, management, industry engagement, commercialization or innovation.)
        • Statement of Purpose (1.5 pages maximum). Your statement should include why you are interested in pursuing this particular MBA program covering each of the following:
          • Describe what you expect to learn from this training experience.
          • Identify your specific career goals and describe how this training will contribute to them.
          • Describe how this training will further the objectives of the CIHR Science to Business (S2B) program.
          • Due to the specialized nature of the PhD/MBA credential and conditions in the Canadian labour market in many S2B relevant fields, some past S2B awardees reported challenges obtaining relevant career opportunities immediately upon graduation. Explain why you expect to be successful in meeting this challenge. This could be based on past work experience, job market research, demonstrated initiative in addressing a similar challenge, past or anticipated pursuit of bridging opportunities (co-op, internships), contact with potential employers, familiarity with a specific niche opportunities etc.

Contact Information

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

Jasmine Lefebvre (Updated: 2010-01-22)
Program Delivery Coordinator
Research Capacity Development
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-954-5999
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: jasmine.lefebvre@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:

Alison Lott
Senior KSE Specialist, Knowledge Synthesis and Exchange Branch
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-948-2682
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: alison.lott@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For technical help, call 613-941-9080 or e-mail support@researchnet-recherchenet.ca, and for more information email info@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

Partner/Collaborator Description

Note: Additional partners/collaborators, including partners/collaborators from industry and the private sector may join this funding initiative over the coming year.

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

CIHR – Knowledge Synthesis and Exchange Branch
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research's (CIHR) principal objective is to excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system. The CIHR Knowledge Synthesis and Exchange Branch is dedicated to supporting outstanding research and research synthesis, building capacity for the uptake of knowledge and strengthening the science of knowledge translation best practices in the interest of improving the health and quality of life of all Canadians.