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

This Catalyst Grant: Pilot Projects in Aging is being offered to encourage and stimulate new and established investigators to undertake new, high priority research challenges in the field of aging. It is expected that this targeted investment will enable researchers to generate preliminary data, validate methodology or tools, and/or explore novel (high risk) research ideas towards enhancing the success of subsequent applications to the CIHR open and strategic competitions focused on priority areas in aging.

Background

The Institute of Aging has identified five priority topics for research on aging and health. These priorities include (in no particular order):

• healthy and successful aging;
• biological mechanisms of aging;
• cognitive impairment in aging;
• aging and maintenance of functional autonomy;
• health services and policy relating to older people.

To encourage and stimulate new and established investigators to undertake new, high priority research challenges in the field of aging, the Institute of Aging is providing support for Pilot projects within the context of the CIHR Catalyst Grant 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 funding opportunity is $500,000 per competition. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
• Of this $500,000:
  • $250,000 is available to fund applications relevant to Biological and Clinical Aspects of Aging;
  • $250 000 is available to fund applications relevant to Social Dimensions of Aging;
• The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $50,000 per annum for up to 1 year The equipment amount, where applicable, is awarded in year one.

Objectives

Within the framework of the overall objectives of the CIHR Catalyst Grant Program, the specific objectives of the Catalyst Grant: Pilot Projects in Aging are to:

• support innovative ideas and projects within the Institute of Aging (IA)'s five priority topics for research on aging and health, in order to help researchers to subsequently obtain research grants from the regular programs;
• build research capacity in aging by attracting researchers to IA's five priority research topics;
• generate new knowledge regarding IA's five priority research topics.

The above objectives fit within the general context of the CIHR Catalyst Grant program which is designed 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.

Relevant Research Areas:

The CIHR Institute of Aging will provide funding for applications that are determined relevant to the Institute's five priority topics for research on aging and health are (in no particular order):

• healthy and successful aging
• biological mechanisms of aging
• cognitive impairment in aging
• aging and maintenance of functional autonomy
• health services and policy relating to older people

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.

Although not to be used as strict eligibility requirements, this funding opportunity aims to promote the following:

• New investigators are encouraged to apply;
• Established investigators are encouraged to include postdoctoral fellows as co-applicants or collaborators;
• Investigators in other fields of study who wish to explore applications relevant to aging are encouraged to apply, on the understanding that all proposals are reviewed in the context of pilot research leading to enhance opportunities for funding of subsequent studies within IA's priority areas in aging.

Eligibility to the separate funding pools will be determined based on the application's assignment to one of the two peer review committees: Biological and Clinical Aspects of Aging or Social Dimensions of Aging.

Randomized Controlled Trials:

Randomized Controlled 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.This encouraged approach does not contradict CIHR Institute of Aging's promotion and support of research that advances the health and quality of life of older adults (generally above the age of 65).

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.

• In addition to CIHR standard guidelines and requirements, the following special requirements shall apply:
• 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, and complete a web-based survey for the Institute of Aging.
• 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 Institute of Aging 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, senior Institute of Aging staff (in consultation with the Institute Advisory board members, as required) will have access to anonymized project titles and summaries or, upon written consent of the applicant, full applications to conduct relevance review.

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:

• Alignment of the proposed project with the objectives of this funding opportunity;
• Extent to which the proposal addresses the above relevant research areas described in the "Objectives" section;
• For the Institute of Aging, it is critical that proposals include aging and/or the aged as essential elements of the research objectives, hypotheses and analyses (e.g., dynamics of aging, age-relevant models and/or aged subjects). With respect to diseases common in old age, the focus must be on the effects of the disease specifically in the elderly, rather than on diseases in a general context, as these are addressed by other CIHR Institutes.

Review Committee

A CIHR peer review committee will evaluate the full applications that are deemed relevant. 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.

In addition to the general evaluation criteria, the following evaluation criteria are specific to this funding opportunity:

Research Approach:

• Research Plan. Original, innovative, coordinated and feasible research plan and methodology that will explore a novel (high risk) research idea and/or generate preliminary data or validate methodology or tools for a future program of research. In the case of a very innovative (high risk) project, how well have the applicant(s) anticipated difficulties in their methodologies and considered alternatives?
• Responsiveness. How does the application address high priority research challenges in the field of aging?

Applicant(s):

• Applicant's Productivity, Experience and Training. This will be judged in the context of the stage of career of the applicant. How appropriate to the research proposed is the training or track record of the applicant(s)? How important and original is the recent productivity of the applicant(s)? What level of confidence is there that the applicant can accomplish the work proposed?

Impact of the Research:

• Added Value. Demonstration that the Pilot Project will bring added value, in terms of the approach to the research area, and that it would not be possible to submit the proposal to the regular operating grant competition. How do the proposed research activities generate preliminary data, validate methodology or tools, and/or explore novel (high risk) research?

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. Bridging support or funding to support on-going studies will not be supported through 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 evaluation criteria such as the above differently from one application to another.

Funding Decision:

Upon completion of peer review, the CIHR Institute of Aging 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 for each funding pool will allow.

Applications that receive a ranking 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 Grants - ResearchNet "Registration" Phase Instructions and the 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

"Application" Phase

• The following criteria are mandatory for your Application to be accepted:
  • The Research Proposal must be a maximum of 5 pages. Additional pages will be excluded.
  • In the Abstract section of the Research Module, provide an abstract suitable for the preparation of a press release with a non-expert audience in mind.
• The following criteria are optional and your application will be accepted whether or not they are followed. However, please note that this information may be used by the peer/merit 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:

Jeff Warren (Updated: 2010-08-04)
Program Delivery Coordinator
Research Portfolio
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-948-2813
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: jeff.warren@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:

Sharon Nadeau
Associate, Strategic Initiatives
Institute of Aging
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-946-1270
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: sharon.nadeau@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 more than 13,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

CIHR – Institute of Aging
Institute of Aging's fundamental goal is the advancement of knowledge in the field of aging to improve the quality of life and the health of older Canadians. IA has identified five priority areas for research on aging and health (in no particular order): healthy and successful aging, biological mechanisms of aging, cognitive impairment in aging, aging and maintenance of functional autonomy, and health services and policy relating to older people.