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

Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grants are intended to provide support for meetings, planning and/or dissemination activities consistent with the mandate of CIHR and relevant to CIHR Institutes, Initiatives, or Branches.

The vision of the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA) is that innovative research will provide new knowledge of the biological and socio-cultural processes underlying neurological, mental and addictive disorders. As such, the INMHA's mission is to foster excellence in innovative, ethically responsible research in Canada that aims to increase our knowledge of the functioning and disorders of the brain and the mind, the spinal cord, the sensory and motor systems, as well as mental health, mental illness and all forms of addiction. The INMHA intends to support initiatives that mobilize and link researchers or researchers/clinicians/users of health research in innovative collaborative programs across these research domains. The INMHA seeks to translate research knowledge into a better quality of life for all Canadians through improved outcomes, health promotion and health care services.

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 $30,000.  This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
• The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $10,000 for up to one year.  Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grants are non-renewable.
• INMHA will normally contribute up to $10,000 for a workshop, a symposium or a conference held in Canada.

Objectives

The purpose of the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant program is to provide financial support for the broad category of Meetings, Planning and/or Dissemination activities that are consistent with the mandate of CIHR and relevant to CIHR Institutes, Initiatives, or Branches.

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity, announced through the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant program, are:

• To enable multidisciplinary research groups to meet for the purposes of discussing new research ideas, consensus development, and/or the development of innovative research proposals within the INMHA's mandate's
• To enable researchers to develop new national and international collaborations.

Proposed activities may include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

• Scientific meetings where the sharing of information takes place (workshops, symposia, conferences, colloquia, etc…);
• Gatherings of health researchers, non-researchers, and/or users of health research where the main objective is to facilitate collaboration among individuals or groups (for example, consensus meetings, planning and/or development meetings, networking and partnership development events);
• Opportunities for knowledge exchange involving stakeholder linkages (to inform practice, care, and/or policy);

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:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant must be one of the following:
   1. An independent researcher;
   2. Trainee;
2. Applicants affiliated with Canadian non-governmental not-for-profit organizations (including community or charitable organizations) with a research or knowledge translation mandate consistent with the mandate of CIHR may be eligible to apply for funds through the CIHR Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant program.
3. If an organization or institution is uncertain about its eligibility for funding through the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant program, it is encouraged to seek clarification from CIHR staff designated in Contact Information.
4. In the context of the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant program, applications are equally welcomed from independent researchers, research trainees, activity/event coordinators affiliated with Canadian non-governmental not-for-profit organizations, and/or community leaders. The Principal Applicant has responsibility for the intellectual direction of the proposed activity/ event as well as administrative and financial responsibility over the grant.
5. A Nominated Principal Applicant, who assumes administrative responsibilities for the grant, must be named for each Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant application.
6. The business office of the institution / organization of an eligible Nominated Principal Applicant will generally administer CIHR funds. If the institution / organization of the Nominated Principal Applicant has not previously signed a memorandum of understanding with CIHR, then additional paperwork will be required as a condition of funding. Additional details will be provided by CIHR.
7. Activities/Events starting or taking place before the funding start date are not eligible to apply to this 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.

The full application must provide a detailed justification of all costs.

Expenses eligible for support through the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant program include:

• Costs associated with planning, publication, translation, and/or dissemination;
• Fees or honoraria for the preparation of background documents (e.g., environmental scan).
• Travel and accommodation for participants;
• Meeting rooms and associated meeting costs (e.g., audio-visual equipment, videoconferences);
• Hospitality costs (non-alcoholic refreshments or meals);
• Modest honoraria (up to $500 CAD) for guest experts.

The following costs are not eligible for support through the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant program:

• Stipend/salary support for investigators, research trainees or technical assistants (other than for aforementioned purposes);
• Purchase or maintenance of equipment;
• Operating costs of research projects

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.

• Within three months after the activity / event, the Nominated Principal Applicant is required to submit a a "MPD Final Report" [ PDF (276 KB) | Help ] summarizing the outcomes and describing how the grant funds were used;
• 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

The Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction will provide funding for applications that are relevant to (in alignment with) the objectives and research priority areas described in the Objectives section.

The relevance of applications will be determined prior to peer review. For this process, the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction and other Partners, as required, will have access to anonymized project titles, brief description of the proposed activity and the relevance of the application to the objectives and the detailed activity description sections. Upon written consent of the applicant, the above mentioned institute and partners will have access to full applications to conduct the relevance review. Applications deemed not relevant to the initiative will be withdrawn from the competition and will not proceed to peer review.

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

• Alignment of the objectives of the proposed activity with the specific objectives of the CIHR Institute, Initiative, or Branch offering funding through the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant program

Review Committee

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

The review committee will review the applications for merit in the context of the objectives and research priorities outlined in the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant funding opportunities to which the applicant is applying.

Evaluation Criteria:

A committee, consisting of institute branch/staff/advisory board members and partners as required, 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:

Activity objectives:

• Clarity of the stated objectives and defined scope
• Likely impact of the anticipated outcomes (consensus, research priorities, guidelines, research project)

Knowledge exchange and/or Dissemination:

• Inclusion of relevant stakeholders (research community, decision-makers, health care providers, etc.) and sectors (private, public, charities)
• Potential to catalyze new initiatives, develop new inter- and multi-disciplinary collaborations among researchers and/or users of research
• Clearly defined dissemination plans for activity outcomes

Feasibility:

• Perceived ability of applicant(s) or coordinating group(s) to meet objectives of Funding Opportunity
• Appropriate budget and justification for amount requested

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

Funding Decision:

Upon completion of the committee review, institute branch/staff/advisory board members and partners as required, 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 ranking 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 Meetings, Planning and Dissemination 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 Requirments

• Applicants must apply and state the relevance of their proposal to the "Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant: Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction" funding opportunity.

Contact Information

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

Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grants Program Delivery Team
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-957-3118 (Updated: 2010-02-02)
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: MPD-SRPD@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:

Barbara Beckett
Assistant Director
CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
Telephone: 613-948-4877
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: barbara.beckett@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 Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
The vision of the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA) is that innovative research will provide new knowledge of the biological and socio-cultural processes underlying neurological, mental and addictive disorders. As such, the INMHA's mission is to foster excellence in innovative, ethically responsible research in Canada that aims to increase our knowledge of the functioning and disorders of the brain and the mind, the spinal cord, the sensory and motor systems, as well as mental health, mental illness and all forms of addiction. The INMHA intends to support initiatives that mobilize and link scientists in innovative collaborative programs across these research domains. The INMHA seeks to translate this new knowledge into a better quality of life for all Canadians through improved outcomes, health promotion and health care services.