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

As outlined in the CIHR Institute of Genetics (IG) Strategic Plan, the IG recognizes the need to increase and foster clinical genetics research in Canada. In response, the IG created the Clinical Investigatorship Award to increase researcher capacity in this critical area.

The IG Clinical Investigatorship Award affords recipients the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to initiate and conduct research - in the area of clinical genetics - by contributing to their salary. This award is designed to provide protected time for early-career clinical investigators to undertake clinical or translational genetics research.

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.

• It is anticipated that approximately $280,000 per annum over two years will be available through the current funding opportunity, enough to fund approximately two awards.
• The maximum salary amount for a single award is $140,000 (including fringe benefits) per annum, for up to two years, renewable once.

Partner 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 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 specific objective of this funding opportunity is to increase Canada's capacity in the area of clinical genetics research.

Relevant Research Areas:

The CIHR Institute of Genetics will provide funding for applications that are determined to be relevant to the following research areas:

• Clinical Genetics Research

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.

Individuals may only apply to one CIHR salary award competition in the same year (September 1 to August 31).

Eligibility to Apply:

In order for your application to be accepted:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant must:
   1. Be an independent researcher;
   2. Have completed at least two years of research training, or have a record of active clinical research and demonstrated research productivity for at least five years at the time of application;
   3. Be at the beginning of a career in research as an independent investigator - i.e., not more than five years at the time of application (candidates can be later in their career in terms of clinical experience); 
   4. Be qualified as a: (i) clinician in any specialty; (ii) clinician specializing in medical genetics - clinical geneticist, clinical cytogeneticist, clinical biochemical geneticist or clinical molecular geneticist; (iii) genetic counsellor; or (iv) PhD medical geneticist. Clinical qualification is normally indicated by certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, le Collège des médecins du Québec, Canadian College of Medical Geneticists or the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors; and
   5. Have confirmation that they will be able to devote at least 0.6-0.75 FTE (full-time equivalent) to clinical genetics research activities and limit clinical service, teaching and administrative activities to a total of no more than 0.25-0.40 FTE during the period of the award.
2. A formal association with at least one competitively-funded independent investigator is required to provide mentorship to the recipient. The mentoring investigator must have a competitive operating grant from a recognized Canadian or international funding agency.

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.

Allowable Costs

For the research allowance (if available), awardees 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.

In addition to CIHR standard guidelines and requirements, awardees are expected to:

• Read and agree to the communication requirements.
• Accept the award within 2 months of the date of offer, and the award must commence on the first day of any month between the October 1 following the date of offer and March 1 of the following year.
• By the start date of the award, hold a full-time appointment at a Canadian university, medical school, teaching hospital, or research institution

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 CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies, 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

Relevance Review

The CIHR Institute of Genetics 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 Institute of Genetics 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.

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 the Policies and Responsibilities of Awards Committee Members.

The following standard criteria for evaluating applications will apply:

• Applicant Track Record, including:
  • clinical genetics training and experience; and
  • research training, accomplishments and productivity of the applicant.
• Research Proposal
• Environment and Support, including:
  • quality of the host research environment (including level of institutional support); and
  • quality, appropriateness and commitment of the applicant's mentor(s).

Funding Decision

Upon completion of peer review, the Institute of Genetics 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 3.7 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 Training Awards - 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 in the Print/Upload Signature Pages task in ResearchNet prior to submitting your application.
• Sponsor letter(s), reference letters, and the Dean of Faculty / Research Director letter (submitted in the original signed sealed envelope) must be sent to CIHR courier-stamped by the deadline date to:
  
  RE: "Clinical Investigatorship Award – Institute of Genetics"
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  160 Elgin Street, Room 97
  Ottawa, ON, K1A 0W9
  Canada

Specific Instructions

The following criteria are mandatory for your Application to be accepted:

1. Identify Participants: The awardee must be listed as the Nominated Principal Applicant and the research mentor(s) providing sponsor letters should be listed as Supervisor(s). Please note, this wording is to facilitate the application process and does not mean that research mentor(s) are expected to adopt a supervisory role.
   
   
2. Identify Sponsors: Identify all individuals who are providing letters of support for this application. The following letters must be included:
   • Sponsor letter(s) from one or more research mentor(s)
   • Three reference letters
   • A letter from the Dean of Faculty or Research Director
   Additional instructions regarding letters of support are provided under Task 6.
   
   
3. Attach Common CVs and Supporting Documents: Application CV(s) must be uploaded for the Nominated Principal Applicant and all research mentor(s) providing sponsor letter(s).
   
   
4. Enter Project Information and Supporting Documents:
   
   Project Details
   • Under Proposed Start Date, indicate a date between October 1, 2010 and March 1, 2011
     
     
   Attachments
   1. Research Proposal:
      • Provide a clear and concise description of the research proposal, including the role of the applicant (6 page maximum).
   2. Other Responsibilities of the Candidate (Appendix 2A – Part 1)
      • To be completed by the head of department. (1 page maximum)
      • Indicate the nature and the extent (hours per year and percentage of time) of non-research activities in which the candidate would be required to engage as follows:
        • Teaching (excluding graduate student supervision)
        • Clinical work
        • Administrative duties
        • Corporate involvement (involvement on boards or advisory committees)
   3. Research Associations (Appendix 2A – Part 2)
      • Indicate the colleagues and research programs the candidate would be associated with and the nature of this association emphasizing the potential contributions of the candidate. (1 page maximum)
   4. Commitment of the Nominating Institution (Appendix 2A – Part 3)
      • CIHR expects that the nominating institution will offer successful candidates a full-time faculty, or equivalent position. Indicate clearly the research buildings and facilities available to the candidate, as well as any start up funds to be given. In addition, describe the institution's commitment to protect the candidate's research time. The institution must commit to protecting a minimum of 0.6-0.75 of the candidate's time for research for the duration of the award. (1 page maximum)
   5. Training expectations:
      • Describe commitment to pursuing a career in clinical genetics research (1 page maximum);
      • For the proposed research, outline plans for securing research funding if (i) funds are not currently held or (ii) if current funding will end during tenure of the IG Clinical Investigatorship Award (1 page maximum).
   6. For renewal applications only, summarize the research undertaken under the current award demonstrating clearly your ability to initiate and conduct research (1 page maximum). (Updated: 2010-05-18)
      
      
5. Attach Other Application Material:
   Applications must include the following letters:
   
   
   1. Sponsor letter(s):
      • Provide a sponsor letter from one or more research mentor(s) who receive funding from a recognized national or international funding agency. The letter must include a description of the proposed research collaboration with the applicant and a statement of commitment to serve as a research mentor to the applicant.
      • For renewal applications, a letter from the mentor(s) on the first Clinical Investigatorship Award is required, and the research collaboration(s) indicated as the result of the first Clinical Investigatorship Award from IG
        
        
   2. Reference letters:
      • Provide three reference letters; one must be from a research mentor; and one must be from an individual outside the candidates current department or where the award will be held
        
        
   3. Dean of Faculty / Research Director Letter:
      • Provide a letter of support from the Dean, Research Director or equivalent at the home institution. This letter must provide confirmation that the head of the department at the home institution will granting the applicant 0.6 – 0.75 FTE time for research if the award is received and provide assurance that the applicant's clinical service, teaching and administrative duties will be limited to no more than 0.25 – 0.4 FTE for the duration of the award. The letter must describe and justify the contribution to salaries (including fringe benefits) required to release the awardee from clinical service, teaching and administrative responsibilities. The letter must clearly outline all forms of institutional support, including degree of support for protected research time after the completion of the IG Clinical Investigatorship award.
      • For renewal applications only, the letter must provide a firm written commitment of ongoing institutional support for protected research time after the completion of the award. If the candidate needs the approval from additional Clinical or Academic Departments to guarantee the 0.6-0.75FTE research time, the applicant should provide additional letters of support.
        
        
6. Confirm Documents Sent: The documents listed below must be sent to CIHR courier-stamped by the deadline date for your application to be considered complete:
• Sponsor letter(s) (1 or more)
• Reference letters (3)
• Dean of Faculty / Research Director letter (1)
All letters must be submitted in the original signed sealed envelope.

Contact Information

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

André Fortin
Team Lead (A)
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-941-0651
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: andre.fortin@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:

Jennifer Ahlgren
Institute Project Officer
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-957-6126
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: jennifer.ahlgren@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 Genetics (IG)
The CIHR Institute of Genetics supports research on the human and model genomes and on all aspects of genetics, basic biochemistry and cell biology related to health and disease, including the translation of knowledge into health policy and practice, and the societal implications of genetic discoveries.