ResearchNet - RechercheNet

Funding Organization
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Program Name
Team Grant : Intervention Trial in Inflammation for Chronic Conditions ARCHIVED
(Intervention Trial in Inflammation for Chronic Conditions - Evidence to Impact)
Sponsor(s)
The CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (III), in partnership with the Institute of Aging (IA), the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH), the Institute of Gender and Health (IGH), the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA), and the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD), the CIHR HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections (STBBI) Research Initiative; and with Mitacs, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JLABS).
Program Launch Date
2022-11-08
Deadline Date
TBD

Important Dates

Competition Letter of Intent (202303LII)
CLOSED 		Full Application (202403ITI)
CLOSED
Application Deadline 2023-03-02 2024-03-06
Anticipated Notice of Decision 2023-07-06 2024-07-08
Funding Start Date 2023-09-01 2024-06-01

Notices

The content of this funding opportunity has been updated
Date updated: 2024-02-14
Section(s) updated: How to Apply

On July 14, 2023, CIHR introduced the Manage Access task to allow a Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) to delegate access to individuals on their team to support the completion of their application. Please see the How to Apply Instructions for further details.

Webinar

CIHR will host a webinar to support participants with the requirements of the funding opportunity and to answer questions. To find out more information and to register, visit the Webinars page.

Partnership Tool

CIHR is providing a Partnership Tool  that is intended to facilitate connections between researchers, individuals and decision-makers should there be interest. This is not a mandatory tool. Information is provided on a volunteer basis and does not confer any advantages in the evaluation and funding of applications. The table will be updated weekly, until the application deadline. If you would like to use this tool, please complete the short form. The information you provide will appear on a public CIHR web page. Please note that potential applicants are not required to use the partnership tool or contact those who have submitted their information.


Frequently Asked Questions

CIHR has developed a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to provide further details about this funding opportunity. (Updated: 2023-10-31)

Table of Contents

Description


Background

A state of prolonged inflammation has been associated with many chronic health conditions, including but not limited to cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, stroke, dementia, rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma/chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), allergies, endometriosis, kidney and liver diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and blood vessel disease (atherosclerosis/thrombosis and hemostasis). It plays a role in the development of psychiatric morbidities, including anxiety and depression, and the progression and complications of premature aging and frailty. The advancement of knowledge in disease-specific fields has led to the development of therapies to control inflammation in specific conditions once diseases have been diagnosed. Control of inflammation can also be a strategy for prevention of chronic conditions as inflammation underlies the development of many of these conditions. Adoption of existing, evidence-based interventions using effective and transferable implementation strategies to optimize the delivery of healthcare is also needed to improve health outcomes for people living with or at risk of developing chronic conditions.

Overview

Building on the shared framework for inflammation research initiated through prior CIHR investments ( Health Challenge in Chronic Inflammation Phase 1 [HCCI1]), the second phase of HCCI (HCCI2) comprises two distinct funding opportunities that together will accelerate the clinical translation of solutions that target shared pathways of inflammation in chronic conditions. The first component of the HCCI2 initiative, Preparation to Trial (funded in 2021), is supporting the advancement of preclinical research towards the human intervention trial stage and a better understanding of the implementation context to enable the scale up of existing interventions. The current funding opportunity represents the second component, which will support intervention trials (see Additional Information) in humans with clinical impact on inflammation in chronic conditions and knowledge mobilization.

The overall vision of this funding opportunity is to improve the health outcomes of people living with, or at risk of developing, chronic conditions by advancing the repurposing, development, and optimization of innovative interventions. Interventions are to target biological (e.g., genetic, epigenetic), environmental (e.g., exposure to chemical products, air pollution), social (e.g., socioeconomic status, education) and behavioral (e.g., tobacco or cannabis smoking, vaping, diet) triggers of shared pathways of inflammation across two or more chronic conditions.

This funding opportunity supports the partnership with people with lived/living experience (PWLE), which involves meaningful collaboration between researchers and PWLE. In the context of this funding opportunity, PWLE are individuals with chronic conditions who are representative of the population engaged in the study project. People with chronic conditions can become partners in the proposed research by contributing to identifying research questions and priority-setting, and governance of the research and even performing certain parts of the research itself. This type of meaningful engagement helps to ensure that the research being conducted is relevant and valuable to the people that it affects.  PWLE engaged in research proposals can also collaborate with the research team to analyze and interpret research results, summarize or share the results with target audiences and policymakers or other decision-makers who may apply the results in a health or community setting. For more information about the full scope of patient engagement, please see the SPOR Patient Engagement Framework.

This funding opportunity is composed of two main types of grants:

Research Team Grants

The overall goal of Research Team Grants is to support clinical, behavioral, socio-structural and/or environmental interventions related to inflammation in chronic conditions in humans to ultimately support the optimization of healthcare delivery. Specifically, it is anticipated that they will investigate the repurposing or development of interventions for prevention, diagnosis, prediction of treatment response, and management of inflammation in chronic conditions, and/or the optimization of such interventions across the lifecycle and for different life stages and considering intersecting factors, such as sex, gender, age and other identity dimensions as well as co-morbidities. It is expected that this targeted research investment will lead to greater availability of solutions for inflammation in chronic diseases and catalyze changes in clinical practice and policy.

To be relevant for Research Team Grants, proposals must be in line with the mandate of a minimum of two (2) of the CIHR Institutes collaborating on this funding opportunity (full list and additional details can be found in the Sponsor Description section).

All proposals are required to address interventions which may include but are not limited to therapeutics, diagnostics, predictive analytic models, use of traditional medicine or natural products, socio-structural and behavioral strategies for change in lifestyle (e.g., diet/weight loss, exercise habits, sleep).

Given the overarching objective of this funding opportunity to accelerate the translation of solutions for inflammation in chronic conditions, all applications must establish detailed knowledge mobilization (KM) plans to support the broader dissemination, uptake, and integration of their research into proven and effective solutions for inflammation in chronic conditions.

Each Research Team must identify at least one Knowledge Mobilization Liaison (KML) that will work in close and regular collaboration with the KM Hub (see details below) to achieve their team’s respective KM goals. The KML will lead KM activities appropriate to the type of science proposed in the grant (see Eligibility for more details).

Research Teams Research Areas

Research Team Grants will support projects relevant to the following research areas:

General Pool: The General Pool will support projects that focus on at least one of the three following themes:

CIHR HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections (STBBI) Research Initiative Pool: In addition to meeting the requirements of one of the three themes of the General Pool described above, applications requesting funds from the HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative must be relevant to HIV infection and/or other STBBIs that comprise elements of chronic inflammation (including but not limited to hepatitis C [HCV]) (see Sponsor Description for more details).

Knowledge Mobilization Hub (KM Hub)

To help facilitate knowledge mobilization for all successful Research Teams, this competition will provide additional funds to a successful team to establish and lead a dedicated Knowledge Mobilization Hub (KM Hub). The KM Hub will be responsible for supporting the knowledge mobilization activities of all the Research Teams by establishing an overarching structure to support the coordination and collaboration of the Teams to leverage interdisciplinary activities, optimize the research impact through clearly defined knowledge mobilization and engagement efforts, and achieve the overall funding opportunity objectives. See figure  for a visual explanation of the KM Hub.

The KM Hub will be committed to transforming existing knowledge and co-creating new knowledge to improve the design of the intervention and relevance of results for knowledge users (i.e., PWLE, clinicians, industry, policymakers) and accelerate the path to translation of intervention trials for better prevention and care policies, practices, procedures, products and services to address inflammation across Canada. The KM Hub is expected to provide coordination mechanisms for achieving the KM objectives by facilitating interactions among the Research Teams, the inflammation research community, PWLE, and knowledge users (KUs), and maintaining clear communication channels amongst the different stakeholders. KM Hub activities will be coordinated by a KM Manager. A variety of mechanisms may be considered including, but not limited to:

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

This funding opportunity is supporting research that reflects the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), consistent with CIHR’s position on EDI, available in the Tri Agency Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, in both the research environment and the research design.

Research environment:

Research design:

Indigenous Research and Multiple Ways of Knowing

CIHR is committed to supporting and promoting research by and with Indigenous Peoples. CIHR is embracing Indigenous Rights (IR) considerations in research design and practices and in research environments, which includes Indigenous communities.

Indigenous research and multiple ways of knowing are within the scope of this funding opportunity, if appropriate; however, they are not a specific focus of this funding opportunity, nor a funding requirement. Any research involving Indigenous Peoples will be required to provide evidence of having meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples.

Data related to research by and with First Nations, Inuit, or Métis communities whose traditional and ancestral territories are in Canada must be managed in accordance with data management principles developed and approved by those communities, and based on free, prior and informed consent. This includes, but is not limited to, considerations of Indigenous data sovereignty, as well as data collection, ownership, protection, use, and sharing. More information is available in the Conditions of Funding section, and in the Tri-Council Policy Statement 2: TCPS 2 - Chapter 9 Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada.

Role and Contributions of Applicant Partners: CIHR recognizes that a broad range of partners may be relevant to this opportunity and it is expected that applicant(s) describe the role of all applicant partners and how/if they will contribute to research and/or knowledge mobilization, and related activities. Any consideration of risk and/or conflict of interest should also be explained, as appropriate.

Phases and Timelines

Funds Available

CIHR and partner(s) financial contributions for this initiative are subject to availability of funds. Should CIHR or partner(s) funding levels not be available or are decreased due to unforeseen circumstances, CIHR and partner(s) reserve the right to reduce, defer or suspend financial contributions to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.

The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $8,740,000. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate.

Research Teams

Knowledge Mobilization Hub (KM Hub)

Note for Research Team Grants: Industry or other partner contribution as applicant partner is not mandatory. However, for clinical trials for which the cost would exceed the full amount of the grant provided under this funding opportunity, applicants must secure additional cash and/or in-kind partnership contributions for the cost exceeding the maximum available funds from CIHR. No applicant partnership contribution minimum is set as applicants will have to demonstrate that anticipated outcomes of their research project are realistic in relation to available funds.

Additional Partner Funding for Research Team Grants

The following applicant partners have expressed an interest in supporting research projects on a particular theme or on issues that are a priority for them. 


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Objectives


The objectives of this funding opportunity are to:


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Eligibility


Eligibility to Apply

Research Team Grants

For an application to be eligible at the LOI stage:

  1. The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) must be:
    1. an independent researcher or a knowledge user affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution and/or its affiliated institutions (including hospitals, research institutes and other non-profit organizations with a mandate for health research and/or knowledge translation) at the time of funding.
      OR
    2. an individual affiliated with an Indigenous non-governmental organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge translation mandate.
      OR
    3. an Indigenous non-governmental organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge translation mandate.
  2. The NPA (individual) must have their substantive role in Canada for the duration of the requested grant term.
  3. The Institution Paid must be authorized to administer CIHR funds before the funding can be released (for more information see Administration of Funds).
  4. The NPA* must have successfully completed all four modules for Patient Engagement available online through the CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis and have submitted their Certificates of Completions (see How to Apply section) by the LOI stage.
    *Organizations as NPAs: For organizations applying as the NPA, a representative of the organization must complete the training modules on the organization’s behalf.
  5. The Research Team must include each of the following roles. Note that an individual can fulfill multiple roles.
    1. An Early Career Researcher (ECR) as NPA, PA or Co-Applicant. The ECR must be eligible at the time of the full application deadline date.
    2. A Sex and Gender Champion as NPA, PA or Co-Applicant. The Champion will be a researcher who possesses or acquires, and provides evidence of, expertise in the study of sex as a biological variable and/or gender as a social determinant of health in relation to inflammation (see How to Apply section for more details).
    3. A knowledge user (KU) as NPA or PA.
    4. A client/patient/family/caregiver/person with lived or living experience (PWLE) as NPA, PA or Co-Applicant.
    5. A Knowledge Mobilization Liaison (KML) as NPA, PA or Co-Applicant (see Additional Information). This person can be (but is not limited to) an investigator, clinician, policy maker, knowledge user, etc.
  6. Any research applications involving Indigenous Peoples must include at least one applicant who self-identifies as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) and/or provides evidence of having meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples (see How to Apply section for more details).
  7. Only applications that are successful at the Letter of Intent (LOI) stage will be invited to apply to the Full application stage, and the KM Hub.

In addition to the requirements listed above, for an application to be eligible for the full application stage:

  1. The NPA* and the Sex and Gender Champion must have successfully completed one of the sex- and gender-based analysis training modules available online through the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health and have submitted a Certificate of Completion (see How to Apply WSC Note: #howtoapply section).
    *Organizations as NPAs: For organizations applying as the NPA, a representative of the organization must complete the training module on the organization’s behalf.

KM Hub

For an application to be eligible at the full application stage: (Updated: 2023-10-31)

  1. The NPA of the KM Hub must meet criteria 1-3 for Research Team Grants. In addition, the NPA of the KM Hub must also be a member of at least one Research Team. If the NPA of a Research Team is also the NPA for the KM Hub, this applicant will be required to submit two applications at the full application stage (one for the Research Team Grant and one for the KM Hub). (Updated: 2023-10-31)
  2. The NPA* must have successfully completed all four modules for Patient Engagement available online through the CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis and have submitted a Certificate of Completion (see How to Apply section).
    *Organizations as NPAs: For organizations applying as the NPA, a representative of the organization must complete the training modules on the organization’s behalf.
  3. The KM Hub team must include an ECR, a Sex and Gender Champion, a knowledge user, and a PWLE as detailed in criterion 5a-d. of Research Team Grants. The participants fulfilling these roles may be the same or different than those of the Research Team.
  4. The NPA* and the Sex and Gender Champion must have successfully completed one of the sex- and gender-based analysis training modules available online through the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health and have submitted a Certificate of Completion (see How to Apply section).
  5. All applicant teams successful at the LOI stage, are eligible to apply for the KM Hub at the Full Application stage as long as they meet the requirements for the KM Hub listed above (1-4). (Updated: 2023-10-31)

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Guidelines


General CIHR Policies

Before submitting an application to this funding opportunity, applicants should review the relevant policies and guidelines on the CIHR Funding Policies page to ensure understanding of their responsibilities and expectations.  

Allowable Costs

Applicants should review the Use of Grant Funds section of the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) Guide on Financial Administration (TAGFA) to determine if an expenditure is an appropriate use of grant funds.

To further clarify, the following expenses are examples of appropriate uses of grant funds, provided they satisfy the principles and pertinent directives of the TAGFA:

The following are examples of expenses not eligible to be paid from grant funds, as per TAGFA requirements:

For this funding opportunity only, the following statement(s) apply:

Conditions of Funding

Conditions of Funding for All Grants

  1. The KU will have to successfully complete all four of the Patient Engagement Training modules within 3 months of the grant start date.
  2. The Nominated Principal Investigator (NPI) of each funded Research Team will be required to allocate a minimum of $5,000 in their grant budget to support travel cost for at least two team members to participate in a CIHR-organized End-of-Grant Meeting. The KM Hub will be required to allocate sufficient funds to support travel cost for the KM Manager to participate in the End-of-Grant Meeting. This meeting is intended to demonstrate the lessons learned from HCCI2 and inform on future investments in inflammation research.
  3. Research Data Management: CIHR and partner agencies developed the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy to support Canadian research excellence by fostering sound digital data management and data stewardship practices. Successful teams are expected to collect, standardize, use, share and manage research data aligning with this policy. Applicants are encouraged to include a plan for applying the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) to the data management strategy. To reflect and respect Indigenous data governance and data sovereignty, the CARE principles (Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility and Ethics) for Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) Data Governance, the First Nations Principles of OCAP®1 (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession), or other relevant Indigenous data governance principles must be incorporated and are to take precedence over other data management policies or principles.
  4. The Principal Investigators who are successful in this competition are strongly encouraged to actively participate in peer review, and as members of the CIHR College of Reviewers, when invited.

Conditions of Funding for Research Team Grants

In addition to the conditions for all grants, Research Team Grants must also meet the following criteria:

  1. The applicant must consent to the use and disclosure of the LOI, full application and nominative information at the time of application, for purposes of relevance review and/or funding decisions by the relevant sponsors.
  2. At the LOI stage, two (2) individuals (NPI and a KU/KML) from each successful Research Team will be required to attend a Strengthening Workshop organized by CIHR in Fall 2023. For funded teams involving Indigenous communities, at least one additional meeting attendee must self-identify as Indigenous and/or provides evidence of having meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples. Applicants must include the cost of attending this workshop in their budget. (Updated: 2022-11-21)
  3. The NPI of each funded Research Team will be required to allocate funds in their grant budget to support the role and responsibilities of a team member to be the Knowledge Mobilization Liaison (KML) that regularly collaborates and coordinates with the KM Hub.
  4. The NPI will be required to submit a customized mid-term progress report in year 2 of the grant. Requirements for this report will be provided by CIHR that includes status updates on research outcomes, knowledge mobilization considerations pertaining to the funded project, and on the interactions of the teams with each other and the KM Hub.
  5. The NPI and at least 2 members (including the KML) of each successful Research Team must attend a mid-term meeting organized by the KM Hub that will bring together the funded Research Teams at the mid-term of the Research Teams grants. Applicants must include the cost of attending the mid-term meeting in their budget.
  6. The NPI will be required to submit an electronic Final Report to CIHR. This online report will be made available to the NPIs on ResearchNet at the beginning of the grant funding period and can be filled in as the research progresses.
    1. In addition to the electronic Final Report, the NPI will be required to complete a Final Report Addendum. The template will be provided alongside instructions a minimum of 6 months in advance of the due date.
  7. Requirements for CIHR-funded clinical trial researchers:
    CIHR is a signatory to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Joint Statement on Public Disclosure of Results from Clinical Trials requiring all clinical trials to be registered and the results disclosed publicly in a timely manner. Applicants should consult the CIHR Policy Guide – Requirements for the Public Disclosure of Results from Clinical Trials, which outlines the specific CIHR requirements for agency-funded researchers conducting clinical trials.

Conditions of Funding for KM Hub

In addition to the conditions for all grants, the KM Hub must also meet the following criteria:

  1. The KM Hub will be required to undertake the following activities on behalf of the Research Teams, to be covered within the KM Hub budget:
    1. Appoint a dedicated KM Manager that organizes and leads the activities of the KM Hub.
    2. Organize a mid-term meeting to facilitate interaction with Research Teams, KUs, translational experts and stakeholders.
    3. Participate in teleconferences organized by CIHR and partners, as appropriate (e.g., explanation of reporting processes).
  2. The NPI of the KM Hub, in consultation and engagement with the KM Manager and KMLs of the Research Teams, will be required to submit annual reports describing the KM activities undertaken by all funded Research Teams.
  3. The NPI will be required to submit an electronic Final Report to CIHR. This online report will be made available to the NPIs on ResearchNet at the beginning of the grant funding period and can be filled in as the research progresses.
    1. In addition to the electronic Final Report, the NPI will be required to complete a Final Report Addendum. The template will be provided alongside instructions a minimum of 6 months in advance of the due date.

Note:


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Review Process and Evaluation


Relevance Review Process

CIHR will perform a relevance review at both the LOI and Research Team Full Application stages to identify applications that are in alignment with the objectives and research areas of this funding opportunity. The Summary of the Research Proposal will be the only document used for relevance review. Proposals must focus on at least one of the three research themes. In addition, relevance reviews will be performed to ensure that applications are relevant to a minimum of two of the CIHR Institutes collaborating on this funding opportunity.

Letters of Intent that are not deemed to be relevant will be withdrawn from the competition. Full Applications must continue to meet all relevance review criteria.

For purposes of allocating funding, collaborating CIHR Institutes will perform relevance review to identify applications that are aligned with their sponsor description and the CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative will perform relevance review to identify applications relevant to the HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative sponsor description and funding pool.

Review Process

Peer review will be conducted in accordance with the Review guidelines – Priority-driven initiatives.

For information on CIHR’s peer review principles, see the Peer Review: Overview section of CIHR’s website.

Evaluation Criteria

To support the strategic objectives of this funding opportunity, the following evaluation criteria will be used:

Research Team Grants

Letter of Intent (LOI) Stage

  1. Research Approach
    1. Clarity of the research question(s) and extent to which the study is relevant and aligned with the objectives and selected research area: 
      1. Appropriateness of the study design and research plan proposed;
      2. Acknowledgement of potential barriers/roadblocks in the research plan.
    2. Evidence of a plan to meaningfully engage/integrate participating KUs and PWLE in the research process.
    3. Integration of intersecting dimensions such as sex, gender, age, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, as applicable, in the research plan and how it is expected to support the path to knowledge translation.
    4. For research projects involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples:
      1. Appropriate consideration of TCPS 2: Chapter 9 - Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Metis Peoples of Canada , and demonstration of meaningful and culturally safe practices, plans and activities throughout the research project.
  1. Originality of the Proposal
    1. Originality of the proposed research in terms of the research questions addressed, the novel solutions and/or interventions or the repurposing or optimization of existing solutions.
  1. Team Composition
    1. Evidence that the applicants have the necessary qualifications and expertise (in the context of norms for the research area, career stage and total research funding of the applicant).
    2. Evidence of EDI plan to manage recruitment and meaningful integration of trainees and ECRs, including initiatives and measures that will foster the representation of a variety of identity dimensions and groups historically underrepresented in science (including but not limited to those marginalized by gender, Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities, persons with disabilities, and members of LGBTQIA/2S+ communities).
    3. Appropriateness of the plan for meaningful inclusion of PWLE in the team composition.
    4. For research projects involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples:
      1. The extent to which the overall research team has the necessary knowledge, expertise and experience in Indigenous health research, and complementarity of expertise and synergistic potential to conduct Indigenous health research.
      2. Evidence of the capacity and experience of the research team to work in Indigenous communities in a meaningful and culturally safe way.
  1. Environment for the Research
    1. Suitability of the environment to conduct the research: availability and accessibility of personnel (including training and mentoring that foster EDI principles), facilities (including host institutions’ long-term commitment to the team’s research), and infrastructure.
  1. Impact of the Research
    1. Potential of the proposed research to translate knowledge on common mechanisms of inflammation into effective breakthrough and/or innovative interventions that consider sex, gender, ethnicity, and other intersecting health conditions to improve health equity and outcomes of all peoples within Canada affected by or at risk of developing chronic diseases, across the life cycle, and including disproportionately affected populations.
  1. Knowledge Mobilization
    1. Appropriateness of the KM strategy, including a description of intended activities.
    2. Appropriateness of the KM plan including an outline of how the Team intends to utilize a designated KM Liaison to coordinate activities with the KM Hub. Recognizing that the KM Hub is funded alongside the Research Teams, please refer to the KM Hub description  and the non-exhaustive list of activities that the KM Hub can undertake.

Full Application Stage

Evaluation Criteria for the Research Teams

In addition to the criteria listed above, the following additional evaluation criteria will be used at the Full Application Stage:

  1. Research Approach
    1. Strength of the study design, methods and research plan developed.
    2. The extent to which barriers and requirements are anticipated, and risk management plan and mitigation strategies are established.
    3. Strength, feasibility and clarity of the strategies to meaningfully engage/integrate participating KUs and PWLE in the research process.
    4. Strength of EDI plan to ensure equitable and inclusive recruitment of diverse patients and/or samples
    5. Extent to which the budget is appropriate and justified in relation to the proposed activities.
    6. For projects that include activities with Indigenous communities, the project must:
      1. be conducted by, grounded in, or engage with First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis communities, societies and/or individuals and their wisdom, cultures, experiences and/or knowledge systems, as expressed in their dynamic forms, past and present.
      2. demonstrate appropriate consideration of TCPS 2: Chapter 9 - Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada and of meaningful and culturally safe practices, plans and activities throughout the project.
  1. Team Composition and Strength of Plan for Collaborative Teamwork
    1. Clarity of roles and contributions of all team members, partners, KUs and PWLE to carry out the proposed research, training, mentoring and knowledge mobilization activities of the research program.
    2. Strength of plan for collaborative teamwork, including strategies for communication and collaboration between interdisciplinary members, the KM Hub, partners and KUs, and geographical sites, and sharing of resources as required.
    3. Strength of EDI plan to manage recruitment and integration of trainees and meaningful inclusion of ECRs to benefit from the full pool of talent in the system.
    4. Strength of the plan to realize EDI goals through concrete and appropriate initiatives and measures, and through adequate team composition that will foster the representation of a variety of identity dimensions and groups historically underrepresented in science (including but not limited to those marginalized by gender, Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities, persons with disabilities, and members of LGBTQIA/2S+ communities), and a diversity of experiences on the research team including a plan to reduce systemic barriers and mitigate biases.
  1. Impact of the Research
    1. Likelihood that the proposed research training and mentoring environments for trainees and ECRs will increase capacity in interdisciplinary inflammation research.
  1. Knowledge Mobilization and Engagement Plan
    1. Clarity, appropriateness and adequacy of the proposed knowledge mobilization plan and how it will support the path to translation of research outcomes.
    2. Originality/description of the proposed KM and dissemination plan activities in terms of solutions and/or repurposing or optimization of existing KM products and activities.
    3. Potential to successfully and appropriately mobilize research findings and accelerate uptake of evidence, as demonstrated by a clear translation path and planned KM activities through early, sustained, authentic and meaningful collaboration of KUs, PWLE, partners and inflammation researchers across disciplines.
    4. Clear roles and responsibilities for the Team’s KM Liaison and how this person will coordinate activities with the KM Hub.
    5. Appropriateness of description of key stakeholders for knowledge mobilization.

Evaluation Criteria for the Knowledge Mobilization Hub

The following criteria will be used for applicants that intend to coordinate a Knowledge Mobilization Hub (to be evaluated at the Full Application Stage):

  1. KM and Dissemination Plan
    1. Comprehensive strength and quality of the plan, including a clear KM goal/vision that will be inclusive of the work of all Research Teams.
    2. Extent to which barriers and obstacles are anticipated and a risk management plan and mitigation strategies are elaborated.
    3. Appropriateness of the plan to meaningfully engage/integrate all Teams and Team members (including the KM Liaison) from the start and throughout KM activities.
    4. Integration of intersecting dimensions such as sex, gender, age, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, as applicable, into the planned KM activities.
  1. Applicant Expertise and Strength of Plan for Collaborative Work
    1. Demonstrated evidence that the applicants have the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to synergistically unify the other funded Research Teams under a common KM goal.
    2. Demonstrated evidence that the applicants have the leadership and the management abilities to operate under collaborative work principles, including strategies for communication and collaboration between other funded Research Teams and other relevant stakeholders and KUs to achieve the objectives of this funding opportunity. 
    3. Evidence of a record of accomplishment in organizing and executing KM activities that encourage uptake of results, as demonstrated by prior KM experience (e.g., publications, policy briefs, meetings with decision-makers and KUs, community engagement, media engagements, meetings with regulators, publications, conference presentations, briefings, etc.)
  1. Impact of KM 
    1. Potential of the proposed KM products and activities to synthesize knowledge from all Research Teams and to accelerate the translation of knowledge on common mechanisms into effective interventions to improve health equity and outcomes of all peoples within Canada affected by chronic diseases, across the lifecycle and disproportionately affected populations.

Funding Decision

Research Team Grants

Letter of Intent (LOI) Stage

Letters of Intent will be funded from the top down in order of ranking within each funding pool. Letters that receive a rating below 3.5 will not be funded. Remaining letters in the CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative pool will be considered within the General Pool and funded in rank order. Successful letters of intent will be invited to apply to the full application stage.

Full Application Stage

Applications will be funded from the top down in order of ranking within each funding pool. Applications that receive a rating below 3.5 will not be funded. Remaining applications in the CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative pool will be considered within the General Pool and funded in rank order.

KM Hub

KM Hub funding will be provided to the highest ranked KM Hub application that also successfully received a Research Team Grant from the General Pool or HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative Pool.

The names of successfully funded applicants will be published on the CIHR website.

Partner and Internal Collaborator Participation

The opportunity to add new partners and internal collaborators to this funding opportunity may arise after publication. These partners and internal collaborators may not be listed; however, the principles that govern relevance review, including consent to share information and funding decisions, will still apply.


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How to Apply


Specific instructions to complete your ResearchNet application

Step 1 - Research Team Grants Letter of Intent:

Task: Identify Participants

Task: Enter Proposal Information

Task: Complete Summary of Research Proposal

Task: Enter Budget Information

Task: Attach Other Application Materials

Note

Task: Complete Peer Review Administration Information

Task: Apply to Priority Announcement / Funding Pools (Research Area —Mandatory)

Note: You must select no more than one primary Pool for your Research Team Grant LOI application as this will be used for Funding Decisions. If you select more than one, only your first selection will be considered.

Task: Manage Access (optional)

  • The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) can delegate access to a maximum of five individuals to support the completion of the application. Note: A delegate's access does not carry over from one stage of the competition to another (i.e., from the registration to the application stage). The NPA will need to delegate access at each stage of a competition. NPAs should revoke delegates' access prior to completing the Consent and Submit tasks if they do not want them to retain access to submitted applications via their Completed Activities tab. For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).(Updated: 2023-07-14)

Task: Print/Upload Signature Pages

Step 2a — Research Team Grants Full Application

Task: Identify Participants

Task: Enter Proposal Information

Task: Complete Summary of Research Proposal

Task: Enter Budget Information

Task: Attach Other Application Materials

Note

Task: Identify Application Partners (Optional) – Upload Partner Information

Task: Complete Peer Review Administration Information

Task: Apply to Priority Announcements/Funding Pools (Research Area — Mandatory)

Note: You must select no more than one primary Pool for your Research Team Grant application as this will be used for Funding Decisions. If you select more than one, only your first selection will be considered.

Task: Manage Access (optional)

  • The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) can delegate access to a maximum of five individuals to support the completion of the application. Note: A delegate's access does not carry over from one stage of the competition to another (i.e., from the registration to the application stage). The NPA will need to delegate access at each stage of a competition. NPAs should revoke delegates' access prior to completing the Consent and Submit tasks if they do not want them to retain access to submitted applications via their Completed Activities tab. For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).(Updated: 2023-07-14)

Task: Print/Upload Signature Pages

Step 2b – Knowledge Mobilization Hub Application

If you are applying to the KM Hub, you must submit a second application by following the steps detailed below. This is in addition to your application to the Research Team grant.  Note: No attachment outside of the ones listed and no pages outside of the set limits will be considered by reviewers (i.e., they will be deleted from the application prior to being provided to the reviewers).

Task: Identify Participants

Task: Enter Proposal Information

Task: Complete Summary of Research Proposal

Task: Enter Budget Information

Task: Attach Other Application Materials

  • Response to Previous Reviews (optional):
    • Applicants can submit a response to previous reviewers' comments from the letter of intent stage (maximum 2 pages). Applicants who upload a "response to previous reviews" must include all the reviews and SO Notes received in that round of submission (the reviews and SO Notes do not count toward the page limit). You do not have to respond to all the comments in the reviews, only those that are relevant to your application. Any additional pages over the two-page limit may be removed with no further notification to the Nominated Principal Applicant.

(Updated: 2023-10-31)

Note

Task: Identify Application Partners (Optional) – Upload Partner Information

Task: Complete Peer Review Administration Information

Task: Apply to Priority Announcements/Funding Pools

Task: Manage Access (optional)

  • The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) can delegate access to a maximum of five individuals to support the completion of the application. Note: A delegate's access does not carry over from one stage of the competition to another (i.e., from the registration to the application stage). The NPA will need to delegate access at each stage of a competition. NPAs should revoke delegates' access prior to completing the Consent and Submit tasks if they do not want them to retain access to submitted applications via their Completed Activities tab. For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).(Updated: 2023-07-14)

Task: Print/Upload Signature Pages


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Contact Information


For all inquiries, please contact:

CIHR Contact Centre
Telephone: 613-954-1968 
Toll Free: 1-888-603-4178
Email: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For service hours, please consult our Contact us page.

For all inquiries related to Mitacs, please contact:

Simon Bousquet
Senior Director, Business Development Operations
Mitacs
Telephone: 819-571-2936
Email: sbousquet@mitacs.ca

For all inquiries related to NRC-HHT, please contact:

Danica Stanimirovic
Director
Human Health Therapeutics
National Research Council Canada
Email: danica.stanimirovic@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

For all inquiries related to Johnson & Johnson Innovation, please contact:

Dozie Amuzie
Head, Johnson and Johnson Innovation-JLABS, Canada
Johnson & Johnson
Telephone: 517-944-5938
Email: camuzie@its.jnj.com


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Sponsor Description


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

Applicant Partners

Mitacs
Mitacs is a national, not-for-profit (NFP) organization that designs and delivers research and training programs with demonstrable economic or productivity orientation in Canada. In partnership with companies, eligible not-for-profit organizations, government and academia, Mitacs is developing the next generation of innovators with vital scientific and business skills.

National Research Council (NRC)
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is the country’s largest federal research and development organization. The NRC partners with Canadian industry to take research impacts from the lab to the marketplace, where people can experience the benefits. This market-driven focus delivers innovation faster, enhances people's lives and addresses some of the world's most pressing problems. We are responsive, creative and uniquely placed to partner with Canadian industry, to invest in strategic R&D programming that will address critical issues for our future.

The NRC’s Human Health Therapeutics (HHT) Research Centre hosts the largest research and development team dedicated to biologics development in Canada. Multi-functional antibody-based therapeutics research is one of the strategic research areas for NRC-HHT. This includes, for example, discovery and development of single domain and monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), biologics that cross the blood-brain barrier, and bioprocess engineering (bacterial and mammalian cell expression platforms). NRC-HHT’s aim is to expand the Canadian pipeline of efficacious and multifunctional bio-therapeutics that address unmet medical needs in neurological diseases and cancer.

We work with partners in industry (Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises), academia and government to advance and accelerate the development of a broad array of technology platforms, such as bioprinting of 3D tissue and disease models; ex vivo and in vivo imaging platforms; high-throughput, cell-based assays; humanization of antibodies and molecular modelling; immune monitoring, animal efficacy models; and monoclonal and single domain antibody platforms.

More broadly, the NRC-HHT Research Centre has expertise in a variety of areas including:

More information on NRC-HHT expertise and facilities can be found on our website.

To explore opportunities to collaborate with NRC-HHT, please contact Danica Stanimirovic by January 26, 2023.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS

Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS (JLABS) is a global network of open innovation ecosystems, enabling and empowering innovators across a broad healthcare spectrum including pharmaceutical, med tech, and consumer health sectors to create and accelerate the delivery of life-saving, life-enhancing health and wellness solutions to patients around the world.

At JLABS, we value great ideas and are passionate about removing obstacles to success to help innovators unleash the potential of their early scientific discoveries. JLABS is a no-strings-attached model, which means entrepreneurs are free to develop their science while holding on to their intellectual property.

By partnering with CIHR on the Team Grant: Intervention Trial in Inflammation for Chronic Conditions – Evidence to Impact grant, investigators will have the opportunity to be assigned a mentor: from across the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies (Johnson & Johnson) to provide them with general advice in relation to the validation of technologies and their development into commercially attractive programs by generating novel IP and data.

The applicant teams will have the opportunity to be supported by JLABS internal in-kind mentor resources, who have expertise covering all stages from early drug discovery through clinical drug development and approval. Johnson & Johnson’s therapeutic areas of expertise include infectious diseases and vaccines, immunology, oncology, cardiovascular, metabolism, and retinal diseases, neuroscience, and medical technologies.

To explore opportunities to collaborate with Johnson and Johnson, please contact Dozie Amuzie by January 26, 2023.

Internal Collaborators

Canadian Institutes of Health Research
At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), we know that research has the power to change lives. As Canada’s health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system.

CIHR – HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative
The CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative, managed by the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (III) and responsible for the management and oversight of the research components of the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada, will provide funding for applications that have a primary focus on HIV/AIDS and/or any other STBBI (as identified in the Public Health Agency of Canada’s pan-Canadian STBBI framework for action) across all CIHR Research Themes (i.e., biomedical research, clinical research, health services research and social, cultural, environmental and population health research).

CIHR – Institute of Aging (IA)
The CIHR Institute of Aging mission is to support research, capacity building and knowledge mobilization to maintain and improve the health, resiliency and quality of life of older Canadians. This includes addressing the complex health challenges that can be more prevalent in older individuals. The CIHR Institute of Aging promotes the use of a lifecycle approach to support advances in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care delivery, and social determinants of health.

The CIHR Institute of Aging is a national leader in addressing health research priorities for older adults. Institute initiatives not only link and support researchers located in universities and hospitals across the country, but also bring together different levels of government, practitioners, voluntary health organizations and older adults themselves.

CIHR – Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH)
The Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH) supports research into the causes, mechanisms, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with the heart, lung, brain (stroke), blood, blood vessels, critical and intensive care, and sleep. The ICRH vision is to achieve international leadership by fostering an environment of openness, excitement, energy, commitment and excellence in highly ethical, partnered initiatives focused on research, research training, and research translation for the circulatory and respiratory sciences to improve the health and wellness of all Canadians.

CIHR – Institute of Gender and Health (IGH)
The Institute of Gender and Health (IGH)'s mission is to foster research excellence regarding the influence of sex and gender on health and to apply these findings to identify and address pressing health challenges facing men, women, girls, boys and gender-diverse people.

CIHR – Institute of Infection and Immunity (III)
The Institute of Infection and Immunity (III) supports research and helps to build research capacity in the areas of infectious disease and the body's immune system. Through the Institute's programs, researchers address a wide range of health concerns related to infection and immunity including disease mechanisms, disease prevention and treatment, and health promotion through public policy.

CIHR – Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA)
The Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA)’s mandate is to support ethical and impactful research to enhance active living, mobility and oral health, and to address the wide range of conditions related to bones, joints, muscles, connective tissue, skin and teeth. A wide spectrum of chronic inflammatory and non-inflammatory disorders impact the MSK system, skin, and the oral cavity. IMHA is committed to supporting research that better defines the mechanisms of tissue damage, develops effective strategies for preventing this damage and promoting tissue repair. IMHA also encourages implementation science research that addresses any part of the IMHA mandate and inflammation for chronic conditions.

CIHR – Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD)
The Institute of Nutrition Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD) supports research to enhance health in relation to diet, digestion, excretion, and metabolism; and to address causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation of conditions and problems associated with hormone, digestive system, kidney, and liver function.


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Additional Information


Intervention Trial
A type of prospective study in which participants are assigned to groups that receive one or more intervention(s)/treatment(s) (or no intervention, placebo, or standard of care) so that researchers can evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or health-related outcomes. The assignments are determined by the study's protocol and participants may receive preventative, diagnostic, therapeutic, disease management or other types of interventions. Interventions may include education, behavioural, pharmaceutical, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, care delivery and/or other products that are either investigational or repurposed. Interventions can also include non-invasive approaches, such as modifications to diet, nutrition, sleep, activity and/or health behaviours such as smoking/vaping, drinking alcohol, illicit drug use, etc.

Interventions in implementation science
Implementation science seeks to meaningfully incorporate promising, evidence-based findings and strategies into standard clinical practice, health systems (such as coordinated care services, multi-disciplinary care, specialty primary care collaborative, etc.) and policies in order to maximize the impact of health research investments. The effective application of interventions can result in permanent changes to health services that lead to meaningful improvements in patient outcomes. Previously developed, validated/approved, and evidence-based interventions that can be transferred from research into practice, health service delivery and/or policy can include education, behavioural, pharmaceutical, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, care delivery, and/or other products that are either investigational or repurposed.

Administration of Funds

Funds will only be released to the institution or organization identified as the Institution Paid.

If the Institution Paid is not already eligible to administer CIHR funds, it may be required to undergo a financial and eligibility review and sign a funding agreement, or the successful applicant may choose to have their funds administered by a CIHR eligible institution.

If your Institution Paid is not currently eligible to administer CIHR funding, please contact the Contact Centre to enquire about the process.


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