ResearchNet - RechercheNet

Table of Contents

• Description
• Objectives
• Eligibility
• Guidelines
• Review Process and Evaluation
• How to Apply
• Contact Information
• Sponsor Description
• Additional Information

Description

Background

Every year, the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada (CPHO) is mandated to provide the Minister of Health with an independent report on the health of Canadians. These reports seek to raise the profile of public health issues, stimulate dialogue, and inform action to improve and protect population health.

This year, the CPHO 2022 Annual Report is focused on climate change action. The report includes opportunities to establish public health as a key collaborator, convenor, and leader in the climate change landscape, promote health and health equity, and inform communities and decision-makers of the public health impacts of climate change. It also identifies opportunities for collective action based on the best available evidence and input from the broader public health community.

This funding opportunity will catalyze research aligned with the opportunities identified in the companion document of the 2022 CPHO Annual Report, Generating Knowledge to inform Public Health Action on Climate Change in Canada, with a portion of funding reserved for Early Career Researchers. It builds on the Institute of Population and Public Health’s (IPPH) previous Catalyst Grant aligned with the 2021 CPHO Annual Report, A Vision to Transform Canada’s Public Health System, focused specifically on strengthening public health systems and supporting core public health functions.

Research Areas

This funding opportunity will support projects relevant to the following research areas:

• General Pool: Funding will support population and public health research on one or more of the opportunities identified in the companion document of the 2022 CPHO Annual Report, Generating Knowledge to Inform Public Health Action on Climate Change in Canada.
• Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies: In addition to meeting requirements of the General Pool above, pool applications must align with the Centre's mission, and clearly outline how the research addresses evidence gaps related to preventing, preparing for, or responding to health emergencies triggered by climate change.
• Institute of Gender and Health: In addition to meeting requirements of the General Pool above, pool applications must align with the mandate of the Institute of Gender and Health and focus on gender-transformative solutions for climate change in Canada.
• Institute of Infection and Immunity: In addition to meeting requirements of the General Pool above, pool applications must align with the mandate of the Institute of Infection and Immunity.
• Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health: In addition to meeting requirements of the General Pool above, pool applications must be relevant to the mandate of the Institute of Indigenous People’s Health.

Generating evidence on real-world interventions in real-time involves myriad disciplinary perspectives and can benefit from a range of research designs, theories, and methodological approaches. Interdisciplinary studies, Indigenous methodologies, and studies that apply novel approaches emanating from different disciplinary traditions are welcome.

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 $1,625,000, enough to fund approximately thirteen (13) grants. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate. The maximum amount per grant is $125,000 per year for one year.
• Of this $1,625,000:
  • General Pool: $1,000,000 is available to fund grants relevant to the general pool.
    • Within the General Pool a minimum of two grants will be reserved for Early Career Researchers who have never previously held a CIHR open operating grant as its NPA.
  • Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Emergencies pool: $250,000 is available to fund up to two grants relevant to Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Emergencies pool.
  • Institute of Gender & Health pool: $125,000 is available to fund up to one grant relevant to Institute of Gender & Health pool.
  • Institute of Infection & Immunity pool: $125,000 is available to fund up to one grant relevant to Institute of Infection & Immunity pool.
  • Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health pool: $125,000 is available to fund up to one grant relevant to Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health pool.

For more information on the appropriate use of funds, refer to Allowable Costs.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:

• To support research aligned with the research opportunities identified in the companion document of the 2022 CPHO Annual Report, Generating Knowledge to Inform Public Health Action on Climate Change in Canada;
• To strengthen links between researchers and knowledge users, including communities, and facilitate responsive and evidence-informed decision-making on key public health and climate change issues; and
• To strengthen capacity to generate and apply context-specific knowledge on the public health impacts of climate change and opportunities for collective action.

Eligibility

Eligibility to Apply

For an application to be eligible:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) must be one of the following:
   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).
      • Applicants applying to the Early Career Researcher pool must be Early Career Researchers who have never previously held a CIHR open operating grant as its NPA at the time of funding.
      
      OR
   2. an individual affiliated with an Indigenous non-governmental organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge mobilization mandate (see Administration of Funds)
   3. an Indigenous non-governmental organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge mobilization 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 one of the sex- and gender- based analysis online training modules through the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health and submit a Certificate of Completion (see How to Apply section). Please select and complete the training module most applicable to your research project. For additional information on sex, gender and health research, applicants are encouraged to review the “How to integrate sex and gender in research” section on the CIHR website.
5. For any research applications involving Indigenous populations (including First Nations, Inuit, Métis and/or Urban Indigenous), this funding opportunity seeks applicants who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) and/or applicants who can demonstrate their experience of meaningful and culturally safe engagement with Indigenous communities. Applicants proposing research specifically involving Indigenous populations must therefore submit a one (1) page "Other" attachment describing how they meet this requirement. See How to Apply for more details
6. An organization or individual can submit more than one application as an NPA or in any other applicant role to this competition

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) for requirements regarding allowable costs and activities.

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:

• Expenditures that respect the culture and traditions of Indigenous Peoples, where needed for the meaningful conduct of research. See TCPS 2 - Chapter 9 Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada and TAGFA Directive on Gifts, Honoraria and Incentives. These include:
  • Costs related to community mobilization and engagement, including culturally relevant promotional items such as, tobacco, cloth, feasting and gift giving for honoring ceremonies, and cash reimbursements (in a method acceptable to the individual or community being reimbursed) to compensate community participation; and
  • Contracts and/or consultant fees for knowledge translation and communication activities for Indigenous Elders, community members, and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers involved in activities related to the Indigenous community.

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

• Release Time Allowance: Up to $25,000 per knowledge user, per grant.

Conditions of Funding

• The applicant must consent to the use and disclosure of full application and nominative information at the time of application, for purposes of relevance review and/or funding decisions by the relevant sponsors.
• Applicants must set aside funds from their budget to attend an in-person knowledge mobilization event identified by CIHR in 2023-24. If travel or participation in person is not possible, virtual participation will be available.
• NPAs who are successful in this competition may be invited to contribute to additional knowledge mobilization activities, during or after the period of their grant, related to public health systems and climate change.
• Data related to research by and with First Nations, Inuit, Métis or Urban Indigenous 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 on the basis of 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.
• The NPA will be required to submit an electronic Final Report to CIHR. This online report will be made available to the Nominated Principal Applicant on ResearchNet at the beginning of the grant funding period and can be filled in as the research progresses.
• All reports will be shared with partners supporting the grant.
• The Principal Applicants 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.

Review Process and Evaluation

Relevance Review Process

CIHR Institutes and Initiatives will perform a relevance review at the Full Application stage to identify applications that align with all three of the objectives of this funding opportunity (WSC: #objective), one or more of the Research Areas of this funding opportunity, and at least one of the opportunities stated in the companion document of the 2022 CPHO Annual report, Generating Knowledge to Inform Public Health Action on Climate Change in Canada.

IIPH will perform a relevance review on applications that address Indigenous Health questions to ensure alignment with CIHR's definition of Indigenous Health Research (i.e. applications must be focused on Indigenous populations (First Nations, Inuit, Métis and/or Urban Indigenous), and led by Indigenous organizations, communities, or individuals and/or conducted using Indigenous methodologies).

Relevance review will be completed based on the completed Relevance Form and Summary of Research Proposal.

Applications that are not deemed to be relevant will be withdrawn from the competition.

Note: if new partners are added later in the competition, they will conduct relevance reviews based on their respective mandates on all applications to identify those that would be relevant to their pool, without reference to peer review results.

Review Process

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

An iterative peer review approach may be used if deemed appropriate by CIHR. 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:

1. Research Approach
   1. Extent to which the application responds to the objectives and research areas of the funding opportunity.
   2. Appropriateness of research, design, methods and analyses.
   3. Feasibility of the proposed research project (including timeline, budget, proposed methods).
   4. Demonstration of how the concept of health equity is incorporated and integrated in the proposed research and knowledge mobilization activities.
   5. Quality and appropriateness of the applicants' proposed plan for how Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Indigenous Rights (IR) will be incorporated into the research proposed
   6. For research projects involving Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis):
      • Description of how the research project will address the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the self-determination and self-governance of Indigenous Peoples, such as following the First Nations Principles of OCAP® (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession) or other principles of Indigenous self-determination, as appropriate; and
      • Demonstration of the extent to which the Nominated Principal Applicant will ensure that the research is conducted by, grounded in, or engaged with First Nations, Inuit or Métis communities, societies or individuals and their wisdom, cultures, experiences or knowledge systems, as expressed in their dynamic forms, past and present.

2. Applicant(s)
   1. Experience and qualifications of the applicant(s) in the proposed area of research and with the proposed methodology
   2. Demonstration that necessary community engagement, partnerships and resources are in place to execute the proposed research
   3. For the research projects involving First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Peoples:
      • 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
      • Evidence of the capacity and experience of the research team to work in Indigenous communities in a meaningful and culturally safe way.

3. Impact of the Research
   1. Potential for the research or related outputs to add value to the current state of knowledge in one or more of the identified research areas.
   2. Potential for a significant contribution to enhancing the capacity of Canada’s public health systems to adapt and respond to climate change.
   3. Appropriateness and adequacy of the proposed knowledge mobilization plans.
   4. Extent of the role(s) and contribution(s) of all applicant partner(s) in advancing research objectives (if applicable).
   5. Proactive and meaningful consideration of partnership risks, including the extent of real and/or perceived conflict of interest and appropriateness of its management and mitigation (if applicable).

4. For research projects involving First Nations, Inuit, and/or Métis Peoples:
   1. The proposed research must be relevant to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis priorities and have the potential to produce valued outcomes from the perspective of First Nations, Inuit and Métis participants and Indigenous Peoples more broadly.

Funding Decision

Applications relevant to each pool will be funded from the top down in order of ranking, while aiming to have a minimum of two (2) Early Career Researcher funded in the General Pool. Remaining applications in the competition will be pooled together in the General Pool and funded in rank order.

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.

How to Apply

• The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of one step: Full Application
• To complete your Full Application, follow the instructions in the Grants-Application Guidelines along with any additional instructions found below under “Specific Instructions”.
• All participants listed, with the exception of Collaborators, are required to:
  • Have/obtain a CIHR PIN
  • Complete the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Self-identification Questionnaire. (Updated: 2022-12-08)
• Organizations applying as Nominated Principal Applicants for the first time must contact CIHR’s Contact Centre for guidance in creating a ResearchNet account and registering for a CIHR PIN.

Specific instructions to complete your ResearchNet application

Task: Identify Participants

• List all participants in the "Identify Participants" task. Consult the Eligibility section and ensure that all requirements are met.
• All participants are required to submit a CV (excluding collaborators).
  • All Canadian academic applicants are required to upload a CIHR Biosketch CV, using the Canadian Common CV (CCV) interface.
  • Knowledge users, non-academics, Indigenous organizations, and international applicants have the option to submit either a CIHR Biosketch CV or Applicant Profile CV (maximum three pages per applicant).
    • Each Applicant Profile CV (maximum three pages per applicant) should include 5-10 expertise keywords; and a summary of the applicant's education, current/past affiliations and employment/research experience with effective dates; and any other information pertinent to the participant's role on the application and is to be submitted by uploading it in the “Attachment” tab.
  • NPAs who are Indigenous-led non-governmental organizations must include in their Applicant Profile CV, a description of the organization and how it meets the eligibility requirement of being an Indigenous non-governmental organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge mobilization mandate.

Task: Enter Proposal Information

• The Research Proposal should clearly outline each of the elements presented in the evaluation criteria section.
  • For additional guidance on the plan for how Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Indigenous Rights (IR) will be incorporated into the research proposed, please refer to the Best practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research and How to integrate sex and gender into research. The plan may include incorporation of biological variables (e.g. sex, age) and/or sociocultural identity factors (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, language) into the research proposed, where applicable. It could also include a commitment to engaging a diverse research team.
  • Research proposals written in French will be allowed to submit additional pages, in support of evidence demonstrating that French documents require approximately 20% more space than similar English documents. Therefore, to ensure equivalent space is given to Research proposals submitted in either official language, the following page limits will apply:
    • 5 pages when the Research proposal is written in English
    • 6 pages when the Research proposal is written in French
    Note: For research proposals submitted in English, any pages over the 5-page limit will be removed with no further notification to the Nominated Principal Applicant.
• References, charts, tables, figures and photographs can be uploaded under "Attachments – Research Proposal Appendix".

Task: Complete Summary of Research Proposal

• The summary must include a description of how your proposal aligns with the objectives, research areas and at least one of the opportunities identified in the companion document of the 2021 CPHO Annual Report, Generating Knowledge to Inform Public Health Systems Transformation 

Task: Enter Budget Information (Abbreviated Budget)

• Provide a budget justification in relation to planned activities and clearly justify all budget items (including cash and cash equivalent contributions, if relevant).
• Budget must include funds to attend a knowledge mobilization event (see Conditions of Funding section).
• For release time allowance requests, you must include a letter (upload as "Other Supporting Documents") from the recipient's organization certifying that the individual for whom the release time allowance is requested:
  • Is a knowledge user on the grant whose primary responsibilities do not include an expectation to engage in research (i.e., as part of their regular employment);
  • Has their organization's approval for the research time on the project that would justify the allowance; and
  • Is engaged in the activities for which funds are being disbursed.

Task: Attach Other Application Materials

• Other – upload the following documents under "Other":
  • Label as: "Sex and Gender Module Certificate" (mandatory):
    • After completing the appropriate training module that applies to your research project, you will receive a certificate of completion that you will save and upload here. The training module should take approximately 40 minutes to complete.
    • N.B. The certificate was previously issued as a secured document. If your certificate is secured, to successfully append the document to your application, you must upload an unsecured PDF copy. The certificate can be saved as an unsecured PDF by using print screen or by scanning the document.
  • Label as "Indigenous Experience – Name/Organization" (Mandatory if applicable)
    • For any research involving Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), this funding opportunity seeks applicants who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) or demonstrates a track record of meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples. A one (1) page "Other" attachment describing how they meet this requirement.
  • Applicant Partner COI Document (required if applicable): Describe the role of all applicant partners, how/if they will contribute to research and research related activities, and any consideration of risk and/or conflict of interest as appropriate (maximum one page).

Task: Complete Peer Review Administration Information (optional)

• Suggest reviewers that have the expertise to review your application.

Task: Apply to Priority Announcement/Funding Pools (mandatory)

• Select the funding opportunity title under the "Priority Announcement/Funding Pool Title" drop-down list, then select the Research Area under the "List of Relevant Research Areas" drop-down list.
  • You may only select one (1) funding pool for your application. If you select more than one, your application will only be considered for the first pool identified.
• Complete the Relevance Review Form: Describe (in a half-page) how the research proposed will address the objectives and research areas of the funding opportunity and aligns with at least one opportunity listed in the companion document of the 2022 CPHO Annual Report, Generating Knowledge to Inform Public Health Action on Climate Change in Canada.

Task: Print/Upload Signature Pages

• Required signatures:
  • Signatures must be included for all applicants (except Collaborators), and individual(s) with signing authority from the Institution Paid.
  • Original signatures are not required. The scanned signed signature pages and the Routing Slip must be uploaded in the Print/Upload Signature Pages task in ResearchNet prior to submitting your application.

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.

Sponsor Description

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

Partners

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 – Institute of Population and Public Health
The mandate of the Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH) is to support research into the complex biological, social, cultural and environmental interactions that determine the health of individuals, communities and global populations; and to apply knowledge to improve the health of individuals and population through strategic partnerships with population and public health stakeholders and innovative research funding programs. IPPH’s mission aims to improve the health of populations and promote health equity in Canada and globally through research and its application to policies, programs, and practice in public health and other sectors.

CIHR – Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies
The Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies' (CRPPHE) mission is to protect the health of all Canadians by developing and mobilizing research for pandemic and health emergency preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery that contributes meaningfully to timely, equitable and effective responses and recovery.

CIHR – Institute for Gender and Health
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 for Indigenous Peoples’ Health
The Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health (IIPH) fosters the advancement of a national health research agenda to improve and promote the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Canada, through research, knowledge translation and capacity building. The Institute's pursuit of research excellence is enhanced by respect for community research priorities and Indigenous knowledge, values and cultures.

CIHR – Institute of Infection and Immunity
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.

Additional Information

Administration of Funds

CIHR grants are generally administered by the business office of an institution or organization declared eligible to administer CIHR funds after a financial and eligibility review.

Organizations identified as the Institution Paid may be required to undergo a financial and eligibility review, if they have not already done so, in order to administer the grant funds. They may be required to sign a funding agreement with CIHR. If necessary, a successful applicant may choose to have their funds administered by a CIHR eligible institution.

Funds will not be released to the Institution Paid of a successful applicant unless they have been approved to administer funding.

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