ResearchNet - RechercheNet

Table of Contents

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

Description

The CIHR-IPPH Trailblazer Award in Population Health Solutions is a career achievement award that recognizes exceptional contributions in the area of population health intervention research. Applicants must have made substantial impacts on the field of population health and its use in policy and/or practice in Canada and/or internationally. The award also recognizes the leadership, mentorship, and innovative contributions of the recipients. Up to two awards will be given, for exceptional researchers at different career stages.  

Sparking Population Health Solutions: Research for a Healthier Future

Global health problems cannot be solved one person at a time. Policies, programs, and how resources are distributed all contribute to preventing disease, promoting health and addressing the determinants of health. Population health research has catalyzed new ways of thinking about why some people are healthy (and others are not) by shining the light on the social, cultural and environmental factors that determine health and disease. We now have a wealth of new knowledge from the investments we’ve made.

The CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH) aims to build the field of population health intervention research in Canada and abroad. However, much remains to be done to consolidate what we know (and what we don’t) about the funding, conduct, and use of population health intervention research to enhance health and health equity and to further engage partners from within and outside of the health sector. Therefore, IPPH will be hosting an international Summit: Sparking Population Health Solutions: Research for a Healthier Future. This Summit will be held on April 25-28, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario and the Trailblazer award winners will be featured in the Summit program. IPPH will provide specific details to the successful award winners regarding the nature of their participation in the Summit.

So what’s next?

To improve population health in Canada and internationally, decision makers need to know what policies, programs and practices work, for whom, and under what conditions. Generating evidence on real-world interventions involves a myriad of disciplinary perspectives and a range of research designs, theoretical and methodological approaches. We need to further engage partners from within and outside of the health sector in order to challenge assumptions and accelerate population-oriented solutions.

Population health research is rising to the challenge by shifting its emphasis to not only study problems – but also spark solutions for a healthier future.

In April 2016, IPPH will be bringing visionaries in population health research together to drive the field forward at the Sparking Population Health Solutions: Research for a Healthier Future International Summit.

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 $30,000, enough to fund approximately two awards. The maximum amount per award is $15,000 for up to one year.
• Of this $30,000:
• $15,000 is available to fund up to one early to mid-career population and public health researcher.
• $15,000 is available to fund up to one late career population and public health researcher.
• If there are unallocated funds from one pool, they will be used to fund additional application(s) in rank order in another pool.
• Each award consists of a certificate, a part in the program at Sparking Population Health Solutions: Research for a Healthier Future summit and $15,000 in research grant funding.

Objectives

The specific objective of this funding opportunity is:

• To recognize the exemplary efforts and activities of two exceptional researchers at different career stages in the area of population health intervention research who have created a highly influential body of work that has had a substantial impact on the field of population health research and its use in policy and/or practice in Canada and/or internationally.

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. Refer to the Individual Eligibility Requirements regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions.

Eligibility to Apply

For your application to be eligible:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant must be:
1. An independent researcher
2. At the time of application, the Nominated Principal Applicant must:
1. Be affiliated with an eligible institution (See Institutional Eligibility Requirements for eligibility process and associated timelines).
2. Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
3. To be eligible for the early to mid-career funding pool, the applicant must be a population and public health researcher with an active research program in the area of population health intervention research and up to 15 years of experience past their most recent qualifying degree at the time of application.
4. To be eligible for the late career funding pool, the applicant must be a population and public health researcher with an active research program in the area of population health intervention research and 15 years or more of experience past their most recent qualifying degree at the time of application.

Current and past members of the CIHR Governing Council, current and past CIHR Scientific Directors and current and past CIHR-IPPH staff are not eligible for this award.

Guidelines

General CIHR Guidelines

This funding opportunity will comply fully with the policies and guidelines as outlined in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the use of Gender and Sex-Based Analysis in applications. CIHR also recognizes the importance of engaging citizens in its funding opportunities. CIHR encourages researchers to involve citizens where appropriate, and to provide in their research proposal a brief description of how they intend to involve them when applicable. Please see CIHR’s Citizen Engagement Framework for more information.

CIHR’s mandate states that our commitment to excellence applies equally to research and knowledge translation, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that the results of research are transformed into policies, practices, procedures, products and services. For more information about incorporating knowledge translation in your proposal, please see Guide to Knowledge Translation Planning at CIHR: Integrated and End-of-Grant Approaches.

Official Languages

CIHR is committed to promotion of and compliance to the applicable parts of the Official Languages Act. As such, CIHR encourages applicants to submit proposals in the Official Language of their choice and commits to ensuring high quality review of applications submitted in either Official Language. In addition, applicants are encouraged to consider the inclusion of Official Languages and Official Language Minority Communities in their research where appropriate. Please see Official Languages at CIHR for more information.

Allowable Costs

Recipients 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.

Conditions of Funding

Successful applicants funded through this funding opportunity and any other persons working on the project must comply fully with the CIHR Funding Policies. 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, the following special requirements shall apply:

• Please note that successful applicants must attend the Sparking Population Health Solutions: Research for a Healthier Future Summit. The Summit will be held on April 25-28, 2016 in Ottawa. CIHR-IPPH will ensure that the travel (economy fare) and accommodation costs for successful applicants to attend the Summit will be covered separately from the award.

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 the Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy of the Federal Research Funding Organizations.

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.

Tri-Council Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People

Applicants, whose proposed research will involve Aboriginal People, please consult Ethics of Health Research Involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis People.

Communication Requirements

Funding recipients are required to acknowledge CIHR, its institutes and partners in any communication or publication related to the project. See Communication of Competition Results for details on CIHR’s communication requirements. The contributing internal collaborators/partners will be identified on the Authorization for Funding (AFF) 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 Nominated Principal Applicant will be required to 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 will also be required to 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

Review Committee

A CIHR review committee will evaluate the full applications. The committee may be drawn from one of CIHR’s pre-existing committees or may be created specifically for this funding opportunity. Committee members are selected based on suggestions from many sources including the institute(s)/ branch(es) and partner(s), following the Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy of the Federal Research Funding Organizations.

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 CIHR Peer Review Guide for Training and Salary Awards.

To support the strategic objectives of this funding opportunity, the following factors will be considered relative to stage of career:

1. Level of impact and experience in Canada and/or internationally in the field of population health intervention research.
2. Level of influence on policy and/or practice in Canada and/or internationally in the field of population health interventions.
3. Extent of achievements in Canada and/or internationally in the areas of leadership, mentorship, and capacity building at the individual or institutional level in the area of population health intervention research.

Evaluation Process

Early to mid-career and late career researcher applications will be reviewed separately. The evaluation process is comprised of two steps:

1. Review and scoring of applications by individual committee members; and
2. Review of top ranked applications by the full committee in the two application pools.

Committees will use the rating scale found in the Understand Peer Review section of CIHR’s website.

Funding Decision

Upon completion of peer review, CIHR 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.

Each funding pool will have its own, separate budget as described in the Description section under Funds Available. Applications to each pool will be funded from the top down, in order of ranking, as far its
budget will allow.

How to Apply

Important: Please read all instructions to familiarize yourself with the application process before applying. For new applicants or for those wanting a reminder of the main application procedures, an overview of CIHR's application processes can be found under Application Process. Note that these are general instructions only as the specific application instructions for this funding opportunity are located below.

• The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of one step: Application
• To complete your Application, follow the instructions in the Salary Awards – Application Instructions  along with any additional instructions found below under “Specific Instructions”.
• Reminder to applicants: Please ensure that your application is complete (includes all required signatures) and is submitted on time to CIHR.

Submission Requirements

• Your Application must be submitted using ResearchNet. Scan and upload the signed signature pages including the routing slip in the Print/Upload Signature Pages task in ResearchNet prior to submitting your application.

Specific Instructions

Step 1 - Application:

• Task: Identify Participants
• You must complete the CIHR Academic CV
• Under Attachments: Upload in PDF format proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residency. The following are acceptable: Certificate of Canadian Citizenship, Birth Certificate/Copy of an act issued by the Director de I’état civil, Valid Passport, Permanent Resident of Canada card, Form IMM 1000, Form IMM 5292, Valid Indian Status Card
• Task: Enter Proposal Information
• The Research Proposal is limited to 13 pages as a maximum. 13 pages is not required. A lower number of pages is acceptable. (Updated: 2015-11-17)
• In the Research Proposal, applicants must demonstrate:
• The extent to which they have created an influential body of work in population health intervention research that has had a substantial impact on the field of population health research and its use in policy and/or practice in Canada and/or internationally, relative to their career stage. For example, contributions to the scientific literature, potential to inform decision making in health and/or outside of the health sector, and development and/or advancement of methods or theories in population health intervention research.
• Evidence, relative to their career stage, of their leadership, potential for mentorship and capacity building at the individual or institutional level, and innovative contributions to the field of population health intervention research relative to stage of career.

• Task: Attach Other Application Materials
• Attach three letters of support (additional letters of support will not be considered)
• Letter criteria: no more than three single-spaced, one-sided, pages of text, Times New Roman 12pt font.
• All three letters should provide detailed evidence as to how the applicant has made an outstanding contribution to the field of population health intervention research. Letters should emphasize the achievements of the applicant in alignment with the evaluation criteria for the prize.
• One of the signed letters must be from the Dean of Faculty/Research Director or similar appropriate authority from the applicant’s faculty confirming the applicant has an active research program and endorsing the application. Applicants with an active research program are defined as having an on-going program of research, routinely engaged in scholarly dissemination activities, actively seeking external research funding, who meaningfully engage students in their work. Upload this letter in ResearchNet under “Document Type” Letters of Support.
• The other two letters should be from established experts in population health intervention research in Canada or internationally who are in a position to provide an expert assessment of the impact of the applicant’s career achievements. Upload these letters in ResearchNet under “Document Type” Letters of Support.
• A maximum of 5 publications relevant to the application can be attached.

• Task: Apply to Priority Announcements/Funding Pools
• Please select “CIHR-IPPH Trailblazer Award in Population Health Solutions” under the “Priority Announcement/Funding Pool Title” drop-down list and then select only one appropriate funding pool under the “Relevant Research Area” drop-down list in ResearchNet:
• Trailblazer Award: Early to Mid-Career
• Trailblazer Award: Late Career

• Task: Print/Upload Signature Pages
• Signatures must be included for 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:  

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

Sponsor Description

Internal Collaborators

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)is the Government of Canada’s health research investment agency. 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 health care system for Canadians. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 13,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

CIHR – Institute of Population and Public Health
The mandate of the CIHR-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 populations 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.