CIHR Funding Opportunities for Trainees

September 12, 2007

University of Toronto

Annik PilonProgram Delivery Officer

Research Capacity Development Branchapilon@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Today I will talk about…

Who I am and my role at CIHR

CIHR Training Award ProgramsHighlighting any changes to the programs

Additional Funding Opportunities for Trainees

Application ProcessIncluding Tips for Award Applicants

Peer Review Process for Awards

Program Statistics

What’s New at CIHR?

CIHR Training Award Programs

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

CIHR’s funds a broad spectrum of health research, categorized into four themes:

• Biomedical Research• Clinical Research• Health Systems and Services• Population and Public Health (including the social,

cultural, environmental and ethical dimensions of health)

Core Programs

Career Stage Program(s)

(current open competitions only)

Undergraduate Student Health Professional Student Research Awards

Graduate Student Master’s Awards

Doctoral Research Awards

Postdoctoral or Post Health Professional Degree Fellows

Fellowships

Clinician Scientist Phase I

Health Professional Student Research Awards (HPSRA)

Eligibility:• Students are usually enrolled at a Canadian institution in an

undergraduate health professional program leading to Canadian licensure.• Students enrolled in a program requiring a graduate degree for Canadian

licensure are also eligible.• Candidates must be nominated by the Dean or Program Director.

Stipend: $4,251 - $5,961* for 13 weeks

Term: up to 13 weeks

Application Deadline: nominations must be received by February 15No. available for 2007-2008: 235

Voucher allocation letters were sent to Canadian universities in April.

* stipend for students in combined MD/MSc or MD/PhD programs

Summer Program in Japan

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) provides graduate students in health research with an eight-week research experience in Japan, an introduction to the science and science policy infrastructure in Japan, and an orientation to the culture and language. CIHR is one of the nominating Canadian authorities for this program.

The first week of the program will be dedicated to an orientation session, including an introduction to the language, culture and research systems of the host country, as well as activities. The following seven weeks (approximately) will be spent working on research activities at the host institution.

Stipend: $3,000Term: 8 weeksCIHR Application Deadline: November 1

Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) Master’s Awards

Eligibility:

• Candidates must:• be in or have completed the last year of a bachelor

degree, or • have been enrolled for no more than 10 months as a full-

time graduate student (Master’s or direct-entry PhD) at a Canadian institution.

• Awards must be held at a Canadian institution.

Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) Master’s Awards (continued)

Stipend: $17,500

Term: 1 Year

University Preselection: Varies, may be as early as October. Check with your University.

CIHR Application Deadline: February 1

Number of awards offered from the February ‘07 competition: 218

MD/PhD Program Grants

This program was formally called MD/PhD Studentships.

Candidates must:• be enrolled at a Canadian university in a combined MD/PhD

program;• be nominated to CIHR by the Program Director at their

institution; and• receive an annual stipend of $21,000 and a $1,000 annual

research allowance.

Funds are sent to the institution in the name of the MD/PhD Program Director.

Budget for the program for 2007-2008: $161,000

Changes to this funding program should allow for increased flexibility in allocating the funds to a greater number of students.

Doctoral Awards (CIHR and Canada Graduate Scholarships)

Candidates apply to the CIHR Doctoral Research Award program, those proposing to conduct research at a Canadian institution are automatically considered for a Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral Award.

Open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Term: up to 3 years

Application Deadline: October 15

No University Preselection

Doctoral Awards (CIHR and Canada Graduate Scholarships)

Common eligibility criteria between the two programs:

At the time of application, candidates must:• have completed at least 12 months of graduate study at the

Master’s or PhD level, and • have been registered as a full-time student in a PhD program

for no more than• 22 months for those who hold a Master’s degree (or who

have completed more than 12 months in a Master’s program before transferring to a PhD program); or

• 30 months for those who have completed less than 12 months in a Master’s program before transferring to a PhD program; or

• 34 months for those who transferred directly from a bachelor’s degree to a PhD program.

Doctoral Awards (CIHR and Canada Graduate Scholarships)

CIHR Doctoral Research Awards (DRA)

Canada Graduate Scholarships Doctoral Awards (CGSDA)

Awards may be held in Canada or abroad.

Awards MUST be held in Canada.

Stipend per annum: $21,000

(+ $5,000 if held abroad)

Stipend per annum: $30,000

Research Allowance: $1,000/year Research Allowance: $5,000/year

No. offered from Fall ‘06 competition: 59

No. offered from Fall ‘06 competition: 198

Differences between the two programs:

Fellowship Awards

Awards may be held inside or outside of Canada (Canadian citizens and permanent residents may apply for awards to be held outside Canada).

Foreign citizens may apply for awards to be held in Canada

Eligibility for candidates who hold, or are completing, a PhD degree:• At the time of application, must have less than three years of post-

PhD research training experience.• Only eligible for funding until the end of their fifth year of post-PhD

research training.• Must undertake post-PhD research training in a different research

environment from which they received their PhD.

Eligibility for candidates who hold, or are completing, a Health Professional degree:

• may propose a program leading to a Master's or PhD, but is not required.

Fellowship Awards (continued)

Stipend per annum: $40,000 (PhD)

$40,000 - $50,000 (HP)*

Research Allowance per annum: $5,000

Term: up to 3 years (PhD)

up to 5 years (HP)**

Application Deadlines: February 1 or October 1

Training outside of Canada: $5,000 stipend supplement

Number offered from the October 2006 competition: 62

Number offered from the February 2007 competition: 68

*dependant upon degrees held and years of post degree training

**dependant upon intended use of award

Clinician Scientist Awards

This is a two-phase program: Phase 1 is considered a training award and Phase 2 is considered salary support.

All candidates must be licensed to practice in Canada.

Program is funded through the CIHR Clinical Research Initiative.

Eligibility:

• At the time of application, a candidate must hold a health professional degree in medicine or dentistry;

• Awards may be held inside or outside of Canada (Canadian citizens and permanent residents may apply for awards to be held outside Canada);

• Must have completed at least two years of post-graduate clinical training.

Clinician Scientist Awards – Phase One (continued)

Stipend per annum: $52,500

Research Allowance: $5,000 per annum

Term: up to 6 years (one 3-year term, renewable once)

Deadline: September 15

Training outside of Canada: $5,000 stipend supplement

Number of new awards offered from the Fall 2006 competition: 6Number of renewal awards offered from the Fall 2006 competition: 4

Clinician Scientists Awards – Phase Two

Eligibility:• Candidates must have held Phase One for a minimum of:

• 2 years for PhD holders, or• 3 years for those without a PhD

• Awards must be held at a Canadian Institution

• Candidates must have obtained a full-time academic appointment

Clinician Scientists Awards – Phase Two (continued)

Salary Contribution per annum: $60,000 including fringe benefits

Research Allowance per annum: $40,000 (first 3 years only)

Term: up to 6 years (two 3-year terms, renewable once)

Deadline: September 15

Number of new awards offered from the Fall 2006 competition: 9

Number of renewal awards offered from the Fall 2006 competition: 5

Other CIHR

Funding Opportunities

for Trainees

Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research (STIHR)

A CIHR Training Program Grant is awarded to a group of excellent mentors/educators, accomplished in health research, who work collaboratively to offer a research training program of defined format and content to a group of trainees.

Potential trainees apply directly to successful Training Programs for program admission and for stipend support. These competitive training opportunities are advertised nationally and internationally.

To date, 87 Training Program Grants have been funded by CIHR and partners at up to $310,500 per year for six years, for a total of $160 million.

www.stihr.ca

STIHR Objectives

• Increase capacity • Recruitment/retention from Canada and abroad• Innovative, transdisciplinary programs • Engage new mentors and educators• Encourage programs that:

Embrace diverse research disciplines and methodologies Integrate ethical issues Develop professional skills, e.g., communication,

teamwork, leadership Translate knowledge into practice

Examples of Training Program Grants in Ontario

Nominated Principal Investigator(s) (NPI)

Institution of NPI(s) Training Program Title

WILSON, Hugh York University CIHR strategic training program in vision health research

HEATHCOTE, Elizabeth

University Health Network

National Hepatitis C Research Training Program

HOLDEN, Jeanette Queen’s University Transdisciplinary inter-institute training program in autism spectrum disorders

ARTHUR, Heather McMaster University Training program for the development of cardiovascular nursing research capacity in Canada

STEWART, Moira University of Western Ontario

TUTOR-PHC: Transdisciplinary understanding and training on research primary health care

ELLEN, Richard University of Toronto Cell signaling in mucosal inflammation & pain

STIHR – What’s Next?

Next RFA Launch December 2007*Letter of Intent Deadline April 1, 2008Grant Start Date April 1, 2009 (no change)

*Postponed so as to benefit from evaluation results before finalizing objectives and review criteria in RFA

Funding available for at least 14 grants through the open competition and more through priority announcements funded by Institutes and Partners.

Other Funding Opportunities

Additional funding opportunities for both trainees and independent investigators are available through priority announcements and other funding opportunities (e.g. Industry Partnered Programs).

These are launched twice per year, in June and December…

Consult the CIHR website, under the Funding opportunities section, for a complete list of current opportunities.

Priority Announcements

Priority Announcements offer additional sources of funding for highly rated applications that are relevant to specific CIHR research priority areas or mandates.

Candidates may request that their application to a core program be considered for up to three priority announcement research areas per application, in each competition.

For the 2007-08 competition cycle, there will be funding opportunities through the Priority Announcements competitions for candidates applying to the regular Master’s Award, Doctoral Research Award and Fellowship programs.

How does CIHR determine its priorities?

13 Virtual Institutes – each one has a Scientific Director and Institute Advisory Board

- Determine priorities for a certain area of research, e.g., Genetics, Cancer, Infection and Immunity, Population and Public Health

- Invest funds into additional research grants and personnel awards according to priorities

- Priority Announcements – use regular open competitions to provide review process

The Application Process

CIHR Application Modules

CIHR is in the process of transitioning its funding opportunities to an automated application process through the use of ResearchNet.  Until this transition is complete, some funding opportunities will require the use of ResearchNet to apply for funding, while others will continue to require the use of CIHR WebForms.

The most common application modules used for applying to Award Programs are:

• Training Module• CV Module (Common CV)• Sponsor’s Assessment Forms

CIHR CV Module (Common CV)

The CV Module is used for all CIHR award programs, except the Health Professional Student Research Awards and the MD/PhD Program Grants.

Access via the CIHR Web forms log-in or via the Common CV Website www.ccv-cvc.ca

For Doctoral Research Awards, Common CV can be accessed via the ResearchNet website: https://www.researchnet-recherchenet.ca

When printed, the data entered into the Common CV Website will be automatically formatted to fit into the CIHR version of the CV Module when you choose CIHR as the agency to which you are applying.

CIHR Sponsor’s Assessments

CIHR Sponsor’s Assessment forms vary depending on the program to which the applicant is applying:• Sponsor’s Report on a Candidate for a CGS Master’s Award• Sponsor’s Assessment of a Candidate for a DRA• Sponsor’s Assessment of a Candidate for a Fellowship or Clinician

Scientist Phase 1 Award

These forms are accessible via the List of Forms and Guidelines for Completion section of the CIHR Website or directly on ResearchNet for the programs that have electronic submission.

Candidates should send the link for the applicable Sponsor’s Assessment form to the potential sponsor as they are PDF fillable forms.

If you are applying to a program using electronic submission via ResearchNet, you will be required to identify sponsors and an e-mail will be sent to them through ResearchNet with forms attached.

Tips for CIHR Award Applicants

follow instructions exactly

adhere to format guidelines (e.g., font, page limits)

applications must be completed using the CIHR Web forms or through ResearchNet, handwritten applications will not be accepted

use the full page allowances

start at least two months before the deadline

Tips for CIHR Award Applicants (continued)

Applicants are encouraged to…

work on the research proposal in collaboration with their supervisor/mentor

proofread their application

show the complete application to their supervisor/mentor, peers and other researchers for feedback

make sure their application is complete…incomplete or late applications will not be accepted

If you are submitting through ResearchNet, all tasks must be listed as complete in order to have the application submitted successfully.

Tips for CIHR Award Applicants (continued)

Common issues with Award Applications:• Missing CV modules: remember that most training

award applications require the CIHR CV Module for the candidate and the proposed supervisor(s)

• Official transcripts are required…certified copies will not be accepted

• Completed Sponsor’s Assessments should be enclosed with the application

• Ensure text to be attached is included with the application, e.g. pages 5 and 7 of the Training Module

Peer Review for Award Programs

Peer Review for Award Programs

Each CIHR award program has a set of peer review committees that are created specifically to review applications for that program:

• 2 Master’s Awards committees• 2 Doctoral Research Award (DRA) committees• 4 Fellowships committees• 1 Clinician Scientist committee

Each set of peer review committees is grouped into committees that review specific themes; generally themes 1 and 2 or 3 and 4, however, there are a few committees that review applications from all themes, i.e., 1 through 4.

Committees for the Master’s Awards, Doctoral Research Awards and Fellowships do not meet face-to-face, instead, individual reviews are done off-site and submitted to CIHR.

Research Capacity DevelopmentPeer Review Committees

Name of CommitteeResearch Themes

Type of Application ReviewedType of Peer

Review

Master’s Awards (CGA) 1 & 2 Master’s Students At Home

Master’s Awards (CGB) 3 & 4 Master’s Students At Home

Doctoral Research Awards (DRA)

1 & 2 PhD Students At Home

Doctoral Research Awards (DRB)

3 & 4 PhD Students At Home

Fellowships (FPP) 1 & 2 PhD graduates proposing post-PhD research training At Home

Fellowships - Health Professionals (FHP)

1 & 2MD, DDS or DVM graduates proposing post-health professional degree or post-PhD research training

At Home

Fellowships (HTA) 3 & 4MD, DDS, DVM or PhD graduates proposing post-health professional degree or post-PhD research training

At Home

Fellowships - Allied Health Professionals (FAH)

1 to 4Allied Health Professional graduates proposing post-health professional degree or post-PhD research training

At Home

Clinician Scientists - Phase 1 and 2 (CL)

1 to 4Phase 1: MD or DDS graduates proposing post-health professional degree or post-PhD research trainingPhase 2: first independent research appointment.

Meeting

Review Criteria for Award Programs

The following criteria are used for evaluating applications for Master’s Awards, Doctoral Research Awards, Fellowships and Clinician Scientist-Phase One Awards:

• Achievements and Activities of the Candidate • Characteristics and Abilities of the Candidate • Research Training Environment

The following criteria are used for evaluating applications for Clinician Scientist-Phase Two Awards:

• Candidate’s Track Record• Research Proposal• Research Environment and Support

Program Statistics

Master’s AwardsOpen and Strategic Competitions

312327

346 357

86

126

192218

86

132

192222

27.6%

38.5%

61.1%

27.6%

40.4%

55.5%

62.2%

55.5%

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

2003 2004 2005 2006

Competition Year

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

55%

60%

65%

Applications Reviewed in Open Comp. Applications Approved in Open Comp.

Open and Strategic Applications Approved Success Rate of Open Comp.

Sucess Rate of Open and Strategic Comp.

Nu

mb

er

of

Ap

pli

ca

tio

ns

Su

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es

s R

ate

Note: Number of awards offered and success rate for 2006 competition includes the budget increase for the CGS program announced by the federal government in March 2007.

High success rates due to pre-selection at universities

Estimated

500 478

561

652

804 799 814

183136 121

149 169 183

257235 215163

193239 243

316

36.6%

28.5%

47.0%

21.6%22.9%

21.0%

22.9%

31.6%

45.0%

38.8%

30.4%29.7%29.6%29.1%

0

200

400

600

800

1000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Competition Year

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Applications Reviewed in Open Comp. Applications Approved in Open Comp. Open and Strategic Applications Approved

Success Rate of Open Comp. Sucess Rate of Open and Strategic Comp.

Doctoral Research AwardsWith Additional CGS Funding

STIHR began

CGS began

Nu

mb

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of

Ap

pli

ca

tio

ns

Su

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es

s R

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s

Note: Number of awards offered and success rate for 2006 competition includes the budget increase for the CGS program announced by the federal government in April 2007.

Estimated

723763

914

774

1023972 988

197162 159 155

181153 132

254218

187 192248 234 212

27.2%

35.1%

28.6%

17.4% 17.7%

13.4%

15.7%

20.0%

21.2%

24.8%

20.5%

24.2% 24.1%

21.5%

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Competition Year

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Applications Reviewed in Open Comp. Applications Approved in Open Comp.Open and Strategic Applications Approved Success Rate of Open Comp.Sucess Rate of Open and Strategic Comp.

FellowshipsOpen and Strategic Competitions

STIHR began

Nu

mb

er

of

Ap

pli

ca

tio

ns

Su

cc

es

s R

ate

s

Estimated

520 551 545 510 472 474 471

279 301276

239 269 332202

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007

Open Competitions Strategic Competitions

Total Number of Fellowship Awards by Fiscal Year

•Does not include trainees funded from STIHR and research grants.

722

830 846786

711 743803

STIHR began

CIHR Investment in Training Awards Programs by Fiscal Year (in millions of dollars)

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

$60

$70

$80

1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007

CIHR Training Awards less CGS CIHR Training Awards+ CGS CIHR Training Awards + CGS + STIHR

STIHR began CGS beganSTIHR began

Mil

lio

ns

•The total grants and awards investment for this figure includes CRC’s and NCE’s.•The total CIHR grant and award investment for 2006-2007 is $799.6 million.

CIHR – Building Research CapacityCIHR – Building Research Capacity Number of Individuals Supported in 2006-2007 Number of Individuals Supported in 2006-2007

Plus at least 800 Fellows, 800 Doctoral Students, 1600 Masters’, and 1900 Undergraduates supported by research grants

•Includes awards that received a CIHR payment or external partner contribution.•The Numbers of trainees from research grants are estimates.•STIHR: The trainees on Training Grants are estimated as “Full Time Equivalents” being paid from these grants.

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200

37 Senior Investigators

112 Investigators

495 New Investigators

835 Postdoctoral Fellows

896 Doctoral

294 Master's

568 Undergraduates

Canada Research Chairs Tier 1

Canada Research Chairs Tier 2

276

332

1157 STIHR: 193 Undergrads, 227 Master's, 410 Doctoral, 257 Postdoctoral, 70 Others

What’s New at CIHR?

Budget 2007 & Canada Graduate Scholarships

• 40% of new funding went to CIHR compared to 10% in 2003

• $6 M more than 06-07 in 07-08• $8 M more than 06-07 in 08-09• $10.8 M more than 06-07 in 09-10 and

ongoing• Doubles current funding from $10.5 M to

$21.3 M• Doubles the number of scholarships being

supported from roughly 200 PhD and 200 Master’s per year to 400 each

Evaluation

Program Results Ready

Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research (STIHR)

September 2007 – Results

March 2008 – Final report

Canada Graduate Scholarships

Summer 2008 – Final report

ResearchNet…Current Status

ResearchNet Offers a one stop shop for the research community and consolidates processes for submission of applications and peer review.

Where are we now?

• From the Awards perspective, the Master’s, Doctoral Awards and Fellowships programs use ResearchNet for the review process and to post decisions

• Response to an Offer of Award captured on-line for the Master’s, Doctoral Awards and Fellowships programs

• On-line Confirmation of Commencement response for Master’s Awards, Doctoral Awards and Fellowships

• eSubmission for Doctoral Award applications for the October 2007 competition

ResearchNet…Upcoming

What’s Upcoming?

• eSubmission for Fellowship applications for the October 2008 competition

• For Master’s Awards, CIHR will be working with Institutions to define requirements for data exchange and develop a process for University approval and access to applications

If you have questions or comments, please contact…

ResearchNet Support

support@researchnet-recherchenet.ca

(613) 941-9080

Contact the Research Capacity Development Branch

with your questions…

Research Capacity Development Contacts

Program Telephone E-mail

Health Professional Student Research Awards &

MD/PhD Program Grants

(613) 957-0296 HPSRA@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Master’s Awards (613) 946-0093 CGSMA@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

STIHR (613) 948-8200 STIHR@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Doctoral Research Awards and CGS Doctoral Awards

(613) 954-1963 DRA@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Fellowships February (613) 948-8199 Fellowships@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

October (613) 954-1964

Clinician Scientists (613) 954-1960 ClinicianScientists@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

New Investigators (613) 948-8200 NewInvestigators@cihr-irsc.gc.ca