CIHR Grants 101
Gregory Huyer, Ph.D., Deputy Director Program
Delivery, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
April 29, 2013
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
• I do not hold any research grants funded by
industry or serve on any advisory
committees of a pharmaceutical company
• I have no other relevant financial
relationships with members of the
pharmaceutical industry or medical supply
companies.
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Session Objectives
1. Describe CIHR as an organization
2. Articulate the basic steps and processes of
the CIHR peer review process for grants
3. Identify the top 5 most important
considerations when applying for a grant
4. Describe the proposed reforms to CIHR’s
Open Programs
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Session Objectives
1. Describe CIHR as an organization
2. Articulate the basic steps and processes of
the CIHR peer review process for grants
3. Identify the top 5 most important
considerations when applying for a grant
4. Describe the proposed reforms to CIHR’s
Open Programs
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Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Government of Canada's health research
investment agency
• Mission is to create new scientific knowledge
and to enable its translation into improved
health, more effective health services and
products, and a strengthened Canadian
health care system
• Composed of 13 Institutes
• Provides leadership and support to more
than 14,100 health researchers and trainees
across Canada
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CIHR’s Four Research Themes
1
Biomedical
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Health services
and health systems
Ethics
Knowledge Translation
2
Clinical
Health of populations,
societal and cultural
dimensions of health,
and environmental
influences on health
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Two Major Avenues of Funding
OPEN
STRATEGIC
Investigator-initiated
research proposals
Priority areas and terms
of reference chosen by
Institutes and central
Branches (Ethics and KT)
Any area of health
research
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Session Objectives
1. Describe CIHR as an organization
2. Articulate the basic steps and processes of
the CIHR peer review process for grants
3. Identify the top 5 most important
considerations when applying for a grant
4. Describe the proposed reforms to CIHR’s
Open Programs
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Peer Review Committees
• Composed of a Chair, Scientific Officer and
Reviewers
• Review approx. 10 to 70 applications over 1
to 3 days
• Applications are assigned to reviewers based
on their expertise
• Reviewers write their reviews at home prior
to the meeting; reviews and ratings are
finalized at the committee meeting
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Peer Reviewers
• Experts in their respective fields
• Good track record of research productivity
• Hold peer-reviewed funding
• Recommended by their peers
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Ratings and Funding Decisions
• Applications are rated on a scale of 0.0 to
4.9 (worst to best)
• Applications must be rated 3.5 and above to
be considered for funding
• Applications are ranked within a committee
based on their rating, and funded top-down
until the available budget is exhausted
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Streamlining
• Used to help the committees focus their
discussion on the competitive applications
• Applications that are deemed not to be
competitive based on their preliminary
rating/rank are not discussed (~30%)
• Applicant still receives written reviews, but
no Scientific Officer notes of the committee
discussion
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Where to Find Funding Opportunities
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Where to Find Funding Opportunities
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Open Operating Grant Program (OOGP)
• Provides operating funds to support
research proposals in all areas of
health research
• Major funding mechanism: over half
of CIHR grants & awards budget
(approx. $240M per competition)
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Applying to the OOGP: Timeline
Full
Registration Appl’n
Peer Review
FALL
Notification
Funding
COMPETITION
Sept 15
Nov – Dec
late Jan
Apr 1
Full
Registration Appl’n
Peer Review
Notification
Funding
Aug 15
SPRING
Feb 1
Mar 1
COMPETITION
May – June
~ July 1
Oct 1
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OOGP Statistics
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OOGP Peer Review Committees
• Approx. 50 – descriptions can be found at
www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/4657.html
• Other ways to get a sense of the committee
mandates:
• Look at grants funded through each committee on
the Funded Research Database:
www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/826.html
• Look at past committee membership:
www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/39399.html
• Ask the Deputy Director responsible for the
committee for advice
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Importance of the Research Summary
• The Summary of Research Proposal
submitted with the registration is used to
assign applications to the most appropriate
peer review committees
• Reviewers in each committee indicate their
level of expertise to review applications
based on the application summary
• Make sure your registration & application
summaries adequately reflect the subject
matter and methodology of your proposal!
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Submitting an Application
• All competitions use ResearchNet for
eSubmission and eReview:
www.researchnet-recherchenet.ca
• Do NOT leave your registration or
application to the last minute: deadlines
(8 pm Eastern Time) are strictly enforced
• Applications must be complete at the time
of submission, otherwise they are not
accepted (updates are not permitted)
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Session Objectives
1. Describe CIHR as an organization
2. Articulate the basic steps and processes of
the CIHR peer review process for grants
3. Identify the top 5 most important
considerations when applying for a grant
4. Describe the proposed reforms to CIHR’s
Open Programs
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Grant Writing Advice
• Guidebook for New PI’s:
www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/27491.html
• CIHR Institute of Population and Public
Health (IPPH) – Tips and FAQs:
www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/42093.html
• Learning Activities and Resources:
www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/45095.html
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Reviewers’ Top 5 Grant Writing Tips
1. Engage your audience
2. Have your application pre-reviewed
3. Summaries are more important than you
might think
4. Address the evaluation criteria
5. Don’t wait until the last minute
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1. Engage Your Audience:
Write With the Reviewer in Mind
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1. Engage Your Audience:
Write With the Reviewer in Mind
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1. Engage Your Audience:
Write With the Reviewer in Mind
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1. Engage Your Audience:
Write With the Reviewer in Mind
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1. Engage Your Audience:
Write With the Reviewer in Mind
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1. Engage Your Audience:
Write With the Reviewer in Mind
• Minimize jargon, acronyms and
abbreviations
• Names in references cited
• PROOFREAD!
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2. Have Your Application Pre-Reviewed
WAIT! Have
your
application
reviewed
Before you
push “Submit”
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2. Have Your Application Pre-Reviewed
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2. Have Your Application Pre-Reviewed
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3. Summaries Are More Important Than
You Might Think
• Lay Abstract
• Summary of Research Proposal
• Short Summaries Within the Proposal
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3. Summaries Are More Important Than
You Might Think
• Lay Abstract
• Summary of Research Proposal
• Short Summaries Within the Proposal
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3. Summaries Are More Important Than
You Might Think
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3. Summaries Are More Important Than
You Might Think
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3. Summaries Are More Important Than
You Might Think
• Lay Abstract
• Summary of Research Proposal
• Short Summaries Within the Proposal
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3. Summaries Are More Important Than
You Might Think
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3. Summaries Are More Important Than
You Might Think
A relevance review is an assessment of the alignment of the
application with the objectives and/or relevant research areas
specified in the funding opportunity.
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3. Summaries Are More Important Than
You Might Think
• Lay Abstract
• Summary of Research Proposal
• Short Summaries Within the Proposal
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3. Summaries Are More Important Than
You Might Think
• Lay Abstract
• Summary of Research Proposal
• Short Summaries Within the Proposal
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4. Address the Evaluation Criteria
APPLICATION CONTENT
Success is in the Detail!
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4. Address the Evaluation Criteria
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4. Address the Evaluation Criteria
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4. Address the Evaluation Criteria
CIHR’s mandate is to “excel, according to internationally accepted standards of
scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into
improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a
strengthened Canadian health-care system”
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4. Address the Evaluation Criteria
www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/29529.html
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5. Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute
PLANNING AND PREPARATION
Empower Yourself: Be Prepared!
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5. Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute
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5. Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute
Application
Deadline
CCV
Supporting
Documents
Letters of Collaboration
References
Institution
Deadline
Signatures
Registration
Deadline
PLANNING AND PREPARATION
Empower Yourself: Be Prepared!
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5. Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute
PLANNING AND PREPARATION
Empower Yourself: Be Prepared!
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IPPH – Grant Writing Advice
1. Ensure effective communication of your
ideas by taking plenty of time to write your
proposal
2. Clearly state the significance and innovative
potential of your grant
3. Choose a research project that you are
excited about
4. Be sure to communicate the expertise and
experience of the Nominated Principal
Applicant and all team members (i.e., brag)
5. Ensure that you have the right research
team composition
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IPPH – Grant Writing Advice Con’t
6. Ensure that your methods are sound and
completely described
7. Consider the timeline and budget early on
in the process
8. Pay attention to all the “small parts” of the
grant application
9. Complete your grant application early and
have experienced researchers review and
provide feedback well before submitting
10. For resubmission be very responsive to
the reviewers’ comments
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Session Objectives
1. Describe CIHR as an organization
2. Articulate the basic steps and processes of
the CIHR peer review process for grants
3. Identify the top 5 most important
considerations when applying for a grant
4. Describe the proposed reforms to CIHR’s
Open Programs
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CIHR’s Open Program Reforms –
Objectives
• Capture excellence across all four research
pillars, from knowledge creation to
knowledge translation
• Capture innovative, original and
breakthrough research
• Integrate new talent to sustain Canada’s
pipeline of health researchers
• Improve sustainability of the long-term
research enterprise
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CIHR’s Open Program Reforms –
Objectives
In meeting these objectives, the reform is also
meant to address a number of current
operational challenges:
• Workload and costs for applicants
• Peer review burden
• Lack of consistency and efficiency of peer review
process
• Growing discrepancy between research evolution
and committee structure
• Program complexity
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CIHR’s Open Program Reforms – Design
1. Two separate, complementary funding schemes:
• Foundation Scheme
• Project Scheme
2. A peer review process that includes:
•
•
•
•
Application-focused review
Multi-stage review
Structured review criteria
Remote review of applications at the initial stage(s)
3. A College of Reviewers that will support
excellent peer review across the spectrum of
health research
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Foundation Scheme
The Foundation Scheme is designed to contribute to a
sustainable foundation of health research leaders.
It is expected to:
• Support a broad base of research leaders across
career stages, areas and disciplines relevant to health;
• Develop and maintain Canadian capacity;
• Provide flexibility to pursue new, innovative lines of
inquiry;
• Contribute to the creation and use of health-related
knowledge.
The Foundation Scheme will have one competition per year.
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Project Scheme
The Project Scheme is designed to capture ideas with the
greatest potential for important advances.
It is expected to:
• Support a diverse portfolio of health-related
research and knowledge translation projects at any
stage, from discovery to application, including
commercialization;
• Promote relevant collaborations across disciplines,
professions and sectors;
• Contribute to the creation and use of health-related
knowledge.
The Project Scheme will have two competitions per year.
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Transitioning to the New Schemes
The transition to the new Open Suite of
Programs and peer review processes, will
occur over a number of years.
The transition strategy includes three phases:
1. Piloting key peer review design elements
2. Gradually phasing in the new funding schemes
3. Gradually phasing out the existing Open funding
program
Given the scope of the proposed changes and the intention
to learn from the results of the pilots, course corrections
and adjustments to timelines may be required.
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Transitioning to the New Schemes
Gradually phasing in the new funding
schemes:
• The Foundation Scheme will be launched through two
“live pilot” competitions with application deadlines
scheduled for fall 2014 and fall 2015.
• The first regular Foundation competition application
deadline is scheduled for fall 2016.
• The first Project competition application deadline is
scheduled for spring 2016.
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Transitioning to the New Schemes
Gradually phasing out the existing Open
funding program:
• CIHR will hold two more Open Operating Grant
Program competitions (fall 2013 and spring 2014).
• There will also be a transitional Open Operating Grant
Program competition in 2014-15, which will be held in
parallel to the first “live pilot” of the Foundation
Scheme.
• Other existing open programs will be phased out after
the launch of the first Project Scheme competition.
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For More Information
Reforms homepage:
www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/44761.html
• Resources
• Engagement Process
• Q&A
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Thank You!
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