CIHR - Canadian Institute of Health Research

Please see below for competition timelines for the CIHR Project Grant: Fall 2022 competition. 

The Project Grant program is designed to capture ideas with the greatest potential for important advances in fundamental or applied health-related knowledge, health care, health systems, and/or health outcomes by supporting projects of research proposed and conducted by individual researchers or groups of researchers in all areas of health. The best ideas may stem from new, incremental, innovative, and/or high-risk lines of inquiry or knowledge translation approaches. 

The Project Grant program is open to applicants in all areas of health research that are aligned with the CIHR mandate: "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". 

Applications involving interdisciplinary research are accepted and encouraged in all committees. However, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) have formed a  Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee (TAIPR), with the following mandate, specifically dedicated for the review of interdisciplinary research.  

For more information, please see the funding opportunity details. 

UPEI Application Process 

The CIHR application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of two steps: Registration (mandatory) and Full Application, to be completed using ResearchNet.   

Registration  

To be eligible to apply to the full application, a Registration must be submitted to CIHR by August 17, 2022.  Applicants are not required to submit their registration to Research Services for review and approval. 

Full Application 

Submit the application for UPEI approval using the Romeo Researcher Portal, selecting the "Research GRANTS Approvals Form (rev Jan 2022)" (instructions can be found here).    

Submit in Romeo Researcher Portal by at least September 7, 2022.   

Deadline to Office of Research Services: September 9, 2022 

CIHR would like to provide information to the research community on one upcoming funding opportunity, as part of Government of Canada's continued response to address the health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In late July 2021, we will launch a second competition "Operating Grant: Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities Funding Opportunity" that will focus on new priority research areas.

We are providing preliminary information at this time to allow the research community to prepare and respond to an expedited process.

Funding opportunity: Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities – July 2021 competition
As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, so have the research needs of decision makers. There are important research gaps in Canada's response that have become evident; gaps that need to be addressed rapidly and in a sustained manner to respond effectively to the pandemic. In order to achieve these goals, this funding opportunity will support research aimed to tackle priority areas to effectively mitigate the rapid spread of COVID-19 and minimize its direct and indirect impacts on individuals and communities within and across jurisdictions in Canada and globally. Mitigation and recovery strategies require a coherent and integrated response from all Canadians, and especially from health care workers, researchers, public health authorities, industry, policymakers, decision makers at all levels, and the health system.

Objectives
Accelerate the availability and use of high-quality and real-time evidence and/or solutions to support Canada's ongoing response to the pandemic in order to better prevent, detect, treat and manage COVID-19; and
Generate evidence related to one or more diverse population(s), including for instance: Black and other communities marginalized by race; First Nations, Inuit, Metis and Urban Indigenous; communities historically excluded from research; those experiencing health inequity; persons with disabilities and individuals across diverse health status (e.g. high risk populations, individuals with comorbid conditions); those experiencing gendered impacts of the pandemic;  and those in life stages that have been underrepresented in research (e.g. pregnant people, children, older adults). Across all populations, researchers are encouraged to consider a lifecycle approach (from preconception to older adulthood).
Research areas
Please note that to be eligible to the competition applications must address both objectives AND respond to at least one (1) of the eleven (11) specific research areas bulleted below. Note that additional research areas may be added if additional funding partners participate.

Structural inequities in the COVID-19 response and ethics
Develop, implement and/or evaluate community-driven solutions to structural inequalities, including systemic racism, that continue to hamper the response and recovery from COVID-19 for Indigenous Peoples as well as Black and other communities marginalized by race.
Understand and/or address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous Peoples, racialized minorities, LGBTQIA2S, persons with disabilities, incarcerated individuals, children and older adults, including physical health, mental health, and access to health care services.
Understand and/or address the impacts of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of urban populations, including those who have been historically excluded and underserved (e.g. homeless populations and Indigenous Peoples).

Research on ethical criteria for scarce healthcare resource allocation (e.g., ICUs, ventilators, PPEs, vaccine) in a public health emergency to inform the development of national triage protocols. Research to understand and/or address equity in access to proven COVID-19 interventions and health services internationally and the ethical implications of vaccine nationalism for LMICs. [Supported by the CIHR Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies]

Understand the underlying biological interactions between HIV and SARS-CoV-2 co-infection as it relates to (1) the impacts of living with HIV on SARS-CoV-2 infection, including effect of HIV and/or antiretroviral treatment on mutation, evolution and fitness of SARS CoV-2, COVID-19 disease severity, development of post-COVID-19 conditions, and COVID-19 vaccine safety, efficacy, and long-term durability of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, and/or (2) the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection on people living with HIV as it relates to treatment response, disease progression and development of co-morbidities; and/or understand how public health and infection control measures in response to COVID-19 have impacted the underlying social and behavioral factors affecting the risk of infection with HIV and other STBBI, and access to prevention, testing and treatment services for HIV and STBBI, including in remote locations or Indigenous communities. [Supported by the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative]

Ongoing impact of COVID-19 in health systems and services
Understand and address the impact of COVID-19 on health care systems and services including developing and implementing evidence-based interventions (policy, practice and/or models of care) to minimize harms, address backlogs, and effectively address unmet needs during and after the pandemic, including those experienced by historically excluded or underserved populations.

Research on models of support services and clinical care / management and rehabilitation strategies, including for historically excluded or underserved populations (e.g. First Nations, Inuit, Metis or Urban Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, or other groups who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19) experiencing post COVID-19 condition in the Canadian context.

Societal reopening in the context of COVID-19

Understand and improve immune responses to vaccines (immunobridging, annual boosters, boosters against variants, heterologous prime-boost); long term immune responses of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination and duration of protection; and rate of vaccinated people developing severe diseases (1-2 doses) due to variants infection or difference in immune response.

Develop, implement and/or evaluate social and behavioural science approaches to inform interventions that will be needed to help people adjust to a non-pandemic situation. Targeted interventions will be needed for all age groups and all demographics: older adults, adults, and children, as well as socio-economic, geographic and cultural backgrounds (e.g. Northern contexts, rural or on-reserve vs urban, lower SES neighbourhoods).
Are the core public health and control measures (e.g. ventilation, movement restrictions) adequate/appropriate? Implementation science to inform scale up/adaptation of effective approaches to prevent future infections and outbreaks in high risk settings (childcare settings, schools, workplaces, jails, acute and long-term care settings, among migrant workers, homeless shelters, First Nations reserves). These include regular screening strategies, science communication, and/or roll out of mitigation plans in the case of isolated new cases.
Identify and evaluate the best methods for vaccine distribution to both "hard to reach" and those at risk of accelerating community spread, particularly among children, taking a holistic approach that considers barriers and facilitators at the individual, family, community, provincial and structural levels.
Availability of funds

The total funding amount available for this and upcoming COVID-19 competitions is approximately $88M. The amount invested in this competition will not be the full $88M and the final amount will depend on the number and quality, as assessed by peer review, of applications received to this and other COVID-19 competitions. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate.

The maximum amount per grant that can be requested for a clinical trial or a randomized control trial is $1,000,000 over one year and the maximum amount per grant that can be requested for all other types of research is $500,000 over one year.

Preliminary application details
Application requirements for the application process will be outlined in the Funding Opportunity details to come. The application process will be comprised of two steps: Registration and Full Application and will be very similar to the Operating Grant : Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities Funding Opportunity (March 2021) instructions. We encourage you to visit these instructions to familiarize yourself to what is to come.

Expected key dates
Launch of funding opportunity: week of July 26, 2021
Registration deadline: week of August 9, 2021
Application deadline: week of September 13, 2021
Anticipated notice of decision: week of December 20, 2021
Funding start date: December 1, 2021

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is pleased to announce the call for expressions of interest to the Fall 2021 Reviewer in Training (RiT) program.

The RiT program offers Early Career Researchers (ECRs) a learning opportunity to gain a better understanding of the elements of high quality review and the peer review process through direct participation in the Project Grant competition with the support of a Mentor. RiT participants will be assigned three applications to conduct practice reviews, attend the peer review meeting, present one of their reviews, and participate in the meeting. Following completion of the RiT program, participants will be promoted within CIHR’s Reviewer Pathway and are expected to participate in peer review when requested and available to do so.

The application period opens on July 26, 2021 and closes on August 20, 2021. 

Apply online here: https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/52291.html

CIHR Operating Grant: Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps & Priorities July 2021

As the pandemic has evolved, so have the research needs of decision makers. There are important research gaps in Canada’s response that have become evident; gaps that need to be addressed rapidly and in a sustained manner to respond effectively to the pandemic. In order to achieve its goals, the Government of Canada will launch several funding opportunities under the “Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities” banner to address the identified research gaps in Canada. As priority gap areas are identified, additional funding opportunities will be launched. The purpose of this and upcoming funding opportunities is to provide rapid funding for projects which respond to identified gaps in COVID-19 research areas. 

Objectives 

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are: 

Research areas 

To be eligible to the competition, applications must address both objectives AND respond to one (1) of the eleven (11) specific research areas indicated here.  The research areas are divided into three themes: 

• Structural inequities in the COVID-19 response and ethics 

• Ongoing impact of COVID-19 in health systems and services 

• Societal reopening in the context of COVID-19 

 Availability of funds 

The maximum amount per grant that can be requested for a clinical trial or a randomized control trial is $1,000,000 over one year. 

The maximum amount per grant that can be requested for all other types of research is $500,000 over one year. 

Please note that the budget amounts have been set at these levels to allow for adequate funding of some of the research projects that could be submitted. However, it is expected that most budgets will be lower than these maximums. 

For more information: https://www.researchnet-recherchenet.ca/rnr16/vwOpprtntyDtls.do?prog=3520&language=E

UPEI Application Process 

The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of two steps: Registration and Full Application, to be completed using ResearchNet.   

Registration  

In order to be eligible to apply to the full application, a Registration must be submitted by August 10, 2021.

Applicants are not required to submit their registration to Research Services for approval, however, applicants are requested to send a copy of their registration to lcudmore@upei.ca for information and planning purposes. 

Full Application 

1) Complete your application using the ResearchNet system.   

2) Generate a PDF of the application and submit it for UPEI approval using the Researcher Portal and selecting the "Research Funding Administrative Approvals Form for GRANT Applications (rev Dec 2020)".  Instructions for using the Researcher Portal can be found here.  Applicants are requested to submit by September 7, 2021, ensuring that the application is received by Research Services by September 9, 2021. Note: attach the CIHR Signature Page in your Researcher Portal submission as it requires the signature of the Vice President, Academic and Research. 

3) Upon receipt of UPEI approvals you will be provided with the CIHR Signature Page with the institutional signature, to be uploaded in the Print/Upload Signature Pages task, and you can then proceed with the submission of your application in ResearchNet.  CIHR's deadline for submission is September 14, 2021.

Please see below for competition timelines for the CIHR Project Grant: Fall 2021 competition. 

The Project Grant program is designed to capture ideas with the greatest potential for important advances in fundamental or applied health-related knowledge, health care, health systems, and/or health outcomes by supporting projects of research proposed and conducted by individual researchers or groups of researchers in all areas of health. The best ideas may stem from new, incremental, innovative, and/or high-risk lines of inquiry or knowledge translation approaches. 

The Project Grant program is open to applicants in all areas of health research that are aligned with the CIHR mandate: "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". 

Applications involving interdisciplinary research are accepted and encouraged. Furthermore, for the Fall 2021 Project Grant competition, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) launched a pilot Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee (TAIPR). 

UPEI Application Process 

The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of two steps: Registration and Full Application, to be completed using ResearchNet.   

Registration  

In order to be eligible to apply to the full application, a Registration must be submitted by August 18, 2021.  Applicants are not required to submit their registration to Research Services for review and approval. 

Full Application 

1) UPEI internal approval
Applicants must submit a penultimate copy of their application using the UPEI Romeo Researcher Portal and selecting the "Research Funding Administrative Approvals Form for GRANT Applications (rev Dec 2020)".  Instructions for using the Researcher Portal can be found here.  Applicants are requested to submit by September 8, 2021, ensuring that the application is received by Research Services by September 10, 2021. 

2) Online submission
In order to provide the Office of Research Services sufficient time to access and submit applications, applicants are requested to submit using ResearchNet by September 14, 2021.  Research Services will forward the application to CIHR by the agency deadline of September 15, 2021. 

Webinars 

CIHR will be hosting the following webinars to support participants with the requirements of the Fall 2021 Project Grant competition. 

English Sessions
Thursday, August 12, 2021 at 2:00 – 3:00 PM (Atlantic Time) Join
Wednesday, August 25, 2021 at 12:00 – 1:00 PM (Atlantic Time) Join 

French Sessions
Thursday, August 12, 2021 at 12:00 – 1:00 PM (Atlantic Time) Join
Wednesday, August 25, 2021 at 2:00 – 3:00 PM (Atlantic Time) Join 

CIHR would like to provide information to the research community on one upcoming funding opportunity, as part of Government of Canada's continued response to address the health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In late July 2021, we will launch a second competition "Operating Grant: Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities Funding Opportunity" that will focus on new priority research areas.

We are providing preliminary information at this time to allow the research community to prepare and respond to an expedited process.

Funding opportunity: Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities – July 2021 competition

As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, so have the research needs of decision makers. There are important research gaps in Canada's response that have become evident; gaps that need to be addressed rapidly and in a sustained manner to respond effectively to the pandemic. In order to achieve these goals, this funding opportunity will support research aimed to tackle priority areas to effectively mitigate the rapid spread of COVID-19 and minimize its direct and indirect impacts on individuals and communities within and across jurisdictions in Canada and globally. Mitigation and recovery strategies require a coherent and integrated response from all Canadians, and especially from health care workers, researchers, public health authorities, industry, policymakers, decision makers at all levels, and the health system.

Objectives

1. Accelerate the availability and use of high-quality and real-time evidence and/or solutions to support Canada's ongoing response to the pandemic in order to better prevent, detect, treat and manage COVID-19; and
2. Generate evidence related to one or more diverse population(s), including for instance: Black and other communities marginalized by race; First Nations, Inuit, Metis and Urban Indigenous; communities historically excluded from research; those experiencing health inequity; persons with disabilities and individuals across diverse health status (e.g. high risk populations, individuals with comorbid conditions); those experiencing gendered impacts of the pandemic;  and those in life stages that have been underrepresented in research (e.g. pregnant people, children, older adults). Across all populations, researchers are encouraged to consider a lifecycle approach (from preconception to older adulthood).

Research areas

Please note that to be eligible to the competition applications must address both objectives AND respond to at least one (1) of the eleven (11) specific research areas bulleted below. Note that additional research areas may be added if additional funding partners participate.

Structural inequities in the COVID-19 response and ethics

• Develop, implement and/or evaluate community-driven solutions to structural inequalities, including systemic racism, that continue to hamper the response and recovery from COVID-19 for Indigenous Peoples as well as Black and other communities marginalized by race.
• Understand and/or address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous Peoples, racialized minorities, LGBTQIA2S, persons with disabilities, incarcerated individuals, children and older adults, including physical health, mental health, and access to health care services.
• Understand and/or address the impacts of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of urban populations, including those who have been historically excluded and underserved (e.g. homeless populations and Indigenous Peoples).
• Research on ethical criteria for scarce healthcare resource allocation (e.g., ICUs, ventilators, PPEs, vaccine) in a public health emergency to inform the development of national triage protocols. Research to understand and/or address equity in access to proven COVID-19 interventions and health services internationally and the ethical implications of vaccine nationalism for LMICs. [Supported by the CIHR Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies]
• Understand the underlying biological interactions between HIV and SARS-CoV-2 co-infection as it relates to (1) the impacts of living with HIV on SARS-CoV-2 infection, including effect of HIV and/or antiretroviral treatment on mutation, evolution and fitness of SARS CoV-2, COVID-19 disease severity, development of post-COVID-19 conditions, and COVID-19 vaccine safety, efficacy, and long-term durability of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, and/or (2) the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection on people living with HIV as it relates to treatment response, disease progression and development of co-morbidities; and/or understand how public health and infection control measures in response to COVID-19 have impacted the underlying social and behavioral factors affecting the risk of infection with HIV and other STBBI, and access to prevention, testing and treatment services for HIV and STBBI, including in remote locations or Indigenous communities. [Supported by the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative]

Ongoing impact of COVID-19 in health systems and services

• Understand and address the impact of COVID-19 on health care systems and services including developing and implementing evidence-based interventions (policy, practice and/or models of care) to minimize harms, address backlogs, and effectively address unmet needs during and after the pandemic, including those experienced by historically excluded or underserved populations.
• Research on models of support services and clinical care / management and rehabilitation strategies, including for historically excluded or underserved populations (e.g. First Nations, Inuit, Metis or Urban Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, or other groups who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19) experiencing post COVID-19 condition in the Canadian context.

Societal reopening in the context of COVID-19

• Understand and improve immune responses to vaccines (immunobridging, annual boosters, boosters against variants, heterologous prime-boost); long term immune responses of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination and duration of protection; and rate of vaccinated people developing severe diseases (1-2 doses) due to variants infection or difference in immune response.
• Develop, implement and/or evaluate social and behavioural science approaches to inform interventions that will be needed to help people adjust to a non-pandemic situation. Targeted interventions will be needed for all age groups and all demographics: older adults, adults, and children, as well as socio-economic, geographic and cultural backgrounds (e.g. Northern contexts, rural or on-reserve vs urban, lower SES neighbourhoods).
• Are the core public health and control measures (e.g. ventilation, movement restrictions) adequate/appropriate? Implementation science to inform scale up/adaptation of effective approaches to prevent future infections and outbreaks in high risk settings (childcare settings, schools, workplaces, jails, acute and long-term care settings, among migrant workers, homeless shelters, First Nations reserves). These include regular screening strategies, science communication, and/or roll out of mitigation plans in the case of isolated new cases.
• Identify and evaluate the best methods for vaccine distribution to both "hard to reach" and those at risk of accelerating community spread, particularly among children, taking a holistic approach that considers barriers and facilitators at the individual, family, community, provincial and structural levels.

Availability of funds

The total funding amount available for this and upcoming COVID-19 competitions is approximately $88M. The amount invested in this competition will not be the full $88M and the final amount will depend on the number and quality, as assessed by peer review, of applications received to this and other COVID-19 competitions. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate.

The maximum amount per grant that can be requested for a clinical trial or a randomized control trial is $1,000,000 over one year and the maximum amount per grant that can be requested for all other types of research is $500,000 over one year.

Preliminary application details

• Application requirements for the application process will be outlined in the Funding Opportunity details to come. The application process will be comprised of two steps: Registration and Full Application and will be very similar to the Operating Grant : Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities Funding Opportunity (March 2021) instructions. We encourage you to visit these instructions to familiarize yourself to what is to come.

Expected key dates

• Launch of funding opportunity: week of July 26, 2021
• Registration deadline: week of August 9, 2021
• Application deadline: week of September 13, 2021
• Anticipated notice of decision: week of December 20, 2021
• Funding start date: December 1, 2021

CIHR would like to provide information to the research community on two upcoming funding opportunities, as part of Government of Canada's continued response to address the health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In early June 2021, we will launch two competitions that will focus on priority research areas. These include informing effective strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake in populations experiencing conditions of marginalization, and understanding and mitigating the impacts of the pandemic on children, youth and families in Canada.

CIHR recognizes the urgency to invest in these critical research areas in this current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and around the globe. We are providing preliminary information at this time to allow the research community to prepare and respond to an expedited process.

For more information, see https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/52499.html.

Funding Opportunity 1: COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support research that will inform effective strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine confidence and in turn, uptake, among populations experiencing systemic inequities, conditions of marginalization, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis and/or Urban Indigenous) communities and/or among populations who are historically under-vaccinated. This research initiative encourages the consideration of structural, contextual, intersectional and historical barriers influencing risk perceptions and health behaviours related to vaccination across multiple levels (e.g., individual, community, population). Collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders such as communities, knowledge users, healthcare providers, thought leaders and Indigenous Leaders, Elders and Knowledge Keepers to leverage existing resources and capacity within communities to improve vaccine confidence will be needed. Therefore, this funding opportunity is designed to support community-based research approaches, such as (but not limited to): participatory action research, Indigenous methodologies, empowerment evaluation approaches, community asset mapping, and citizen science.

Objectives

• Advance knowledge and strategies on how to increase vaccine confidence in populations experiencing conditions of marginalization, Indigenous Peoples and/or populations who have historically been under-vaccinated, including how to address structural, contextual, intersectional and historical barriers to vaccination; by
  1. Addressing knowledge gaps related to understanding the causes and contributing factors to lower vaccination confidence associated with COVID-19, and provide communities, healthcare providers, and public health and health system leaders with actionable evidence to improve vaccine confidence and uptake in clinical and/or community contexts; and
  2. Designing, implementing and/or evaluating promising interventions to increase vaccine confidence, including a focus on which approaches are most effective, in which populations and contexts, and why (implementation science approach).

Availability of funds

CIHR will provide a total amount of $1,400,000, enough to fund approximately 14 grants. The maximum amount per grant is $50,000 per year for up to two years.

Of this $1,400,000:

• A minimum of two applications relevant to Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit, Métis and/or Urban Indigenous communities) will be funded.

The CIHR Institutes of Infection and Immunity (III), Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR), Indigenous Peoples’ Health (IIPH), and Population and Public Health (IPPH) are sponsoring this upcoming funding opportunity.

Expected key dates

• Launch of funding opportunity: week of May 31, 2021
• Application deadline: week of August 9, 2021
• Anticipated notice of decision: week of October 25, 2021
• Funding start date: October 1, 2021

Preliminary application details

• The team must involve, at least one knowledge user (either a public health authority, health system decision-maker, health professional, policy-maker, Indigenous Elder or Knowledge Keeper, or community leader) as a Principal Knowledge User.
• For research involving Indigenous Peoples this funding opportunity seeks applicants who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) or provide evidence of having meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples.
• Application requirements for the Full Application will be outlined in the Funding Opportunity details. Full applications include a proposal (up to 5-pages for English applications and 6-pages for French application) and are expected to outline how the application addresses the objectives.

Funding Opportunity 2: Understanding and mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children, youth and families in Canada

It is becoming clear that during this time of pandemic, both the co-occurring stressful and traumatic events, and the impacts of restrictions related to associated public health mitigation measures, may be as or even in some cases more impactful on the health and well-being of children, youth and families in Canada. In order for policy makers to be able to rapidly address these growing challenges, it is essential to enhance our understanding of the implications of these stressful and traumatic events, as well as closures and restrictions across Canada.

The funding opportunity is designed to support rapid mitigation, as well as to inform policy and the development of approaches to address both recovery and longer-term consequences. Researchers will be encouraged to leverage existing cohorts/samples/health administrative, educational, surveillance and other data sets, by using existing data and/or collecting additional measures as necessary.

Objectives

The specific objective of this funding opportunity is to improve our understanding of, response to, and recovery from the co-occurring stressful and traumatic events that stem from the current COVID-19 pandemic, and/or restricted conditions associated with public health measures in Canada in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with respect to children, youth and families in Canada by addressing one or more of the following through research that takes an integrated knowledge translation approach to:

1. Enhance understanding of the nature and breadth of the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on children, youth and families, including factors that are protective or exacerbate these impacts;
2. Accelerate the availability and use of high-quality and real-time evidence regarding the identification and mobilization of practices that have supported the adaptation of existing programs and the development of new programs that support the health and well-being of children, youth and families in Canada;
3. Generate evidence related to diverse population(s), including for instance: equity considerations, health and well-being status (e.g., high risk populations, individuals with complex health needs and/or a disability etc.), sex and gender, and/or racialized or First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Urban Indigenous populations.
4. Identify populations at the highest and high risk for negative outcomes, factors that are associated with this increased greater risk, as well as any factors that have been found to be protective and/or enhance resilience.

Please note that to be eligible to the competition, applications must address the objective AND respond to one (1) or more research areas outlined below.

Research Areas

• The impacts of changes to and/or disruption of supports (such as family and peer interactions, including intergenerational interactions, as well as more formal supports), services and programming (both formal programming, including extra-curricular activities and nutrition programs, as well as more informal elements such as outdoor play and access to outdoor spaces) that impact mental and physical health, development, and well-being. This includes primary environments such as the home and community, healthcare delivery settings, childcare and schools, as well as external interventions (e.g., special education services, child abuse identification and reporting, mental health interventions, physical health and wellness programs, prenatal classes, cultural programming, school-based and extracurricular programming).
• The effects of changes in federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and local policies and guidelines regarding the delivery of services, supports and programming on physical health and development, mental health, social and emotional development, and cognitive development.
• The effects of introducing new and/or alternative services, supports and programming, and/or policies and guidelines on physical health and development, mental health, social and emotional development, and cognitive development.
• Changes in population health status resulting from decreased access to routine healthcare, including childhood vaccinations and routine childhood screening, as well as changes in physical health.
• Other factors that may be having impacts on the health and well-being of children, youth and families related to the co-occurring stressful and traumatic events that stem from the current COVID-19 pandemic (including the impact of decisions made regarding grandparents and other at-risk family members within multigenerational households), and/or the restrictions related to associated public health mitigation measures.

Applications must clearly communicate how Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and, where applicable, Indigenous Rights will be incorporated into the research proposed. Refer to the Best practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research, the Tri-Agency EDI Action Plan and the Tri-Agency Strengthening Indigenous Research Capacity Strategic Plan for additional guidance. This includes incorporation of biological variables (e.g. sex, age, etc.) and/or sociocultural identity factors (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, language, etc.) into the research proposed, where applicable.

Availability of funds

CIHR will provide a total amount of $3,200,000, enough to fund approximately 21 grants. CIHR will provide a maximum of $150,000 per grant for one year.

The CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (IHDCYH), in collaboration with the CIHR Institutes of: Aging (IA); Gender and Health (IGH); Indigenous Peoples Health (IIPH); Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA); Population and Public Health (IPPH); and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation are sponsoring this upcoming funding opportunity.

Preliminary application details

• Given the importance of engaging with knowledge users to ensure that the most relevant evidence is generated and utilized in a manner designed to maximize impact, a knowledge user must be included as part of the applicant team.
• Application requirements for the Full Application will be outlined in the Funding Opportunity details. Full applications include a proposal (up to 5-pages for English applications and 6-page for French application) and are expected to outline how the application addresses the objective(s) and research area(s).
• Applications will need to include an integrated knowledge translation plan (supplemental to the application page limit) as part of their proposal.

Expected key dates

• Launch of funding opportunity: week of June 7, 2021
• Application deadline: week of July 26, 2021
• Anticipated notice of decision: week of October 11, 2021
• Funding start date: October 1, 2021

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

• Accelerate the availability and use of high-quality and real-time evidence and/or solutions to support Canada’s ongoing response to the pandemic in order to better prevent, detect, treat and manage COVID-19; and
• Generate evidence related to one or more diverse population(s), including for instance: health equity considerations, health status (e.g. high risk populations, individuals with comorbid conditions), sex and gender, a life cycle approach (from children to aging adults), and/or racialized or First Nations, Inuit, Metis and Urban Indigenous populations.