Project Grant Program: Application Process
On this page
- Peer Review Committee Mandates – Project Grant Program
- Resubmissions
- Commercialization Evaluation Criteria and Headings
- RCT Evaluation Criteria and Headings
- Project Grant Competition FAQs
- Priority Announcements and the Project Grant - Frequently Asked Questions
Peer Review Committee Mandates – Project Grant Program
As of the Fall 2022 Project Grant Competition, please note the following changes to the indicated peer review committees:
- Developmental Biology (DEV) and Endocrinology (E) have permanently been dissolved due to consistently low application pressure, and their focus areas have been embedded into other committees' mandates, for example, Cell and Developmental Physiology (CBC) and Clinical Investigation A: Reproduction, Maternal, Child and Youth Health (CIA)
- Immunology & Transplantation (IT) has been replaced by Immunology (IMN)
- The NSA committee has changed its name from Systems & Clinical Neurosciences to Systems & Circuits Neurosciences
- The CBC committee has changed its name from Cell Biology – Physiology to Cell and Developmental Physiology
These changes were developed in consultation with the reviewer community during the Spring 2021, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022 Project Grant competitions, to ensure that the mandates remain relevant in the current research environment. Please ensure that you read the mandates carefully prior to submitting your registration, as most of them have changed slightly.
The following table presents an alphabetized list of peer review committees and their corresponding mandates for the Project Grant Program. When applying for funding, at the time of registration, you should suggest up to two committees whose mandates most closely align with your research project. Please review the committee mandates before applying in order to correctly identify the best committees for the review of your application. Suggested committees must remain unchanged between registration and application. If your application overlaps with more than one area of science, please select the peer review committees that best reflect the research area and objectives of your application. CIHR will consult with committee Chairs and Scientific Officers in assigning applications to specific committees, and will make the final decision on which peer review committee will review each application based on the summary of proposed research received during the registration stage. The final committee selected may not necessarily be your first or second choice as the authority for the assignment of applications to a peer review committee rests with CIHR.
The final list of committees held for a given competition may differ from the list of committees available at the time of the registration. Applicants will be informed of which peer review committee reviewed their application on their Notices of Recommendation and of Decision.
Alphabetized list of peer review committees and their corresponding mandates for the Project Grant Program
Behavioural Sciences – A: Neurobiological Basis of Behavioural Processes (BSA) | Basic studies, employing non-human models, in which the primary goal of the study is to establish the neurobiological basis of behaviour. The focus of studies on this committee examine the neurobiological mechanisms of motivation, emotion, stress, drug abuse, feeding, reproduction, learning/memory, pain, motor function and circadian rhythms. Studies exploring non-human animal models of neurological / psychiatric disease, as well as behavioural recovery from stroke or injury, are appropriate, as long as the end points of interest are primarily focused on behavioural measures. Endpoints and behavioural testing should be a core component, essential to addressing the overall research question. Behavioural psychology, Behavioural endocrinology, Neuropharmacology, and Behavioural Immunology studies are also relevant to the committee mandate. Studies will employ methods which include, but are not limited to, Pavlovian/associative conditioning; instrumental/operant conditioning (including self-administration); behavioural tests of emotional processes, social behaviour, consummatory and reproductive behaviours, etc. Studies using pharmacological or genetic manipulations which study behavioural endpoints are relevant as well as the inclusion of neurophysiology, molecular biology, biochemical assays, as long as the primary goal of the study is to establish the neurobiological basis of a behavioural process or endpoint. |
Behavioural Sciences – B: Clinical Behavioural Sciences (BSB) |
Clinical and clinically relevant studies in at-risk or human psychiatric, neuropsychiatric, and neurological populations in which the expected project outcome has a direct clinical relevance (i.e., informing risk, diagnosis, treatment, survival/mortality, quality of remission, adverse events/complications). Psychiatric populations might include, but not limited to, individuals diagnosed or at risk for childhood or adult psychiatric disorders such as ADHD, psychotic, anxiety, trauma and stress related disorders, mood, sleep, personality, and substance use disorders. Neuropsychiatric and neurological populations might include individuals diagnosed or at risk for dementia, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, ALS, stroke, headache, and brain trauma. Methodologies or approaches might include, but not limited to, observational, interventional, longitudinal, and cross-sectional studies focusing on phenotyping, psychosocial determinants, sleep studies, risk modeling, imaging, genetic and epigenetic analyses, biomarkers, electrophysiological recordings, and interventions (e.g., pharmacological, psychological, and behavioural). Note: Studies in which the primary aim is to understand mechanisms of cognition, learning, memory, sensory and motor functions/integration, perception, attention, sleep, pain, speech/language, neuro control of gait (in animals or humans including disease populations) should be sent to BSC. |
Behavioural Sciences – C: Behavioural Studies, Neuroscience and Cognition (BSC) |
Mechanistic studies using cognitive, systems, or behavioural neuroscience approaches (in humans or animal models) to study mechanisms of processes in cognition, learning, memory, sensory and motor functions/integration, perception, attention, sleep, pain, speech/language, neuro control of gait. Studies using disease populations are acceptable as long as they inform mechanistic, system-level aspects of normal function or behavioural/neuroscience aspects of the disease. Clinical and/or applied studies in psychiatric or neuropsychiatric populations should be sent to Behavioural Sciences B. Methodologies used include, but are not limited to, behavioural testing, psychophysics, electrophysiological recordings, brain stimulation, structural and functional neuroimaging, molecular/cellular techniques, neuroanatomy, eye tracking, pain imaging, computational neuroscience, and large-scale network dynamics. |
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology – A (BMA) |
Structural, chemical, and biophysical studies of biomacromolecules and their interactions. Proposals will typically involve one or more of the following: i) structural characterization of biomacromolecules and their assemblies including those involving nucleic acids, glycans, and lipids, ii) biophysical techniques including X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy (including cryo-EM), NMR, mass spectrometry, and various other spectroscopic methods, iii) computational approaches to studying biomolecular structure, function, and dynamics, iv) enzymes and enzyme mechanism, v) protein engineering, vi) structure-guided drug discovery, vii) chemical biology and the development of chemical probes, and viii) the structural and biochemical analysis of biomolecular variation/mutation leading to disease or resistance to treatment. Note: Studies with a primary focus on proteins and nucleic acids, other than structural studies, should be referred to the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology – B committee (BMB). |
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology – B (BMB) |
Studies on molecular mechanisms of biological systems with a focus on nucleic acid and protein function. In particular: chromatin, chromosomes, organelles; mechanisms and regulation of DNA and RNA metabolic processes and information transfer (e.g., replication, recombination, repair, transcription, processing, splicing, transport, translation). Note: Studies with a primary focus on the structure of protein or nucleic acids should be referred to the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology – A committee (BMA). |
Biological and Clinical Aspects of Aging (BCA) |
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of aging, cell senescence, cellular response to stress. Longevity genes and senescence genes. Mechanisms of exceptional aging, premature aging syndrome. Animal models of aging and aging-related diseases. Predictive markers of biological health and aging. Molecular and cellular basis of age-related changes in tissues and systems (e.g., osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, age-related decline in immune function, changes in sleep and biological rhythms). Causes, prevention, and treatment of geriatric syndromes, including falls, frailty and functional decline, immobility, delirium, incontinence. Management of chronic pain. Cognitive decline in the elderly. |
Biomedical Engineering (BME) |
Engineering and development of biomechanical, medical, and molecular devices including prosthetic devices, artificial organs, and nanosystems. Numerical models of physiological systems. Biomaterials. Biomechanics. Regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, repair and regeneration. Organ and tissue preservation. Molecular and nanoscale technologies. Note: Gait studies, biomechanical studies dealing with movement and studies with a focus on rehabilitation for movement disorders should be referred to the committee on Movement & Exercise (MOV). |
Cancer Biology & Therapeutics (CBT) |
Carcinogenesis. Basic and translational aspects of vaccine, metabolism and gene therapy. Radiation biology. Experimental radiotherapy. Cancer immunotherapy. Cancer prevention approaches. |
Cancer Progression & Therapeutics (CPT) |
Cancer progression biomarkers, including angiogenesis and host/tumor microenvironment modifications. Development of innovative pharmacological agents and targets. Molecular targeting therapies. Exploratory translational cancer research with a focus on pre-clinical studies. Molecular epidemiology of innovative tumor markers. Development of methods for the early detection, prevention and management of cancer-associated morbidities. |
Cardiovascular System – A: Cells and Tissues (CSA) |
Research on the cellular, molecular and genetic mechanisms of cardiac diseases. From the gene, cell, tissue, and cardiac development to genetic animal models including studies on (but not limited to) gene transcription, mitochondrial and cell biology, cell metabolism, signal transduction, ion channels using techniques such as genetic manipulation, cardiac tissue engineering, electrophysiology, imaging, and nuclear pathway analyses. |
Cardiovascular System – B: Heart and Circulation (CSB) |
Research on the heart and circulation: hemodynamics, hypertension, myocardial protection, cardiac remodeling, myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, neuro- and endocrine regulation. Studies on animal models of human cardiac disease. Genetic models of cardiovascular disease states at the whole organ or animal level including pharmacogenomics, gene discovery and gene expression studies. Note: Clinical studies should be referred to the Clinical Investigation – D: Cardiovascular Systems (CID) committee. |
Cardiovascular System – C: Vascular System (CSC) |
Research on the vascular system, including the endothelium, with an emphasis on the cellular, molecular, and immune mechanisms that regulate cardiovascular function in health and disease. Atherosclerosis, inflammation, thrombosis, and vascular homeostasis. |
Cell Biology – Molecular/Fundamental (CB1) |
Molecular cell biological mechanisms that govern the basic functioning of cells that include; junctional complexes, endocytosis, secretion, protein sorting, protein traffic, protein degradation, cytoskeleton, organelle biogenesis and dynamics, cell-matrix mechanisms, cell cycle, cell-cell communication and signal transduction mechanisms including those related to development, protein folding, phase-separation of organelles, quality control, cell death, pattern formation, cell determination and differentiation, specification of tissue type during development, and morphogenesis. Studies using primarily cell models from multicellular organisms and their healthy or diseased states as well as investigations into inherited diseases that are rooted in defective cellular processes. The focus of this panel is on basic, molecular, and fundamental understandings of cell and developmental biology. Note: Studies of developmental mechanisms using embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and 3D organoids should be referred to Cell and Developmental Physiology (CBC) or Cell Biology – Disease (CBB) or relevant organ panels. Structural biology studies should be referred to the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology – A (BMA) committee, and studies focused on gene regulation and transcription to the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology - B (BMB) committee. Studies on obesity should be referred to the committee on Diabetes, Obesity, Lipid & Lipoprotein Disorders (DOL). Studies on spinal cord injury and repair should be referred to the committees on Neurosciences (NSA, NSB). |
Cell Biology – Disease (CBB) |
Investigations examining cell biology mechanisms underpinning acquired diseases and/or developmental origins of disease. Disease processes impacting cellular phenotypes that are rooted in one or more mutant or aberrantly expressed proteins. Investigation typically involves model cells, tissue-relevant cells, genetically-modified animals and/or relevant human tissues or cells. Model systems include experimental disease models, iPS cell models, primary cell cultures of relevant disease tissues, etc. Note: Structural biology studies should be referred to the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology – A (BMA) committee, and studies focused on gene regulation and transcription to the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology - B (BMB) committee. Studies on obesity should be referred to the committee on Diabetes, Obesity, Lipid & Lipoprotein Disorders (DOL). Studies on spinal cord injury and repair should be referred to the committees on Neurosciences (NSA, NSB). |
Cell and Developmental Physiology (CBC) |
Investigations relating cell biology to cell physiology, cellular and systems networks. Structure/function studies, membrane bioenergetics, cell and organelle dynamics, lipid-protein interactions, model systems including organoids, ion channels, lipid remodeling in organelle biology, channel and protein transport. Systems biology of development and of cellular networks, including computational cell biology, bioinformatics, quantitative cell biology, and molecular modeling, and investigations using model systems (yeast, Drosophila, C. elegans, etc.) that inform understanding of cell physiological/biological responses and mechanisms in the context of health and disease. Genetic and molecular aspects of gene expression, cell pluripotency and differentiation during development. Post-transcriptional controls of developmental processes. Note: Studies related to skeletal muscle contraction should be referred to the committee on Movement & Exercise (MOV). Studies related to cardiac muscles should be referred to the committee on Cardiovascular System – A: Cells and Tissues (CSA). |
Clinical Investigation – A: Reproduction, Maternal, Child and Youth Health (CIA) |
Clinical and clinically-relevant translational studies on reproductive, maternal, foetal, neonatal, infant, child and youth health. Note: Studies related to social and developmental aspects of children's and youth's health, should be referred to the Social & Developmental Aspects of Children's & Youth's Health committee (CHI). |
Clinical Investigation – B: Arthritis, Bone, Skin and Cartilage (CIB) |
Clinical and clinically-relevant translational studies in arthritis, bone, cartilage, oral health and dermatology. Developmental processes of these tissues, joint diseases, dental diseases and rheumatology; orthopaedics; bone and mineral metabolism; oral and craniofacial structures, and wound healing. |
Clinical Investigation – C: Digestive, Endocrine and Excretory Systems (CIC) |
Clinical and mechanistic studies in human subjects in metabolic and endocrine disorders; gastroenterology, hepatology, nephrology, urology, hematology and related viral and microbial pathologies. Note: Only applications proposing research in non-malignant hematology will be accepted. |
Clinical Investigation – D: Cardiovascular Systems (CID) |
Clinical studies on the heart and circulation: hemodynamics, hypertension, myocardial protection, cardiac remodeling, myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, neuro- and endocrine regulation. Cardiovascular clinical pathophysiology, diagnosis and therapeutics, arterial and venous vascular disease. |
Commercialization (CMZ) |
Projects for which a product/process/service to be commercialized has been identified; the intellectual property (IP) and an IP protection strategy have been identified and described; and the IP is (or has been) subjected to an initial technology assessment. Research to determine the potential for commercial viability or other opportunities for use of IP, to enhance or strengthen the value of IP (or IP portfolio) and improve the business prospects or potential for downstream investment in the technology; promote academic health research and technology transfer activities that support and accelerate commercialization of the technology. The IP may (or may not) have acquired interest from partners willing to invest in the new technology, and an existing license or option to license the technology does not disqualify the project. Note: Applications submitted to this committee should include a Research and Technical Plan and a Commercialization Plan as part of the research proposal. For further information, refer to CIHR's Commercialization Projects page. Applications focused solely on prototype construction will not be considered. Research to help the academic community and Canadian industry/companies with an interest in health R&D to work together should be considered by a discipline-based committee. |
Diabetes, Obesity, Lipid & Lipoprotein Disorders (DOL) |
Molecular, cellular and whole organism studies of carbohydrate, protein, lipid and energy metabolism as related to both fundamental and translational biology of diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome and dyslipidemia. Note: Population studies and human studies related to nutritional aspects of obesity and diabetes, or the relation between diet and health should be referred to the committee on Nutrition, Food & Health (NUT). Studies on the immunology of type 1 diabetes should be referred to the committee on Immunology (IMN). |
Gender, Sex & Health (GSH) |
How sex (biological factors) influence mechanisms of disease, health and behaviour; how gender-related factors (psychosocial characteristics) influence health status, outcomes, behaviours and health-services use. Sex and gender can influence health independently and/or interdependently and intersect with multiple social structures. Such influences are dynamic across time, necessitating an intersectional life span approach. Applicants must address sex and / or gender influences in all aspects of the application, including but not limited to the significance of the study, hypothesis (es) or research questions(s), choice of research method, specific animal, cell or tissue model or target human population, choice of measurement tools, recruitment strategies, power calculations (in particular when the target health issue has a well-established gender bias), data analytic strategies, and potential interpretive challenges. Studies that aim to advance methodologies related to the study of sex and gender influences on health would also fall under the mandate of this committee. Single -sex or -gender studies may be considered but must include a clearly-articulated rationale. Single-sex proposals that address specific women's or men's health issues will also be considered by this committee. However, gendered aspects of the health issues in question should be considered and investigated whenever potentially relevant. Note: Clinical and clinically-relevant translational studies having a primary focus on reproductive and maternal health should be referred to the Clinical Investigation – A: Reproduction, Maternal, Child and Youth Health (CIA) committee. |
Genetics (G) |
Inherited diseases and disease susceptibility; mutation and mutational mechanisms; modeling of human genetic diseases; genotypes, phenotypes and natural history of genetic diseases; metabolic genetics; population and statistical genetics; cytogenetics; epigenetic inheritance and gene regulation; genetics of DNA repair, replication and recombination; gene and gene-based therapies. |
Genomics: Systems and computational biology (GMX) |
Technical or conceptual advances in genome research related to high-throughput methodologies, including work in subject areas such as proteomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, meta-genomics, pharmacogenomics or nutrigenomics. Conceptual and technical advances molecular and cellular systems-level analysis that apply large-scale, genome-wide techniques. Application of high-throughput synthetic biology approaches to genome research. Bioinformatics, computational algorithms and software development that support, enhance or enable the above-mentioned areas of research. Note: Research involving a major component of biochemical/molecular methods not addressing genomic, proteomic or systems approaches may be considered beyond the Genomics committee mandate. |
Health Policy & Systems Management Research (HPM) |
Health policy and politics. Health economics (e.g., health economic evaluation, health system financing, health remuneration methods and health resource allocation mechanisms). Health systems management (e.g., health administration, health organizational behaviour and governance, health systems analysis, integrated health systems, and managed health care). Health human resources (e.g., structure/organization/education of health professions and availability of appropriate health professionals to provide necessary services to disadvantaged populations). Learning health systems adaptation/change. Note: Studies in which the primary focus is on children and youth, the elderly, or gender issues should be referred to the committees on Social & Developmental Aspects of Children's & Youth's Health (CHI), Social Dimensions in Aging (SDA), or Gender, Sex & Health (GSH). |
Health Services Evaluation & Interventions Research (HS1) |
Health care interventions and programs, including interventions engaging health professionals and/or other care providers, designed to improve the way health care services are organized, used and delivered. Research that impacts individuals, families, organizations, communities and population. Research that examines outcomes such as health status, quality of care, effectiveness, efficiency, accessibility, costs, and equity. Innovative methods and tools for studying health services, interventions, or programs. Health care services, interventions or programs may relate to any sector setting, level of care, condition, population (by age or other demographic), or mode of delivery. Note: Education training related to general competency, distribution, or supply of health professionals and/or unpaid care providers should be referred to the Health Policy & Systems Management Research (HPM) committee. Studies that evaluate the adaptation, implementation, fidelity or uptake of interventions should be referred to the Knowledge Translation Research (KTR) committee. Studies aligned with the mandate of the Social & Developmental Aspects of Children's & Youth's Health (CHI) committee with a focus on child and youth development, familial, parental, and social influences on the health of children should be referred to the CHI committee. Studies aligned with the mandate of the Social Dimensions in Aging (SDA) committee with a focus on older adults should be referred to the SDA committee. Studies where gender issues are a primary focus should be referred to the committee on Gender, Sex & Health (GSH). |
Hematology, Digestive Disease & Kidney (HDK) |
Studies of mechanisms of disease including cellular physiology and molecular biology with a special interest in translational research. The focus is on disease in the following systems: hematology, gastroenterology and hepatology, nephrology, and urology. Projects related to malignancies, chemotherapeutic drug mechanisms and transplantation DO NOT fall within the mandate of this committee. Note: Clinical and mechanistic studies in human subjects should be referred to the Clinical Investigation – C: Digestive, Endocrine and Excretory Systems (CIC) committee |
Humanities, Social Sciences, Law & Ethics in Health (HLE) |
Health research from the humanities (including but not limited to history, philosophy, law, literary studies, cultural studies, narrative analysis, arts based or performance research, communication or media analysis) or social sciences (including but not limited to health studies, sociology, anthropology, religious studies, political science). Research in health ethics (e.g. clinical ethics, research ethics) and health law. Research proposals can be critical, theoretical, methodological or empirical in nature, in accordance with disciplinary standards. Note: Studies having a primary focus on health services or evaluation of services should be referred to the Health Services Evaluation & Interventions Research (HS1) committee. Studies related to the determinants of health should be referred to the Psychosocial, Sociocultural & Behavioral Determinants of Health (PB1) committee. Studies with an emphasis on health policy should be referred to the Health Policy & Systems Management Research (HPM) committee. Studies related to population and public health should be referred to the Public, Community and Population Health (PH1) committee. Studies in which the primary focus is on children and youth health, the elderly, or gender issues should be referred to the committees on Social & Developmental Aspects of Children's & Youth's Health (CHI), Social Dimensions in Aging (SDA), or Gender, Sex & Health (GSH) committees. |
Immunology (IMN) |
Research into innate and adaptive immunity and immune function at the genetic, molecular, cellular, model organism, whole animal, or human levels. Development and differentiation of immune cells, including investigations of the influence of host-environment interactions (including microbiota) on immune development and function. Immune interactions with non-hematopoietic cells, including immune-stromal cell interactions. Immune system reconstitution, homeostasis, immune tolerance, immune cell plasticity, and rejection in cell and solid organ transplantation and graft tolerance induction. Studies focused on basic immune mechanisms in response to tumours, allergens, and autoantigens. Studies on inflammatory and/or immune-mediated diseases (e.g. primary immune deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, allergy, hypersensitivity responses, transplantation) emphasizing immune pathogenesis rather than target organ injury, function, or repair. Immunity to infection with model pathogens (bacteria, virus, fungi) with a focus on immune mechanism. Immune cell transformation focusing on oncogenes relevant to understanding immune cell development and differentiation. Investigations of immune function and correlates of disease including the design or function of vaccines, biologicals, and cell therapies, including monoclonal antibodies, and cancer immunotherapy. Note: Studies having a primary focus on transplantation surgery should be referred to the relevant discipline-based committee. Studies in which the primary focus is on organ preservation for transplantation should be referred to Biomedical Engineering (BME). Studies in microbial pathogenesis and aspects of viral immunization where the focus is on the pathogen rather than in-depth immune mechanisms should be referred to Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (MID) or Virology & Viral Pathogenesis (VVP), as appropriate. Investigations of immunotherapies targeting specific pathogens or cancers where the focus is on development/optimization, rather than in depth evaluation of immune function, should be referred to Cancer biology and therapeutics (CBT), Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (MID), or Virology & Viral Pathogenesis (VVP), as appropriate. |
Indigenous Health Research (IHR) |
This committee reviews applications with a central focus on carrying out ethical and culturally informed research involving Indigenous peoples, with the intent to promote health through research that is in keeping with Indigenous values and traditions and follows the TCPS 2 - Chapter 9 – Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada guidelines. This includes applications from all four themes (pillars) of research that use disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to Indigenous health research. The overarching goal of Indigenous health research is to inspire, promote and support research with the highest potential to advance health and wellness for Indigenous peoples, grounded in commitment to deep community-engagement, partnership and collaboration in research and knowledge translation. The integration of concepts of service to community within the very definition of scientific and scholarly excellence is a distinguishing feature of Indigenous health research. The pursuit of knowledge is expected to respond to Indigenous priorities and be pursued in appropriate partnership and collaboration with Indigenous communities. Note: Applicants will need to indicate in their proposal how their project addresses the principles of the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS 2) - Chapter 9 on Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada and Indigenous partnering community/organizational ethical guidelines. |
Knowledge Translation Research (KTR) |
Knowledge Translation and Implementation Science research that evaluates theory, interventions, and/or implementation processes aimed at fidelity, adaptation, implementation, scale-up, and/or sustainability of evidence-based interventions, procedures or policies. Research may assess the indicators or impacts of knowledge translation interventions or implementation processes. Note: Applications on systematic reviews should be referred to the relevant discipline-based committee. |
Medical Physics & Imaging (MPI) |
Development and optimization of medical imaging technologies – magnetic resonance, x-ray, computed tomography, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, molecular and optical imaging, etc. – usually in conjunction with their validation and application in either pre-clinical models or clinical populations; basic imaging science investigations. Radiation therapy and biophysics technology development, computational and experimental methods and translation, radiation science investigations at the clinical and basic science levels. Technical advancements can include software (e.g. acquisition and post-processing) and/or hardware, as well as novel applications of existing methods. Note: Application studies using off-the-shelf methods without technical innovation are best suited to the appropriate systems/disease relevant committee. |
Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (MID) |
Molecular and cellular microbiology and microbial physiology with an emphasis on (non-viral), bacterial, fungal, and parasitic pathogens. Contributions of the microbiome to health and disease including microbe-microbe interactions. Host-pathogen interactions including the study of virulence factors and microbial evolution. Vaccine discovery and development. Antimicrobial mechanisms and resistance. Molecular diagnosis and the development of new therapeutics, including alternatives to antibiotics. Mechanisms of immune evasion by pathogens, with a focus on the pathogen. Note: Virology applications should be directed to the Virology & Viral Pathogenesis (VVP) committee. Applications that are focused on the host responses where the pathogen is used as a tool to investigate the immune response should be directed to the Immunology (IMN) committee. RCTs lacking basic science components should be directed to the RC1 committee. |
Molecular & Cellular Biology of Cancer (MCC) |
Use of model organisms. Fundamental molecular, cellular and genetic mechanisms of cancer etiology including discovery research relating to fundamental tumorigenic processes. These include cell signaling, cell cycle/proliferation, stromal-tumor interactions, angiogenesis, carcinogenesis, stem cell fate/differentiation, epigenetics, growth regulation, apoptosis, metastasis. Basic and translational aspects of DNA repair, cell cycle/checkpoints and translational control. Molecular, cellular and genetic approaches. |
Movement & Exercise (MOV) |
Gait studies, biomechanics. Skeletal muscle biology, fibre typing and regulation. Skeletal muscle contraction. Movement disorders, neuromuscular disorders, myopathies. Sensory motor integration. Exercise physiology, role of exercise in health promotion and rehabilitation. Rehabilitation and physical therapy. Orthopaedics applied to the articular system. Occupational ergonomics. Kinesiology. Health and physical fitness. Note: Studies related to cardiac muscles should be referred to the Cardiovascular System – A: Cells and Tissues (CSA) committee. |
Systems & Circuits Neurosciences (NSA) |
Studies on systems neuroscience and the description and analysis of the circuitry underlying conscious and autonomic behaviour, network dynamics and changes in circuit function. Studies on cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative, and neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders of all types are also appropriate, including developmental neurobiology. Studies on axonal regeneration, neural circuit repair, and recovery of function. Neuronal death, axonal and dendrite degeneration, protein misfolding, aggregation, processing, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial deficits and vascular pathology. Role of endogenous neurogenesis and stem cell biology in the repair of the nervous system. Motor, sensory, homeostatic systems, and disorders including epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, pain, and loss of vision and hearing. Approaches: Studies in this panel will employ methods that include, but are not limited to, animal models of neurodevelopmental, and neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders and/or neuronal injury, molecular and cellular approaches to study mechanisms of disease and repair, gene transfer/therapy, drug and pharmacological approaches, imaging, and functional assays including electrophysiology and behaviour. Note: Basic research using primarily behavioural measures and endpoints should be referred to Behavioural Neuroscience A (BSA). Human, clinical or applied studies in psychiatric and neurological populations should be referred to Behavioural Sciences B (BSB) or another relevant clinical committee. Studies on large-scale network dynamics and computational neuroscience should be sent to Behavioural Sciences C (BSC). |
Molecular & Cellular Neurosciences (NSB) |
Studies on molecular and cellular neurosciences, neurobiology, neurotransmitters and signaling molecules, cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurological disorders. Axonal and dendritic development; synaptogenesis and activity-dependent development; development of motor, sensory and limbic systems; ligand- or voltage-gated ion channels; G-protein linked receptors; neurotransmitter release; synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity; neuronal excitability. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurological disorders. Note: Studies on neural networks, network dynamics and system neuroscience, and sensory systems should be referred to the committee on Systems & Circuits Neurosciences (NSA). Studies related to skeletal muscle, myopathies, kinesiology and exercise should be submitted to the committee on Movement and Exercise (MOV). |
Nutrition, Food & Health (NUT) |
Understanding the role of nutrition in health and disease through basic research and animal models, nutritional epidemiology and intervention studies including randomized controlled trials (RCT). Specific topics include: the impact of food/nutrient intake and eating behaviours on health and disease outcomes; mechanistic studies on nutrient metabolism and function; pathogenesis of nutrient imbalance; human nutrition through the life span; energy balance and nutrition; health consequences of specific diets and dietary supplements; development of dietary assessment methods; food intolerance and allergy; nutrition-related education and health promotion; the influence of socioeconomic, cultural and political factors on nutrition of the individual and the community; non-oral feeding strategies; precision and personalized nutrition; nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics, and metabolomics; machine learning approaches to nutrition research. |
Pharmaceutical Sciences (PS) |
This committee reviews applications on drug design and delivery, including those related to medicinal chemistry, radio-pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceutics and drug analyses, pharmacokinetics, drug discovery from natural compounds (pharmacognosy), and xenobiotics. |
Pharmacology & Toxicology (PT) |
Pharmacology will review applications on the uses, effects and modes of action on drugs and compounds. Methodology of drug action, drug metabolism and toxicology, drug abuse and addiction, characterization of drugs targets, pharmacology of biological substances, clinical pharmacology, pharmacogenetics, pharmacodynamics, xenobiotics. |
Psychosocial, Sociocultural & Behavioural Determinants of Health (PB1) |
Behavioural and social sciences research applied to physical and mental health, health behaviour, psychophysiology, community health and well-being across the life course including palliative and end of life care. Focus on behavioural, psychological, social, cultural, environmental, and contextual perspectives, as they relate to health promotion, prevention, mechanisms, disease processes, outcomes, treatment, and intervention. May also include psychometric measurement, knowledge synthesis, behavioural medicine, clinically applied projects, or efficacy trials. Projects typically emphasize conceptual models, theory testing, a priori hypotheses, well-justified methodological design, rigorous measurement criteria and sound data analyses. Quantitative/qualitative/mixed-method approaches and experimental/cross-sectional/prospective/retrospective designs are considered. Individual or population perspectives can be adopted, targeting healthy, at-risk, or clinical samples. |
Public, Community & Population Health (PH1) |
The conception and measurement of exposures and health status and the testing of hypotheses concerning exposure/disease relationships. Such epidemiologic studies range from gene/environment interactions in the biological origins of disease to the impact of social environments, including disadvantaged populations' status, on health and functional status; Research on the etiology of human disease and disability; Population health intervention research to produce evidence about implementation and outcome of programs, and distribution approaches that have the potential to improve health at the population level; and Health ethics and health law related to public, community and population health. The mandate includes the development or application of novel statistical methods, the measurement of burden of disease in populations, global health, health inequalities and gradients, health of diverse and disadvantaged populations, health promotions, water safety and the impact of global change on health. Note: Studies aligned with the mandate of the Social & Developmental Aspects of Children's & Youth's Health (CHI) committee with a focus on child and youth development, familial, parental, and social influences on the health of children should be referred to the CHI committee. Studies aligned with the mandate of the Social Dimensions in Aging (SDA) committee with a focus on the elderly should be referred to the SDA committee. Studies where gender issues are a primary focus should be referred to the committee on Gender, Sex & Health (GSH). Studies aligned with the mandate of the Nutrition, Food & Health (NUT) committee with a focus on nutrition or food safety should be referred to the NUT committee. |
Randomized Controlled Trials (RC1) |
Studies in which investigators randomly assign eligible human research participants or other human units of study (e.g., classrooms, clinics, playgrounds) into groups to receive or not receive one or more interventions that are being compared. The results are analyzed by comparing outcomes in the groups. Includes pilot/feasibility randomized controlled trials (RCT) and studies using novel RCT designs. Studies relating to the development of methodologies for the design and conduct of randomized clinical trials. The RC1 panel is multidisciplinary across the spectrum of CIHR's mandate. |
Respiratory System (RS) |
Research on the lung and associated tissue ranging from cellular and animal models to clinical research with respiratory endpoints or sequelae. Studies of the neural control of breathing, lung development and lung mechanics, as well as other components of lung physiology/biology. Studies of lung transplant. Studies of diseases including (but not limited to) restrictive and obstructive lung diseases; cystic fibrosis; respiratory diseases of adults and newborns of non-infectious and infectious origins; sleep-related disorders of breathing; acute lung injury and lung inflammation; disease relevant to environmental and occupational exposure; determinants of respiratory diseases (gene-environment interactions); impact of respiratory disease on pulmonary circulation and chronic impact of infectious lung diseases. |
Social & Developmental Aspects of Children's & Youth's Health (CHI) |
Conditions for optimizing child and youth health, development and well-being. Causes, risk, early prevention treatment and long-term management strategies for support of children and youth with physical, mental, congenital and behavioural health challenges with consideration of school-related issues and issues related to language minority status (official language, new immigrants, etc). Environmental, life style and social influences on reproductive, parental, foetal, neonatal, infant/ child and youth health. Health impacts and outcomes of family environment, family dynamics and level of care during childhood including impacts of poverty. Note: Projects related to biological and clinical aspects of children's and youth's health should be referred to the Clinical Investigation – A: Reproduction, Maternal, Child and Youth Health (CIA) committee. Studies using animal models should be referred to the CIA committee. |
Social Dimensions in Aging (SDA) |
Social factors as determinants of health and quality of life in aging (e.g., social support, work, participation of the older adults in society, leisure and recreation, household and family structure, housing, transportation, economic status and inequality, retirement). Positive health behaviours and healthy life styles, physical activity. Life-course interactions and transitions. Long-term care and caregiving for older adults, including assisted or supportive living facilities, and care at home. Health services for older adults, including those living in rural, remote, northern, and official language minority communities, as well as immigrants and first-generation Canadians, BIPOC, and 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults. Palliative care: pain management, individual and family support, choice of settings and implications of choices, strategies for implementing end-of-life guidelines. Epidemiological studies and surveys of problems related to palliative and end of life care. Studies of social factors affecting specific age-related physical, cognitive, communications, behavioural, and mental health problems. Abuse and neglect of older adults. |
Studies that bring disciplines together using interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and/or transdisciplinary approaches. Studies that reflect the full range of collaboration across disciplines and subject areas pertaining to social sciences and humanities; natural sciences and engineering; health and wellness. The proposed interdisciplinary approaches and elements are essential to achieving the project goals and are integrated within the research proposed. In other words, interdisciplinarity must be a key characteristic of proposed projects, where the project goals could not be achieved without an interdisciplinary approach. In addition, the interdisciplinary elements must be inseparable and could not be addressed by separate sub-projects. Note: Under this mechanism and following the guidelines for “Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency”, researchers will submit applications for interdisciplinary research projects to the agency (NSERC, SSHRC or CIHR) at which they are eligible and where their proposed research is most relevant. Studies must include disciplines outside the mandate of the organization for which they applied and include elements outside the expertise of other existing peer review committees in order to be reviewed by this committee. |
|
Virology & Viral Pathogenesis (VVP) |
Virology. Virus-host interactions. Immunology as related to viruses. Diagnosis and therapy of viral diseases including vaccine development and preventing infection. Anti-viral resistance. Emerging viruses and pandemic preparedness. Note: Functional outputs not directly related to virology should be referred to the relevant discipline-based committee. Organ function should be directed to appropriate discipline-based committee. |
Resubmissions: How CIHR handles resubmissions
What is a resubmitted application?
All applicants that were unsuccessful in their previous submission may resubmit their application to a subsequent Project Grant competition. These applications are considered resubmissions. Note, the question "Is this a resubmission of an unsuccessful application to the same Funding Opportunity?" is specifically asking if the application is a previous submission to the Project Grant competition.
Committee members are instructed to treat all applications, including resubmissions, as new applications. This is done in an effort to ensure that all applications are reviewed relative to each other.
Resubmitting an application: Response to previous reviews
If you are resubmitting an unsuccessful application, you may provide a response (maximum of 2 pages in English or 2.5 pages in French) to previous reviewers' comments from a previous Project Grant competition. It should be noted that addressing previous reviews does not guarantee that the application will be better positioned to be funded as it is placed in a new competition and will be evaluated relative to new applications. Furthermore, given the dynamic nature of committee membership between competitions, applications are not necessarily evaluated by the same peer reviewers from one competition to the next, although every effort is made to ensure some continuity between reviews where possible.
Peer Reviewers do not have access to the previous iteration of the application and are instructed to evaluate the application submitted as a stand-alone entity. However, they are asked to evaluate the "Response to Preview Review" section. Depending on the cohort of applications received by a committee, an application may receive higher or lower rating and/or ranking than in a previous competition depending on how it compares to the evaluation criteria and other applications' ratings/rankings.
For more information and instructions on submitting a response to previous reviews please refer to the Project Grant: Application Instructions.
Commercialization Projects
Knowledge Translation is a dynamic and iterative process that includes the synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically-sound application of knowledge to improve the health of Canadians, provide more effective health services and products, and strengthen the health care system.
Commercialization and innovation refer to the component of knowledge translation that is focused on bringing intellectual property (IP) (new products, tools, or services; for full definition see below) to a state of use in the private, not-for-profit, or public sectors. CIHR is also committed to facilitating the commercialization of health research in Canada in support of its overall 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.
Many of the inventions and discoveries arising through academic research are at a stage beyond discovery-driven research and yet are often of uncertain utility or insufficiently developed to be of interest to relevant receptor companies, organizations, and potential investors. Such IP may never be licensed, commercialized, or otherwise applied, without additional targeted research, market research, investment, and business development activities. These activities are of paramount importance, because they serve to validate, better define and add value to the IP but they require resources that typically cannot be obtained through the traditional funding mechanisms.
Commercialization projects can currently be considered for funding as part of the Commercialization (CMZ) peer review committee of the Project Grant Competition.
Commercialization projects are designed to advance discoveries/inventions towards commercializable technologies, with a view to attract new investment, create new science-based businesses, organizations and initiatives, and ultimately improve health outcomes for Canadians.
For commercialization projects, the applicant(s) should include a Research/Technical Plan and a Commercialization Plan as part of their research proposal.
-
Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation of applications reviewed in the Commercialization (CMZ) committee will include the assessment of both the Research and Technical plan and the Commercialization plan based on the following criteria:
- Research and Technical Plan
- Feasibility and appropriateness of the research plan;
- Originality of the research plan and impact of the expected contributions;
- Relevance and appropriateness of the scientific and/or technical requirements to move the invention/discovery towards commercialization;
- Anticipation of the potential hurdles and how they will be addressed;
- Qualifications and track record of the applicant(s);
- Applicants' familiarity with the literature in the field and the current competitive, or emerging, technologies;
- The extent to which the proposed experiments will strengthen the IP position or generate new IP.
- Commercialization Plan
- Feasibility and appropriateness of the commercialization plan;
- Demonstration of a need for the research to advance commercialization;
- Potential of proposed product/service to have an impact on the health of Canadians and/or the Canadian health economy;
- Strength of the description of the IP protection strategy, prior art, market evaluation and opportunity as appropriate;
- Appropriate consideration of the potential barriers to commercialization;
- Strength of industry/sector contacts, appropriateness of the receptor company/organization;
- Qualifications and track record of persons associated with the commercial aspects of the project and identification of the business expertise needed to complete the plan;
- Capacity and commitment of the applicant's institution to take the project through the commercialization process;
- Appropriateness of the milestones and follow-on steps planned at the conclusion of the project.
- Research and Technical Plan
-
Research Proposal Structure and Requirements
All research proposals submitted to the Commercialization panel must be structured according to the three main headings below.
An entry is required for every heading. To the extent possible, each sub-bullet should be addressed within the proposal.
- Overview
- Description of the discovery/invention.
- Description of the business opportunity.
- Justification for grant funding: provide a convincing argument that the funding will validate and de-risk the technology to facilitate commercial success.
- Research and Technical Plan
- Summary of the relevant literature.
- Advantages and disadvantages of the discovery/invention based on existing solutions on the market, and how it compares to solutions currently in development.
- Required research question(s): describe the scientific or technical requirements including how their achievement ties to the commercialization plan.
- Research and methodologies: present the hypotheses, describe the available expertise and the experimental plan to test them.
- Timelines: layout of milestones and deliverables for the research during the term of the project.
- Ideally this will include go /no go milestones and risk mitigation for the deliverables.
- Applicants with early-stage projects should consider limiting their application to a funding period that advances their project to a critical go/no go milestone.
- Commercialization Plan
- Intellectual Property
- Explain how the IP strategy relates to the business strategy.
- Describe existing IP (if applicable) and the strategy for protection of IP resulting from the proposed project.
- Describe scope of protection, the relevance of prior art, potential freedom to operate issues and mitigation strategy for freedom to operate issues.
- Market
- Describe market potential and market trends, target segment(s) for the proposed product or service and rationale for segment selection.
- Describe path to market and barriers including regulatory hurdles, and risk mitigation strategy for barriers.
- Provide strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) or political, economic, social, and technical (PEST) analysis, analysis of direct and indirect competition, and key players.
- Describe the commercialization plan, including the intended industry partner and an outline of commercialization steps required after the funding period and go/ no go decision points.
- List relevant experience of successful commercialization for persons responsible for implementing the commercialization plan. Identify additional expertise needed to execute the plan.
- Detail commitment of the applicant and applicant's institution to resource the project through the early milestones of the commercialization process.
- This may include cash / in kind support for IP protection, market outreach and travel for partnering activities (not travel to academic conferences and workshops).
- Impact of the proposed product or service on the health of Canadians and the Canadian health economy
- Describe the expected economic impact including health care cost savings and/or revenue generation.
- Intellectual Property
Describe the social and health benefits; how is the proposed solution better than existing solutions? How will the project elevate Canada's scientific and innovation profile?
- Overview
Definition of Intellectual Property (IP): Intellectual Property means all materials, methods, concepts, products, processes, discoveries, genetic constructs, know-how, show-how, formulae, inventions, improvements, industrial designs, processes, patterns, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, compilations of information, whether or not legally protectable, including patents and patent applications, copyrights, trade secrets, technology, technical information, software, prototypes and specifications, including any rights to apply for protections under statutory proceedings available for those purposes, provided they are capable of protection at law.
RCT Evaluation Criteria and Headings
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is an experiment in which investigators randomly assign eligible human research participants or other human units of study (e.g., classrooms, clinics, playgrounds) into groups to receive or not receive one or more interventions that are being compared. The results are analyzed by comparing outcomes in the groups.
Please refer to the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS-2), Chapter 11 for important information including key requirements and recommendations for conducting trials.
Of note, irrespective of the suggested peer review committee, evaluation of all applications containing an RCT as a major component will need to consider the specific RCT evaluation criteria below. In addition, such applications containing an RCT as a major component must also be structured according to the specific headings below.
Applications considered to contain RCT as a major component include:
- Applications exclusively containing an RCT (or multiple RCTs)
- Studies including multiple aims where the main focus is an RCT (such as a combination of development or pre-clinical work, with a trial or a trial, with some follow-up work)
- Any application where the majority of the budget resources are directed towards an RCT component
Applications not considered to contain RCT as a major component include:
- Applications with multiple aims, with a small RCT being only one of those aims
- Studies where the possibility of a small RCT is discussed, but is centered around animal-work
- Studies where no randomization is occurring (participants may have been previously randomized, but no new randomization is being done in the context of the work proposed)
- Studies about RCTs, but that do not contain an RCT component (e.g. translational work following a completed RCT)
- Systematic reviews of RCTs which do not include an RCT component
- Any non-randomized clinical trial
Please note that applications that include a pilot RCTFootnote 1 should also be structured according to the specific headings below. Although specific objectives of pilot RCTs can vary, the overarching goal of a pilot RCT is to inform the development and feasibility of a full trial. As such, applications including a pilot RCT should focus on the specifics for the pilot trial while also highlighting information for the possible future full trial to ensure appropriate contextualization. Additional guidance is provided in the Headings section below.
Evaluation Criteria
The peer review committees will consider the following key questions when assessing each section of the application containing an RCT as a major component. Reviewers are expected to assess applications containing a pilot RCT based on the details for the pilot study and information on the broader context relating to the need, relevance, and impact of the possible future full trial.
Section 1 - The need for a trial
Has the importance of the issue been adequately explained in terms of the items below:
- Present and future resource implications for Canadian healthcare and/or global health issues, and the economy in general. What evidence is there of burden of illness/condition of interest?
- Are the research questions, study objectives and hypotheses to be tested specified and described clearly? If a pilot RCT, are progression criteria described?
- Is the trial addressing the right question(s)?
- Is this the right time to conduct the trial with respect to current knowledge of the intervention and current use of existing technologies? If applicable, has there been input from impacted groups about the need of the trial?
- What evidence is available to inform the need for and design of this trial (e.g.: systematic reviews)?
- Is the proposed research compatible with the extent of the available knowledge, nationally and internationally?
- What impact will the results have on practice or our understanding of the proposed intervention or underlying condition, and the development and feasibility of the future full trial (if a pilot RCT)?
- Will the results of the trial be generalizable beyond the immediate research setting of the trial in a way that will maximize the impact of the results in a meaningful way?
- Are the reasons for the study and the changes that might be implemented as a result of the study adequately explained?
Section 2 - The proposed trial
- Is the trial design appropriate to answer the research questions, study objectives and hypothesis to be tested?
- Has sufficient account been taken within the study design of the issues of generalizability and representativeness?
- Have any risks to the safety of participants involved in the trial been considered and addressed?
- Has the trial population been defined adequately in relation to the target population so that the results will have meaning?
- How will sources of bias be avoided or taken account of?
- Are the participant selection, recruitment approach, and treatment appropriate and justified?
- What is the evidence of capacity to enroll, retain and collect needed data to test the specified hypothesis?
- Are the primary and secondary outcomes, and their measures, clearly described, justified, and appropriate to the scientific hypothesis?
- What is the justification for the hypothesis underlying the power calculations? What is the justification for the sample size proposed?
- Have the measures been validated specifically for the target population(s)?
- Is the statistical plan appropriate for the research question and hypothesis?
- How will the results of the trial be disseminated?
- Does the proposal identify limitations, potential challenges and appropriate mitigation strategies?
Section 3 - Trial management
- How will the trial be managed/coordinated?
- What are the roles of members of the trial team? If participants with lived experience are involved, what is their role? If there are international partners, what is the specific contribution of the Canadian team members?
- Does the proposed team of investigators have the necessary range of disciplines and experience necessary to carry out the study?
- Does the trial team include people with experience in successfully running large multi-center trials?
- Has adequate statistical advice been sought and incorporated?
- Has adequate advice been sought and incorporated on other health services research issues if they are to be addressed?
- Are trial governance arrangements appropriate?
Other Important Issues
Health Economics
CIHR does not require that health economic measures be included as outcomes in all its trials. However, it does require a clear and informed justification of why these measures are to be either included or excluded.
Quality of Life
CIHR does not require that quality of life measures be included as outcomes in all its trials. However, it does require a clear and informed justification of why these measures are to be either included or excluded.
Consumer Involvement in Trial Development
CIHR encourages the involvement of consumers and patient advocate groups with the aim of better trial design and greater acceptability of both trials and its findings.
Biological samples for future genetic analysis
The potential value of RCTs as a source of well-characterized samples for future genetic analysis is being increasingly recognized and proposals for collection of this type of sample within a trial are welcomed. However, applicants should carefully consider the balance between the potential value of the samples and the impact on recruitment and logistics of the trial.
International Collaboration
Discuss the nature of and need for international collaboration.
Patient EngagementFootnote 1Footnote 2
Patient engagement refers to meaningful collaboration where patients and people with lived and living experience and other knowledge users become partners in the project and can be actively engaged in governance, priority setting, developing the research questions, and even performing certain parts of the research itself (Patient engagement - CIHR), as applicable. RCTs are expected to meaningfully engage patients and knowledge users throughout the life-cycle of the project, as applicable.
Partners
If relevant, discuss the involvement of any proposed partner(s), how/if they will contribute to research and research related activities, and any consideration and mediation of risk and/or conflict of interest, as appropriate.
Headings
Irrespective of the suggested peer review committee, all applications containing an RCT as a major component must be structured according to the headings provided below.
Applications should include only the main headings by title, while the subheadings may be referred to only by number.
An entry is required under every heading and subheading.
Please note that failure to comply with these requirements can negatively impact the evaluation of your application.
1. The Need for a Trial
If conducting a pilot RCT study, the following subheadings should primarily focus on the pilot study with integration of the context for the possible future full trial, as applicable.
- 1.1 Describe the condition to be addressed and its associated burden.
- 1.2 What is/are the principal research question(s) and objectives to be addressed and specific hypotheses to be tested? If a pilot RCT, describe hypotheses for the future full trial as well as progression criteria for pilot study.
- 1.3 Why is a trial needed now? E.g. Provide evidence from the literature. Furthermore, give references to any relevant systematic review(s)Footnote 3 and discuss the need for your trial in the light of the(se) review(s). If a pilot RCT, further address why is the pilot RCT necessary for the design of the possible future full trial?
- 1.4 How would the results of this trial be used? For example improving understanding, informing decision making and treatment guidelines and/or care, etc. If a pilot RCT, how would results of a definitive RCT be used?
2. The Proposed Trial
If conducting a pilot RCT study, the following subheadings should primarily focus on the pilot study with integration of the context for the possible future full trial, as applicable.
- 2.1 What is the proposed trial design? E.g. Open-label, double or single blinded, etc.
- 2.2 Describe and justify important details of the planned trial interventions, both experimental and control. For full trials, what evidence is there that the intervention and comparators can be delivered as intended (i.e., with fidelity)?
- 2.3 Are there any risks to the safety of participants involved in the trial? Please describe.
- 2.4 What are the proposed practical arrangements for allocating participants to trial groups? E.g. Randomization method. If stratification or minimization are to be used, give reasons and factors to be included. How is the trial population defined in relation to the target?
2.5 What are the proposed methods for protecting against sources of bias? E.g. BlindingFootnote 4 or masking. Provide justification.
If blinding is not possible explain why and give details of alternative methods proposed, mitigation strategies, or implications for interpretation of the trial's results.
- 2.6 How will the recruitment be organized? What is the planned recruitment procedures (e.g. initial contact method, screening, etc), recruitment setting, and what are the planned inclusion/exclusion criteria? What is the planned recruitment rate? Over what time period will recruitment take place? What evidence is there that the planned recruitment rate is achievable?
- 2.7 How many centers will be involved?
- 2.8 What is the proposed duration of treatment period?
- 2.9 What is the proposed frequency and duration of follow up (e.g. schedule of assessments)?
- 2.10 What is the expected loss to follow up? What evidence supports estimated loss to follow-up?
- 2.11 Are there likely to be any problems with participant adherence and/or clinician fidelity to the intervention? What evidence supports the adherence and/or fidelity figures? Discuss methods to support adherence and/or fidelity.
- 2.12 What are the proposed primary and secondary outcome measures? If a pilot RCT is proposed, include feasibility outcomes, as appropriate.
- 2.13 How will the outcome measures be measured at follow up? If a pilot RCT is proposed, include feasibility outcomes and progression criteria that will be used to draw conclusions regarding feasibility for the potential future full trial.
2.14 What is the proposed sample size and what is the justification for the assumptions underlying the power calculations? Include both control and treatment groups, a brief description of the power calculations detailing the outcome measures on which these have been based, and give event rates, means and medians etc. as appropriate. If a pilot RCT is proposed, consider sample size justification of pilot trial and sample size calculation for potential future full trial.
For full trials, it is important to give the justification for the size of the difference that the trial is powered to detect. Does the sample size calculation take into account the anticipated rates of non-compliance and loss to follow-up given below?
- 2.15 If applicable, are health service research issues addressed? Justify inclusion/exclusion of health economics and quality of life measures. If these measures are to be included full details should be given including power calculations. This heading should be removed if the application is for a pilot RCT and this item is deemed not applicable.
- 2.16 What are the proposed analyses?
- 2.17 Are interim analyses planned? Discuss trial safety monitoring (e.g. what methods will be used for stopping, etc). If a pilot RCT is proposed, describe if pilot data will be rolled into a full trial or analyzed first.
- 2.18 What are planned subgroup analyses?
- 2.19 Has pilot work been conducted? If a pilot RCT is proposed, remove this heading.
- 2.20 Describe the trial knowledge translation plan. If a pilot RCT is proposed and this item is deemed not applicable, remove this heading.
- 2.21 What are the limitations and potential challenges of the trial, including considerations around possible conflicts of interest, if applicable. What are the mitigation strategies?
3. Trial Management
- 3.1 How will this be managed (e.g. data handling, and who will be responsible for coordination)?
- 3.2 What are the roles of each principal applicant and co-applicant proposed and, if applicable, people with lived experience of the condition being studied? If there are international partners/collaborators, what is the specific contribution of the Canadian team members.
- 3.3 Describe the trial steering committee and if relevant the data safety and monitoring committee (e.g. composition, functioning and process of the committee).
Project Grant Competition FAQs
-
Why is formatting emphasized so much?
CIHR requires that you adhere to all instructions and requirements to ensure fairness to all applicants. This includes using the correct font sizes, spacing, page limits etc. The reason for these formatting requirements is to ensure that all applicants have exactly the same amount of space to write their proposals. Failure to comply with these requirements may negatively impact the evaluation of the application. In cases of non-compliance, CIHR reserves the right to withdraw your application.
-
Who needs to complete the Summary of Progress? How do I complete it?
The Summary of Progress task is mandatory for all Nominated Principal Applicants applying to the Project Grant competition.
When completing your Project Grant application on ResearchNet, the Summary of Progress is found under “Task 2: Enter Proposal Information,” sub-task “Attach Summary of Progress.” This ensures it is appropriately placed within the Proposal section of the application for reviewers to access when completing their review. Instructions on how to complete the Summary of Progress, and what to include in this document, can be found in the Project Grant application instructions.
-
What is the difference between the old OOGP Summary of Progress and this one?
While some will recall the Summary of Progress from when it was last used in 2015 (in the Open Operating Grant Program, or OOGP), the scope of this current document is much wider. In 2015, the purpose of the Summary of Progress was to summarize the progress under your current grant (for returning applicants) and to summarize previous relevant work (for new applicants).
The current Summary of Progress goes further, by asking applicants to write a narrative that includes, as appropriate, the progress of their line of research; any impacts on their research (e.g., leave history, career stage, family responsibilities, pandemic impact or other circumstances); and their budget requested in relation to overall funding. For more information, consult the Project Grant application instructions.
-
What should I write in my Summary of Progress?
The Summary of Progress is a narrative that will allow you to describe the reason you are requesting funding for your proposed project in the context of your broader research activities. It is not expected that applicants will provide a detailed accounting of their research history but rather, only what is relevant to the current application. It should include progress made on your research to date (including contextualizing research activities, contributions and impacts that support your current application) and any impacts on the progress of your research. Tables, figures or graphs are not permitted in the Summary of Progress. It is suggested to not duplicate the information found in your 'Significant Contributions' section or CV. All information necessary to adjudicate the science of your research proposal must be found in the 10 pages for English applications and 12 pages for French applicationsFootnote * of the research proposal. The Summary of Progress must not to be used as an extension to your proposal. When contextualizing the amount requested vis-à-vis your funding profile, you do not need to list all grants currently or previously held or duplicate what is already found in your CCV but rather include information that helps inform and convince reviewers that this funding is needed and how it fits into the overall research program. Any pending applications under review (CIHR or other source of funding) related to the current submission should be indicated in the Summary of Progress to help reviewers understand any potential funding overlap. It will be incumbent on the applicant to illustrate clearly to reviewers why the requested funds are needed, how they are distinct from the funds currently held, and how they will advance research.
-
How far back should I go when describing my progress, productivity, and impact in the Summary of Progress?
When contextualizing your progress, productivity, and impact, there is not a specific number of years that should be provided; rather, this is an opportunity to list any activities, contributions, and impacts that are relevant to the current application.
-
What should I write in my Summary of Progress if I am an Early Career Researcher (ECR) or if this is a new application separate from my overall research activities?
If you are an ECR who has never held a CIHR grant before, you should use the Summary of Progress to write a narrative about your intended program of research, relevant research undertaken as a trainee and independent investigator, other sources of funds held (e.g., awards, start-up funding), and how the requested funds will advance your research activities.
If this is a new application, a narrative explaining how you came to submit this application, or where this current proposal stems from, is relevant information to share with the reviewer. If you have held a Foundation Grant, contextualize your Foundation Grant.
-
How will the Summary of Progress be used in peer review?
The Summary of Progress will provide added context that will enable a more robust peer review of your application. It will help peer reviewers understand your progress, productivity, and impacts as they relate to your ability to deliver on the project and how your proposed activities fit into your overarching research program and address why the requested funds are needed and how will they advance your research.
-
Why is it relevant to include and contextualize my budget request in relation to my current and pending funding in the Summary of Progress?
Contextualizing your current and pending funding will help peer reviewers assess your progress, productivity and impact as well as the need for new funds in the context of the overall research program and provide them with the confidence to move forward with a recommendation. This also adds more accountability in respect to applicants' requests for funding.
The Summary of Progress will provide CIHR with valuable information as we move toward removing the across-the-board budget cuts applied to all funded applications. Our intent is to provide greater discretion to peer review committees on budget allocations, and the Summary of Progress is a tool to allow them to make these judgements.
-
What reviews must be included when responding to previous reviews?
If an applicant provides a response to previous reviews, they must attach all the reviews and Scientific Officer (SO) notes (if provided) they received related to reviews to which they are responding. If a response to previous reviews is included without attaching the relevant previous reviews and SO notes (if provided), the response to previous reviews will be removed from the application. Applicants may choose to respond only to comments that are relevant to their revised application.
For example, an applicant submits an application to the spring competition, and it is not approved for funding. They reapply to a subsequent competition (e.g., the next fall competition) and choose to respond to previous reviews from their previous submission in the spring. They must attach all the reviews and SO notes (if provided) from the spring competition. Should the application submitted to the fall competition also not be approved and they reapply to the next spring competition (this would be their third submission of that application), the applicant can respond within the total allowable 2 pages (2.5 pages in French) to comments from only the fall application, only again from the previous spring competition or both competitions. When an applicant refers to comments from a particular competition, all reviews and SO notes (if provided) of that competition MUST be attached. If not, the response to previous reviews attachment will be removed from the application.
Scenario 1:
The applicant has been unsuccessful in two competitions and is preparing for their third resubmission (and therefore has two sets of reviews from two previous competitions that they may choose to address as part of their response to previous reviews).
For their third resubmission, in the 2-page response to previous reviews, the applicants chose to address certain comments only from their latest round of evaluations. They are addressing one comment from Reviewer 1 and one comment from Reviewer 2; they chose to not address any comments from Reviewer 3.
In this scenario, the applicants must include all the reviews from the latest round of evaluations (Reviewer 1, Reviewer 2, and Reviewer 3) and SO notes (if provided), even though they have chosen to not address any comments from Reviewer 3. Because they chose not to address any comments from the reviews from their very first submission, those reviews do not need to be attached.
Scenario 2:
The applicant has been unsuccessful in two competitions and is preparing for their third resubmission (and therefore has two sets of reviews from two previous competitions that they may choose to address as part of their response to previous reviews).
For their third resubmission, in the response to previous reviews, the applicant chose to address certain comments from the latest competition, and from their very first submission. They are addressing one comment from Reviewer 1 and one comment from Reviewer 2 from the previous competition and choosing not to address any comments from Reviewer 3. In addition, they are addressing a comment from Reviewer 1 from their very first submission.
In this scenario, the applicants are expected to provide previous reviews from all reviewers and SO notes (if provided) stemming from BOTH competitions.
-
Am I allowed to submit responses to previous reviews from different Funding Opportunities?
No, previous reviewer comments may only stem from previous Project Grant competitions.
-
Am I allowed to submit an Applicant Profile CV, or do I need to submit a CCV?
All Canadian academic applicants, regardless of their role on the application, must submit a Biosketch CV which is completed through the Canadian Common CCV. CIHR continues to pull important data from the CCV and it is closely linked to the underlying infrastructure of CIHR's grants management system.
If you are a knowledge user, non-academic, an Indigenous organization, or an international applicant, you have the option of submitting either a Biosketch CV or a streamlined Applicant Profile CV. The instructions for how to complete an Applicant Profile CV can be found on the CIHR website. Although the Applicant Profile CV may not exceed three pages, there are no section restrictions; therefore, as an applicant you can choose what to emphasize. If you are a non-academic, it is possible that not all sections are applicable to you.
Collaborators are not required to provide a CV.
-
As a reviewer, how am I supposed to account for sex- and gender-based analysis in a research proposal?
In their evaluation of the application, peer reviewers assess whether or not sex- and gender-based analysis (SGBA) is a strength, weakness, or not applicable; this is to be reflected within their written evaluation and the overall score assigned to the application.
-
What measures and considerations has CIHR taken for the return of Foundation holders into the Project Grant competition?
We have taken steps to prepare for former Foundation Grant-holders to transition back into the Project Grant program, by providing transition options to Foundation grantees (including staggering former Foundation grantees' return to Project, deferrals, and grant-size reductions). You can read about transition planning considerations for Foundation grant-holders on the CIHR website.
CIHR is investing the funding previously allocated for the Foundation Grant program, as it becomes available, directly into the Project Grant program. When the Foundation program sunsetted, the planned investment per annual Foundation competition was $100M. This means that, starting with the Spring 2021 Project Grant competition, approximately $50M is being added to each twice-yearly Project Grant competition. Total budgets for Project Grant competitions are therefore being increased from $275M to approximately $325M, for a total investment in CIHR's investigator-initiated research program of approximately $650M per year.
-
I am a member of one of the groups whose applications are eligible for equalization. What does this mean for me?
CIHR will ensure that the proportion of grants funded for ECRs, female NPIs, applicants submitting in French, NPIs who self-identify as a racialized person, and NPIs who self-identify as a person with a disability is at least equal to the proportion of applications submitted by those same groups. In other words, we are equalizing success rates for these groups, if needed.
If highly ranked applications from ECRs, female NPIs, applications written in French, NPIs who self-identify as a racialized person and NPIs who self-identify as a person with a disability are not funded at a level at least equal to the rates at which these groups have applied, then CIHR intervenes by funding additional applicants based on their percent rank. For more information on equalization, refer to the Project Grant Program: Results page.
-
How are you ensuring high-quality peer review in a virtual model?
The peer review process hosted virtually mimics the in-person face-to-face process. While CIHR has made some adjustments to account for the technology and the fact that meetings have moved online, all core aspects of in-person peer review have been retained.
-
How is the virtual peer review model better for equity, diversity and inclusion?
We have heard from the community that there are benefits to virtual peer review (e.g., improved work-life balance, reduced carbon footprint). Virtual peer review also makes it possible for some individuals to participate in peer review where face-to-face meetings would not be feasible for them. This allows us to include a greater diversity of individuals across panels and provides the agency with a broader pool of reviewers. Virtual peer review also benefits diversity by including more international reviewers. This feedback and on-going evaluation of the virtual process is informing our thinking as we determine, with the community, our approach to peer review moving forward.
-
What is the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and what does it mean for me?
The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) is a global initiative whose purpose is to support the development and promotion of best practices in the assessment of scholarly research. DORA recognizes the need to improve the ways in which research is evaluated, beyond widely used journal-based metrics.
As a signatory of DORA, CIHR has reaffirmed its commitment to excellence in research evaluation. CIHR recognizes and values a broader range of contributions and emphasizes their quality and impact.CIHR's approach to research assessment within the Project Grant Competition already reflected many of the DORA principles, such as encouraging peer reviewers to consider a range of research outputs broader than published journal articles. The updates to the guidance further encourage the assessment of research rather than prestige, including directing reviewers that they should not use journal-based metrics as surrogate measures of the quality of individual research publications. The updated guidance materials provide examples of more inclusive and expansive contributions to help in the crafting and assessment of applications.
Applicants can highlight a range of research contributions and impacts in their CV, Summary of Progress and/or in their Most Significant Contributions sections of their applications. This could include contributions such as: research publications, reports, books, guidelines, datasets, code, tools, training and mentorship, volunteerism, community engagement, standards, software, and commercialized products—and impacts such as how your work has influenced policy and practice, health outcomes, societal outcomes, and whether you have engaged in distinctions-based, meaningful, and culturally safe health research.
Peer reviewers are directed to consider a range of contributions and impacts in their assessment of applications. Peer reviewers are also directed to consider the context of applicants and how that may have affected their productivity.
Priority Announcements and the Project Grant - Frequently Asked Questions
CIHR is pleased to support a number of Priority Announcements as part of the Project Grant competition. The complete listing of Priority Announcements is now available.
-
What is a Priority Announcement?
Priority Announcements (PAs) are additional sources of potential funding for highly ranked applications submitted to the Project Grant competition. The PAs outline specific research areas relevant to CIHR Institutes, Initiatives and Partners, and applications that align with those areas may be selected for funding – without having to re-apply.
There are three types of PAs:
- One-year grant / Multi-year Grant: Applications below the Project Grant Competition's funding cut-off that are deemed relevant to a PA will be funded top-down until the PA funds are exhausted.
- Supplemental Funding (“Top-up”): encourage the inclusion of specific research approaches or analysis in applications funded by the Project Grant Competition.
- Prizes/Awards: Prizes or Awards are not selected by the applicant. A Prize (or Award) is allocated to the highest ranked funded applications that are relevant to a specific area of research and/or career (stage such as Early Career Investigators) in order to recognize excellence in research. Prizes are supplemental grant funds to support research, they are not a personal award.
-
How does it work?
- Applicants submit their applications to the Project Grant competition, following all application instructions as they normally would. The only difference in the application process is that the applicant can also identify up to three PAs for consideration.
- Each PA will include a description of the target research area that it will support. Applicants are encouraged to read the description of all PAs to identify those that are relevant to their work. Some PAs will require the applicant to complete a relevance form by entering approximately one half-page of free form text to describe how and why their application is relevant to the areas described in the PA. For PAs that do not require a relevance form, the application's relevance to a given PA will be assessed using the summary of your research proposal (from the application).
- The relevance form provided by the applicant and/or the summary of research proposal (depending on the PA's specific requirements) will be considered by the CIHR Institute or Initiative, or by the funding Partner supporting the PA. Applications deemed relevant to (or in alignment with) the research areas described in the PA will be considered for PA funding.
- Within their application to the Project Grant competition, applicants must consent to the sharing of information in order to be considered for Priority Announcements. Applicants who do not consent to this sharing of information will be considered ineligible for Priority Announcements.
- The application is assessed through the Project Grant peer review process, as usual.
- When the peer review process for the Project Grant competition is complete, funding decisions will be made. CIHR funds applications in rank order until the competition funds are exhausted. This is often described as the “funding cut-off.”
- Inevitably, highly ranked and meritorious applications fall below the funding cut-off for the competition. It is these applications – the ones that are highly ranked but ultimately not funded through the budget available for the Project Grant competition – that may be supported through a Bridge-type or multi-year grant PA.
- Applications rated below 3.5 are not eligible for PA funding.
- Supplemental funding (“Top-up”) will be allocated to the highest-ranking funded Project Grant applications that are relevant to the selected PAs.
- Prizes (or Awards) will be allocated to the highest-ranking funded Project Grant applications deemed relevant to a Prize PA.
-
How much funding does a Priority Announcement provide?
Each PA is different. The funds available for a given PA will be noted in the PA description in the funding opportunity.
-
What happens if my application is not deemed relevant to the Priority Announcement I choose?
If your application is not deemed relevant to the PA, then your application will remain in the Project Grant competition (as per usual) but will not be considered for funding for that PA funding.
-
What happens if my application is deemed relevant AND I am successful in the Project Grant competition? Am I eligible for additional funds that way?
Additional funds would only be received if the PA was supplemental funding or a Prize. For any other type of PA, if your application is funded through the Project Grant peer review process, then your full application will only be funded through the Project Grant competition budget and not the PA. In this case, the PA funds would be used to support the next highly ranked application on the list that falls below the funding cut-off.
-
Why would CIHR add Priority Announcements to the process instead of just putting more money in the Project Grant competition?
PAs are a great way to build capacity in different research areas while still encouraging applicants to submit their best and brightest ideas to the Project Grant competition. Through the PA mechanism, CIHR is able to meet its obligation as a federal funder to support investigator-initiated research as well as research into targeted areas addressing some of Canada's most pressing health concerns.
PAs also reduce applicant and reviewer burden, as applicants do not need to submit a separate application to become eligible for PA funds and reviewers do not need to volunteer their time for a separate competition.
Finally, PAs also offer CIHR's Institutes and Initiatives an efficient and cost-effective opportunity to support their goals and strategic plans. Some Institutes may wish to dedicate funds to underserved areas of their mandate, while others may use PAs to catalyze important work in emerging research fields.
-
Will the grants funded through Priority Announcements be counted in the Project Grant competition success rate?
No. It is not CIHR's practice to count PA grant funding as part of the competition's success rate, as the numbers could easily be misunderstood or perceived as inflated. That said, PA grants are important sources of funding and support excellent research across the country.
-
What if my application is relevant and successful in more than one Priority Announcement?
If your application is the top-ranked application on two PA lists, then you will be awarded one (not both).
-
Is the relevance of my application peer reviewed?
No. The “relevance review” process for a PA is separate from the peer review process for the Project Grant competition. The peer reviewers for the Project Grant competition will not assess your application's relevance to a given PA, nor will your application's relevance (or lack thereof) have any impact on the peer review deliberations.
-
When will I know whether I will receive a Priority Announcement?
The results of the Priority Announcements will be available on the Notice of Decision document which is issued at the end of the competition process.
-
What happens if I disagree with the relevance assessment of my application?
Representatives from the Institute, Initiative, or Partner funding the PA will complete the relevance review based on relevance forms and/or the summary of your research proposal. Their decisions are final and are not open to appeal. Therefore, it is imperative that you provide a compelling and factual case regarding the application's relevance to the stated priority areas in the relevance form or demonstrate it clearly in the summary.
-
Where can I go for additional information?
The CIHR Contact Centre is available to answer any questions or provide support.
- Date modified: