Institute Community Support (ICS) Program (2011-12)

The new ICS Program is designed to foster community development by providing grants and awards to individuals and organizations for the purposes of:

• Aiding research and knowledge translation activities where the circumstances fall outside CIHR's programs.
• Supporting individuals and organizations whose goals are consistent with the Institute's and CIHR and its Institutes vision, mandate and strategic directions.

Key highlights of the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) ICS program include:

• Support for travel awards for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and new investigators
• Recognition of research excellence through the Article of the Year, Rising Star and CAHSPR Student Poster Awards
• Key dates: Please refer to individual award webpages listed in the how to apply section for application deadlines.

Please note: The ICS Program is not intended to support the direct cost of research (e.g., pilot projects, feasibility studies or operating grants), principal and co-investigator salaries or research equipment. For those seeking meetings, workshop or symposium support, please refer to the Meeting, Planning and Dissemination Grants funding opportunity in the CIHR Funding Opportunities Database.

IHSPR ICS Program

Under the framework of the ICS Program, IHSPR's ICS funding will be distributed among the following opportunities:

1. IHSPR Travel Awards for Trainees and New Investigators

IHSPR will provide travel awards in 2011- 2012 for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and new investigators to attend and present their research at meetings, conferences (including international conferences) and/or symposia that align with the Institute's mandate and advance their professional development and/or knowledge translation initiatives in health services and policy research. The maximum amount for a single travel award funded shall not exceed $1,500 to cover the costs of travel, accommodation, per diem for meals, and conference registration fees. For further details on eligibility requirements and how to apply, please visite the IHSRP Travel Awards Page.

Note: As of August 2011, the Travel Awards program will be administered through ResearchNet. Please visit the CIHR Funding Opportunities Database at that time for details (e.g. application deadline, application instructions...) on the funding opportunity.

2. Article of the Year Award

This award is intended to recognize published research that has significantly contributed to the advancement of the field of health services and policy research in Canada. IHSPR will consider articles related to:

• research that has had a clear impact or potential impact on policy or practice (e.g., decision maker uptake, change management for improved practice) or
• research that breaks ground in the way health services or policy research is conducted (e.g., innovations in methodology, novel theory or application of theory, new approaches to existing problems).

For further details on eligibility requirements and how to apply, please visit the IHSPR Article of the Year page.

3. Rising Stars Award

The CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) is dedicated to supporting graduate students and post-doctoral Fellows and to recognizing the research excellence and knowledge translation initiatives of these emerging health services and policy researchers at an early stage in their career.

Objectives

• To recognize the research excellence and innovative knowledge translation (KT) initiatives of graduate students (M.A., M.Sc. and PhD) and post-doctoral Fellows studying in health services and policy research at a Canadian institution
• To recognize research and/or KT contributions for which a graduate student or post-doctoral Fellow has had primary responsibility
• To promote careers in health services and policy research

For further details on eligibility requirements and how to apply, please visit the Rising Star Award page.

4. CAHSPR Student Poster Prize

Each year at the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) conference IHSPR sponsors the Student Poster Competition. This competition is designed to encourage graduate students to attend and showcase their work at CAHSPR, Canada's pre-eminent health services and policy research conference, and to recognize the outstanding research efforts of up-and-coming health services and policy researchers.

Prizes are awarded to the three top-ranked posters in the amounts of $1,200, $800 and $600 for first, second and third prize, respectively. Posters are reviewed by a team of expert reviewers who each devote the better portion of the day to conducting their reviews. All students who display a poster featuring their student work at the CAHSPR conference are automatically entered into the competition and the winners are announced at the end of the conference.

Previous CAHSPR Student Poster Prize Recipients:

• CAHSPR Student Poster Prize Recipients - 2011/12
• CAHSPR Student Poster Prize Recipients - 2010/11
• CAHSPR Student Poster Prize Recipients - 2009/10
• CAHSPR Student Poster Prize Recipients - 2008/09
• CAHSPR Student Poster Prize Recipients - 2007/08

Funds Available

IHSPR's contribution to the amount available for this program is subject to availability of funds voted annually to CIHR by parliamentary appropriations, and the conditions that may be attached to them.

The total amount available for the ICS program to be distributed amongst the following funding opportunities offered by IHSPR for fiscal year 2011-2012 is $100,000[1].

• IHSPR travel awards for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and new investigators
• Article of the Year Award
• Rising Stars Award
• CAHSPR Student Poster Prize

Funds approved for successful applicants must be expended by 31st of March in any given fiscal year.

Eligibility and Guidelines

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the CIHR General Guidelines for Grant Programs. Further details on eligibility and guidelines pertaining to this funding opportunity including allowable costs, funding conditions and communication requirements can be found on the CIHR ICS funding opportunity webpage under the eligibility and guidelines sections.

Review Process and Evaluation Criteria

Final decisions to fund applications rest with the Institute's Scientific Director. Applications will be assessed according to criteria listed in the individual award webpages as listed in the How to Apply section.

How to Apply

Please visit the individual award pages listed below to obtain further information on application deadlines and instructions on how to apply.

1. IHSPR Travel Awards for Trainees and New Investigators
2. Article of the Year Award
3. Rising Stars Award
4. CAHSPR Student Poster Prize

Contact Information

For questions about this initiative and the objectives of this funding opportunity contact:

Maude Ruest
Senior Projects Officer
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Institute of Health Services & Policy Research (IHSPR)
3666 McTavish
Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1Y2, CANADA
Tel: +1-514-398-5736
Email: mruest.ihspr@mcgill.ca