CIHR Knowledge Translation Award 2009

The CIHR Knowledge Translation Award honours and supports the exemplary knowledge translation efforts and activities of an exceptional individual, team or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to increasing the application of research findings, improving the health of Canadians, health services and products, or strengthening the health-care system. Nominated individuals, teams or organizations will be assessed on significant achievements in knowledge translation activities relevant to any area of health research (e.g., biomedical, clinical, health services and policy, and population and public health). The achievements of the individual, team or organization that is the recipient of the CIHR Knowledge Translation Award will be celebrated at the annual CIHR Awards Ceremony held in Ottawa each fall.

Award Nomination

Nominations for the Knowledge Translation Award ($100,000) must demonstrate that the nominee has:

• contributed considerably to moving research findings into practice or policy (including intellectual property protection, licensing activities, spin-off company formation) by facilitating the synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically-sound application of knowledge at a national or international level.
• carried out knowledge translation activities that have resulted in improvements in the health of individuals and/or health services/products and/or the health care system.

Eligibility

CIHR welcomes nominations for individuals, teams or organizations working in Canada in the health field, including:

• Health planners, managers, policy-makers and administrators
• Health practitioners
• Health researchers
• Not-for-profit organizations with a research or knowledge translation mandate, including professional associations
• Public health or public policy workers
• Groups representing survivors of, or patients with, a specific health issue
• Health research funding organizations
• For-profit businesses and corporations or departments and agencies of the federal government (* These may be nominated for an award but cannot receive the funding associated with the award.)

Members of the CIHR Governing Council, CIHR Scientific Directors and CIHR staff are not eligible for this award. Candidates may be nominated on more than one occasion provided that they continue to meet the eligibility requirements. The award can be received by an individual, team or organization only once. Applicants who have received the award in the past may apply as part of a different team or organization.

How to Apply

Anyone with direct knowledge of the contribution of the nominee(s) can nominate the individual, team or organization. Nominators can be colleagues or any organizations or individuals who have benefited from the nominee's activities. Self-nominations will not be accepted. The nomination package must include the following items.

1. A summary description (prepared by the nominee) of the knowledge translation activities (no more than three single-spaced, one-sided pages of text, Times New Roman 12 pt font). The summary must include the following sub-sections:
   1. Knowledge Translation Activities:
      Describe the knowledge translation activities with reference to how they influenced the adoption of knowledge in terms of synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically-sound application. Include the strength of the evidence supporting the knowledge that was applied. If applicable, include a description of the nature of the interactions between researchers and knowledge-users as part of the knowledge translation process.
   2. Impact:
      Describe the impact of the knowledge translation activities (and how the impact was measured) in terms of improving the health of individuals, providing more effective health services and products and strengthening the health care system nationally and/or internationally. Please also detail how previous CIHR funding, if applicable, has contributed to the nominee's knowledge translation activities/research (include grant and/or award FRN numbers).
   3. Up to five supporting documents that demonstrate knowledge translation activities and/or impact (such as clippings, testimonials, workshop materials, posters, journal articles, reports, technical reports, policies).
2. Two letters of support: One letter from the nominator and one letter from an individual/organization that has direct knowledge of the nominee's contributions in knowledge translation. The letters should serve to endorse the summary description provided by the nominee.
3. Short biography of nominee(s) (maximum 2 pages per biography; Times New Roman 12pt font). For organizations that are nominated, no more than six team member biographies should be included. Please do not include any personal contact information in the biographies.

Application deadline: May 1, 2009
Application notice of decision: December 1, 2009
Award start date: January 1, 2010

Please submit the original plus two copies of the complete nomination package to the following address:

KT Award Selection Committee
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Knowledge Translation Portfolio
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Address locator: 4809A
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0W9

Review Process and Evaluation

Nominations for the CIHR Knowledge Translation Award will be reviewed by the Knowledge Translation Award Committee, which includes Canadian and international researchers with expertise in knowledge translation, CIHR Scientific Directors and representatives from other agencies.

Nominations will be assessed against the following criteria:

• The relevance of the work to the CIHR Mandate: evidence of improving the health of Canadians, providing more effective health services and products and strengthening the health care system
• The strength of the evidence supporting the knowledge being translated into practice or policy, as well as the sustainability of this change.
• Evidence of influence on the synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically-sound application of knowledge at the national or international level
• Strength of the letters of support for the nominee(s)

Please note: within six months after the end of the grant's term, the recipient will be required to submit a report describing how the grant funds were used and what was accomplished. A standard form will be provided by CIHR.

For more information about this award, please contact:

Knowledge Synthesis and Exchange Branch
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-941-0805
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: leah.jurkovic@cihr-irsc.gc.ca