ICR Newsletter – February 2012

Table of Contents

1. Funding Opportunities

1.1 Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition Genomics and Personalized Health
1.2 Innovation team grants: Community-Based Primary Healthcare
1.3 Implementation Systems Research for Population Health Interventions
1.4 Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant

2. Training Opportunity

2.1 Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health

3. The New Principal Investigators Meeting

4. Research News

5. Meetings of interest to the cancer community

1. Funding Opportunities

1.1 Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition in Genomics and Personalized Health

Registration deadline: February 27, 2012
Genome Canada and CIHR are working together to advance the Personalized Health Research agenda. This initiative aims to support projects that will demonstrate how genomics-based research can contribute to a more evidence-based approach to health and improving the cost-effectiveness of the health-care system. Several CIHR Institutes are participating in this exciting initiative including CIHR-ICR. For more information about the competition, please visit the CIHR website.

1.2 Innovation Team Grants: Community-Based Primary Healthcare

Application deadline: May 1, 2012 (Phase 1 LOI) and October 15, 2012 (Phase 2 Full Application)
CIHR and its partners will provide funding for teams undertaking programmatic, cross-jurisdictional and interdisciplinary research to develop, implement, evaluate, and compare innovative models for chronic disease prevention and management in CBPHC and improving access to appropriate CBPHC for vulnerable populations. CIHR-ICR and the CIHR Breast Cancer Initiative are participating in this initiative. Up to $31,665,000 over five years is available through this funding opportunity to support Canada-based teams.

1.3 Implementation Systems Research for Population Health Interventions

CIHR-IPPH is hosting a webinar on Systems for Implementation of Population Health Interventions on February 21 from 1:00-2:30pm EST. Please see the CHNET-Works! website for details and to register for the event. Systems for implementation of population health interventions in public health and other sectors is one of CIHR-IPPH's strategic research priorities. Population health interventions are policy, program and resource distribution approaches that address the determinants of health and exert their influence through organizational and other system levels rather than through clinical approaches targeting individual patients and their families. ICR is participating in this initiative.

1.4 Meetings, Planning and Dissemination (MPD) Grant

Application deadline: February 15, 2012
ICR supports planning grants and dissemination events through the MPD program. Please consult the CIHR website to apply for the MPD Grant: Dissemination Events - Winter 2012 Priority Announcement (Cancer Research) s well as the MPD Grant: Planning Grants - Winter 2012 Priority Announcement (Cancer Research). The total amount available for each funding opportunity is $25,000.

2. Training Opportunity

2.1 Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health

July 9-13, 2012, San Jose, California
Applications Deadline: March 2, 2012
One of the most critical issues impeding improvements in public health today is the enormous gap between what we know can optimize health and healthcare and what actually gets used and implemented in every day practice. The science of dissemination and implementation (D&I) seeks to address this gap by understanding how to best ensure that evidence-based strategies to improve health and prevent disease are effectively delivered in clinical and public health practice. For more information, please visit the website.

3. The New Principal Investigators Meeting

The New Principal Investigators Meeting that took place at the first Canadian Cancer Research Conference on November 27-30, 2011 in Toronto was a great success. Approximately 67% of participants were from the provinces of Quebec and Ontario however there were also representatives from British Columbia, New Brunswick, Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Nearly 62% and 28% of participants were respectively new PIs and trainees. From the survey, some comments were made to improve and expand the various sessions offered, with preference for a full day session. The Mock Grant Panel session was the most successful part of the meeting and we will expand this activity in the future. Participants also indicated that they would like to hear more about other potential sources of funding and lab management tips. We are grateful to senior PIs who volunteered their time and advice for New PIs and we look forward to seeing you at future meetings.

4. Research News

Genetic breakthrough for brain cancer in children
As part of a funding opportunity between ICR and Genome Canada, an international research team led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) has made a major genetic breakthrough that could change the way pediatric cancers are treated in the future. The researchers identified two genetic mutations responsible for up to 40 per cent of glioblastomas in children - a fatal cancer of the brain that is unresponsive to chemo and radiotherapy treatment. The study was recently published in the journal Nature. We congratulate Dr. Nada Jabado and her team on these results. This work was supported by the Cole Foundation, and was funded in part by Genome Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) with co-funding from Genome BC, Génome Québec, CIHR-ICR (Institute for Cancer Research) and C17, through the Genome Canada/CIHR joint Advancing Technology Innovation through Discovery Competition.

5. Meetings of interest to the cancer community

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