Eligibility criteria for the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions - Questions & Answers

1. CIHR is moving ahead with eligibility criteria for the Foundation Scheme. Does this mean that the design of the new peer review process is finalized?

As part of CIHR’s commitment to provide details regarding the Foundation Scheme competitions as early as possible, it was important that the eligibility criteria for the “live pilots” be communicated well in advance of the first competition. However, the details regarding the design of the new peer review process are still being developed, and will continue to evolve as we review the results of our pilots.

2. Who is eligible to apply to the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions?

The Foundation Scheme is designed to contribute to a sustainable foundation of health research leaders by providing long-term support for pursuit of innovative, high-impact programs of research.

To be eligible to apply to the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria, as of July 30, 2013:

  1. An investigator is eligible to apply to the Fall 2014 Foundation “live pilot” competition if the individual is the Nominated Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator of:
    • An OOGP grant with a grant term expiry date of March 31, 2015; or
    • An OOGP grant with a grant term expiry date of September 30, 2015; or
    • Any other Open grant with a grant term expiry date no earlier than October 1, 2014 and no later than September 30, 2015. This includes Partnerships for Health System Improvement, Knowledge Synthesis, Knowledge to Action, Proof of Principle Program Phase I and II, Industry-partnered Collaborative Research and OOGP grants with atypical expiry dates.
  2. An investigator is eligible to apply to the Fall 2015 Foundation “live pilot” competition if the individual is the Nominated Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator of:
    • An OOGP grant with a grant term expiry date of March 31, 2016; or
    • An OOGP grant with a grant term expiry date of September 30, 2016; or
    • Any other Open grant with a grant term expiry date no earlier than October 1, 2015 and no later than September 30, 2016. This includes Partnerships for Health System Improvement, Knowledge Synthesis, Knowledge to Action, Proof of Principle Program Phase I and II, Industry-partnered Collaborative Research and OOGP grants with atypical expiry dates.
  3. An investigator is eligible to apply to both Foundation “live pilot” competitions if that individual is:
    • A new/early investigator. This is defined as a researcher who, at the time of the application deadline, has assumed his/her first independent academic position (e.g., faculty appointment) within the last 5 years, and/or
    • A researcher who has never held Open CIHR funding as a Nominated Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator. These are researchers who are new entrants to the Canadian research community and/or new to CIHR (e.g. funded by other agencies).

3. What CIHR programs are considered Open Programs?

CIHR Open grant programs include:

  • Open Operating Grant Program (OOGP)
  • Partnerships for Health System Improvement (PHSI)
  • Knowledge Synthesis Grant (KRS)
  • Knowledge to Action Grant (KAL)
  • Proof of Principle Program Phase I and II (POP I and POP II)
  • Industry-Partnered Collaborative Research (IPCR)

Note that if you are a Nominated Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator funded through an Open grant program Priority Announcement with a grant term expiry date no earlier than October 1, 2014 and no later than September 30, 2016, then you are also eligible to apply to the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competition.

4. What adjudication criteria will be used to assess a Foundation Scheme applicant?

The proposed adjudication criteria for the Foundation Scheme are still being refined. As outlined in the Designing for the Future document applicants will be assessed on:

The caliber of an applicant which includes:

  • vision for the proposed program of research
  • research leadership
  • productivity
  • significance of contributions

The quality of the proposed program of research which includes:

  • research concept
  • research approach
  • research expertise
  • mentorship
  • support environment

5. If I am eligible to apply to the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competition but decide not to, what options are available to me?

CIHR recognizes that many researchers eligible to the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions may be better suited for the Project Scheme. In order to minimize funding gaps, researchers who are eligible to apply to the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions but decide not to apply will be permitted to:

  1. Apply early to one of the remaining OOGP competitions, including the Spring 2015 Transitional OOGP, without the early renewal penalty (i.e. applicants would keep existing funding if not renewed).
  2. Request a change to their grant term expiry date with no increase in budget.

Eligible researchers can also apply to the Open knowledge translation funding mechanisms, which will be running as per their regular cycle and have a delayed phase-out planned for the Fall of 2016. These programs include Partnerships for Health System Improvement Program, Knowledge Synthesis Program, Knowledge to Action Program, Proof of Principle Program, and Industry Partnered Collaborative Research Program.

6. Why is CIHR running Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions?

The implementation of the design for the Open Suite of Programs and peer review processes represents a significant change not only for the research community, but also for CIHR. Much of what we have heard to date from the community has stressed the importance of taking a measured approach to implementing these changes.

As part of the transition plan, CIHR is conducting a number of pilots using smaller competitions in order to test the changes to peer review. It is also important to CIHR to test the design elements within a larger Open program. The Foundation Scheme “live pilots” will provide this opportunity and help validate that CIHR is well positioned to implement the Project Scheme in 2016.

7. Why has CIHR created specific eligibility criteria for the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions?

CIHR is applying specific eligibility criteria to the “live pilot” competition to manage application pressure in a competition environment where new program criteria, processes and supporting systems are being piloted.

8. If I participate in the Foundation “live pilot” competition and I am not successful, will I lose my existing Open grant(s)?

No.

9. Can I become eligible for the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competition if I extend my current Open grant so that it ends during the eligible timelines of no earlier than October 1, 2014 and no later than September 30, 2016?

No. Effective July 30, 2013 only Open grants that have an expiry end date of no earlier than October 1, 2014 and no later than September 30, 2016 are eligible.

10. If I apply to the Fall 2014 Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competition, can I also apply to the Spring 2015 Transitional Open Operating Grant Program (OOGP) competition?

Applicants to the Fall 2014 Foundation “live pilot” may apply to the Transitional OOGP if they are unsuccessful at stage 1 of the Fall 2014 Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competition.

11. If I am a Co-Principal Investigator on an Open grant that has a grant end date of no earlier than October 1, 2014 and no later than September 30, 2016, am I eligible to apply to the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions?

Yes.

12. What are the competition timelines for the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions?

The competition timelines for the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions are presented in the following table:

Competition Launch Date Registration Deadline Application Deadline – Stage 1 Application Deadline – Stage 2 Funding Release Date
Foundation Scheme “Live Pilot” #1 October 2013 April 2014 October 2014 February 2015 July 2015
Foundation Scheme “Live Pilot” #2 October 2014 April 2015 October 2015 February 2016 July 2016

13. How do I find out what the end date of my grant is?

The end date of your grant, or grant expiry date, represents the end of the period for which CIHR is providing funds for research. It can be found on the Authorization for Funding (AFF) document, which was provided to you at the time of your notice of decision from CIHR. The end date will be listed in the Payment Details section, under the Period column. The grant expiry date will be the last date listed in this area, unless otherwise noted in the “Notes” section.

You can also contact your grants administration office to obtain this information.

14. Does my grant expire after the automatic extension period?

All grants have an automatic extension period of at least one year beyond the grant expiry date to allow researchers to continue using grant funds to bring research activities to a close (also known as the “authority to use funds” period). The expiry of this period is always after the grant has expired, and is not what determines your eligibility for the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions. Only the grant term expiry date will be used to determine eligibility for the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions (see Question 13).

15. What will CIHR test in the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions?

The Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions will test the proposed peer review and application design elements. This includes the multi-stage competition and review process, application-focused review, structured review, the remote screening process, structured application, and the IT systems to support these processes.

16. What are the next steps to prepare for the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions?

The Foundation scheme funding opportunity will be released in Fall 2013, in anticipation of the Fall 2014 deadline. In order to profile the applicant pool and prepare for peer review, the Fall 2014 Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competition will include an early registration deadline. Given the scope and scale of the proposed changes, and the intention to learn from the results of pilots such as this one, course corrections and adjustments to timelines may be required along the way.

CIHR will continue to keep the research community informed as the Open Suite of Programs and peer review enhancements are implemented.

17. Will there be a registration process for the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions?

Yes. In order to profile the applicant pool and prepare for peer review, the Fall 2014 Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competition will include an early registration deadline. Details regarding this process will be available as part of the Funding Opportunity launch anticipated for Fall 2013.

18. If I don’t meet the eligibility criteria for the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions, when is the next opportunity to apply for an Open grant?

The following Open grant competitions will be available to researchers who are not eligible to apply to the Foundation Scheme “live pilot” competitions:

  • Fall 2013 OOGP
  • Spring 2014 OOGP
  • Spring 2015 Transitional OOGP
  • Spring 2016 Project Scheme
  • Fall 2016 Foundation Scheme
  • All Open KT Programs (Partnerships for Health System Improvement Program, Knowledge Synthesis Program, Knowledge to Action Program, Proof of Principle Program, and Industry Partnered Collaborative Research Program)

19. Will the eligibility criteria for the Foundation Scheme change after the “live pilot” competitions are completed?

Yes.

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