WCHRI Summer Studentship Competition 2019 Presenter: Michelle Bailleux Date: January 11, 2019

Eligibility Undergraduate students (including medical education students) registered in a recognized degree program at time of application from any Canadian university may apply. Students must commit to the proposed research for a minimum of three months from May to August. Medical education applicants with 11 weeks available for summer research are eligible. Perhaps mention our vision, mission, strategic roadmap and relevance criteria

Eligibility Students must complete the WCHRI in-training membership requirements prior to submission of the application. Projects must be supervised by a WCHRI member and carried out at the University of Alberta.

Eligibility Supervisors may put forward only one applicant per year. Co-supervision is not permitted.

Eligibility - new this year… Supervisors must be WCHRI academic members for not less than 1 year prior to application; except new recruits with an academic appointment of less than 1 year at time of application deadline.

Award program timelines Application call/ posting: December 2018 Application deadline: February 1, 2019 @4pm Outcome announcement: mid April 2019 Research engagement: May – August 2019 Awardee lunch & shares: May 24 and August 16, 2019 Summer Student program booklet and (final) reporting: September 2019

New this year… WCHRI is accepting applications through a grants submission portal. Please refer to our website at: https://www.wchri.org/grants-submission-portal Uploaded applications are to be Adobe (.pdf) files. All letters of reference must be submitted directly to WCHRI (in confidence) by email to: wcgrants@ualberta.ca Printed application material is not accepted.

Reminders … Co-supervision is not allowed. Membership is required. Transcripts must be official (transcripts generated in Beartracks will not be accepted). WCHRI continues to offer the FoMD studentship in placental research. Compliance with lay summary instruction is required.

Alignment and relevance All applications submitted through WCHRI Grants must align with WCHRI's vision, mission and strategic plan as well as to our relevance criteria. Applications that do not present with clear alignment and relevance will not be eligible to hold WCHRI funds (other eligibility criteria must also be met).   WCHRI's stated vision, mission and strategic plan can be found on our website.

Relevance Refer to https://www.wchri.org/relevance-criteria The research question must specifically target improving outcomes for women and/or children through health research. The primary research question must address the unique and distinct health needs of women and/or children. For example: -Stating that a particular disease or risk factor is higher in women or in children is not sufficient rationale; the study must explore why prevalence is higher in women or children. -If a study is exploring sex/gender comparisons, the comparison must be embedded as the primary research question, not as a secondary outcome. Methodology must clearly demonstrate direct applicability to women and/or children’s health outcomes. The applicant must provide rationale for their chosen research model, including factors such as sex and age. The above items are some common considerations; alternative or additional factors may need to be included depending upon the proposed research. Refer to https://www.wchri.org/relevance-criteria

Award funding A maximum of $1,300 per month paid as a bursary. Incentive funding if applicant is successful in receiving another (external) award. Project overlap and period of support apply.

Application form what do I do first? Read the application, guidelines and grading grid. Request transcripts and reference letters early. Discuss the project with your supervisor. Plan timelines – leave sufficient time to get signatures. Ensure you and your supervisor proofread the entire application.

Grading grid This is what reviewers use to score your application. Total of 34 points, based on: Student factors (GPA, awards, research experience, etc.) Supervisor factors (supervisor background, training environment, etc.) Research project factors (quality and feasibility, sufficient research funding) A half a point will be the difference between getting funded or not…

Supporting documents One up-to-date copy of the applicant’s official/ most recent transcript(s). One letter of reference submitted to in confidence to wcgrants@ualberta.ca. Supervisor's current research funding. Supervisor’s publication listing for the last three years only (with trainees underlined).

Lay summaries What they are Brief summary of your research – in simple terms for non-experts Why they are important Raises awareness Promotes your research activities to our foundations and the public Encourages interest Fulfills grant requirements If you are funded and your lay summary is not suitable for a lay audience, you will be asked to redo it. What they are Short accounts of research that are targeted at a general audience A brief summary of a research project that is used to explain complex ideas and technical and scientific terms to people who do not have prior knowledge about the subject. Why they are important Being able to communicate your research to the public helps capture the attention of potential donors – encouraging additional funding. A requirement for many grant applications Encourages interest in public engagement with research Raises awareness of your study Helps attract the support and confidence of the public

Lay summaries: quick tips Answer the 5 W’s Include the “so what” or “WOW” factor Replace jargon with simple words Read aloud to someone who isn’t familiar with your field (or even in science) Refer to your supervisor if you have any questions Answer the 5 W’s Who, What, Where, When, Why and How? Include the “so what” factor Give the audience a reason to care about your work – address the “so what?” Focus on the relevance, the application of the benefits of your research Be “person-centered”, instead of focusing on the circumstance, illness or disability Replace jargon with simple words Bench becomes “lab” Clinical = “hospital” Prior to = before Discontinue = stop Duration = time Primary = main Consume = eat Acute = new, recent

Review process Original, signed application with all supporting documents submitted to WCHRI by due date. Sent by WCHRI to 2 reviewers who complete the review online using the grading grid. A committee review meeting is held to discuss applications and rankings. Successful applicants are posted on our website and notified by email mid April.

Requirements for funded students Participation in two lunch & share sessions (May 24 and August 16, 2019) Participation in the WCHRI Summer Student program booklet Completion of final reporting Your supervisor must provide a final report Participation in WCHRI Research Day

WCHRI awardee lunch & share information sessions Share your research with your peers Information about WCHRI award requirements, Research Day, lunch & learns

Summer studentship program outcomes Digital version: http://www.wchri.org/wchri-publications

Answers the 5 W’s Includes the “so what” factor Use of simple words Example Answers the 5 W’s Includes the “so what” factor Use of simple words More examples will be posted on our website: http://www.wchri.org/summer-studentship-program Answer the 5 W’s Who, What, Where, When, Why and How? Include the “so what” factor Give the audience a reason to care about your work – address the “so what?” Focus on the relevance, the application of the benefits of your research Be “person-centered”, instead of focusing on the circumstance, illness or disability Replace jargon with simple words Bench becomes “lab” Clinical = “hospital” Prior to = before Discontinue = stop Duration = time Primary = main Consume = eat Acute = new, recent

WCHRI Research Day November 6, 2019 – Westin Hotel November 16 at the Westin Hotel: 450 registrants: 48 orals 140 posters; workshops; keynote speaker Steve Matthews from U of T

Thank you for your interest in this funding program… Questions? Michelle Bailleux Research Grants Administrator Nicole Gallant Research Grants Assistant wcgrants@ualberta.ca