1. 2014 Grant Writing Workshop
CIHR 2014 Foundation Scheme “live pilot”
Dale Dempsey
Manager, Benefits Realization, Transition and Program Analytics
June 19, 2014
Updated: May 27, 2014

2. Session Outline Background and context 2014 Foundation Scheme:
Stage 1 application: Caliber of the Applicant
Stage 2 application: Quality of the Program
Questions and answers 2

3. Background

4. The Foundation Scheme
The Foundation Scheme is designed to contribute to a sustainable foundation of health research leaders.
It is expected to:
Support a broad base of research leaders across career stages, areas and disciplines relevant to health;
Develop and maintain Canadian capacity;
Provide flexibility to pursue new, innovative lines of inquiry as part of an overall research program;
Contribute to the creation and use of health-related knowledge.
The Foundation Scheme will have one competition a year.
- A research program includes multiple research projects that share a common research goal.
Less time writing grant applications, more time to conduct research.
Support the mentoring and development of the next generation of researchers. 4

5. Competition timelines
The 2014 Foundation Scheme “live pilot” funding opportunity was published in November 2013.
Key dates include:
Application & CV requirements and Q&A’s were developed to help researchers prepare
Templates will be available following registration
Registration Date
June 23, 2014
Application Stage 1 Deadline
September 15, 2014
Anticipated Stage 1 Notice of Decision Date
December 1, 2014
Application Stage 2 Deadline
February 5, 2015
Anticipated Stage 2 Notice of Decision Date
May 15, 2015
Anticipated Stage 3 Notice of Decision Date
July 2, 2015
Funding Start Date
July 1, 2015
Eligible registrants will be invited to submit a Stage 1 application.
New investigators eligibility will be validated at Stage 1 with CVs. 5

6. Competition Process
The Foundations scheme will be a multi-stage competition with 2 distinct applications and 3 review stages.
Only successful Stage 1 applicants will be invited to apply to Stage 2.
The Foundation Scheme 1st Live Pilot competition will be a multi-stage competition with 2 distinct applications and 3 review stages. Only successful Stage 1 applicants will be invited to apply to Stage 2.
Stage 1 and 2 review will be conducted remotely by expert reviewers supported by an internet-assisted platform that will enable communication among reviewers in a virtual space. Each application will be assigned to approximately 5 reviewers.
Stage 3, the final assessment stage, will involve a face-to-face discussion of applications by an interdisciplinary committee. This committee will be responsible for integrating the results of the Stage 1 and 2 reviews, with a focus on assessing applications that fall into the “grey zone” (i.e., applications that are close to the funding cut-off, and which have a high degree of variance in individual reviewer rankings). This committee will make final recommendations on which “grey zone” applications should be funded. 6

7. Peer Review Process
Reviewers will assess applications through a multi-stage process and submit a ranked list
Face-to-face meetings will be held in Stage 3. The discussion will focus on applications with a high variance in reviewer rankings.
Each application will be matched to five reviewers with each reviewer assessing approx applications. Structured assessments will be conducted by individual reviewers using established review criteria.
Preliminary reviews will be shared with other reviewers assigned to a specific application. Reviewers can only see the other reviews once their prelim. reviews are submitted. After discussions reviewers will submit their final ranked list.
Each application will be matched to five reviewers with each reviewer assessing approx applications. Structured assessments will be conducted by individual reviewers using established review criteria.
Preliminary reviews will be shared with other reviewers assigned to a specific application. Reviewers can only see the other reviews once their prelim. reviews are submitted. After discussions reviewers will submit their final ranked list.
Each application will have 5 rankings (one from each reviewer), a consolidated ranking and variance (standard deviation)
Face-to-face meetings will be held in Stage 3. The discussion will focus on applications with a high variance in reviewer rankings.
Each application will have 5 rankings (one from each reviewer), a consolidated ranking and variance (std. dev.).
R-R = Reviewer Ranking
%R = Reviewer Percentile Ranking
CR = Consolidated Ranking 7

8. Participant Roles Program Leader(s):
Responsible for overall direction of the research.
Program Leaders identified in ResearchNet at registration cannot change at Stage 1.
Administrative Coordinator:
Assumes all responsibility for administrative matters related to grant (e.g., submitting application, coordinating reporting requirements).
Also holds title of Program Leader.
Program Expert(s):
Provide Program Leaders with the necessary expertise, experiences and resources to complete their research.
Participate in, or contribute to, research program but do not direct it.
Will likely change during life span of project.
Program Leaders:
Apply together and have full access and edit rights to the entire application.
No mechanism to track changes when updates to the application are made. Therefore, Program Leaders should coordinate their efforts to complete the application.
Program Leaders cannot receive funding from the Project scheme. Existing Open grants held by successful Foundation Scheme applicants will be terminated and replaced by a Foundation grant to support their program of research.
Program Experts are eligible to apply to the Project Scheme. 8

9. Program Leaders Researchers who should apply as Program Leaders:
are widely recognized in their field and community, demonstrating a history of influential roles
have the ability to establish, resource, and direct major projects or programs of research
have significantly advanced knowledge and/or its translation into improved health care, health systems, and/or health outcomes
have engaged, trained, and/or launched the career paths of promising individuals in research and/or other health-related non-academic fields
can demonstrate an outstanding level of research outputs based on prior work
previous work has generated high quality research outputs
Applicants will be evaluated based on what is expected for their career stage and area of research. 9

10. Overview of Stage 1 Application

11. An overview of application requirements are available on the web.
Stage 1 Application
Applicants submit a structured application and CV to the Foundation Scheme that aligns with the adjudication criteria.
Program Leader(s) CV
Stage 1 criteria focuses on:
Caliber of the Applicant(s)
Vision and Program Direction
All Program Leaders will have access to the application
Stage 1 Foundation Scheme Application
1. Summary (1 page)
2. Caliber of the Applicant(s)
2.1 - Leadership (1/2 page)
2.2 - Significance of Contributions (1/2 page)
2.3 - Productivity (1/2 page)
3. Vision & Program Direction
(1 page)
Application requirements have been developed to provide an overview of the information applicants should include in each section. It is available on the CIHR Reforms website.
As previously mentioned, Stage 1 focuses on the Caliber of the Applicant(s) and the Vision and Program Direction.
To complete a Stage 1 application, Program Leaders must complete a Program Leader CV and a Stage 1 Foundation Scheme application.
Applications are completed in a structured format to align with the Foundation Scheme adjudication criteria.
The content for the application will be divided into three sections:
Section 1: Summary
Section 2: Caliber of the applicant(s) (75%)
Section 3: Vision and Program Direction (25%)
For the first criteria, Caliber of the Applicants, 3 equally-weighted sub-criterion will be assessed: Leadership (25%), Significance of Contributions (25%) and Productivity (25%).
The application is comprised of text boxes with specific character limits.
Attachments are not permitted at this stage.
An overview of application requirements are available on the web. 11

12. Foundation Scheme CV Requirements are now available on the web.
Stage 1 Application
Program Leader CV
All Program Leaders are required to complete Foundation Scheme CV through Canadian Common CV (CCV).
Customize to reflect the focus and requirements of the Foundation Scheme.
Provides the evidence of an applicant’s recognitions, funding history, activities and contributions that best demonstrate leadership, significant contributions and productivity.
Applicants should reference and elaborate on the CV content within the application.
Recognitions should include any acknowledgements, achievements and rewards obtained that are relatable to proposed research program.
Research history should include peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed grants and salary awards and contracts.
When applying together, Program Leaders must demonstrate synergy, a history of co-leading research and joint efforts on achieving tangible benefits and impacts by pointing to relevant examples in CV and elaborating on them in application.
Since there will be changes to some sections of the CV, applicants will likely encounter “errors” due to information being missing or exceeding certain limits.
Applicants should allow sufficient time to complete the CV.
To assess Caliber of the Applicant(s), reviewers will assess Foundation Scheme CV as well as content found in relevant sections of application
The Foundation Scheme template is used by both Academic Researchers and Knowledge Users.
From Registration, the Program Leader’s data will automatically be populated in ResearchNet based on the participant’s PIN or CV number.
Program Experts are not required to submit a CV
This new template will utilize existing data from the CCV but since there will be changes to some sections and data fields, applicants will likely encounter “errors” due to mandatory information being missing or certain limits being exceeded.
Also, CIHR will now expect applicants to complete all required CV information as data elements within the CCV . There will no longer be an option to provide contribution information as attachments.
Foundation Scheme CV Requirements are now available on the web. 12

13. Stage 1 Application Section 1: Summary
Used for matching expert reviewers to individual applications.
Maximum of 3500 characters (approx. 1 page).
Illustrates applicant(s) research experience and vision of research program by describing:
Overall focus of research career;
Nature of experience and expertise;
Important collaborations established;
Vision or direction of research program. 13

14. Stage 1 Application Section 2: Caliber of the Applicant(s)
2.1 Leadership (25%)
Maximum 1750 characters (approx. ½ page)
Highlight leadership experience:
Evidence supporting reputation in their field(s) and communities (e.g., advancing direction of a field, translating knowledge into practice, building networks/ communities).
Examples of establishing, resourcing and directing major projects or research programs (include how you have acquired resources ensured collaborations, built mentoring/training, and incorporated knowledge translation)
New/early career investigators may show leadership in different ways than established researchers (i.e. will show evidence of leadership that is notable compared to peers in similar fields and career stages).
Point to relevant examples in CV (e.g., Research Funding History, Contributions sections).
In cases where more than one Program Leader is named, the assessment of Leadership will consider the Program Leaders' joint research leadership (where joint Program Leaders have together advanced the field and done exemplary training) 14

15. Stage 1 Application Section 2: Caliber of the Applicant(s)
2.1 Leadership (25%)
Applicants are encouraged to reflect upon the questions being asked of reviewers when completing this subsection. These include:
Is the applicant(s) widely recognized in their field, demonstrating a history of holding influential roles, inspiring others, mobilizing communities and advancing the direction of a field?
Has the applicant(s) demonstrated the ability to successfully establish, resource, and lead/direct a programs of research, which should include: securing the required resources, ensuring effective collaboration, building mentoring/training initiatives, and/or incorporating knowledge translation strategies?
In cases where more than one Program Leader is named, the assessment of Leadership will consider the Program Leaders' joint research leadership (where joint Program Leaders have together advanced the field and done exemplary training)
In cases where more than one Program Leader is named, the assessment of Leadership will consider the Program Leaders’ joint research leadership (where joint Program Leaders have together advanced the field and done exemplary training). 15

16. Stage 1 Application Section 2: Caliber of the Applicant(s)
2.2 Significance of Contributions (25%)
Maximum 1750 characters (approx. ½ page)
Highlight contributions and impacts:
Includes tangible benefits or positive influences on health and health research
Significant contributions to advancing knowledge or its translation into improved health care, health systems or health outcomes.
Mentorship and training - launching career paths of promising individuals.
Contributions of new/early career investigators may be different from those of established researchers (e.g., ability to attract students, trainees or emerging scholars, developing and implementing innovative mentoring or training opportunities).
Point to relevant examples in CV (e.g., Recognitions, Contributions sections).
In cases where more than one Program Leader is named, the assessment of the Significance of Contributions will consider the Program Leaders' joint contributions.
Contributions may include advances or improvements to:
- current thinking in field of research
diagnosis/treatment/prevention of disease
organization of resources to deliver health care services
health and/or quality of life of individuals or populations
economic opportunities stemming from application or commercialization of health research 16

17. Stage 1 Application Section 2: Caliber of the Applicant(s)
2.2 Significance of Contributions (25%)
Applicants are encouraged to reflect upon the questions being asked of reviewers when completing this subsection. These include:
Has the applicant(s) significantly advanced knowledge and/or its translation into improved health care, health systems, and/or health outcomes?
Has the applicant(s) engaged, trained, and/or launched the career paths of promising individuals in research and/or other health-related non-academic fields?
In cases where more than one Program Leader is named, the assessment of the Significance of Contributions will consider the Program Leaders' joint contributions.
Contributions may include advances or improvements to:
- current thinking in field of research
diagnosis/treatment/prevention of disease
organization of resources to deliver health care services
health and/or quality of life of individuals or populations
economic opportunities stemming from application or commercialization of health research
In cases where more than one Program Leader is named, the assessment of the Significance of Contributions will consider the Program Leaders’ joint contributions. 17

18. Stage 1 Application Section 2: Caliber of the Applicant(s)
2.3 Productivity (25%)
Maximum 1750 characters (approx. ½ page)
Highlight productivity:
Focus on quality and quantity of research outputs.
Demonstrate an exceptionally high level of research outputs compared to investigators in a similar field and at a similar career stage.
Point to relevant examples in CV (e.g., Contributions section which includes Publications, Intellectual Property Claims and Supervisory Activities).
In cases where more than one Program Leader is named, the assessment of Productivity will consider the Program Leaders' joint productivity. 18

19. Stage 1 Application Section 2: Caliber of the Applicant(s)
2.3 Productivity (25%)
Applicants are encouraged to reflect upon the questions being asked of reviewers when completing this subsection. These include:
Has the applicant(s) demonstrated an outstanding level of research outputs based on prior work?
Has the applicant’s/applicants’ previous work generated high quality research outputs?
In cases where more than one Program Leader is named, the assessment of Productivity will consider the Program Leaders' joint productivity.
In cases where more than one Program Leader is named, the assessment of Productivity will consider the Program Leaders’ joint productivity. 19

20. Stage 1 Application Section 3: Vision and Program Direction
Maximum 3500 characters (approx. 1 page)
Articulate compelling vision and direction for research program:
Includes goal, overall objective(s), expected outputs/contributions, significance of proposed program if objectives are met.
Articulate program direction for full duration of grant clearly and coherently.
Vision should be forward-looking, creative, and appropriately ambitious.
Forward-looking: describes proposed contribution(s) of research program, what program intends to achieve in short- and long- term.
Creative: potential to foster innovative approaches, outputs, outcomes, impacts.
Appropriately ambitious: believable and realistic; considers key elements required for success of program.
Vision should aim to significantly advance knowledge or its translation into improved health care, health systems, or health outcomes.
Because Foundation grants are meant to be flexible to allow the Program Leader(s) to innovate or explore new lines of inquiry, the information requested in this section is not intended to include details of each thematically-linked project within the program of research. 20

21. Stage 1 Application Section 3: Vision and Program Direction
Applicants are encouraged to reflect upon the questions being asked of reviewers when completing this section. These include:
Are the vision, goal, overall objective(s), and potential contributions(s) of the proposed program of research well-defined and well-articulated in the context of a logical career progression for the Program Leader(s)?
Is the vision forward-looking, creative, and appropriately ambitious?
Does the vision aim to significantly advance knowledge and/or its translation to improved health care, health systems, and/or health outcomes?
Because Foundation grants are meant to be flexible to allow the Program Leader(s) to innovate or explore new lines of inquiry, the information requested in this section is not intended to include details of each thematically-linked project within the program of research. 21

22. Foundation Scheme
CIHR is developing a suite of materials to support applicants and reviewers
Applicants
Reviewers
Funding opportunity
Peer Reviewer Manual (end of June)
Stage 1 & Stage 2 application requirements
Interpretation Guidelines (end of June)
Program Leader CV Overview
Training modules for reviewers (Sept)
Role Definitions
Questions & Answers (Sept)
Eligibility Criteria
Questions & Answers
Applicant Training Module (end of June)
Budget module overview for stage 2 (end of June)
WebEx sessions (July, Aug and Sept)

23. Overview of Stage 2 Application

24. An overview of application requirements are available on the web.
Stage 2 Application
Program Leader(s) CV
Stage 2 criteria focuses on:
Quality of the Program
Quality of the expertise, Experience and Resources
All Program Leaders will have access to the application
Stage 1 Foundation Scheme Application
1. Summary (1 page)
2. Quality of Program
2.1 – Research Concept (3 pages)
2.2 – Research Approach (2 pages)
3. Quality of the Expertise, Experience and Resources
3.1 Expertise (~ 3 pages)
3.2 Mentorship and Training (~ 2 pages)
3.2 Quality of Support Environment (~ 1 page
Application requirements have been developed to provide an overview of the information applicants should include in each section. It is available on the CIHR Reforms website.
As previously mentioned, Stage 1 focuses on the Caliber of the Applicant(s) and the Vision and Program Direction.
To complete a Stage 1 application, Program Leaders must complete a Program Leader CV and a Stage 1 Foundation Scheme application.
Applications are completed in a structured format to align with the Foundation Scheme adjudication criteria.
The content for the application will be divided into three sections:
Section 1: Summary
Section 2: Caliber of the applicant(s) (75%)
Section 3: Vision and Program Direction (25%)
For the first criteria, Caliber of the Applicants, 3 equally-weighted sub-criterion will be assessed: Leadership (25%), Significance of Contributions (25%) and Productivity (25%).
The application is comprised of text boxes with specific character limits.
Attachments are not permitted at this stage.
Budget (1/2 page)
An overview of application requirements are available on the web. 24

25. Foundation Scheme Budget
There have been a lot of questions of the budget component of the stage 2 application.
As indicated in the application requirements the expectation is that:
The applicant(s) will be asked to provide information regarding the budget request to support the proposed program of research, including the total amount requested and the amount requested per annum.
The applicant(s) will demonstrate that the amount requested is appropriate to support the proposed program of research, making sure to highlight funding history and/or any other sources of funding as appropriate.
While the amount requested will not be factored into the scientific assessment of the application, reviewers will be asked to make a recommendation on the appropriateness of the funding request.
Applicants are encouraged to reflect upon the questions being asked of reviewers when completing this subsection. These include:
Is the requested budget appropriate to support the proposed program of research?
Is it realistic and well-justified?

26. Foundation Scheme Budget
CIHR will be using a modular approach to capture budget requests for Foundation Scheme grants
Applicants will be asked to provide current funding (from CIHR and other sources)
The total amount requested will be equally divided over the 5- or 7-year duration of the grant.
Individuals who wish to receive a different distribution can submit a request to CIHR if their application is successful.

27. Foundation Scheme Budget
Budget Module (draft) $
Rounded to $10,000
Total amount requested from CIHR:
Note: The total amount requested will be equally divided over the 5- or 7-year duration of the grant. Individuals who wish to receive a different distribution can submit a request to CIHR if their application is successful.
For the total amount requested, please indicate the funding breakdown below and provide a justification for the amount requested for each section:
Rounded to $1,000
Includes: salaries, benefits, training etc.
Includes: salaries, costs related to mentoring of trainees, costs related to graduate student training etc.
Includes: animals, expendables, contract Services (e.g. use of specialized equipment, bioinformatics, etc.)
Includes: purchase of non-consumable lab and other program related supplies
Includes: Costs associated with manuscript publication, attending conferences (poster printing, travel, etc.) other KT activities etc.
Includes: Costs associated with any other expenses that could not fit in the above modules
Justification for the amount requested if higher than current funding level managed through existing and/or recent CIHR grants:

28. Questions regarding the Foundation Scheme Competition can be directed to: