2023 Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Team Grants

Eligibility

For an application to be eligible:

1. The NPA and PAs must be independent researchers at eligible Canadian institutions. Applicants can be NPA for one CHD Team only; however, they may be involved in different capacities in other CHD Teams.
2. The NPA may not change between the Registration and the Full Application.
3. The PAs must include early- and mid-career researchers. An ‘early-career researcher’ is within the first five (5) years since their first faculty appointment at the Assistant or Clinical Assistant Professor level, or equivalent, at the time of submission. All those who held ECR status as of March 1, 2020—or who secured their first academic appointment after this date—will have their status extended by one year. A mid-career researcher is between 5 and 15 years since their first faculty appointment at the Assistant or Clinical Assistant Professor level, or equivalent, at the time of submission.
4. At the time of full application deadline, the NPA and PAs must have successfully completed and submitted a Certificate of Completion in at least one CIHR Sex and Gender Training Module. As appropriate, the NPAs, PAs and CC Theme leads are also encouraged to complete the CIHR Training Module on Research Involving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada.
5. The Host Institution/University is the institution or organization that is responsible for receiving and administering the grant on behalf of the recipient. It will be the home institution of the NPA. Documentation of support for the NPA and the application by the Host Institution shall be required as part of the full application process.

Team Grant expenditures must:

• be for the direct costs of research for which the funds were awarded, with benefits directly attributable to the grant;
• not be used for indirect costs of research; these are defined as costs that cannot be directly associated with a particular research program or operating grant including; costs associated with the general operation and maintenance of facilities (from laboratories to libraries); the management of the research process (from grant management to commercialization); and regulation and safety compliance (including human ethics, animal care and environmental assessment); and generic institutional/departmental taxes/tithes related to services;
• not be provided by the administering institution to their research personnel; and
• not result in personal gain for members of the research team.

Summary

Brain Canada along with Heart & Stroke, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH), and CIHR Institute of Genetics (IG) are excited to launch the 2023 Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Team Grants.  

This funding opportunity focuses on CHD throughout the lifespan in the context of the whole-person with consideration of Indigenous health and wellness and health equity. Research Teams will focus on one of three Priority Research Areas:

1. Causes and Early Detection
2. Brain Health & CHD
3. Care Transitions

The competition aims to bring together multi-institutional, interdisciplinary health research teams with multiple collaborators (e.g., researchers, clinicians, people with lived/living experience (PWLE), health care providers, Indigenous Elders or Knowledge Keepers, government, policy makers, not-for-profit organizations, and industry) to create and mobilize knowledge that will improve the health and wellness of individuals living with CHD, their families and caregivers. 

Brain Canada together with Heart & Stroke, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH) and CIHR Institute of Genetics (IG) are collectively committing to funding three (3) interdisciplinary Team Grants, with a total funding envelope of $5,250,000 CAD. The maximum amount per Team Grant is $350,000 CAD per year for a maximum of five (5) years. 

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

• Expand our understanding of the causes of CHD and the avenues for prevention, early detection, management and rehabilitation using an interdisciplinary approach to improve health outcomes and care pathways for pediatric and adult populations.
• Coordinate the collection and equitable sharing of research data, results and evidence to support an innovative whole-person approach that considers the interactions among environmental, social, emotional and biological contributions to the health and wellness of people and families living with CHD.
• Create, mobilize, implement, and iteratively evaluate high-quality evidence more broadly (e.g., bench-to-bedside, bedside-to-practice, and policy) by using best and wise practices to bridge the gaps between research results, better health outcomes, and equitable access to care.
• Engage trainees and professionals at all career stages through high-quality, interdisciplinary training, experiential learning and career development, to better prepare them to employ intersectional and interdisciplinary approaches to CHD and to strengthen the relevant CHD research capacity in Canada.

The funders recognize that minimizing systemic barriers and improving our understanding of CHD is essential for all individuals to have timely and equitable access to CHD diagnostics, interventions and long- term holistic care management. Meaningful engagement of PWLE and inclusion of the social determinants and broader contexts that influence the health of people living with CHD are expected to support more impactful research, optimize health outcomes and improve knowledge exchange to help reduce inequities in health and healthcare for people living with CHD as well as their family and caregivers.

Submission Process

The submission process involves as registration stage and an application stage. The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) must complete and submit a Registration Form via Survey Monkey by 2:00pm MT, September 15, 2023. Registration Forms submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. There will be no appeal process for late submissions.

Following the administrative review of the Registration Form, applicants who are deemed eligible will receive a personalized, confidential link to an online file share folder into which the NPA will upload all the application attachments. A complete application will include an Application Form and Application Attachments.

Applicants must complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete Application Form and Application Attachments in a combined PDF format (i.e., one (1) PDF), and submit this for approvals in RMS by 12:00 pm MT, November 9, 2023.

Overhead

Not Applicable.

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

Additional Resources

Request for Applications

Registration Form

Application Form

Application Budget Table

CIHR Academic CCV Guide