Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) – Validate Program 2023-2024

Eligibility

Applicants:

• Alberta based Post-Secondary Institutions and Government Entities with clear intent of creating a for-profit company to commercialize the technology; and
• For-Profit Small-medium sized Organizations (SME) that meet specified requirements (refer to program guide).

Co-Applicants:

A Co-Applicant is not required for this program, but some Applicants may wish to include a Co-Applicant. Co-Applicants will be named and will need to sign as a legal party on any Investment Agreements. To qualify as a Co-Applicant, an entity must:

• be an accredited post-secondary Alberta Institution or a government affiliated health entity in Alberta, where a portion of the Project will be conducted (the Applicant and Co-Applicant can be related parties, where the Applicant Representative holds an academic appointment or is enrolled at a post-secondary Alberta Institution, or holds a position at a government affiliated health entity, provided the parties can demonstrate that any potential conflicts of interest can be appropriately managed); and
• not otherwise be prohibited from receiving Alberta Innovates funding, for instance due to a past bad debt or otherwise not be in good financial standing with Alberta Innovates or its subsidiaries, InnoTech Alberta and C-FER Technologies.

Projects:

The following emerging technology areas are high priority areas (but not a requirement) for the Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) – Validate Program:

• Data-Enabled Innovation – technology that supports the creation, amalgamation and analysis of complex data sets to improve decision making related to health outcomes; or
• Digital Tech for Business Transformation – technology that collects, senses, measures, connects, and distributes information to improve health outcomes or realize health economic value.

The key outcomes (i.e., measurable effects) the program will accomplish for the benefit of Albertans are to:

• increase the number of Alberta technologies, including digital or data-enabled technologies, that successfully advance along the Detailed Health Innovation Journey Framework; and
• attract investment and stimulate revenue and job growth.

The AICE-Validate Program provides support for up to $300,000 over a maximum term of 24 months. A minimum of 25% of total eligible Project Costs must be provided by the Applicant as cash or in-kind contributions. Cash contributions cannot be made using funds from other Government of Alberta funding sources.

Summary

Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) – Validate Program is an opportunity for Alberta’s health-tech innovators to accelerate the commercialization of emerging health technologies through the early validation phase. The program specifically provides support for Alberta innovators that have proof of concept and are now ready to refine and validate their technology and business. The objective of the AICE-Validate program is to support Alberta innovators to advance their Product-Market Fit, Business Readiness, Regulatory Compliance, and Product Development of their health innovations during the committing and early validation phases of their commercialization journey.

Overhead rate: N/A

Submission Process

Please carefully consult the AICE-Validate Program webpage and guide. Eligible applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Alberta Innovates before applying.

The Alberta Innovates application process consists of two stages: an Intake Form (along with a Pre-Application Meeting) and the Full Application. Applicants who meet basic eligibility criteria will be invited to submit a Full Application. Full Applications are competitively reviewed in batches throughout the year.

The AICE-Validate Program has multiple submission dates in a given year. Intake Forms must be submitted at least 4 weeks in advance to be considered and invited to submit a Full Application on the following submission dates:

• April 28, 2023, 4:00 p.m. (MT)
• August 11, 2023, 4:00 p.m. (MT)
• November 24, 2023, 4:00 p.m. (MT)

Full applications, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS), must be submitted to the RSO at least 3 business days ahead of the deadlines listed above.

1. Intake Form (Expression of Interest)

You must log into the Alberta Innovates SmartSimple portal to complete the AICE Market Access/Validate Intake Form.

RSO review and RMS approval are not required at this stage.

2. Full Application (by invitation)

If invited, the full application, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS) via a Pre-Award/Application record, must be submitted to the RSO at least 3 business days ahead of the funding agency deadline.

• Required uploads in RMS:
  • PDF version of application form (including the attachments)
  • Alberta Innovates Workplan and Budget Workbook (Excel file)

Please be sure to select 'Submitted for approval' (under Save & Progress) in RMS in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the RSO internal deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines. 

A Research Funding Application Approvals (RFAA) form is not required as approvals are collected electronically in RMS.

Do not submit to the agency until RSO's approval has been granted in RMS.

Once the institutional signature has been obtained, the Principal Investigator will receive an automated message from RMS to their @ucalgary email address. You can then proceed with submitting your application via the Alberta Innovates SmartSimple portal.

Resources

• AICE-Validate Program Guide
• Alberta Innovates Contact: Jose Raez, Senior Business Partner - Health Innovation, jose.raez@albertainnovates.ca, 780-306-3086

Overhead

N/A

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.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

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.