AGE-WELL & Canadian Frailty Network (CFN) 2023 Catalyst Funding Program in Healthy Aging

Eligibility

1. The competition is open to researchers based at Canadian institutions working in the area of healthy aging. Current or prior affiliation with either AGE-WELL or the Canadian Frailty Network (CFN) is not required.

2. The Project Lead (PL) must be an independent researcher affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution and/or its affiliated institutions (including hospitals, research institutes and other non-profit organizations with a mandate for health research and/or knowledge translation). Applicants applying as Early Career Researchers (ECRs) must meet CIHR’s requirements of being an Early Career Researcher. The PLs affiliated institution must be authorized to administer CIHR funds before the funding can be released (for more information see Administration of Funds).

3. The PL must have successfully completed one of the sex- and gender-based analysis training modules available online through the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health and submit a Certificate of Completion with their application. Select and complete the training module most applicable to your project. Applicants are encouraged to review the “How to integrate sex and gender in research” section on the CIHR website.

4. At least one knowledge user with relevant lived experience or expertise as a Knowledge User (KU).

5. PLs will be expected to include partner organizations in their project plans, including as part of any dissemination or commercialization planning in the longer-term. Such organizations should be described in the application, even where the partnership is at a very early stage of development. For reporting purposes, all partnership activities should be quantified in the application.

6. AGE-WELL and CFN abide by the funding rules of the Tri-Council Agencies and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in particular. Please consult the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration about eligibility, eligible grant expenses, partner contributions etc.

7. Catalyst funds cannot be used for activities funded through concurrent AGE-WELL or CFN research competitions (e.g., activities that are part of an AGE-WELL Core Research Program or CFN (e.g. ECR, Research or Knowledge Translation Programs) or other existing funding held (e.g. Tri-Council grants).

Summary

The 2023 Catalyst Funding Program in Healthy Aging supports innovative one-year research projects with a focus on technology-enabled solutions or novel technologies that support healthy aging across the older adult life course, through to end of life. Projects may consider complementary social and healthcare innovations (e.g., new community programs, new service-delivery models, policy recommendations, and prevention strategies) related to the technology-enabled solution.

Priority Areas:

• Innovative solutions that empower older adults to live safe, healthy, and socially connected lives within their homes and/or communities of choice and to support their care partners.
• Building safer, more accessible, or more connected communities.
• Development and accelerated dissemination of best practices, guidelines or standards.
• Solutions that include and meet the needs of vulnerable and equity-deserving groups of people.
• Quality improvement studies that investigate novel and innovative ways to improve the lives of older Canadians.

It is expected that small-scale projects or pilot studies funded through this call will provide a foundation for future larger research projects or funding applications.

This funding program is offered under Healthy Aging Canada (HAC), a new innovative collaborative initiative of AGE-WELL and the Canadian Frailty Network (CFN). The aim of HAC is to accelerate research into action that helps change the lives of older Canadians through innovative technological, social and healthcare solutions.

Overhead: N/A

Submission Process:

Please note that the full application stage to this competition will be part of the Research Management System (RMS), and approvals will be obtained electronically. 

Full applications, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS), must be submitted to RSO by February 21, 2023 at 12:00 pm. 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. This application also requires a signed signature page from the RSO prior to submission (the completed document will be available for download in RMS). 

Once the institutional signature has been obtained, the Principle Investigator will receive an automated message from RMS to their @ucalgary email address. You can then proceed with submitting your application. The application deadline is February 24, 2023, 3:00 pm (MST).

NOTE: Applications will be accepted through AGE-WELL’s Forum Research Portal. The application module will be available in Forum in January 2023.

Resources:

• Program contact: applications@agewell-nce.ca

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.

The funding period is April 2023 to March 2024.

Within the Program's funding envelope, two special funding streams are available:

1. A minimum of $250,000 of the funding envelope is available to fund submissions that involve underrepresented groups, including First Nations, Inuit and Metis Peoples of Canada, persons living with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups, and members of LGBTQ2+ communities. Applications involving Indigenous populations (including First Nations, Inuit and Métis) the research team must include at least one member who self-identifies as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) or demonstrates a track record of meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples.
2. A minimum of $150,000 of the funding envelope is available to fund projects that focus on novel and innovative ways to prevent, mitigate or reverse frailty. Studies that investigate novel ways to diagnose, treat and/or care for those living with frailty will also be considered for funding. Studies must meaningfully integrate older Canadians, and if applicable those living with frailty and/or their families and caregivers in planning, designing and executing the study, and interpreting study findings. Where appropriate, protocols must utilize frailty assessment of study participants using a published and validated frailty assessment instrument appropriate for the care setting(s).