Canadian Cancer Society Emerging Scholar Research Grants

Eligibility

At the time of the grant start date (December 1, 2023), applicants:

• must be early career scientists (including clinician scientists), who hold a full-time appointment at an eligible Canadian research institution.
• must have (a) firm faculty appointment(s).
• must be within 7 years* from the start of their first independent academic appointment (minimum assistant professor level, or equivalent).
• must not be current recipients of operating grants aimed at advancing the career development of early career investigators at the time of the ESRG funding start date (this includes but is not limited to TFRI New Investigator). Salary awards are generally accepted, however Canada Research Chair holders (at the time of grant start date) are not eligible to apply for CCS Emerging Scholar Research Grants.
• Applications must include a letter of commitment from the host institution guaranteeing the applicant protected time* allocated to cancer research as well as a description of available mentoring support and resources provided prior and during the proposal development, as well as in the future in case of success.

*Note:

• Applicants' eligibility window calculated from the start of their first independent academic appointment was increased for this program from 5 to 7 years to account for the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research community.
• Career interruptions including, but not limited to, maternal and paternal leaves, extended sick leaves, medical leaves and family care will be considered, but must be described in the application. Justified career interruptions will be included in the calculation of the seven-year eligibility window.
• It is expected that at least 75% of the applicant’s time will be allocated to cancer research, however CCS recognizes that this may not be feasible for all institutions. In cases where protected time falls below 75%, CCS, with input from the review panel, will carefully evaluate the key milestones & expected timelines, terms of reference, and career development plan sections of the full application to ensure alignment with the goals of this funding program.

Summary

Building on the success and lessons learned from the inaugural Emerging Scholar Awards program, CCS is excited to launch the CCS Emerging Scholar Research Grants program (ESRG-23). By making a significant investment in the advancement of emerging scholars, CCS aims to strengthen the future of the cancer research ecosystem in Canada. This opportunity aims at establishing and advancing promising early career investigators from across Canada with a focused commitment to undertaking cancer research. Through the CCS Emerging Scholar Research Grants, early career investigators will develop their cancer research programs in Canada and pursue important scientific advances of the highest quality and potential for impact in the four pillars of health research (biomedical; clinical; health services; and social, cultural, environmental & population health). 

• The current funding envelope for the ESRG is $9M over 5 years, or 15 grants. This amount may be increased if additional funds become available from CCS or partners. Each grant will be valued up to $120,000 per year, tenable for 5 years. Grants will be non-renewable.
• Funding of up to $100,000 per year will be provided to support the direct costs of research, including supplies, salaries (trainees and research support staff), and equipment associated with the proposed work.
• $20,000 per year can be used for buy-out time from clinical or teaching duties. If buy-out is not required, up to $10,000 can be used for professional development of the applicant and their lab members, as described in the career development and mentorship plan sections of the full application. Note that equipment is not an eligible expense for this section.
• Equipment requests cannot exceed 10% (or $10,000) of the direct costs of research.
• Indirect costs are not eligible.

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

Application deadlines

Abstract Registration (no submission to Research Services needed)

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.

Registration Phase is non-competitive so no submission to Research Services required. Complete the abstract submission at the Canadian Cancer Society abstract website.

LOI Stage:

1. Complete LOI application on the CCS online eGrams application system
2. Upload a copy of your final and complete LOI application to the RMS Application record, and submit for academic approvals.  Please ensure that you allow enough time for academic approvals prior to the Research Services (RSO) final internal deadline of NOON, April 26, 2023.
3. Include with your LOI application a draft of the 1 page institutional support letter, which will be put onto VPR Office letterhead and signed by RSO.
4. RMS will notify you that institutional approval has been provided and will provide the signed letter of institutional support. You may now submit on or before May 3, 2023 at 3:00PM Mountain time.

For Full Application:

1. Complete Full Application on the CCS online eGrams application system
2. To initiate internal approvals, complete the Pre-Award/Application record in RMS (https://research.ucalgary.ca/conduct-research/additional-resources/resea...), attach your completed Application, and submit for approvals from your department head and/or faculty Associate Dean (Research). *Important: when submitting in RMS, please ensure that you allow time for academic approvals prior to the Research Services review deadline of 12:00pm on August 29, 2023
3. Once these approvals are obtained, RMS will automatically forward the Application record to Research Services for institutional review and approval.
4. Research Services will review, provide feedback (by email) if necessary, and will provide the institutional approval. If digital or wet-ink signatures are required, we will provide the capping institutional signature and will advise when ready.
5. Full Applications, including any supplementary documentation, should be submitted to the agency via the portal on September 4, 2023 by 3:00PM Mountain Time (date tentative)