MNCY SCN Health Outcomes Improvement Fund (HOIF) 2023-2024

Eligibility

Applicants must be:

• Alberta-based researchers and/or clinicians eligible to hold project funds at their university.
• Partnered with an AHS operational leader, and they are part of your project team.

Proposals must:

• Address one or more of the Maternal Newborn Child and Youth Strategic Clinical Network (MNCY SCN) priorities listed in the Request for Proposals AND have strong support from an AHS operational program/area/leader.
• Focus on testing or implementing an intervention with the potential to impact delivery of services to improve patient care and outcomes and/or utilization of health system resources.
• Demonstrate methodological and scientific rigor for the implementation and evaluation of the project, including clearly identified outcomes and/or measures of success.
• Demonstrate a strong patient and family focus, including having patients and families as project team members.
• Demonstrate feasibility through co-design/engagement with frontline practitioners.
• Address Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the project team and proposed interventions.

Scale and spread of proven interventions will also be considered if they can be completed within the timeframe and budget parameters.

Sustainability beyond the funding period is not guaranteed, so including considerations for how to sustain a positive impact in the project design is strongly recommended.

Summary

The mission of the Maternal Newborn Child and Youth Strategic Clinical Network (MNCY SCN) is “to bring together people, evidence and data to achieve the best possible health outcomes for mothers, newborns, children and families within a sustainable, publicly funded health care system.” To facilitate this mission, funds have been made available to the MNCY SCN to be used for projects in support of the mission and vision of Alberta Health Services (AHS), which address MNCY SCN priorities and have potential to directly impact/improve patient outcomes of mothers, infants, children, and/or youth in the AHS healthcare system during the funding period.

The MNCY SCN can fund up to three (3) projects that can be completed within a two-year timeframe (project budgets of $250,000 to $450,000 total).

Submission Process

The application process consists of two stages: Intention to Apply and Full Application.

1. Intention to Apply

All interested Applicants must register their intent to apply so that the MNCY SCN can identify appropriate reviewers. The deadline for registration is July 14, 2023 at 4:00 pm (MT).

You must use the MNCY SCN HOIF Intention to Apply Form.

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

2. Full Application

The full application, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS) via a Pre-Award/Application record, must be submitted to the RSO no later than September 13, 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.

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 as instructed by the MNCY SCN no later than September 18, 2023 at 4:00 pm (MT).

Resources

• MNCY SCN HOIF Request for Proposals
• MNCY HOIF Program Guide
• MNCY SCN HOIF Intention to Apply Form
• MNCY SCN HOIF Full Application Signature Page

Overhead

N/A

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

Application deadlines

EOI

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.

MNCY SCN Contact: Dr. Seija Kromm (seija.kromm@ahs.ca)