Operating Grant: Evaluation of Dementia Programs, Services, & Care Models (2023)

Eligibility

For an application to be eligible:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) must be:
   1. 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) at the time of funding.
      OR
   2. an individual affiliated with an Indigenous non-governmental organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge translation mandate.
      OR
   3. an Indigenous non-governmental organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge translation mandate.
      OR
2. The NPA (individual) must have their substantive role in Canada for the duration of the requested grant term.
3. The Institution Paid must be authorized to administer CIHR funds before the funding can be released (for more information see Administration of Funds).
4. The Research Team must include each of the following roles. Note that an individual can fulfill multiple roles.
   1. An Early Career Researcher (ECR) as Principal Applicant (PA) or Co-Applicant. The ECR must be eligible at the time of the full application deadline date.
   2. A knowledge user (KU) as a PA or Co-Applicant.
   3. A PWLLE as a PA, Co-Applicant, or Collaborator.
   4. An EDI champion, where the EDI champion will foster EDI in research approaches and the research environment (e.g., promoting equitable access to research participation or inclusion of typically underrepresented population groups in decision making).
5. An applicant can only submit one application as an NPA but can participate in any number of applications in other applicant roles.
6. Any research applications in the Indigenous Health Research pool must include at least one applicant (NPA or PA) who self-identifies as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) and/or provides evidence of the capacity and experience to work with Indigenous Peoples and communities in a meaningful and culturally safe way. (see How to apply for more details).
7. The NPA 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 have submitted a Certificate of Completion (see How to Apply).
   • Organizations as NPAs: For organizations applying as the NPA, a representative of the organization must complete the training module on the organization's behalf.

Applicants should encourage diversity and inclusivity within the research team composition and an equitable and accessible research environment.

Summary

In 2023, CIHR launched the Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging (BHCIA) Research Initiative to advance brain health and cognitive impairment in aging research. As part of this initiative, this funding opportunity will support Implementation Science Teams (ISTs) to evaluate the effectiveness of equitable and inclusive solutions to improve care and services for persons with lived and living experience (PWLLE) of cognitive impairment and dementia, including their care partners*, leading to more successful integration of evidence-based practices, interventions and/or policies into routine care and public health.

ISTs will undertake research projects that will systematically evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs, services and models of care that show promise for those impacted by cognitive impairment and dementia, and to improve equitable and inclusive access to care and support.

Design

ISTs must incorporate the following elements in their design and approach:

1. Focus on the evaluation of the effectiveness of existing programs, services and models of care that respond to needs/gaps informed by knowledge users, including PWLLE and other partners in research, such as provincial/territorial organization's priorities, community organizations, etc.
2. Use an Implementation Science research** and a Patient-Oriented Research approach throughout the research process (see Objectives for more details).
3. Catalyze and build training and mentoring capacity to foster career development of the next generation of researchers in the field.
4. Comprise a leadership model that involves the co-development of the application with knowledge users, including: PWLLE, community-based organizations and healthcare organizations (see Eligibility for more details).
5. Plan for impact that describes anticipated pathways to impact (i.e., how will impact be achieved, which parties will be engaged, and how, what activities will support and enable impact) and include the overall impact goals of the ISTs, the outcomes to be evaluated, metrics for measurement.

**Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) approaches in evaluating existing programs, services and/or models of care is also an appropriate method of evaluation within the context of this funding opportunity.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) will be integral to each stage of the research and the research environment.  ISTs will assess the potential for differential equity and inclusion implications of the proposed solution(s), for those, including but not limited to, who are marginalized by gender, for Indigenous Peoples, racialized minorities, persons with disabilities, and members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities, and consider geography and socioeconomic status of the population of interest.

Additionally, where feasible and appropriate, ISTs are encouraged to consult with other relevant funded entities with complementary aims and expertise (e.g., SPOR SUPPORT units, Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research) to incorporate the IST design elements (see above) and to strengthen collaborations, maximize usage of available resources, and optimize reach and impact.

Research Areas

This funding opportunity will support successful implementation science research projects that are relevant to the objectives, in either of two distinct funding streams.

ISTs will evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs, services and/or models of care to (equitably and inclusively) support their access, improvement, integration, deployment, uptake and/or scale-up/spread (share).

• Stream 1: Research projects with a focus on people with cognitive impairment in aging, including dementia.
• Stream 2: Research projects with a focus on the health and/or wellness needs of care partners of people affected by cognitive impairment in aging, including dementia.

Research projects in both streams may include, but are not limited to, existing programs, services and/or models of care that:

• Are used in a variety of clinical and non-clinical settings (e.g., long-term care, community-based).
• Involve community-based support programs (e.g., day or respite programs).
• Provide education to those affected by cognitive impairment, including dementia, to support and promote health literacy.
• Promote health, including mental health, and wellness, for care givers and care providers.
• Involve and enable approaches to, and support for, aging in place, including the use of technology and innovation.

Outcomes of research may include insights into knowledge about implementation processes, barriers, facilitators and possible strategies for improvement and/or facilitate inform widespread adoption and/or scale-up/spread (share).

Within both streams, there are three (3) specific funding pools dedicated to funding projects relevant to:

• Indigenous Health Research - focusing on programs, services, and/or models of care that are:
  • Designed for/with and/or serve Indigenous Peoples, reflect traditional and/or community models of Indigenous health and health care, and emphasize wellness, strength, and resilience of Indigenous Peoples, including First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Peoples.
• Historically Excluded Populations - focusing on programs, services, and/or models of care that:
  • Include, but are not limited to, those who are marginalized by gender, racialized minorities, persons with disabilities, and members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities and those at the intersection of multiple communities, for example.
• The Azrieli Foundation and its CCCE: Aging with Neurodiversity (Funding Stream 1) and Caregivers and Care providers (Funding Stream 2)- focusing on programs, services and/or models of care that:
  • Support healthy brain aging for neurodivergent*** people in healthcare and/or community-based and/or caregiver interventions including prevention, diagnosis and risk management (Funding Stream 1).
  • Support care partners, support healthy aging, and explore the relationship between aging in place and/or in long-term care and mental health impacts on care partners (Funding Stream 2).

Overhead

n/a

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

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.

Webinar:

CIHR is hosting the following webinar to support participants with the requirements of this funding opportunity and to answer questions on how to apply.

When: Tuesday, August 29, 2023 at 10:30 AM MT
Duration: 90 minutes | Join

Submission Process:

Registration due directly to CIHR via ResearchNet by 6:00PM Calgary time on November 2, 2023. No RMS needed for this step.

Full application, plus approvals in RMS, will be required by RSO by noon on November 30, 2023. Please be sure to select "Submitted for approvals" (Under Save & Progress) in RMS in enough time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the internal RSO deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines.

Do not submit through ResearchNet until RSO's signature has been granted!! 

Once institutional signature has been obtained, a copy of the CIHR signature page will be available via the RMS record, under Documents. Upload the CIHR signature page and routing slip in the Print/Upload Signature Pages task in ResearchNet by 6:00PM Calgary time on December 5, 2023.

RESOURCES

Support for projects involving Indigenous Research:

Support with the development of your grant application is available internally through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST). Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage.

Support for Knowledge Engagement:

Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation is available internally through the Knowledge Engagement Team. Applicants can reach out by email to the KE team at knowledge.engagement@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information, please visit the KE team webpage.

Support for Research Data Management:

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@libanswers.ucalgary.com and/or visit https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/researchdatamanagement.

Support for EDI in Research:

RSO can provide resources and support to research teams on the integration of equitable and inclusive practices in research design and research practice. Contact Erin.OToole@ucalgary.ca for more information.

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application