Team Grant: Mpox (monkeypox) and zoonotic threats 2023

Eligibility

For an application to be eligible all the requirements stated below must be met:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) must be one of the following:
   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 application.
      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.
2. The NPA 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 by the application deadline (see List of CIHR Eligible Institutions)
4. In addition to the Nominated Principal Applicant, each research team must include at least one member in each of the following categories:
   1. Knowledge user(s): Knowledge users may be policymakers, clinicians, public health actors, individuals or organizations representing high-risk communities
   2. Trainee(s): registered at a Canadian post-secondary institution (or affiliate) studying a discipline relevant to this funding opportunity. If a trainee has not yet been identified by the application date, be sure to account for and clarify the trainee role, in the application and in the budget details. The trainee must be named and listed as a member of the grant team in the first annual report.
   3. Early career researcher(s): affiliated with a Canadian post-secondary institution or an affiliate, at the time of the application date, working in a field relevant to this funding opportunity.
5. The Nominated Principal Applicant 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. Select and complete the training module most applicable to your project. Applicants are encouraged to review "How to integrate sex and gender in research", "Why Sex and Gender Need to be Considered in COVID-19 Research", and "Meet the Methods Series: Quantitative intersectional study design and primary data collection". See How to Apply for more details.
6. For applications that include or involve First Nations, Inuit, Métis and/or urban Indigenous communities, the research team must include:
   1. At least one Principal Applicant (may be the NPA) who self-identifies as First Nations, Inuit or Métis and/or provides evidence of having meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples. These applicant(s) are required to provide a maximum 1-page statement describing how the applicant(s) meets the criteria of self-identification and/or meaningful and culturally safe engagement. See the How to Apply section for more details;
      OR
   2. An Indigenous Elder and/or an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper, an Indigenous patient or person with lived/living experience, or an Indigenous service provider identified on the application in any role.
7. Applicants must comply with CIHR's Policy on Identical / Essentially Identical Applications (see Section 5.2 Application Administration Guide).

Summary

This funding opportunity will fund interdisciplinary research teams to provide policymakers, clinicians, public health actors, and high-risk communities with timely and relevant evidence to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to current and future outbreaks of mpox (monkeypox) and other orthopoxviruses in Canada and/or globally. It will also provide opportunities for trainees and early career researchers (ECRs) to gain hands-on experience in the design and implementation of research projects, as well as benefit from incorporated training and mentoring activities to build interdisciplinary research skills and experience. This investment will support the integration of research with policy, clinical, and public health practice, and will contribute to building capacity in Canada to undertake interdisciplinary research on viral zoonotic infections of domestic or global origins, including by providing training and mentorship to the next generation of researchers.

Research Areas

This funding opportunity will support projects relevant to the following five (5) research areas:

1. Ecological and Zoonotic Pool: Ecological and zoonotic dimensions of mpox (monkeypox) and/or other orthopoxvirus infections, including One Health approaches, on the role of animal hosts, reservoirs, vectors, and natural transmission/persistence dynamics, and the risks of spillback transmission and establishment of animal reservoirs in different geographic settings in non-endemic countries;
2. Public Health Pool: Biological and epidemiological research focused on the differentiated human health impacts of mpox (monkeypox) (and/or other orthopoxviruses), including different viral clades (strains), on risk factors, transmission dynamics, and disease pathogenesis;
3. Interventions and Risk Management Pool: Research on public health interventions and risk management strategies such as environmental disinfection, physical distancing, and quarantine requirements in preventing transmission, and research on how to tailor and deliver public health intervention/management strategies for high-risk groups (such as men who have sex with men, children, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals;
4. Social and Behavioural Science Pool: Social and behavioural science studies including combatting mis and dis-information and supporting harm reduction research for high-risk populations; and
5. Intersection of Mpox (monkeypox) and STBBI Pool: Research at the intersection of mpox (monkeypox) virus and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections. The CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative will support mpox (monkeypox) virus research that has a primary objective of understanding the impacts of mpox (monkeypox) on people living with HIV and STBBI, including biomedical and/or epidemiological studies to understand the impacts of pre-existing STBBI on risk of infection and transmission dynamics of mpox (monkeypox); studies to understand the impact of mpox (monkeypox) virus on the health and wellness of key populationsⁱ affected by STBBI in Canada and/or internationally; investigations aimed at improving prevention of mpox (monkeypox) virus transmission in key populations affected by STBBI; research to understand the effect of stigma and discrimination and social determinants of health on risk, diagnosis, care and treatment of mpox (monkeypox) virus in key populations affected by STBBI.

To be relevant to the competition applications must address all three (3) objectives.

• Support interdisciplinary research teams to improve scientific understanding of mpox (monkeypox) virus and/or other orthopoxviruses; and
• Generate and mobilize evidence to inform prevention, control, and/or response efforts by policy makers, clinicians, public health actors and/or higher-risk communities in Canada and/or globally; and
• Build and strengthen capacity in Canada to undertake interdisciplinary research on viral zoonotic infections of domestic or global origins.

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.

Overhead N/A

Webinar:

CIHR will be hosting webinar(s) to support participants with the requirements of this funding opportunity and to answer questions.

When: Monday, January 16, 2023 at 11:00 AM MT | Join
Duration: 60 minutes

Submission Process:

Registration due directly to CIHR via ResearchNet by 6:00PM Calgary time on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. No RMS needed for this step.

Full application, plus approvals in RMS, will be required by RSO by noon on Friday, January 27, 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 Wednesday, February 1, 2023.