2024 Canadian Neuroanalytics Scholars (CNS) Program

Eligibility

The Notice of Intent will be used to determine an applicant’s eligibility. They must demonstrate that they meet the following criteria:

• Applicant:
  • must be affiliated with a degree-granting research institution in Canada for the term of this award; Canadian citizenship is not required
  • at the start of the funding term, must have five or fewer years of full-time training after completion of a doctoral degree; applicants may be currently working toward a PhD at the time of application submission, but must have obtained the degree before funding commences
  • at the time of application submission, must identify a research supervisor according to the criteria below
• Supervisor:
  • must hold a full-time faculty position at a degree-granting research institution in Canada
  • must conduct research primarily in the field of neuroscience, with a preference for research conducted in neurodegeneration and/or aging
  • can only supervise one scholar awarded from this competition, i.e., a supervisor can only be associated with a single applicant
  • for the Notice of Intent, the identified supervisor can be potential or tentative and may change for the Full Application
• Research project:
  • must be conducted within Canada
  • should be a novel project or a novel collaboration, i.e., not a continuation of an existing project
    • existing projects may be considered, but priority will be given to new projects and collaborations
  • must have a research question or objectives directly related to the field of neuroscience
    • preference will be given to projects with the potential to improve quality of life and care for those living with a brain disorder
    • preference will be given to research conducted in neurodegeneration/aging
  • must prominently incorporate application of advanced analytics methods to open neuroscience datasets and prioritize the development of linkages among such datasets
    • must make use of at least one of the neuroscience open datasets from Ontario Brain Institute, Montreal Neurological Institute, or Hotchkiss Brain Institute; justification will be required for projects using different datasets
  • for the Notice of Intent, the proposed research project information can be tentative and may change for the Full Application

The CNS Program recognizes the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in enriching the process and outcome of collaborative scientific inquiry and innovation. We encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply to this funding opportunity, which will promote the expression of diverse perspectives, approaches, and experiences, including those of underrepresented and disadvantaged groups.

For complete information on eligibility, please refer to the full Application Guidelines.

Summary

The CNS Program is intended to create a cohort of like-minded scholars who can collaborate on the use and linkage of open neuroscience datasets. It is expected that scholars awarded through this funding opportunity will embrace the goals of the program and participate fully in all that the program has to offer. The main goals of the CNS Program are to:

• Recruit and train scholars and link them to novel projects with existing, mature neuroscience research networks.
• Create a community of practice by bringing together the scholars, neuroscience researchers, people with lived experience, and industry partners.
• Build a roadmap to inform priority data linkages and best practices across the Canadian open neuroscience data ecosystem.

The CNS Program will award 10 scholars with $70,000 total funding per year for a period of two years. The first CNS Program Cohort will run from July 2024 to June 2026. Funding may be used only as salary for the awarded scholar and may not be used for benefits, WCB, or other non-salary expenses. Host institutions are responsible for arranging to cover those expenses in compliance with their own policies/requirements.

Each CNS Program Cohort will consist of 10 scholars on a two-year term, for a total of 20 scholars over four years. These scholars will have intermediate-to-advanced backgrounds in data analytics and/or AI/ML and may come from academia or industry. The Program will work with Training Partners to grow and nurture the skillsets of these scholars. Research Partners will provide further training and support to ensure the scholars have a fluent understanding of the datasets, methods used for collection and curation, and the clinical context.

Notice of Intent (NOI) Applications for the first CNS Program cohort are now open. Please submit your NOI by no later than January 31, 2024 at 12pm (noon) MST. NOIs will be reviewed by the CNS Program steering committee, and successful NOIs will be invited to submit Full Applications. Full Applications to the CNS Program are by invitation only.

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

Application deadlines

Second Stage Applications Deadline (by invitation only)

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.

Application to the CNS Program follows a two-stage process:

1. Notice of Intent (NOI), to be submitted via the Online Notice of Intent Submission. The NOI will be used for eligibility screening. The NOI must be received before the deadline in January 31, 2024 at 12pm (noon) MST.
2. Full Application, to be submitted through the online Full Application submission. A personalized link will be sent to the applicant once the NOI has been screened and approved. The Full Application must be received before the deadline in March 13, 2024 at 12pm (noon) MST.

It is imperative that the NOI and Full Application are proofread before submission; changes after the deadline are not allowed. Only a single NOI and Full Application will be accepted per applicant. A list of application questions is provided in the Application Guidelines for reference only.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure the application submission adheres to all requirements and is submitted before the deadline.

For complete information on how to apply, please refer to the full Application Guidelines.