2024 CRAF (CIORA)-Arthritis Society Canada Clinician Investigator Award

Eligibility

• Please contact your department and/or Faculty early to ensure they can support your application, as this grant requires significant confirmed resources. 

To be eligible, a candidate must:

• Be a certified Rheumatologist;
• Be a CRA member in good standing;
• Be a Canadian citizen or resident at the time of the application with a position at an eligible Canadian Host Institution;
• Be within 5 years of their first clinical faculty appointment;
• Have a written commitment from the Institution, via letter from the Dean of Faculty, Institutional Research Director or Departmental Chair which accompanies the application, committing to: 
  • institutional support; 
  • a minimum of 70% protected research time for the duration of the award; 
  • commitment to continued salary support for at least 2 years upon completion of the award

Summary

The CRAF (CIORA)-Arthritis Society Canada Clinician Investigator Award is intended to provide new clinician investigators, within 5 years of a full-time clinical faculty appointment, with what would usually be their first opportunity, upon completion of post-graduate training, to demonstrate their ability to initiate and carry out independent research of clear relevance to arthritis, before becoming involved in carrying out the full clinical, teaching and research duties expected of a regular member of the university staff. 

Awardees are expected to complete a research project during the term of this salary award. The proposed project must be of clear relevance to rheumatic diseases and be aligned with the research goals under the Canadian Initiative for Outcomes in Rheumatology Care (CIORA) grant program.

1. To support academic clinical research initiatives related to all Rheumatic Diseases. 
2. To support clinical research initiatives for community rheumatologists related to all Rheumatic Diseases.

The application must contain a letter of support from the applicant’s institution, detailing: 

• any “top up” funds for salary; confirmation that the applicant will spend at least 70% of their time in research activities;
• the extent to which the applicant will be exempted from teaching or clinical responsibilities (“protected time”);
• and office and lab space, as well as any other institutional resources to be provided.
• The letter of support should also confirm at least an additional 2-year commitment to the applicant beyond the two years provided by this award. 

The CRAF's contribution to the investigator's salary is $60,000 per annum for a maximum of two years, subject to a successful annual review.

It is required that the Institution will assume the equivalent salary support for at least 2 years upon completion of the award. 

Funding will commence on January 1, 2024.

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

Prior to submission, please connect with your Faculty as this is a Salary award - not a research grant, and their eligibility requirements for supporting your application may differ from those of a standard research grant. 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.

Full applications, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS) (https://research.ucalgary.ca/conduct-research/additional-resources/research-management-system-rms), will be required by RSO by noon on June 21, 2024.  Please be sure to select "Submitted for approvals" (Under Save & Progress) in RMS in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the Research Services deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines. 

Once your RMS record has been approved by Research Services, submit to the agency by their deadline on June 26, 2024.