Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) – Concepts Program 2024-2025

Eligibility

Post-Secondary Applicant Project Eligibility

All projects must:

• Be led by an Alberta-based post-secondary institution or government entity;
• Apply a computational technology or technique to address at least one clearly defined clinical problem that is relevant to the precision health priority areas of this call. Network-based precision health approaches will be prioritized;
• Have completed all milestone activities corresponding to “Discovering” in Alberta Innovates’ Client Journey and Health Innovation Checklist and align with the commercialization activities corresponding to “Ideating” or “Conceptualizing”;
• In addition to addressing the Product Development domain, must address at least one other commercialization domain within Alberta Innovates’ Client Journey and Health Innovation Checklist.

2024/2025 Priority Area: Towards clinical application of network-based precision health approaches in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, and digital therapeutics. Digital or digital-enabled solutions will be prioritized.

Summary

The Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE) – Concepts Program serves to accelerate early-stage health research and innovation that demonstrates high commercial potential. AICE-Concepts enables innovators to advance their client journey across four commercialization domains for health innovation: product development: business readiness; product-market fit; and regulatory compliance. The AICE-Concepts Program supports activities within the ideating and conceptualizing stages of Alberta Innovates client journey across the four commercialization domains for health innovation (please refer to the Client Journey and Health Innovation Checklist).

A reasonable fraction of the project budget will be required to address activities outside of product development. This requirement aims to address the three other commercialization domains of the health innovation checklist (i.e., product-market fit, business readiness, and regulatory compliance). Funded projects will be expected to demonstrate progression across all four domains.

Industry partnerships are encouraged.

Cash contributions cannot be made using funds from other Government of Alberta funding sources.

Submission Process

There is a two-stage process consisting of Registration and a Full Application. The second stage of this competition will be part of the Research Management System (RMS), and approvals will be obtained electronically.

1. Registration

All interested Applicants must register their intent to apply. The registration window is scheduled to open in early April. The deadline for registration is May 10, 2024 at 4:00 pm (MT).

To register, access the AICE-Concepts application form (not the intake form) in the Alberta Innovates SmartSimple portal and complete the non-confidential summary tab and save a draft by the deadline. Note that any drafts without a completed non-confidential summary section by the registration deadline will be removed and unable to apply.

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) using a Pre-Award/Application record, must be submitted to RSO by July 9, 2024 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.

Do not submit to the agency until RSO's approval has been granted in RMS. Once this institutional approval 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 via the Alberta Innovates SmartSimple portal by July 12, 2024 at 4:00 pm (MT).

Program Resources

• AICE-Concepts Program Guide
• Alberta Innovates contact: Markian Bahniuk, Senior Business Partner, Research - Health Innovation, Markian.Bahniuk@albertainnovates.ca

Overhead

N/A

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

Application deadlines

Registration

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.

Resources

Support for projects involving Indigenous Research:

Support with the development of your grant application is available 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 through the Knowledge Engagement Team. Applicants can reach out by email to the KE team at knowledge.engagement@ucalgary.ca. 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@ucalgary.ca OR research.data@ucalgary.libanswers.com.

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.

Support for Research Security:

The new Research Security Division is available to offer guidance and support on safeguarding research and ensuring that principles of research security are upheld while conducting leading edge research. Learn more on their webpage or contact researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca.

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application