Arthur Child Innovation Catalyst Grants 2024

Eligibility

Lead Applicants must be located in Calgary and have an affiliation with the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute and/or Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre and be eligible to hold funds at UCalgary.

Summary

The Innovation Catalyst Grant will focus on supporting bold, innovative projects that enhance the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care for individuals affected by cancer. We invite researchers and teams located in Calgary, Alberta, to submit proposals that explore groundbreaking ideas that foster innovation and will allow the research teams to act boldly, and with confidence, to pursue opportunities with the potential to transform cancer care.

 Key Proposal Areas:

1. New public health strategies, vaccines, lifestyle interventions, and other novel strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of cancer.
2. New imaging techniques, biomarkers and/or genetic tests for earlier cancer screening and detection.
3. New ways for discovering molecules or key pathways essential for cancer prevention, detection, or treatment.
4. New and/or improved treatment approaches or strategies for effective cancer treatment.
5. New and/or improved practices that improve supportive care for patients living with and beyond cancer.
6. New strategies for tailoring treatment for cancer.
7. New approaches for utilizing data to inform cancer prevention, detection and treatment.

Proposals can be exploratory or proof-of-concept, aimed at pursuing a novel line of inquiry, filling knowledge gaps, generating preliminary data, or testing new concepts or approaches. This competition is particularly focused on funding research that may not typically receive support from traditional sources. While preliminary data is not required for application, a strong justification for the proposal is essential.

Program Resources

• Program Guidelines
• Notice of Intent (NOI) Form
• Program contact: charbonneau@ucalgary.ca

Submission Process

There is a two-stage process consisting of a Notice of Intent (NOI) and Full Application. The Full Application stage will be part of the Research Management System (RMS), and approvals will be obtained electronically. Research Funding Application Approvals (RFAA) forms are not required as approvals are collected electronically in RMS.

1. Notice of Intent (NOI)

The NOI stage does not require approvals in RMS. The NOI form must be submitted to to the funding agency by October 23, 2024. Send to 

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 December 13, 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 funding 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 by December 18, 2024.

Overhead

Not applicable.

Application deadlines

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

Application deadlines

NOI

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, community partnerships, and responsible research assessment (DORA) is available through the Knowledge to Impact Team. Applicants can reach out by email to the KE team at knowledge.impact@ucalgary.ca. or 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 Jaya.Dixit@ucalgary.ca for more information. 

Support for Research Security: 

The Research Security Division is available to assist researchers adhere to research security guidelines and policies, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP) and the new policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC). Visit the Research Security website to learn more or contact researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca.  

Reminder: The sooner the researcher engages with RSO units, the more help we can be! 

RMS: 

Creating a Pre-Award Application