Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN) Data Challenge

Eligibility

Applications will be accepted from researchers, scholars, and health professionals conducting Parkinson’s research in Canada. The applicant must be a researcher who has completed formal training in health-related research. Applicants must have a research appointment and employment relationship with an approved institution. This research appointment must:

• allow the applicant to hold grant funding, pursue the proposed research project, to supervise trainees and to publish the results of their research. 

• require the applicant to conform to institutional regulations concerning the conduct of research, the supervision of trainees and the employment conditions of trainees and/or support staff paid from the grant. 

Applicants must be affiliated with and conduct research at an eligible: Canadian postsecondary institution or their affiliated institutions (including hospitals and research institutes). Applications are encouraged to be team-based and include two or more independent investigators from different institutions, or distinct research groups within the same institution. Applicants and co-applicants that hold a research appointment, as described above, are prohibited from receiving the payment of a salary, stipend, honorarium, or any similar form of compensation from any Parkinson Canada or Brain Canada grant. Post-doctoral fellows or trainees are not eligible to apply for funding under this Program.

Summary

The main goal of the Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN) is to facilitate and accelerate Parkinson’s research. Brain Canada and Parkinson Canada have co-funded and partnered with C-OPN since 2018. To date, C-OPN has recruited over 2,300 participants and created a large nationwide database that includes de-identified participant data concerning demographics, symptoms, treatment approaches, standardized clinical assessments, neuroimaging data, genotyping for Parkinson’s gene variants, and a biobank of samples for further analysis of DNA, PBMCs and blood serum/plasma from study participants.

A total of $200,000 CAD is available in the competition to be awarded to the top 4 funding proposals. Successful grants are eligible for funding up to $50,000 each for a one-year term. See full application RFP for additional details. 

Overhead

Grant funds may not be used for institutional overhead costs, or travel to meetings/conferences.

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.

Additional Resources

Using RMS:

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award LOI

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application

Support for projects involving Indigenous Research:

Support with the development of your grant application is available internally 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 internally through the Knowledge to Impact Team. Applicants can reach out by email to the KTI team at knowledge.impact@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information, please visit the KTI 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@libanswers.ucalgary.com and/or visit https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/researchdatamanagement.

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.