IMPaCT Training Awards

Eligibility

Eligibility: 

1. Location of awardee: The award must be held at a Canadian Academic Institution, and/or research institute or hospital affiliated with a Canadian University.
2. Career stage: Candidates must be enrolled in a doctoral program, in a postdoctoral program (any year of program) or an Early Career Researcher defined using CIHR definitions at the time of accepting the award. This includes 2 dedicated awards (per year) for applicants that identify as Black or Indigenous at any career stage.
3. Citizenship: This program is open to Canadians and permanent residents of Canada.
4. Eligible clinical trial questions: Candidates must be interested in designing perinatal and child health clinical trials. As the primary IMPaCT fellowship deliverable is to develop a funding proposal based on a new trial, the clinical trial question you submit must be in the idea/protocol development phase. The population must either include children (neonates to 18 years old) or include people who are pregnant or in the postpartum period. The condition must be specific to pregnancy or postpartum or use a novel design to otherwise include pregnant people. The intervention can be any type (drug, behavioural, vaccine, device) and can include any trial phase including early phase and pragmatic trials. Adaptive and innovative approaches are encouraged!

Priority Awards: 

• Neurodevelopmental disorders co-funded by the Canadian Neurodevelopmental Research Training Platform (CanNRT) 
  Additional award requirements include attending the CanNRT summer school.
• Pandemic readiness co-funded by Pediatric Outcome imProvement through COordination of Research Networks (POPCORN)
• Rare diseases co-funded by the Pediatric Rare Disease Clinical Trials and Treatment Network (RareKids-CAN) 
  Additional award requirements include attending the RareKids-CAN annual meeting. 

Summary

IMPaCT training awards facilitate participation in a 1-year immersive learning experience with assigned mentors and deliverables. The program is designed to give you the skills and network to design, conduct, and communicate about clinical trials with pregnant people and children (neonates through adolescents).  

Further award information

What does an IMPaCT training award mean for you?

•  Assigned 2 or more mentors (including youth or parent partners).
• Deliverable: Complete a funding proposal based on the trial idea submitted in your application using the CIHR 10-page template* or an acceptable equivalent.
• Participate in elevator pitch competition at the in-person summit.
• Complete 5 self-paced online courses with certificates of completion.
  • Introduction to Clinical Trials and Regulations
  • Family Engagement in Pediatric and Perinatal Clinical Trial Research
  • Clinical Trial Design
  • Clinical Trial Operations
  • Clinical Trial Communications and Knowledge Translation
• In-person mentoring and networking (travel and accommodation for participation in 2-day summit).
• Self-selected and IMPaCT-funded immersive learning opportunities including cultural safety training, government advocacy, trial methods, integrated learning opportunities with ongoing clinical trials.  leadership training, statistics, family engagement in research and more.
• A network of trialists to support you throughout your career! 

 Expectations for fellows and mentors are available here.

What components are needed to apply:

1. CV: Your CV must be a 5-page biosketch and submitted as a PDF. Other formats will not be reviewed. The biosketch template is available on the IMPaCT shared folder.
2. Letter of support: A maximum 2 page letter signed by the primary supervisor (for PhD students, Postdocs) or Department Head (for ECRs) describing: (1) Their commitment towards the candidate's research training and endorsement of the candidate, (2) The space, facilities and personnel support, including the interdisciplinary nature of the training environment in relation to clinical trials, (3) How the award funding will be used to ensure that the learner can fully participate in the IMPaCT core curriculum, deliverables and IMPaCT summit.
3. Trial question: As the primary IMPaCT fellowship deliverable is to develop a funding proposal for a new trial, the clinical trial question you submit must be in the idea/protocol development phase. The population must either include children (neonates to 18 years old) or include people who are pregnant or in the postpartum period. The condition must be specific to pregnancy or postpartum or use a novel design to otherwise include pregnant people. The intervention can be any type (drug, behavioural, vaccine, device) and can include any trial phase including early phase and pragmatic trials. Adaptive and innovative approaches are encouraged! If you have questions about your eligibility, email us at impactrials@gmail.com     
   We recognize and value Indigenous ways of knowing, and these perspectives are welcomed and encouraged throughout the development of your trial question and design.
4. All applications include an EDI questionnaire.

Please see the IMPaCT training award evaluation criteria in the shared folder that will be used to score each complete application received. Trainees will receive copies of their evaluation forms, including de-identified comments from the review committee. 

Application deadlines

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.