PCPCRC Seed Funding Competition

Eligibility

To be eligible, an applicant must:
✓ Be an early-career investigator or trainee, affiliated with a research institution anywhere in Canada;
✓ Submit a complete application package (see guidelines application requirements);
✓ Submit written proof of confirmation that your department or supervisor will provide at minimum 20% matching funds;
✓ Present their project to the PCPCRC;
✓ Submit a project that meets the following criteria:
1. Is a pilot or synthesis study;
2. Can be completed in one year;
3. Provides clear and sound rationale for why the project is needed to further your research program, including a plan for progression from the pilot study to larger funding applications.

Priority will be given to applications that directly respond to palliative care research and practice gaps for at least one of the previously defined high priority populations and demonstrates direct engagement with the selected priority population.

Summary

The Pan-Canadian Palliative Care Research Collaborative (PCPCRC) is a national network of early, established, and future researchers and clinicians with an interest in palliative care. Since its inception in 2017, the PCPCRC has grown into a network encompassing 30 active programs of research with over 150 investigators, healthcare providers, trainees, community and policy stakeholders, and patient and caregiver partners. With a mission to develop a pan-Canadian network of practice-focused research groups producing high-quality palliative care research, we envision the PCPCRC as the go-to network for trusted, evidence-based guidance to improve people’s experience of palliative care.

The PCPCRC Seed Funding Competition is designed to support early-career investigators and trainees who are faced with a highly competitive and challenging funding environment. This approach contributes to the sustainability of the PCPCRC by providing opportunities for growth and development of the next generation of investigators in palliative care. Specifically, this funding is meant to support pilot and synthesis projects that are typically not funded by traditional larger granting agencies (e.g., CIHR, Canadian Cancer Society, Ministries of Health, etc.) but that need to be completed to provide the necessary groundwork and results to facilitate larger studies and funding applications. Pilot or synthesis projects can be described as small pilot/feasibility trials, scoping/systematic reviews, data standardization/harmonization initiatives, descriptive health administrative studies, etc. To support equitable palliative care research, the PCPCRC Seed Funding Competition will prioritize funding for high priority populations that typically experience poorer outcomes, and where gaps in palliative care research and service delivery exist. 

Examples of equity-deserving and/or under-researched populations and priority research areas include:
• Sex/gender/LGBTQ2-Spirit+
• Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC)
• Indigenous peoples
• Immigrants
• Official language minorities and other minorities linguistic groups
• Homeless/vulnerably housed
• Pediatric patients
• Caregivers
• Palliative care in non-specialist settings (ex. long-term care, assisted living or retirement homes,
homecare)

Three one-year-long grants of up to $20,000 will be funded in the fourth round of the PCPCRC Seed Funding Competition. Applicants cannot be awarded more than one project application per Competition. Applicants currently holding Seed Funding awards or already receiving funding through the Health Canada, Health Care Policy and Strategies PCPCRC funding are ineligible to apply for additional Seed Funding.

Full program guidelines available here

Submission Instructions:

1. Complete full application at the PCPCRC website: https://pcpcrc.ca/seed-funding/
2. To initiate internal approvals, complete the Pre-Award/Application record in RMS (https://research.ucalgary.ca/conduct-research/additional-resources/resea...), attach a pdf preview of your completed FULL Application, and submit for approvals from your department head and/or faculty Associate Dean (Research). *Important: when submitting in RMS, please ensure that you allow time for academic approvals prior to the Research Services review deadline of 12:00pm on January 21, 2025.
3. Once these approvals are obtained, RMS will automatically forward the Application record to Research Services for institutional review and approval.
4. Research Services will review, provide feedback (by email) if necessary, and will provide the institutional approval. RSO will provide institutional signature if required.
5. Full Applications, including any supplementary documentation, should be submitted to the agency via their online portal by January 24, 2025 by 9:59PM Mountain Time

Overhead

Not eligible

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.