NL-HARP Awards Guide 2012-2013

General Information

This Awards Guide outlines the objectives, policies, and procedures governing the Newfoundland and Labrador Healthy Aging Research Program (NL-HARP) sponsored by the Department of Health and Community Services (DHCS) and administered by the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research (NLCAHR). It constitutes official DHCS/NLCAHR policy and applies to all applicants and award recipients unless specifically amended or declared void by the NL-HARP Planning Committee.

This information is revised annually. Eligibility and selection criteria are explained below and should be reviewed prior to the submission of applications. All applicants should carefully read the information in the latest version of this guide before preparing applications. Because it is not possible to anticipate every contingency, situations may arise that are not addressed in the Awards Guide. Prospective applicants seeking clarification regarding these programs are urged to contact NLCAHR by telephone (709.777.7973) or e-mail Tyrone.White@med.mun.ca.

Program Information

In 2003, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador issued a document, Our Blueprint for the Future, that identified healthy aging as a priority for the Province. In an effort to fulfill its commitment to healthy aging, the Province established new human resource infrastructure, including the formation of a Ministerial Council on Aging and Seniors, a Provincial Advisory Council on Aging and Seniors, and the Aging and Seniors Division of the Department of Health and Community Services. Subsequently, with extensive public consultation, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador created the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework (PHAPF).

The PHAPF adopts Health Canada's definition of healthy aging. This is a broad view of healthy aging that recognizes the many determinants that play a role in health status as people age:

"Aging is a lifelong process of optimizing opportunities for improving and preserving health and physical, social and mental wellness, independence, quality of life and enhancing successful life course transitions."

The vision of healthy aging for the province is:

"for individuals, families, communities and society as a whole to foster healthy aging in order to achieve optimal health and well-being."

Furthermore, the following principles are endorsed by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador:

The foregoing vision and principles form the basis of the PHAPF. The priority directions are grounded in this vision and these principles.

Six priority directions shape the structure of the PHAPF:

Under the priority direction of employment, education and research, the importance of research is recognized for its ability to inform policy and support planning.

The provincial government, in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research, would like to facilitate a stronger focus on research on aging and seniors. To this end, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has committed $200,000 per year for seven years to be distributed through NLCAHR. The Newfoundland and Labrador Healthy Aging Research Program will distribute these funds in a variety of ways that will support and encourage aging research.

Priority research areas for Newfoundland and Labrador Healthy Aging Research Program, as identified by the Province, include, but are not limited to the following:

• Caregiving, peer support and community capacity (for example, impacts of investments in community capacity building);
• Crisis Intervention (for example, models of short term assessment and treatment units);
• Rehabilitation (for example, effects of rehabilitation with older patients in the early stages of acute care admission); and
• Dementia (for example, innovative approaches to care for persons living with dementia).

Contact Information

Program Details

The 2012-2013 Healthy Aging Research Program consists of the following grants and awards:

NLCAHR has partnered with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research on several of these initiatives. Please see specific grant information for details.

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Research Grants

Project Grants on Healthy Aging

Purpose and General Guidelines


Project Grants will support an individual or a group of individuals led by a Principal Investigator. The purpose of these grants is to support small projects of high scientific quality that are of direct relevance to the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework.

A total of $40,000 can be awarded either to one applicant or to several applicants, depending on the merit of the proposals submitted.

These grants are designed to defray the normal direct costs of research including personal costs, supplies and expendable materials, equipment, computing costs, research travel (to a maximum of 20% of the total budget),dissemination and communications.

Project Grant funds will be released only upon the receipt of a letter of approval from the appropriate ethics review committee. Once a proposal has been funded, major changes in the project design or major departures from the budget will require prior approval.

Terms

Total Maximum Amount: $40,000
Maximum Duration: 2 years
Grants per Funding Cycle: normally 1
Application Deadline: November 2, 2012
Award Announcement: March, 2013
Start Date: March 29, 2013
Completion Date: March 31, 2015

Eligibility

The Principal Applicant(s) for the Health Aging Research Program Project Grants must be a faculty member -current or retired- affiliated with Memorial University, or an employee of the health and community services system with substantial dedicated time for research.

The Principal Applicant is the person who will take primary responsibility for the intellectual direction of the research and assume administrative responsibility for the funds. Project Grant funds are not intended to supplement the salary of the principal investigator; salary from these grants may be paid only to research assistants.

Co-applicants do not need a doctorate but may be trainees or independent researchers with Master's qualifications in a field relevant to health research. A researcher employed elsewhere in Canada may be a Co-applicant (a person playing a substantial role in the project's design and execution) or an Associate but not a Principal Applicant.

Researchers from non-Canadian institutions may be Associates but not Principal Applicants.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be judged according to the following selection criteria:

• Relevance of the proposed research to the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework

• Research record and potential of the candidate(s) based on expertise and research experience and past contributions to applied health research and related fields.

• Merit of the proposal based on: quality of the proposed project and potential contribution to healthy aging research.

Role of the Host Institutions

Institutions that employ holders of Project Grants are called host institutions. NLCAHR requires signatures from authorized officials of the host institutions on all grant application forms. NLCAHR expects host institutions to accept the responsibilities outlined below on behalf of their award or grant-holding employees:

• The financial administration of awards and grants

• Reporting to NLCAHR any change in the funding recipients' status that may affect the fulfillment of their research commitment (for example resignation or termination.)

• Submission of an annual financial statement covering the period from April 1 to March 31 for each award or grant; the statement(s) are due no later than May 1 of the following year

Application Process

The following must be submitted by the deadline indicated above and in the indicated format:

• Project Grant Application Form (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca)

• Grant Signature Form (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

Seed Grants on Healthy Aging

Purpose and General Guidelines

The purpose of the Seed Grants is to support the development of effective research teams in Newfoundland and Labrador capable of obtaining funding from national and international granting agencies in the area of healthy aging research.

Terms

Maximum Grant: $20,000
Grants per Funding Cycle: 1
Application Deadline: November 2, 2012
Award Announcement: March, 2013
Start Date: March 29, 2013
Completion Date: September 30, 2013

Eligibility

The Principal Applicant(s) for the Health Aging Research Program Seed Grants must be a faculty member -current or retired- affiliated with Memorial University or an employee of the health and community services system with substantial dedicated time for research.

The Principal Applicant is the person who will take primary responsibility for the intellectual direction of the research and assume administrative responsibility for the funds. Seed Grant funds are not intended to supplement the salary of the principal applicant; salary from these grants may be paid only to research assistants.

Co-applicants do not need a doctorate but may be trainees or independent researchers with Master's qualifications in a field relevant to health research. A researcher employed elsewhere in Canada may be a Co-applicant (a person playing a substantial role in the project's design and execution) or an Associate but not a Principal Applicant.

A researcher from a non-Canadian institution may be an Associate but not a Principal Applicant.

Selection Criteria

Selection Criteria Applications will be judged according to the following selection criteria:

• Relevance of the proposed research to the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework

• Research record and potential of the candidate(s), based on: expertise and research experience and past contributions to applied health research and related fields.

• Merit of the proposal, based on: quality of the proposed project; potential contribution to healthy aging research.

Role of Host Institutions

Institutions that employ holders of Seed Grants are called host institutions. NLCAHR requires signatures from authorized officials of the host institutions on all grant application forms. NLCAHR expects host institutions to accept the responsibilities outlined below on behalf of their award or grant-holding employees:

• The financial administration of awards and grants
• Reporting to NLCAHR any change in the funding recipients' status that may affect the fulfillment of their research commitment, (for example, resignation or termination.)
• Submission of an annual financial statement covering the period from April 1 to March 31 for each award or grant; the statement(s) are due no later than May 1 of the following year

NLCAHR will inform the host institution of its policies by posting a current copy of the NL-HARP Awards Guide on its website. Any changes made to the NL-HARP Awards Guide will be reflected in updates.

Application Process

The following must be submitted by the deadline indicated above and in the indicted format:

• Seed Grant Application Form (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca)

• Grant Signature Form (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

Data Inventory Report

Purpose

This award provides funding for an individual researcher or research team to produce a report that assesses data holdings by the province, including an evaluation of data quality and an analysis of missing data and strategies for acquiring them.

Funding

Funding Maximum Grant: $15,000
Grants per Funding Cycle: 1
Application Deadline: November 2, 2012
Award Announcement: March, 2013
Start Date: March 29, 2013
Completion Date: September 30, 2013

Eligibility

• Applicants may be researchers at Memorial University or at academic institutions in other provinces. In the case of applicants from outside the province, collaboration with a co-applicant or co-applicants from NL will be considered an important asset.

• The Principal Applicant must have completed formal training/education and research in a field relevant to health research, usually a PhD or a health professional degree with research training.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be judged according to the following selection criteria:

• Research record and potential of the candidate(s), based on expertise and research experience and past contributions to healthy aging research, applied health research and related fields.

• Merit of the proposal based on quality of the proposed project and potential contribution to research on aging in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Role of Host Institutions

Institutions that employ holders of Data Inventory Report Grants are called host institutions. NLCAHR requires signatures from authorized officials of the host institutions on all grant application forms. NLCAHR expects host institutions to accept the responsibilities outlined below on behalf of their award or grant-holding employees:

• The financial administration of awards and grants

• Reporting to NLCAHR any change in the funding recipients' status that may affect the fulfillment of their research commitment (for example, resignation or termination.)

• Submission of an annual financial statement covering the period from April 1 to March 31 for each award or grant; the statement(s) are due no later than May 1 of the following year

NLCAHR will inform the host institution of its policies by posting a current copy of the NL-HARP Awards Guide on its website. Any changes made to the NL-HARP Awards Guide will be reflected in updates.

Application Process

The following must be submitted by the deadline indicated above and in the indicted format:

• Data Inventory Report Application Form (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca)

• Signature Form (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

Contextualized Synthesis Reports on Healthy Aging

Purpose

The Contextualized Research Synthesis Grants on Aging are valued at $15,000 each and support the synthesis of available research on a priority topic. It is expected that one grant will be awarded in 2012-13. The synthesis would follow NLCAHR's process for contextualization of the research to the circumstances of Newfoundland and Labrador. See: www.nlcahr.mun.ca/research/chrsp

Funding

Maximum Grant: $15,000
Maximum Grants per Funding Cycle: 2
Application Deadline: November 2, 2012
Award Announcement: March, 2013
Start Date: March 29, 2013
Completion Date: September 30, 2013

Eligibility

• Applicants may be researchers at Memorial University or at academic institutions in other provinces. In the case of applicants from outside the province, collaboration with a co-applicant or co-applicants from NL will be considered an important asset.

• Applicants have completed formal training/education and research in a field relevant to health research, usually a PhD or a health professional degree with research training.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be judged according to the following selection criteria:

• Relevance of the proposed research to the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework.

• Research record and potential of the candidate(s) based on: expertise and research experience, including in research synthesis and past contributions to applied health research and related fields.

• Merit of the proposal, based on: potential contribution to healthy aging research and quality of the proposed project.

Role of Host Institutions

Institutions that employ holders of Research Synthesis Reports Grants are called host institutions. NLCAHR requires signatures from authorized officials of the host institutions on all grant application forms. NLCAHR expects host institutions to accept the responsibilities outlined below on behalf of their award or grant-holding employees:

• The financial administration of awards and grants

• Reporting to NLCAHR any change in the funding recipients' status that may affect the fulfillment of their research commitment (for example, resignation or termination.)

• Submission of an annual financial statement covering the period from April 1 to March 31 for each award or grant; the statement(s) are due no later than May 1 of the following year.

NLCAHR will inform the host institution of its policies by posting a current copy of the NL-HARP Awards Guide on its website. Any changes made to the NL-HARP Awards Guide will be reflected in updates.

Application Process

The following must be submitted by the deadline indicated above and in the indicted format:

• Contextualized Research Synthesis Report Grant Application Form (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca)

• Signature Form (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

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Fellowships and Student Awards

Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships in Healthy Aging

Purpose

These fellowships are designed to support the final stages of a doctoral program while the recipient is actively working on a dissertation in the area of healthy aging.

Funding

Maximum Grant: $24,000/year for a maximum of 2 years + up to $6,000 per year for research expenses
Maximum Duration: 2 years

Grants per Funding Cycle: 1
Application Deadline: November 2, 2012
Award Announcement: March, 2013
Start Date: No later than September 13, 2013
Completion Date: within 24 months of start date

Eligibility

• An applicant must be enrolled full time in a PhD program in a relevant discipline at Memorial University and must have received approval for a thesis proposal on a topic related to the policy directions of the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework.

• Applicants should be under the supervision of a researcher affiliated with Memorial University. In exceptional circumstances, applicants for whom appropriate graduate training is not available within the province of Newfoundland and Labrador may be eligible for funding of their doctoral dissertation in a program outside the province, if documentation is provided certifying that appropriate graduate training is not available in the province.

• Recipients may not also hold a regular faculty or clinical position.

• Applicants must have Canadian citizenship or landed immigrant status (non-Canadians may apply but must obtain immigration approval prior to taking up the award)

• Students may not hold both this award and a major external fellowship (from CIHR, SSHRC or NSERC, for example). Applicants are expected to seek such external awards and to indicate in their applications that they have done so. An applicant who is awarded both an external fellowship and this award must accept the external award and will receive a bonus from NLCAHR of $3,000 in stipend and a research allowance of $7,000.

• Based on the regulations of the School of Graduate Studies, holders of NLCAHR Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships may also be remunerated for a limited amount (not more than 24 hours per week) of instructing, demonstrating or other paid employment upon written approval by their supervisor and the head of their academic unit.

• Doctoral Dissertation Awards are initially awarded for a 12-month period. They will be renewed once upon submission of a formal report from the supervisor and the head of the academic unit indicating that satisfactory progress is being made toward completion of the dissertation.

Selection Criteria

• Relevance of the proposed research to the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework

• Academic record and potential of the candidate, based on:

• Merit of the proposal, based on:

Application Process

The following must be submitted by the deadline indicated above and in the indicted format:

• Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Application Form (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca)

• Signature Form (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

• Official academic transcript (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

• 3 completed applicant assessment forms (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

Doctoral Research Grants on Healthy Aging

Purpose

These grants will assist doctoral candidates to cover the costs associated with their research and the dissemination of their research. Allowable costs include travel, data acquisition, interviewing and transcribing of interviews, computer software and hardware, and research assistance.

Successful applicants will also be eligible for a CIHR-Institute of Aging Newfoundland and Labrador Gold Prize for Research on Aging. This prize recognizes excellent emerging researchers at different stages of career development in Newfoundland and Labrador and is awarded annually to the candidate receiving the highest rating (3.9 or higher) in the provincial competitions for a Doctoral Research Grant on Healthy Aging. The prize is valued at $1500 and supports travel to national or international conferences, workshops or meetings, and other activities that add value to the candidate's career development.

Funding

Maximum Grant: $10,000
Maximum Duration: 2 years
Grants per Funding Cycle: 2
Application Deadline: November 2, 2012
Award Announcement: March, 2013
Start Date: March 29, 2013 at the earliest; September 13, 2013 at the latest
Completion Date: within 24 months of start date

Eligibility

• Applicants must be enrolled in a PhD program in a relevant discipline and have had had a thesis proposal approved on a topic relevant to the policy directions of the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework.

• Applicants should be under the supervision of a professor affiliated with Memorial University. In exceptional circumstances, applicants for whom appropriate graduate training is not available within the province of Newfoundland and Labrador may be eligible for funding of their doctoral dissertation in a program outside the province, if documentation is provided certifying that appropriate graduate training is not available in the province.

• Recipients may not also hold a regular faculty or clinical position.

• Canadian citizenship or landed immigrant status.

Selection criteria

• Relevance to the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework.

• Academic record and potential of the candidate based on:

• Merit of the proposal, based on:

Application Process

The following must be submitted by the deadline indicated above and in the indicted format:

• Doctoral Research Grant Application Form (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca)

• Official academic transcript (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

• 3 completed applicant assessment forms (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)
• Signature Form (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

• Candidates interested in being considered for the CIHR-Institute of Aging-Newfoundland and Labrador Gold Prize for Research on Aging must provide, in addition to the regular application package material, as Appendix A, a free-form half-page description of how their research project includes aging and/or the aged as essential elements of the research objectives, hypotheses and analyses, e.g., dynamics of aging, age-relevant models and/or aged subjects, and uniqueness of aging or aged population (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca).

Master's Research Grants on Healthy Aging

Purpose

To help Master's candidates cover the costs associated with the research for their thesis or major project research on aging-related topics.

Funding

Maximum Grant: $5,000
Grants per Funding Cycle: 3
Application Deadline: November 2, 2012
Award Announcement: March, 2013
Start Date: March 29, 2013
Completion Date: September 30, 2013


Eligibility

• Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a Master's program in a health-related discipline at Memorial University

• The Applicant's thesis or major research project must be on a topic relevant to the Healthy Aging Policy Framework.

• Applicants must have an average of at least 75% or equivalent in their previous and/or current academic program.

• Canadian citizenship or landed immigrant status (non-Canadians may apply but must obtain immigration approval prior to taking up the award)

Selection Criteria

• Relevance to the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework

• Academic record and potential of the candidate

• Merit of the proposal based on:

Application Process

The following must be submitted by the deadline indicated above and in the indicted format:

• Master's Research Grant Application Form (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca)

• Official academic transcript (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)
• Signature Form (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

• 3 completed applicant assessment forms (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

Post-Doctoral Fellowship on Healthy Aging

Purpose

Applications are invited from Memorial University professors (current or retired) proposing to act as an academic mentor to a postdoctoral fellow working on aging or from researchers who have recently completed or are about to complete a doctoral degree and who are proposing to work in a postdoctoral program at Memorial.

The Post-Doctoral Fellowship supports an individual of academic distinction who has completed a doctoral program. The fellowship will assist the scholar in developing his or her research program, and equip him/her for a career as an independent investigator.

Terms

Maximum Grant: $50,000 per year (stipend of $40,000 + $10,000 research allowance)
Maximum Duration: 2 years
Grants per Funding Cycle: 1
Application Deadline: November 2, 2012
Award Announcement: March, 2013
Start Date: No later than September 13, 2013
Completion Date: within 24 months of start date

Successful applicants will also be eligible for a CIHR-Institute of Aging Newfoundland and Labrador Gold Prize for Research on Aging. This prize recognizes excellent emerging researchers at different stages of career development in Newfoundland and Labrador and is awarded annually to the candidate receiving the highest rating (3.9 or higher) in the provincial competitions for Post Doctoral Fellowship in Healthy Aging. The prize is valued at $3500 and supports travel to national or international conferences, workshops or meetings, and other activities that add value to the candidate's career development.

Eligibility

Requirements for the Post-Doctoral candidate:

• Must hold a PhD in a relevant discipline

• May not also hold a faculty or clinical position

• No more than two years of post-doctoral experience, or its equivalent, completed at the time the award would commence

• Intention and confirmed availability to work full time on the research for which the application is being made

• Canadian citizenship or landed immigrant status (non-Canadians may apply but must obtain immigration approval prior to taking up the award)

Applications from individuals intending to remain in the department or division of their doctoral or prior post-doctoral work will need to demonstrate that the post-doctoral training for which their application is being made is substantially different from, and complementary to, their previous graduate work and any prior postgraduate training.

The prospective supervisor:

• Should be a professor (current or retired) at Memorial University, although the fellow may also be co-supervised by someone from another academic or health services organization in the province or elsewhere. The supervisor must verify his/her ability and intention to oversee the research for which the application is being made. A supervisor may supervise only one NLCAHR Post-Doctoral Fellowship recipient at any given time.

This Post-Doctoral Fellowship is not intended to replace the Post-Doctoral Fellowship programs offered by other major external funding agencies (e.g. CIHR, NHRDP, NSERC, SSHRC). Candidates are encouraged to investigate all possible sources of support. Candidates are not eligible for an NL-HARP Post-Doctoral Fellowship if they hold a Post-Doctoral Fellowship from a major external funding agency.

• Provided that the supervisor grants approval, a recipient of an NLCAHR Post-Doctoral Fellowship may be engaged in limited non-research academic activities (maximum 6 hours/week) that contribute to his/her development as an independent investigator.

• NLCAHR Post-Doctoral Fellowships are initially awarded for a 12-month period. They can be extended for a second 12-month period upon submission of a satisfactory progress report and the written recommendation of the supervisor.

Selection Criteria

• The academic quality of the mentor;

• Relevance of research to the policy directions of the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework.

• The academic record and promise of the candidate.

Application Process

The following must be submitted by the deadline indicated above and in the indicted format:

• Post-Doctoral Fellowship Application Form (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca)

• Signature Form (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

• 3 completed applicant assessment forms (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

• Candidates interested in being considered for the CIHR-Institute of Aging-Newfoundland and Labrador Gold Prize for Research on Aging must provide, in addition to the regular application package material, as Appendix A, a free-form half-page description of how their research project includes aging and/or the aged as essential elements of the research objectives, hypotheses and analyses, e.g., dynamics of aging, age-relevant models and/or aged subjects, and uniqueness of aging or aged population. (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca)

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Faculty Awards

Faculty Course Buyouts

Purpose

Applications are invited from full-time faculty members at Memorial University who are doing research related to healthy aging.

These grants provide funding to help departments replace the teaching time of their faculty members in order to enable them to devote time to research on an approved topic in the area of aging.

Funding

Maximum Grant: $5,000 each
Grants per Funding Cycle: 4 course buyouts (one or two per applicant) Application Deadline: November 2, 2012
Award Announcement: March, 2013
Start Date: For use in Spring Term 2013, Fall Term 2013 or Winter Term 2014

Eligibility

Applicants must be full-time faculty members in an academic unit at Memorial University with a teaching load of at least 4 courses per year. Their application must include a letter of support from the chair of the department (where applicable) and the dean/director of the academic unit agreeing to release the applicant from one or two courses if he/she is successful.

Selection Criteria

• Relevance of the proposed research to the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework

• Research record and potential of the candidate, based on:

• Merit of the proposal, based on:

Application Process

The following must be submitted by the deadline indicated above and in the indicted format:

• Faculty Course Buyout Application Form (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca)

• Signature Form (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

Faculty Retraining Award

Purpose

This award provides funding for a tenured or tenure-track or retired faculty member at Memorial University to spend at least six months over the course of no more than two consecutive academic years at another academic institution in order to shift the focus of his/her research towards aging from another related or relevant area of study.

The funding would be used to make possible a retraining program at a university outside the province where the applicant would be paired with a mentor or team of mentors who will help him/her acquire the expertise required to make this transition.

Funding

Maximum Grant: $20,000
Maximum Duration: 1 year
Grants per Funding Cycle: 1
Application Deadline: November 2, 2012
Award Announcement: March, 2013 Start Date: June 2013
Completion Date: June 2014

Eligibility

Applicants must be employed by, or retired from, a post-secondary academic institution or a health or community services institution in Newfoundland and Labrador and have completed formal training/education and research in a field relevant to health research, usually a PhD or a health professional degree with research training.

Selection Criteria

• Relevance of the proposed research to the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework

• Research record and potential of the candidate, based on:

• Merit of the proposal, based on:

Application Process

The following must be submitted by the deadline indicated above and in the indicted format:

• Faculty Retraining Application Form (submit electronically to nlcahr@mun.ca)

• Signature Form (hard copy required; deliver to NLCAHR)

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Awards Management

Review of Applications

All applications will be reviewed by a confidential peer-review committee selected by DHCS/NLCAHR, with input from external reviewers as needed. Following approval by the peer-review committee, successful applicants will be sent official notification informing them of the type and amount of grant or award. A copy of the notification will be sent to the administrative officer of their institution. Unsuccessful applicants will also be advised immediately following the decision.

Application Submission

All applications are to be submitted electronically via email, with the exception of signature forms, transcripts, and references. If for some reason you are unable to submit your application electronically or require assistance in preparing your electronic application(s), help may be available from NLCAHR's staff.

Notification and Acceptance

Upon receiving a letter of offer, recipients must notify NLCAHR in writing of their intention to accept or decline the grant or award and of all the terms and conditions described in the letter of offer. Recipients must indicate the date on which they plan to begin their project. The start date will determine when funding will commence and end, and when reports are due.

Ethics

All studies which involve human subjects must follow the Tri-Council Guidelines and be approved by the appropriate Ethics Review Committee(s). Proof of approval must either accompany the application or be submitted prior to the commencement of funding.

Applicants for Grants and Fellowships are strongly encouraged to review the Memorial University Procedures Regulating Academic Dishonesty. In particular, applicants should make sure that all the wording in their application forms are their own work.

Administration of Funds

Awarded funds are to be administered by the appropriate administrative unit of the institution to which the grantee belongs. Expenditures from each award must be authorized by the grantee. It is the responsibility of the grantee to see that funds are utilized according to the Centre's guidelines and the terms of the award. Major changes in the project design and major departures from the budget will require the prior approval.

NL-HARP Fellowships are payable to the administrative or accounting office at the host institution (this includes Post-Doctoral Fellowships). Research fellowships and student awards are held by the research supervisor. Payments are made in regular installments, with payments commencing in the month of the starting date of the award.

NL-HARP will not provide additional funds for the administration of accounts.

Accounting

Institutions administering Research Grants are required to submit to the Centre, as soon as feasible after the close of the grant year, a statement of expenditures signed by the grantee.

Excluded Expenditures

Research Grant funds may not be used for the following:

• Expenditures considered as overhead, including space renovation or construction, purchase of laboratory furniture or other permanent equipment normally supplied by the institution
• Defraying costs for entertainment or hospitality
• Paying fringe benefits of research trainees
• Paying academic fees for research trainees

Allowable Expenditures

Research Grants may be used for the following:

• Payment for clerical/secretarial support, research assistants and/or consultants necessary to the project

• General office expenses and supplies necessary to carry out the research reimbursement for use of hospital equipment or personnel

• Medical procedures that are necessary to the research project and not reimbursed by the health service or system

• Compensation for reasonable expenses incurred by research subjects to participate in research

• Technical advice of an unusually complex nature and/or requiring a considerable time commitment that goes beyond what could be expected in a collegial relationship

• Field travel for research purposes, at standard expense rates allowed at the host institution

• Cost of printing, photocopying, postage, telephone and fax services, computing services and supplies

• Costs of obtaining copyright releases and payments under copyright agreements

• All direct costs of preparing a letter of intent or grant application including teaching release travel and communication for team meetings

• Other expenses as deemed appropriate by NL-HARP

Unspent Funds

The unspent balance of a grant at the close of the grant period can remain to the credit of the grantee for an additional six-month grace period, provided it is used for the purpose for which the grant was made. Funds not spent or encumbered at the conclusion of the grace period will automatically revert to NL-HARP.

Transferring Funds

If the recipient of a Research Grant moves to another eligible institution in the province, he/she may seek to transfer the grant. The grantee should include a letter stating the project title, an estimate of the remaining grant funds available at the current institution and the effective date of transfer. The principal grantee must notify any co-grantees to make their own arrangements regarding the allocation of funds. Upon receipt of a final statement of expenditures from the business office of the institution to which the Research Grant was originally made, arrangements will be made to transfer the remaining balance of the grant.

If the recipient of a Research Grant moves to an ineligible institution, or out of the province, the grant will normally be terminated and the remaining funds returned to Centre. However, permission may be granted by the Centre in exceptional circumstances.

Funding from Other Sources

Investigators who already hold, have applied for, or intend to apply for, a grant for the same or other projects from any other agency, must clearly describe the degree to which the applications overlap. The Centre reserves the right to take appropriate steps to eliminate any overlap with funds obtained from other funding sources.

Employment Under Grants

Normally, only research assistants may receive a salary from grant funds. The rates of pay shall be in accordance with the salary scale of the institution concerned. Grantees may not support, with their project grant, individuals involved in full-time research training such as fellows and graduate students; these individuals are eligible to apply for Fellowships.

Equipment

Equipment purchased through an NLCAHR grant is vested in the name of the sponsoring institution.

Additional Commitments

Any financial commitments incurred by a grantee in excess of the grant funds are not the responsibility of NLCAHR.


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Research Reports

Publications

All publications or scholarly communications arising out of research supported by the Centre must acknowledge this assistance. NLCAHR expects funded investigators to disseminate their research findings through peer-reviewed publication in quality journals and other media so that their work will have the maximum impact and utility. It is expected that the support of NLCAHR and NL-HARP will be acknowledged in all such publications. In the case of awards that are co-funded with CIHR, it is expected that CIHR will also be acknowledged in all publications.

Guidelines for Research Reports

Every recipient of a research grant or fellowship from NL-HARP is expected to submit a summary of final research results for dissemination to NL-HARP and NLCAHR stakeholders. Reports allow NL-HARP to make research results available to those who can use them and to bring researchers with similar interests together for future collaboration. Successful recipients of funding who accept the award will be agreeing to give NL-HARP permission to use report documents as required. NL-HARP reports may be used for many purposes and in a variety of ways. Here are some examples of where and how they may be used: on the NLCAHR website, in NLCAHR newsletters and electronic bulletins, in media releases, and in NLCAHR annual reports. Please contact us to discuss concerns about the impact of NLCAHR use of reports on future publishing. The reporting requirements for each award are listed below.

Please note: All reports are due within one month of completion of tenure of the award, in electronic and paper format. Failure to comply with these guidelines is a violation of your agreement of acceptance of your award. Any grant recipient who does not deliver his/her final report by the end of the allotted time may be excluded from future funding competitions at NLCAHR.

USE AND DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION PROVIDED TO NLCAHR

As part of the peer-review process, applications will be disclosed to review panels comprised of experts in applied health issues. Applications may also be transmitted to external referees. All participants in these review activities are informed of their obligations with regard to the confidentiality of information entrusted to them.

The external reviews and review panel comments about a proposal will be provided only to the Principal Applicant. NL-HARP expects the Principal Applicant to share this information with co-applicants.

NLCAHR may publish certain details about successful grant applications, including the name of the applicant, amount awarded, title of the project and a summary of the research proposal. For Fellowships, the name, the field of research and the project title will be made public.

NLCAHR reserves the right to amend or cancel any or all awards competitions in any given year should the amount of funding available be insufficient.

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All information requested by the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research will be used solely for the administration and management of the awards program and is collected under the general authority of the Memorial University Act (RSNL 1990 Chapter M-7). Questions about this collection and use of personal information may be directed to NLCAHR at (709) 777-7973.