IMPORTANT NOTICE: The deadline for full applications was extended to March 15, 2005.

Request for Applications

Summary

The CANADA-HOPE Scholarship Program (Program) founded in 2004, is dedicated to improving the health of people in developing countries. The CANADA-HOPE scholarship was made possible by a grant from Aventis Pharma Inc., a member the sanofi-aventis Group, as a consequence of the successful HOPE clinical trial led by Dr. Salim Yusuf and other Canadian investigators. This donation of approximately $1.7 Million was matched by CIHR to create the CANADA-HOPE Scholarship.

The primary goal of the Program is to further develop international collaborative efforts between researchers. The short term goal will enable promising individuals to be mentored by prominent Canadian researchers. The long term objective of the Program would enable promising scientists and clinicians from Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC), as identified by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the United Nations (UN) to be exposed to some of the best science, laboratories and training environments in Canada. This objective will be realized by developing research training opportunities which in the long term, would lead to the development of sustainable programs to help people in developing countries. The pilot round of this program will focus on sub-continental South Asia. It is the intent to gradually expand the Program to other regions of the world.

Timeline

Table of Contents

Summary
Partners
Specific Objectives and Eligible Research Areas
Who is Eligible to Apply?
Funds Available
How to Apply
Evaluation Process and Criteria For Peer Review
General CIHR Guidelines and Conditions of Funding
Communications Requirements
Performance Measurement and Evaluation
Address for Submitting Application and Contact Information

Partners

Sanofi-aventis, with global headquarters in Paris, France, is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Canada. We are dedicated to protecting health and combating disease by working to make innovative, effective and safe medicines available to physicians and patients throughout the world. To accomplish our goal, we rely on our strong research focus and place the patient at the heart of our efforts. For more information on sanofi-aventis, visit our global Web site.

CIHR is Canada's premier federal funding agency for health research. Its objective is to excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system.

The CIHR/Rx&D Research Program is a partnership between Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D) and CIHR established to provide an opportunity for health researchers to work in collaboration with Rx&D companies. Research undertaken must be beneficial to both partners with a view to improving the quality of health of Canadians.

Specific Objectives and Eligible Research Areas

The goals of the Program are to encourage a broad spectrum of foreign post-doctoral scholars (PhDs and/or MDs) to train in health and health related areas which affect people in LMIC. Eligible research areas include clinical epidemiology, population health, clinical trials, the health sciences, global health and areas which can have an impact on the health of people in LMIC. The scholars must:

• be committed to research in a health related area which will help people in a developing country ;
• be in the early stage of their career (and have no more than 5 years research training experience);
• have an excellent track record and
• be dedicated to develop national/international collaborations in their area of research.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

In order to be eligible for this award, the scholar must have a mentor at an eligible Canadian institution and the sponsorship of an eligible institution in sub-continental South Asia, (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh Sri Lanka and Nepal). The scholarships are intended for men and women of high intellectual promise who may be expected to make a significant contribution to their own countries on their return from study in Canada. Anyone who has obtained Canadian citizenship or who has applied for permanent residency in Canada shall not be eligible for the award. The mentor, scholar and the sponsoring institution(s) must meet the following requirements:

a) Mentor

• must have a proven 'track record' as a principal investigator ;
• must be employed by a Canadian institution eligible to received funds from CIHR (hot-link to the list) ;
• must have a proven record of training postgraduate students ;
• must provide the scholar with a fertile environment that is conducive to research training in the specific health research area of the scholar ;
• must commit to continue his/her collaboration and mentoring with the scholar upon his/her return to the sponsoring institution (with the $10,000 in years 3 and 4).

b) Scholar

• must hold at least a PhD or MD in an eligible research area ;
• must be a graduate of a recognized health or allied health professional discipline ;
• must have received (graduate) academic training in clinical medicine, population health, health research and other health related areas which can have an impact on the health of people in LMIC ;
• must be in the early stage of their research career and have no more than five years of research training experience;
• in this first round, must be a citizen of one the following countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or Nepal ;
• must be employed by a sponsoring institution and is eligible for a study leave for two years ;
• must be committed to returning to the sponsoring institution for at least two years to apply the knowledge and experience gained through the program ;
• the first two years of this program must be undertaken at an eligible institution in Canada ;
• must be able to demonstrate his/her ability to function in the working language of the mentor's laboratory.

c) Sponsoring Institution(s)

The faculty members must be actively involved in clinical medicine, health related research, global health and/or population health research and demonstrate the potential to develop functional linkages to collaborative projects at other institutions. The sponsoring institutions must have adequate infrastructure, physical space, research training environment and computer facilities for its' trainees. The institutions are also required to meet the following specific criteria:

• must have a guaranteed commitment to full-time re-employment of the scholar for a minimum of two years upon the scholar's return from training in Canada ;
• must agree to provide protected time of at least 50% for the scholar to engage in research relevant to the training received in Canada ;
• must provide adequate infrastructure for the returning scholar;
• if it is unable to meet the above conditions, then it must provide supporting documents that they have similar contractual commitments or support from another national/state organization which would be able to absorb the scholar upon his/her return and fulfill the above conditions
• must be able to fulfill the program objectives.

Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research personnel programs apply. Please refer to Eligibility for Research Personnel Programs on the CIHR website.

The business office of the mentor's institution will administer the first two years of research funding. The eligibility requirements for Canadian institutions are found on the CIHR website in the CIHR Financial Administration of Funds Guidelines. 

During the post-training period, specifically years three and four, the research funding will be administered by the scholar at the sponsoring institution where he/she is to be employed.

The awards in the first round will be allocated as indicated in the table below.

A quota of five awards are available, if however no qualified candidates are identified as indicated by the allotment for that country and/or region, the remaining funds will be carried forward to future years.

Funding for up to five scholarships is offered through this partnership in the pilot round of this program. Scholars will receive funding in Canadian dollars based on the following table:

The stipend level is related to the major degree, licensure (where applicable) and experience of the applicant. Stipends are valued in Canadian dollars and are taxable.

1. Health professionals who hold licensure and are enrolled in a program leading to certification or hold an educational license at the time of taking up the Award will receive a stipend of:
   Forty thousand dollars ($40,000) per annum if such health professional has two (2) years or less of research experience; or
   Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per annum if such health professional has more than two (2) years of research experience.
2. The stipend level for those with a PhD (or equivalent) degree or a health professional degree without licensure is forty thousand dollars ($40,000) per annum.

How to Apply

A request for the CANADA-HOPE Scholarship Program must be submitted to CIHR using the appropriate forms.

The full application must contain:

1. CANADA-HOPE Scholarship Program - Nomination Form [ PDF (144 KB) | RTF (386 KB) | Help ] Complete as indicated (including transcripts if applicable).
2. Letter(s) from the head(s) of the sponsoring institution(s) detailing the guaranteed commitment for the third and fourth years of the award, and the infrastructure support available to the scholar when he/she returns to the sponsoring institution, from Canada.
3. A letter of support from the head of the department of the sponsoring institution, outlining how the research program and training plan fit the activities of the project for the scholar.
4. A letter from the scholar describing his/her commitment to the program, the relevancy of the research proposal to the Request for Application and the ability to function in the working language of the mentor's laboratory.
5. A letter from the Mentor, outlining how the mentoring activity will fit into the overall research plan of the Mentor's department. The ability of the Mentor and the suitability of the research environment for the scholar during the mentoring period. Describing the nature of continued collaboration after the scholar returns to his/her sponsoring institution.
6. CIHR CV module of the proposed scholar and mentor.
7. CIHR Training module [ Web Forms | PDF (fillable, 757 KB) | PDF (88.6 KB) | Help ] pages 1, 4, and 17.
8. CIHR Research module [ Web Forms | PDF (fillable, 320 KB) | PDF (94.5 KB) | Help ] to be completed by the scholar and the mentor, pages 2, and 12a-12e for the research proposed.
9. Three letters of reference and assessments forms for the scholar.
10. Copy of the scholar's Health professional degree or postgraduate research training.
11. Proof of professional licensure (scholar), if applicable.

Applicants must indicate on page 1 of the Training Module the "CANADA HOPE Scholarship Program" under "Partnership Program".

One original and one (1) copy of the full application package, including appendices, are required.

Send the complete application package to the following address:

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

CANADA-HOPE Scholarship Program
160 Elgin Street, 9th Floor
Address Locator 4809A
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9

Applicants must obtain a Personal Identification Number (PIN) from the CIHR Website prior to submitting their applications.

Evaluation Process and Criteria for Peer Review

All personal information collected by CIHR about applicants is used to review applications, to administer and monitor grants and awards, to compile statistics, and to promote and support health research in Canada. Consistent with these purposes, applicants should also expect that information collected by CIHR may be shared as described in Use and Disclosure of Personal Information Provided to CIHR for Peer Review.

The CIHR conflict of interest guidelines will apply to the members of the Peer Review Committee. A conflict of interest is a situation where an individual, or the organization he or she represents or has an interest in, has a real, potential or perceived, direct or indirect competing interest with CIHR's activities. This competing interest may result in the individual, or other(s) related to them or entities in which they have an interest, being in a position to benefit from the situation or in CIHR not being able to achieve a result which would be in the best interest of CIHR. The complete guidelines are posted on the CIHR web site.

Applications will be reviewed by a special Peer Review Committee of CIHR. Applications meeting the research objectives of the program and the scientific standards as determined by peer review will be selected and interviewed. Applications rated between 3.5 and 4.9 on the CIHR rating scale will be considered for funding in order of scientific ranking. CIHR will not provide any funds to support applications rated below 3.5.

Peer review of the applications will occur in two distinct phases.

Phase 1 CIHR Peer review

The research training and potential for a promising career in research, in a health related area which will help people in an LMIC and the potential to develop linkages are the principal criteria, on which applications will be judged. More specifically, the points considered in the Phase 1 assessment of an application are as follows:

• Appropriateness of academic and research training.
• Acknowledgments of academic achievement.
• Suitability of the mentor and appropriateness of the scholar for the award and training plan presented.
• Excellence of the research training environment in Canada.
• Publication record and contributions to the published work.
• Research accomplishments to date and evidence of independence and originality.
• Appropriateness of the proposed training research project to further the scholar's research career.
• Appropriateness of the sponsoring institution to provide the infrastructure and support for the scholar to continue his/her research in the health area as indicated by the scholar.

Phase 2: Personal interview

• Meritorious candidates from Phase 1 may be invited to Phase 2.
• The selection panel may interview candidates at location(s) to be determined in sub-continental South Asia.

Further information about the interview process will be forwarded to selected candidates.

Awards will be jointly funded through CIHR and Aventis, award amounts, as indicated in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide, apply.

CIHR guidelines and Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

CIHR has a federal entity is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, therefore the requirements of these two statutes will apply to all information located in CIHR's premises including, without limitation, cost-sharing agreements related to this Request for Applications and all matters pertaining thereto.

The parties, while respecting the application of the Privacy Act to federal entities, will also be bound by the PIPEDA. All personal information (as identified by the PIPEDA) collected, used or disclosed in the course of any commercial activity under cost-sharing agreements related to the Request for Applications will be collected, used and disclosed in compliance with the PIPEDA.

General CIHR Guidelines and Conditions of Funding

All conditions, as specified in CIHR's Grants and Awards Guides, shall apply to those funded through this initiative. Conditions cover areas such as Applicant and Institutional Responsibilities, Ethics, Official Language Policy, Access to Information and Privacy Acts, Acknowledgement of CIHR support etc. Successful recipients will be informed of any special financial conditions when they receive CIHR's Authorization for Funding Form (AFF). In addition to CIHR standard guidelines and requirements the following shall apply:

• Successful scholars must commence the award within one year of their letter of offer.
• The submission of a mid-term report to CIHR by the scholar and the mentor is required three months before the end of the second year. The report (typically 2 pages) must be jointly signed by the scholar and the mentor and must include a copy of all publications and/or abstracts submitted as a result of this award.
• The scholars must attend a relevant conference or seminar in the sub-continental South Asia within 12-18 months from the start date of the award. The scholars must also make a formal presentation, at their sponsoring institution, of the research project and the award.
• The scholar will submit a final report to CIHR, three months after the fourth year of the program. The final report will summarize the results and describe how the funds were used.
• The scholars must agree to participate in surveys and/or questionnaire(s), which will be used to contribute to the annual reporting requirements of the Program.
• The scholars must acknowledge the CANADA-HOPE Scholarship in publications of their work resulting from this award.

Communications Requirements

Recipients who receive funding are required to acknowledge the Program, CIHR and the partners in any communication or publication related to the project. See CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies, Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support for details on CIHR's communication requirements. The contributing partners will be identified on the Authorization for Funding and decision letter.

Monitoring, Performance Measurement and Evaluation

It is intended that performance of this initiative wil be assessed through ongoing monitoring and periodic evaluation. All funded applicants will be expected to participate in the evaluation strategy, contributing advice, data and reports as required for assessment purposes.
CIHR is committed to demonstrating results to Canadians for the money invested in health research. Therefore, processes for monitoring progress and appropriate use of funds, as well as for performance measurement and program evaluation are in place. As a result, funding recipients must:

• adhere to CIHR's reporting requirements and provide required information in a timely fashion;
• contribute to the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes by participating in evaluation studies, surveys, workshops, audits and providing data or reports as required for the purpose of collecting information to assess progress and results;
• encourage their associates, trainees and administration to participate in the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes as required.

Send Application by Courier to:

Canadian Institutes of Health Research
CANADA-HOPE Scholarship Program
Innovations and Industry Division
160 Elgin Street, 9^th Floor
Address Locator 4809A
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9

Contacts for Further Information:

For questions on CIHR eligibility, guidelines or how to apply contact:

Prabha Singh
Program Delivery Officer
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Address locator: 4809A
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9
Canada
Telephone: (613) 952-0823;
Fax: (613) 954-1800;
Email: psingh@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions regarding the research objectives please contact:

Dr. Arun Chockalingam
Assistant Director
Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Phone: (604) 806-8932
E-mail: achockalingam@mrl.ubc.ca