• Synthesis Grant: Knowledge Translation [Registration deadline: 2008-04-01]
• Needs, Gaps and Opportunities Assessments in Health Services and Policy [Application deadline: 2008-03-31]
• Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant [Application deadline: 2008-02-04]
• Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research [LOI deadline: 2008-04-01]

Details on each funding opportunity and corresponding eligible areas of research are provided below.

CIHR's contribution to these initiatives is subject to availability of funds voted annually to CIHR by parliamentary appropriations, and the conditions that may be attached to them.

Synthesis Grant: Knowledge Translation

The Synthesis funding opportunity is intended to support teams of researchers and decision makers to produce knowledge syntheses and scoping reviews targeted to issues deemed important over the next few years by research users. So that these projects contribute to the use of synthesized evidence in decision-making, proposals will require strong partnerships with decision makers and well-developed knowledge translation strategies that involve both integrated and end-of-grant knowledge translation practices. The total amount available for this initiative is $1 million, and the maximum amount awarded for a synthesis is $100,000 per annum for up to 1 year.

CIHR-IHSPR will support at least ten (10) successful research synthesis applications determined to be relevant to one or more of the Listening for Direction III (LfD III) themes and/or its three priority research areas emerging from those themes: Access to Appropriate Care across the Continuum; Drug Policy; and Health Information.

In addition, CIHR-IHSPR will support up to one (1) synthesis focused on health services and policy research related to low- and middle-income countries.

For full details of the Synthesis Grant funding opportunity, eligible research areas, and application deadlines, please visit the Funding Opportunities Database.

Needs, Gaps and Opportunities Assessments in Health Services and Policy

Together with the CIHR Institute's of Aging, Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, and the CIHR Partnerships and Citizen Engagement Branch, CIHR-IHSPR is pleased to launch the Needs, Gaps and Opportunities Assessments (NGOA) in Health Services and Policy. The overall program goal of the funding opportunity is the identification of Canadian research needs, gaps and opportunities within selected research areas identified as priorities by CIHR's Institutes. The grants entail a structured "environmental scan" of current and planned major Canadian research activities in a specified priority research area (see below), a collaborative stakeholder consultation process, and prioritization of identified needs, gaps and opportunities. The total amount available for this initiative is $1.1 million, and the maximum amount awarded for a nationally-focused NGOA grant is $100,000 per annum for up to one year. $150,000 has been allocated for an NGOA focused on activities related to high-income countries, and $150,000 has been allocated for an NGOA focused on the Canadian researchers' role in research related to low- and middle-income countries.

Together with its partners (partners in brackets), CIHR-IHSPR will fund nationally-focused NGOAs in the following priority research areas:

• Access to Appropriate Care across the Continuum (CIHR-IHSPR)
• Access to Appropriate Care across the Continuum, relating to the Older Population (CIHR-IA)
• Drug Policy (CIHR-IHSPR)
• Drug Policy, relating to the Older Population (CIHR-IA)
• New Health Technologies (CIHR-IHSPR)
• Electronic Health Records (CIHR-IHSPR)
• Citizen Engagement (CIHR-IHSPR)
• Health Services and Policy Research related to Obesity (CIHR-INMD)

CIHR-IHSPR is also interested in supporting an NGOA related to health services and policy research in other high-income countries as it applies to Listening for Direction III themes in order to provide insight for Canadian researchers and decision makers on learning from and applying international experiences.

In addition, CIHR-IHSPR is interested in funding an NGOA that focuses on how Canada and Canadian researchers can best support or partner in health services and policy research in low- and middle-income countries.

For full details of the NGOA funding opportunity, eligible research areas, and application deadlines please visit the Funding Opportunities Database.

Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant

CIHR-IHSPR is pleased to announce that through the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination (MPD) grant it will fund research development and knowledge translation and exchange activities (e.g., workshops, symposia, background papers, etc.) to facilitate collaboration and knowledge translation activities among individuals from a variety of fields, disciplines, backgrounds and roles. The total amount available for the current CIHR-IHSPR MPD grant funding opportunity is $160,000. The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $20,000 for up to one year. The research development and knowledge exchange priorities eligible for funding include:

• Nationally-focused MPD grants related to the Listening for Direction III themes and the CIHR-IHSPR priority research areas
• Internationally-focused MPD grant related to the Listening for Direction III themes and the CIHR-IHSPR priority research areas in high-income countries that involves researchers and/or decision makers in those countries
• Internationally-focused MPD grant related to Low- and Middle-Income countries that involves researchers and/or decision makers in those countries

For full details of the MPD funding opportunity, objectives, eligible research areas, and application deadlines, please visit the Funding Opportunities Database.

Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research (STIHR)

The mandate of the STIHR program is to increase the capacity of the Canadian health research community to produce high-quality graduates capable of addressing major health issues and health research challenges. Training grants are intended to support the development of training programs that improve the mentoring and training environment for health researchers; support the development of collaborative, team research by bringing researchers together from different disciplines to address major health issues and health research challenges; and support the development of well-rounded individuals in the next generation of health researchers.

CIHR-IHSPR is pleased to support approximately five (5) successful STIHR applications determined to be relevant to one or more themes emerging from the Listening for Direction III consultation exercise and/or its three priority research areas emerging from those themes: Access to Appropriate Care across the Continuum, Drug Policy, and Health Information. The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $325,000 per annum for up to 6 years.

For more information on CIHR-IHSPR's priority announcement within the STIHR funding opportunity, including application deadlines, please visit the Funding Opportunities Database. Additional information regarding the STIHR program, purpose, objectives, partners and other details is available at on the STIHR website.

CIHR-IHSPR looks forward to receiving your application and would also like to extend its sincere gratitude to all who provide invaluable help with these funding opportunities.

Thank you.