• Aiding research and knowledge translation activities where the circumstances fall outside CIHR's programs.
• Supporting organizations and activities whose goals are consistent with the Institute's and CIHR's vision, mandate and strategic directions.

The ICS Program is not intended to support the direct cost of research (e.g., pilot projects, feasibility studies or operating grants), principal and co-investigator salaries or research equipment.

Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH) ICS Program

Under the framework of the ICS Program, IPPH will consider requests that:

• fall within the general objectives of this funding program;
• address one or more of the following priority theme areas (listed below);
• directly involve and build the capacity of the next generation of population and public health researchers (e.g. trainees, new investigators), policy-makers and/or practitioners; and,
• build on/align with existing IPPH initiatives (e.g. Applied Public Health Chairs, Centres for Research Development)

For those seeking workshop and symposium support, please refer to the Meeting, Planning and Dissemination Grants funding opportunity in the CIHR Funding Opportunities Database.

Priority Theme Areas

• Population health interventions
  
  Population health interventions can include policy, programmatic and resource distribution approaches. These interventions are often complex. Examining what types of population health interventions promote health and health equity is an important area of inquiry. Substantive priority areas for population health intervention research will be identified with partners.
  
  IPPH encourages submissions that align with the Population Health Intervention Research Initiative for Canada, aimed at increasing the quality, quantity and use of population health intervention research for use by policy makers and practitioners.
  
  
• Pathways to health equity
  
  Existing and emergent inequities are reinforced or mitigated through both intended and unintended population health influences that operate at all system levels (from micro to macro); and across sectors and geographic borders. This priority will focus on understanding pathways to promote health equity within and between countries.
  
  
• Implementation systems for population health interventions in public health and other sectors
  
  Population health interventions are implemented within organizational, policy, and program delivery systems. These systems include many key elements such as inter-organizational, intersectoral and inter-jurisdictional governance structures, leadership supports and information exchange mechanisms. This priority interrogates the reciprocal influences of implementation systems on population health interventions, in both public health and other sectors such as education, housing and natural resources. Of particular interest is how these reciprocal influences may strengthen or mitigate the impacts of population health interventions on health and health equity.
  
  
• Theoretical and methodological innovations
  
  Leading edge research to address the first three priorities will require theoretical and methodological innovations, informed by diverse disciplinary fields. These theoretical and methodological innovations will in turn need to be incorporated into knowledge generation, knowledge synthesis and knowledge integration initiatives. They can also contribute to the development of frameworks for population health and global health ethics.

IPPH Travel Awards

IPPH will provide travel awards for trainees and new investigators to attend meetings, conferences (including international conferences) and/or symposia that align with the Institute's priority theme areas and advance their professional development and/or knowledge translation initiatives in population and public health.

The maximum amount for a single travel award is $1,500 to cover the costs of travel, accommodation, per diem for meals, and conference registration fees.

Population and Public Health Community Development Activities

IPPH will support a diversity of community development activities that fall within the general objectives of the ICS program and that align with the Institute's priority theme areas.

Examples of the kinds of community development activities eligible for funding include:

• Communication, knowledge exchange and networking activities
• Dissemination of research results through specialized publications
• Maintenance/updating of websites
• Production and distribution of written materials in various formats
• Hiring of a knowledge broker or implementation facilitator/change agent;
• Development of plain language summaries
• Development of knowledge exchange tools (e.g. educational CD-ROM and decision support tools)

Please note this list is non-exhaustive and is provided for examples only.

Funds Available

IPPH's contribution to the amount available for this program is subject to availability of funds voted annually to CIHR by parliamentary appropriations, and the conditions that may be attached to them.

The total amount available for this program is $75,000 for fiscal year 2009-2010. Although not anticipated at this time, additional funds may become available.

How to Apply

Applicants seeking funds from IPPH for community support activities need to follow the ICS program application process which is available on the ICS Program funding opportunity page.

Please email the ICS form and all the attachments to Kim Gaudreau at kim.gaudreau@cihr-irsc.gc.ca by the 25th of each calendar month. An original signed ICS form should also be sent by regular mail to the Institute (see below).

Contact Information

For information on availability of funds or whether an activity could be funded under existing CIHR programs please contact:

Kim Gaudreau
Associate, Strategic Iniatives
CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health
Telephone: 613-957-6128
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: kim.gaudreau@cihr-irsc.gc.ca