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Institutional Eligibility Requirements to Administer CIHR Funds

CIHR does not provide funds directly to researchers but rather to the institution/organization with which the nominated Principal Applicant is affiliated, usually as an employee. The institution, often referred to as the "Institution Paid", holds the funds and maintains a CIHR account from which the researcher can draw.

Before funds can flow to any Institution Paid, the institution must submit a written request to obtain a CIHR Common Grant and Award account and as explained below, must complete standard questionnaires, provide copies of policies and financial statements, and sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards with CIHR.

The Institution Paid is defined as the institution that will receive and manage the CIHR funds. Please note: the Institution Paid may vary from the location research is actually carried out (the Research Institution).

A Common Grant and Award account is created once an institution has successfully completed the eligibility process and a Memorandum of Understanding on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards has been signed. Institutions holding a Common Grant and Award account have been deemed eligible to manage CIHR funds and can be listed by a grant or award applicant as an Institution Paid during the application process of a competition.

CIHR will accept an eligibility request only when the institution has a minimum of one successful applicant, not already affiliated with another CIHR eligible institution. For affiliated institutions there is a minimum requirement of five successful applicants in order to be considered for this process.

The request must be signed by the institution's president/principal or delegate. The institution must demonstrate that it meets all of the requirements set out below.

An institution will be approved as CIHR-eligible only when the Memorandum of Understanding on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards (MOU) is signed between CIHR and the applying institution. Before an MOU can be signed, CIHR must have received all of the required documentation and be satisfied that the institution meets all of the requirements as defined below.

Once all of the required documentation is assembled, the request should be sent to:

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
160 Elgin Street
9th Floor Address Locator 4809A
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
Tel.: 613-952-9974
Fax: 613-954-1800
ian.raskin@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Attention: Ian Raskin, Senior Financial Monitoring Officer

Please refer to Annex 1 - Document Checklist - Key documents requiring completion to become eligible to manage CIHR funds for a detailed list of documents required

Requirements

To be eligible to apply for a common grant and award account, an institution must meet the following requirements and submit the necessary supporting documentation.

  1. The Institution type must fall under one of the following categories:
    • Canadian post-secondary institutions and their affiliated institutions including hospitals and research institutes
    • Canadian non-governmental, not-for-profit organizations (including community or charitable organizations) with an explicit research or knowledge translation mandate
    • Canadian non-federal government departments or agencies, including regional health authorities, when specific programs of those departments or agencies do not fund the activity that forms the subject matter of the grant
  2. The institution must have a successful applicant and must not have an affiliation with another CIHR eligible institution. Affiliated institutions must ensure the terms of their affiliation agreement allow them to hold a CIHR Common Grant and Award Account and must have a minimum of 5 successful applicants.
  3. The institution must be the physical location of at least one research project.
  4. The institution must be a recognized legal entity.
  5. The institution must have the necessary accounting systems and financial controls in place to manage CIHR Funds.
  6. The institution must be able to demonstrate they have an appropriate health research/knowledge translation mandate.
  7. The institution must ensure that the researcher will have an academic appointment, the time and infrastructure that will permit the pursuit of the planned research and the freedom to publish the results.
  8. Before allowing the researcher to draw on funds, the institution must demonstrate that the following are in place, in accordance with applicable legislation:

The Process to Open a Common Grant and Award Account

Please note that before an institution can submit a request to administer CIHR funding, it must have an approved research proposal or application and have a successful applicant approved for CIHR funding, not affiliated with another CIHR eligible institution. Funding for approved applicants will flow through the already eligible institution where the applicant holds an academic appointment. One exception exists, where the institution is affiliated with a CIHR eligible institution (if permitted under their affiliation agreement) and has a minimum of 5 successful applicants. Successful applicants appointed at an already eligible CIHR institution may not seek to have his/her funding administered at another institution. The steps of the application process are as follows:

  1. The institution is notified by CIHR that they have a successful applicant.
  2. The institution submits a written eligibility request, signed by the institution's president/principal or delegate, to CIHR's Financial Monitoring Unit indicating their research and or knowledge translation mandate and their intention to apply for a Common Grant and Award Account:

    Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
    160 Elgin Street
    9th Floor Address Locator 4809A
    Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
    Tel.: 613-952-9974
    Fax: 613-954-1800
    ian.raskin@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

    Attention: Ian Raskin, Senior Financial Monitoring Officer

  3. The Financial Monitoring Unit will assess the request and ensure the minimum qualification requirements are met. The Financial Monitoring Officer then sends an eligibility application consisting of the following documents:
    1. Cover Letter - Included in the "Cover Letter" will be a request for copies of the following documents:
      1. the institution's most recent Audited Financial Statements
      2. the institution's most recent Annual Report
      3. the institution's Research Integrity Policy
      4. the institution's Policy on Ethics for Research Involving Humans
    2. Annex A - Institutional Contact Form
    3. Annex B - Signatures from Institutional administrative officials Form
    4. Annex C - New CIHR Institution Account Questionnaire
    5. Annex D - Control Framework Assessment Questionnaire
    6. Sample Memorandum of Understanding on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards

    The institution must complete Annexes A to D and submit all documents in a timely fashion as defined at the time of application.

  4. The institution must then return the completed documents for review by CIHR.
  5. Annexes A-D, the Audited Financial Statements, and Annual Report are reviewed by the Financial Monitoring Unit. A follow-up request is sent to the institution if any further queries exist. Any questions can be communicated to:

    Ian Raskin
    Tel.: 613-952-9974
    E-mail: ian.raskin@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

  6. The Institution's Research Integrity Policy is reviewed by CIHR's Ethics Office. If the institution does not have a Research Integrity policy one will need to be developed before eligibility will be considered. A follow-up request is sent to the institution if any further queries exist. Any questions can be communicated to:

    Karen Wallace
    Tel.: 613-954-1383
    E-mail: karen.wallace@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

    For additional information on the requirements of this policy, please consult the following links:

    Tri-Council Policy Statement: Integrity in Research Scholarship

    Framework for Tri-Council Review of Institutional Policies Dealing with Integrity in Research

  7. The Institution's Policy on Ethics for Research Involving Humans is reviewed by the Interagency Secretariat on Research Ethics. If the institution does not have a Policy on Ethics for Research Involving Humans one will need to be developed before eligibility will be considered. A follow-up request is sent to the institution if any further queries exist. Any questions can be communicated to:

    Interagency Secretariat on Research Ethics
    Tel.: 613-996-0072
    E-mail: secretariat@pre.ethics.gc.ca

    For additional information on the requirements of this policy, please consult the following links:

    Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans

  8. After all documents have been reviewed and accepted by CIHR the file is finalized. The institution is sent a letter confirming their successful application and two copies of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards (MOU) signed by the President of CIHR. Before the institution's Common Grant and Award Account is officially opened a copy of the MOU, signed by the institution's President, must be returned to CIHR. Please courier the signed MOU to:

    Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
    160 Elgin Street
    9th Floor Address Locator 4809A
    Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
    Tel.: 613-952-9974
    Fax: 613-954-1800
    ian.raskin@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

    Attention: Ian Raskin, Senior Financial Monitoring Officer

  9. An official confirmation will be sent to the institution to inform them of the opening of their CIHR Common Grant and Award Account.

Annex 1

Document Checklist: Key documents requiring completion to become eligible to manage CIHR funds

  • Application Initiation
    • A written request signed by the President/Principal, or delegate of the applicant institution
  • Application Submission
    • Annex A - Institutional Contact Form
    • Annex B - Signatures from Institutional administrative officials Form*
    • Annex C - New CIHR Institution Account Questionnaire*
    • Annex D - Control Framework Assessment Questionnaire*
    • The Institution's most recent Audited Financial Statements
    • The Institution's most recent Annual Report
    • The Institution's Research Integrity Policy, including its procedures for handling allegations of misconduct.**
      The policy must comply with the general principles in the Tri-Council Policy on Integrity in Research and Scholarship.
    • The Institution's Ethics in Research Involving Humans Policy that meets the standards of the Policy on Ethics for Research Involving Humans (TCPS) as a minimum standard. Please include the ethics review procedures and all forms related to ethics reviews.**

      * Requires original signed document

      ** Final approved copy on institutional letterhead required

  • Account Finalization
    • Signed copy of Memorandum of Understanding on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards returned to CIHR
Modified: 2010-02-04

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