ICR Newsletter - September 2010

Table of Contents

1. Funding Opportunities

2. Funding Decisions

3. Landmark Pan-Canadian Cancer Research Strategy

4. CIHR 2011 International Review

5. New Institute Advisory Board Members

6. Meetings of interest to the cancer community

1. Funding opportunities

ICR Publications Prizes for Cancer Research Trainees

Application deadlines: December 31 and June 30

ICR, wishing to recognize the excellence of cancer research done in Canada by graduate students and postdoctoral trainees, will award 12 publication prizes per year of a value of $1,000 each. Trainees who have published research articles as first authors within 12 months of the application deadline that describes work done in Canada that is relevant to the mandate of ICR may enter their paper into the competition. There will be two submission deadlines a year, June 30 and December 31. Publications will be evaluated and ranked according to criteria which include:

  • Relevance to cancer and/or the mandate of ICR
  • The level of the trainee's contributions
  • The quality of the journal
  • The impact of the publication
  • Impact on the target audience

This funding opportunity is offered through the Institute Community Support (ICS) Program of ICR. The full description of the program, instructions on how to apply, and application forms is available on the ICR web site.

Advancing Technology Innovation through Discovery - CIHR/Genome Canada Request for Applications

Application deadline: October 15, 2010

This collaborative joint program was developed by Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to bring together Genome Canada-funded Science and Technology Innovation Centres (S&T ICs) with Canadian researchers to focus on applying the latest genomics technologies to identify the genetic causes of childhood diseases. This funding opportunity will specifically focus on diseases where such identification can be achieved rapidly with the potential for important novel biological, clinical and commercial discoveries.

The focus of the collaborative program is childhood diseases for which genes can be identified in a short time frame and with a small number of subjects to ensure the greatest impact with the limited funds available; these may include both (i) rare Mendelian diseases and (ii) some rare pediatric and adolescent cancers. This collaborative program is not intended to study gene variants in complex diseases. However, should a longer term program be developed, more complex diseases may be considered for study in an expanded program.

Applications are expected to be pan-Canadian and must include multiple research centres. It is expected that geneticists and clinicians will work in partnership with the Genome Canada-funded S&T ICs to develop applications for this initial program. Of the three Genome Canada-funded S&T ICs that offer sequencing and data analysis, at least two must be involved in each application. Applications can focus solely on rare pediatric and adolescent cancers or on other rare childhood diseases or, if appropriate, can combine both disease areas/streams in a single application.

Full details of the Advancing Technology Innovation through Discovery Program are available on the Genome Canada website.

Childhood Cancer Masters Award

Application deadline: February 1, 2011

CIHR, through the Small Health Organization Partnership Program (SHOPP), in partnership with the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO), will fund applications that are determined to be relevant to the research priority areas described below:

  • Research that contributes to a better understanding of childhood cancer and its impacts, and improved outcomes for children with cancer and their families. In particular, research that:
    • Diminishes the impact of childhood cancer on children, families, and society;
    • Enhances our understanding of the causes of childhood cancer;
    • Informs policy development;
    • Aligns resources with needs;
    • Applied translational research, health services research, population health research, and/or biomedical research is supported through this priority announcement.
  • Please note that basic science research will not be funded through this priority announcement.
  • More information on the research priorities of POGO's Research Unit (PRU) can be found on their web site.

The total amount available for this initiative is $17,500. The maximum amount awarded for a single award is $17,500 per annum for up to one year.

More information about this funding opportunity can be found on the CIHR website.

Doctoral Research Award: Fall 2010 Priority Announcement (Childhood Cancer)

Application deadline: October 15, 2011

CIHR, through the Small Health Organization Partnership Program (SHOPP), in partnership with the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO), will fund applications that are determined to be relevant to the research priority areas described below:

  • Research that contributes to a better understanding of childhood cancer and its impacts, and improved outcomes for children with cancer and their families. In particular, research that:
    • Diminishes the impact of childhood cancer on children, families, and society;
    • Enhances our understanding of the causes of childhood cancer;
    • Informs policy development;
    • Aligns resources with needs.
  • Applied translational research, health services research, population health research, and/or biomedical research is supported through this priority announcement.
  • Please note that basic science research will not be funded through this priority announcement.
  • More information on the research priorities of POGO's Research Unit (PRU) can be found on their website.

The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $105,000. The maximum amount awarded for a single award is $35,000 per annum for up to three years.

More information about this funding opportunity can be found on the CIHR website.


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Kidney Cancer Fellowship in honour of Tony Clark

Application deadline: October 1, 2010

Tony Clark (July 8, 1946 - April 15, 2010) was a co-founder and the inaugural Chair of Kidney Cancer Canada (2006-2010). A stage IV kidney cancer patient himself, Tony was a tireless advocate for kidney cancer patients across Canada. Tony inspired patients and health care professionals alike with his strength, courage, and leadership. CIHR and Kidney Cancer Canada are pleased to honour Tony's legacy by offering a Fellowship Award in his name. This Fellowship is offered to an outstanding individual who is to undertake research in the field of kidney cancer.

CIHR, through the Small Health Organization Partnership Program (SHOPP), in partnership with Kidney Cancer Canada Association (KCCA) will fund applications that are determined to be relevant to Kidney Cancer and Renal Cell Carcinoma.

The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $275,000. The maximum amount awarded for a single award is $55,000 per annum for up to five years.

More information about this funding opportunity can be found on the CIHR website.

Medical Imaging Clinical Trials Network Request for Applications

Application for the Letter of Intent: October 1, 2010

The CIHR Strategy on Patient-Oriented Research and the CIHR Institute of Cancer Research are announcing the launch of the Medical Imaging Clinical Trials Network RFA. This RFA provides an opportunity for Canada's medical imaging community to come together to establish a clinical trials network that will coordinate and support imaging trials. As the funds for this initiative are a part of a larger Federal funding envelope for the Isotope Supply Initiative, the focus of the network, as least initially, must be on imaging modalities that use radiopharmaceuticals, including combined imaging modalities such as MRI/PET and must address the intent of the Federal Initiative, which is to reduce our reliance on 99mTc.

It is expected that the successful network will encompass several medical disciplines, e.g. oncology, cardiology, neurology, immunology and will be national in scope with participation from a minimum of 10 centres across Canada, spanning a minimum of four provinces. This funding opportunity will help researchers create a critical mass of scientific expertise; link relevant support and other centres of research; develop standardized protocols; coordinate overall research activities of the network; facilitate continuity in research; begin clinical trials and disseminate findings. The network will provide essential infrastructure including leadership, administration, data management, professional and regulatory support staff, clinical trials training programs, and coordination of ethics and regulatory approvals.

To view the full details of this funding opportunity, please visit the CIHR web site.

Meetings, Planning and Dissemination (MPD) Grant - Cancer Research

Application deadline: October 15, 2010

The MPD program is intended to provide support for meetings, planning and/or dissemination activities consistent with the mandate of CIHR and relevant to the CIHR Institute of Cancer Research (ICR). ICR will provide partial support for meetings which have direct relevance to cancer research, and are provincial, national, or international in scope. The level of funding will depend on the type of event. The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $80,000 per competition. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.

The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $15,000 for workshops, $20,000 for symposia, and $5,000 for congresses.

Further details about this program can be found on ICR's web site.

Network Development Grant: Palliative and End of Life Care

Application deadline: November 15, 2010

The CIHR Knowledge Translation (KT) Branch and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) will provide support for the creation and/or further development of formal networks. The aim of these networks will be to facilitate the pooling of resources to support innovative research and practices, to build capacity and to provide a forum for discussing ideas, sharing best practices and consulting on challenges. This opportunity will provide funding for networks that demonstrate a capacity to advance work in priority research areas.

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) will provide funding for application(s) determined to be relevant to the priority area of Palliative and End-of-Life Care (PEOLC). PEOLC was identified by ICR as one of its original research priorities. An impact assessment and evaluation of the PEOLC initiatives previously launched by ICR was conducted in 2009. One of the recommendations was to provide funding for a sustainable PEOLC network to support this research community.

More information regarding this funding opportunity can be found on the CIHR web site.


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POGO Research Fellowship and Seed Funding Grants

POGO Research Fellowship Program
Application deadline: December 3, 2010

Fellowships are awarded to applicants working toward a Ph.D., pursuing a postdoctoral degree, or to licensed clinicians and healthcare practitioners of any discipline working in the field of pediatric oncology. The Ph.D./Postdoctoral Fellowship includes a yearly salary of $45,000 and the ability to apply for $5,000 in project-specific one-time operating support. The Clinician Scholar Award includes a yearly salary of $55,000 and the ability to apply for $5,000 in project-specific one-time operating support.

Seed Funding Grants
Application deadline: November 26, 2010

Since 2006, POGO has offered Seed Funding Grants of up to $15,000 to facilitate or support feasibility studies, self-contained studies, or the development of grant applications.

Further details on these two funding opportunities are available on the POGO website under the Research tab.

Team Grant: Childhood Cancer – Late Effects of Treatment

LOI deadline (Phase 1): December 1, 2010
Application deadline (Phase 2): June 1, 2011

The primary objective of this RFA is to support excellent research that will lead to the prevention or mitigation of the biological long term adverse effects of pediatric and adolescent cancer treatments, through the identification of the biological, biochemical or genetic features or surrogate markers of organ dysfunction or the development of second cancers. For this RFA, the eligible age range for study will be children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer before the age of 19.

The RFA will support multidisciplinary teams that bring together the pediatric/adolescent oncology research community, the basic biomedical research community and their clinical research colleagues in the medical disciplines (e.g. cardiology, neurology, endocrinology) who treat the adverse effects experienced by pediatric and adolescent cancer survivors, often many years following cancer cure. In order to facilitate the creation of these teams an Application Development Workshop will be held prior to the deadline for the Letters of Intent. Although not a mandatory requirement, potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend this one-day workshop on October 6, 2010 in Ottawa. Registration must be made prior to August 16, 2010.

Through the creation of multi-disciplinary and potentially multi-centre teams, it is hoped that new strategies will be discovered that will prevent or reduce the occurrence of late-onset treatment-related toxicities or toxicities that arise during treatment that result in permanent damage. Successful projects will have an emphasis on translational research where a clear pathway to clinical interventions is evident.

Further details about this funding opportunity can be found on the CIHR web site.

2. Funding Decisions

The ICR Travel Awards Program

ICR is pleased to announce the results of the first two competitions of its ICR Travel Awards Program for students and post-doctoral fellows. A total of 26 cancer research trainees were granted a travel award of a maximum value of $1,000 in the May 14, 2010 and June 15, 2010 competitions (13 recipients per competition). ICR received respectively 40 and 27 applications in the first and second competition.

The list of recipients for each competition can be viewed on the CIHR-ICR web site.

3. Landmark Pan-Canadian Cancer Research Strategy

Cancer research funders commit to 24 key action items in country's first pan-Canadian cancer research strategy. This new strategy will help coordinate cancer research investment across Canada and enable the country's cancer research funders to make faster progress on shared priorities and maximize the impact of cancer research funding in Canada - in turn enabling more Canadians to benefit from new discoveries.

Developed by the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance (CCRA), with funding from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, the Pan-Canadian Cancer Research Strategy represents a first for Canada's cancer research funders: the planning of how some of their work will fit within the context of a broader Canadian strategy that takes into consideration shared priorities and leverages the strengths of each organization to maximize available funds. The strategy outlines 24 key action items across numerous areas of focus – including prevention, biological, translational, treatment and tumour-specific research – that require collective efforts and shared resources.

The strategy results from input and consultation from the research community both nationally and internationally. In preparing the strategy, the CCRA undertook an extensive consultation process, gathering input from more than 1,000 scientists, clinicians, patients, survivors and policy makers. Leading experts from around the world were interviewed to ensure the strategy was informed by international perspectives on the future of cancer research.

Investments in cancer research worldwide have contributed to significant progress in the treatment and cure of certain cancers, including Hodgkin's lymphoma and testicular cancer, which now have long-term survival rates well above 80 per cent. Still, despite these advances, more than 171,000 Canadians are diagnosed with cancer each year and 75,000 die from it.

"We have made excellent strides, but clearly more can be done," said Ms. Hill. "Made possible through our work with the CCRA and other research partners, this landmark strategy will strengthen the cancer research landscape in Canada for years to come and, ultimately, move us closer to the goals that anchor our work – fewer people diagnosed with or dying of cancer and improved quality of life for those affected by the disease."

You may consult the document about the Strategy online on the CCRA home page.

4. CIHR 2011 International Review

As CIHR reaches its tenth anniversary, and in keeping with its legislated responsibility, the CIHR Governing Council is coordinating a second International Review of CIHR. The review will address the following overarching question(s): Has CIHR been effective in fulfilling its mandate as outlined in the CIHR Act? How can CIHR improve at achieving its mandate?

The review will be conducted by an International Review Panel chaired by Dr. Elias Zerhouni. In addition, the International Review Panel will receive input from 13 Expert Review Teams that have been recruited to conduct reviews of the CIHR Institutes. The 2011 International Review will take place in Ottawa, starting with the Institute reviews in February 2011, followed by the International Review Panel meeting in March 2011. Following the Panel's deliberations, Dr. Zerhouni will report the findings and recommendations to the CIHR Governing Council. The final report will be made public some time after its presentation to the Governing Council in June 2011.

5. New Institute Advisory Board Members

Members of each of the CIHR's 13 Institute's Advisory Boards are renewed periodically according to their appointment term and are composed of a diverse group of national and international representatives of the public, private and non-profit sectors, including the research community and health practitioners.

As of September 1, 2010, ICR will welcome four new members on its Advisory Board: Dr. Francine Durocher from the Université Laval, Dr. Jon Kerner from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer Corporation, Dr. Donna Turner from Cancer Care Manitoba and Dr. André Veillette from the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal. Their biographies are available on the ICR web site.

ICR would like to take this opportunity to thank the following IAB members that have diligently served ICR during their mandate, which ended on August 31, 2010: Dr. Ronald Barr from McMaster University, Dr. Jacques Corbeil from the CHUQ Research Centre, Dr. Margaret Fitch from the Toronto Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre, Dr. Anne-Marie Mes-Masson from the CHUM Research Centre and Dr. Mark Nachtigal from Dalhousie University.

6. Meetings of Interest to the Cancer Community