Team Grants: Terry Fox New Frontiers Program in Cancer - ResearchNet "Application" Phase Instructions

Before you begin

Make sure you have the following or click the links to register:

• a ResearchNet account
• a CIHR PIN in ResearchNet
• access to Common CV

You should only have one ResearchNet account. If you have already accessed ResearchNet, do not register for a new account.

For technical help, call 613-941-9080 or e-mail support@researchnet-recherchenet.ca, and for more information, please contact terryfoxgrants@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

Applications must be submitted on ResearchNet, by adhering to the following tasks:

Task 1: Identify Participants

This task collects information on all participants involved in your research application (sub-project for which this application is being prepared). Please enter the institution of the Nominated Principal applicant/Program coordinator. Consult the Individual Eligibility Requirements on the CIHR website for more information.

New: Applicants will enter their Common CV Confirmation number in this task. This replaces the former requirement to upload a CCV .pdf file.

CIHR applicants will choose an Academic CV template (replaces Full Application CV) or a Knowledge User CV template, depending on their roles. See the "Eligibility" and the "How to Apply" sections of this funding opportunity to determine the CV requirements for each participant. To produce an Academic CV template or a Knowledge User CV template:

1. Log in to the Common CV system: go to the CV menu and select Funding.
2. In the Funding Source field, select CIHR from the dropdown and click next. Select the appropriate CV type and click next.
3. Enter data and click on "Done." Validation is automatically performed and errors are displayed, if any. The validation rules follow the requirements set specifically by CIHR.
4. Review the CV data online and via a preview of the PDF.
5. When satisfied, record the confirmation number that is displayed with the status message and at the top of the CV PDF.
6. Return to ResearchNet and enter this confirmation number under the Identify Participants Task. If you wish to make changes to your Common CV for a certain application, you must repeat the steps above and use the new confirmation number.

Note 1: During peak periods, there can be a delay between the time that you submit the CV and when ResearchNet is able to validate it. It is highly recommended that you submit your CV well in advance of the competition deadline.

Note 2: A CV is required for all participants, with the exception of collaborators. All participants identified as either Nominated Principal Applicant/Program Coordinator or Principal Applicants are required to include an Academic CV.

Note 3: Personal CVs must be submitted for all the co-applicants (refer to the "Attach Participants Documents" task below for instructions on uploading a Personal CV).

Task 2: Attach Participant Documents

All attachments must adhere to the guidelines for attachments on the Acceptable Application Formats and Attachments. Before preparing your proposal, please carefully review these instructions.

Personal CV (Co-applicants only; limit to 5 pages each):

A Personal CV is not created through the Common CV system. It is uploaded directly to ResearchNet from your personal files. The CV must follow CIHR's formatting guidelines, and include the following:

• Name
• Affiliation
• Academic/Training Background
• Work Experience
• Distinctions/Credentials
• Publication Record relevant to this proposal (last 5 years)

Uploading a Personal CV

1. Click Browse (to the right of the applicable document type).
2. Navigate to and select the appropriate PDF file.
3. Click "Attach" to upload the document.

All documents must be in PDF format. The total size of the attached document(s) cannot exceed 30 MB.

Contribution Details (Nominated Principal Applicant/Program Coordinator and Principal Applicants only)

The following attachments provide more information on various applicant contributions.

New: All of the data fields in the following attachments can now be found in the renewed Common CV.

CIHR is taking a phased in approach to the submission of Contribution Details: applicants may use the renewed Common CV to enter their contribution data or may continue to use the following attachments. Only Career Interruption and Delays must be submitted through the renewed Common CV, under the Leaves of Absence section.

Phasing in the use of the renewed Common CV for Contributions will provide more time for some of the more labor-intensive fields (e.g. Publications). Therefore, none of the Contributions fields in the renewed Common CV will be mandatory (with the exception noted above). However, CIHR strongly encourages the applicant to enter data into at least 5 of the Contribution fields in the renewed Common CV (where possible), to familiarize themselves with the system.

Contributions Details - Most Significant Contributions (with a Common CV, limit to one page)

Identify a maximum of five (5) contributions, with a maximum length of one page, that best highlight your contribution or activities in the field of research, defining the impact and relevance of each. A contribution is understood to be a publication, literary or artistic work, conference, patent or intellectual property right, contract or creative activity, commission, etc. Your complete description may include the organization, position or activity type and description, from and to dates, and the basis on which this contribution is significant (i.e. relevance, target community and impact).

Contributions Details - Activities and Contributions (limit to one page)

The activities and contributions defined in this section should include both academic and non-academic achievements, and their impacts.

Examples of entries follow. This is not necessarily a complete list, and is intended to provide guidance only.

• Committee membership
• For peer review committees, specify the year(s), the subject(s), and the funding organization
• For thesis examination committees, indicate the author, title of thesis, and university
• Consulting/contract activities
• Research development
• Research or technical reports
• Supervisory experience (e.g. training of students)
• Technology transfers (specify the nature of the activity and the target audience)
• Involvement in public, private, or non-profit sector activities
• Policy papers
• Presentations as guest speaker (public or invited lectures)
• Editorships (specify if editor-in-chief or member of the editorial team)
• Evaluation of articles for scientific, literary or artistic journals (specify title of journal and the number of articles evaluated)
• Knowledge translation/Dissemination activities

If some of these completed works do not seem to support the research theme of the team or centre to which you belong, provide the necessary explanations.

Contributions Details - Patents and Intellectual Property Rights (limit to one page)

This section should include details for patents and intellectual property rights for technology transfer, products, and services. Do not include publications in this section.

Descriptions might include the title, patents or intellectual property rights number and date, country(ies) of issue, the name of the inventors, as well as relevance or impact of the stated item.

Contributions Details - Publications List (no page limit)

List your most important publications and other research contributions over the past five years related to this project, according to the categories below. This is not necessarily a complete list, and is only intended to provide guidance. Categories can be added as needed. Use only items pertinent to the application. There is no limit to the number of pages you can use.

Categories

Use each applicable category as a different sub-title; maintain the same presentation order as shown below. In all instances, use the reference format for complete bibliographical notes of each original publication. Indicate the source of funding, if applicable.

• Published refereed papers (original articles published in journals with editorial review)
• Accepted or in press refereed papers (attach acceptance letters)
• Submitted refereed papers
• Published books and monographs (as author or editor)
• Accepted or in press books and monographs
• Submitted books and monographs
• Published contributions to a collective work and book chapters (including chapters written on invitation or collective works derived from conferences or symposiums)
• Accepted or in press contributions to a collective work and book chapters (including chapters written on invitation or collective works derived from conferences or symposiums)
• Presentations as guest speaker (including conferences, presentations, demonstrations, workshops intended for a non-academic audience, according to the type of audience)
• Published abstracts/number of notes (including name of journal, title of article, and date submitted)
• Accepted or in press abstracts/number of notes (including name of journal, title of article, and date submitted)
• Submitted abstracts (including name of journal, title of article, and date submitted)
• Works including individual or collective literary or artistic works (e.g. novels, short stories, poetry, film, video, visual arts work, booklet, record, sound creation, book of artists, collection, exhibition catalogue, etc.)
• Research reports or reports produced for the government
• Articles in professional or cultural journals without review committee (including popularized texts)

Task 3: Enter Project Information and Supporting Documents

This task collects information related to your research project.

Project Title

For a Program Grant submission, your application should be titled as follows: The Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project in Insert Title & the name of the Nominated Principal Applicant/Program Coordinator (e.g., The Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project in cancer research (Dr. NPA)). For sub-projects, your application should be titled as follows: Sub-project #: Title & the name of the Nominated Principal Applicant/Program Coordinator (e.g., Sub-Project # 1: Research in cancer research (Dr.NPA)). This title will be used by CIHR to identify the Program Grant with which your application is linked.

Lay Title

Provide a title for your project that is in a language clear to members of the general public. Lay titles are used by CIHR and the Terry Fox Foundation (TFF) to inform the public and Parliament about the valuable research supported through public and donated funds.

Lay Abstract

Describe your project in a way that is accessible to a lay audience. Be sure to indicate how your proposed research can improve personal health, the health of populations and/or the health delivery system. This information is used by CIHR and TFF to inform the public and Parliament about the valuable research supported through public and donated funds.

Institution Paid

For each sub-project, the Nominated Principal Applicant should identify the Institution Paid as the eligible Institution with which they are affiliated. However, if a Program Grant application is successful, the Institution Paid identified by the Nominated Principal Applicant/Program Coordinator will administer the entire budget (i.e., the combined budgets for each sub-project and the core Program Grant). Consult the Institutional Eligibility Requirements on the CIHR website for more information.

Certification Requirements

If you are awarded a grant, the necessary certification requirements must be met in accordance with policies on ethical conduct of research. Relevant policies:

• Tri-Agency Memorandum of Understanding on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards
• CIHR Funding Policies

Note: Not all funding opportunities include or allow trials. The Clinical Trial and Randomized Controlled Trial questions below may or may not appear on your application - consult the funding opportunity for information regarding these questions. For further information on the trials policy, refer to the TCPS 2-2nd edition of Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans.

Is this a clinical trial?
Indicate if this application includes a clinical trial. For more information regarding clinical trials, please refer to the policy on trials.

Does this Application Contain a Randomized Controlled Trial?
Indicate if this application includes a randomized controlled trial. Refer to the funding opportunity on specific requirements for randomized controlled trials for the program to which you are applying.

In order to carry out the proposed research in this application, is an exemption from Health Canada under Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act required? (Trainees are exempt and should answer No)
Indicate if your proposed research is such that an exemption from Health Canada under Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) will be required. Consult the Department of Justice website for details regarding Section 56 of the CDSA and the Health Canada website for details regarding obtaining an exemption under Section 56 of the CDSA.

Does this application propose research involving Aboriginal people?
Indicate if your application proposes research involving Aboriginal people. This information will be used for statistical purposes only. Any questions or comments may be sent to the Aboriginal Ethics Guidelines mailbox at aeg-lda@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

Are sex (biological) considerations taken into account in this study?
Indicate if sex (biological) considerations are taken into account in this study. For a guide to sex and gender based analysis, please consult the CIHR website.

Are gender (socio-cultural) considerations taken into account in this study?
Indicate if gender (socio-cultural) considerations are taken into account in this study. For a guide to sex and gender based analysis, please consult the CIHR website.

Please describe how sex and/or gender considerations will be considered in your research proposal. If your study includes sex (biological) and/or gender (socio-cultural) considerations, then describe how they will be considered in your research proposal (limit of 2000 characters).

Aboriginal People

Applicants whose proposed research will involve Aboriginal People, please consult Ethics of Health Research Involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis People.

Containment Level

Definitions of Levels may be found in the PHAC laboratory biosafety guidelines.
Does any phase of the research described in this proposal take place outdoors, involve field work, an undertaking in relation to a physical work or have a negative impact on the environment?

Project Descriptors

Provide keywords to describe your research project, the techniques and the methodologies it will employ, and the areas of interest.

Areas of Research

Select the areas of research that best describe your proposal from the list provided.

Classification

Select the classifications that best describe your proposal from the list provided.

Themes

Select a primary theme classification. Indicate additional theme classifications only if the substance of the grant application significantly overlaps more than one theme. Consult the definition of the four CIHR Themes on the CIHR website for more information.

Suggested Institutes

Select a primary CIHR Institute whose research mandate is related to this application's research area(s) and objective(s). Additional Institutes should only be selected if the substance of this grant application significantly overlaps with the research mandate of more than one Institute.

Attachments

All attachments must adhere to the guidelines for attachments on the Acceptable Application Formats and Attachments.

Research Proposal

The Research Proposal must be structured using the specific headings provided below: Program Overview; Research Proposal, and Core Facility Description (if applicable).

Sub-projects and aims should be broken down so that they are clear and are presented in a logical order that a reviewer could easily refer back when evaluating other sections of the proposal (i.e., budget justification).

The Research Proposal should provide a clear, concise description of the research for which funding is being requested. The page limits outlined below do not include appendices. Legends should be succinct and should not contain detailed information pertaining to methods. Appendices may include items such as, references, tables, charts, figures, photographs, questionnaires and consent forms.

A – Program Overview (limit to 5 pages)

Note: To be prepared and submitted by Nominated Principal Applicant/Program Coordinator only

The Nominated Principal Applicant/Program Coordinator must provide the following information:

• An overview of the program;
• A brief summary of previous work on this or any other closely related program by the investigators, with reference to relevant publications;
• A brief résumé of current knowledge relative to the proposed research, including results with bearing on the program by other investigators, with reference to relevant publications;
• An estimate of the time required to complete the proposed individual projects;
• Program Synergy: Describe the rationale why the application is considered a program project. Describe the overall program and how interrelated and synergistic the projects are in their work towards a common goal. The overall program must have the potential to achieve much more than the simple sum of its component projects;
• Training Environment: Describe how the program provides a valuable training environment for students and fellows, and how, given the nature of this program, it is unique from a regular research grant;
• Any other information deemed important by the Nominated Principal Applicant;
• A list of references, which must include the names of all authors, the full title and the full journal citation. This list is excluded from the 5-pages limitation.

B – Research Proposal (if applicable, limit to 11 pages)

For each sub-project, a full description of the proposed research must be provided.

Each research proposal must provide the following information:

• A brief summary of previous work or progress on this or any closely related project by the investigator(s) or other investigators with reference to relevant publications;
• A brief résumé of current knowledge relative to the proposed research, and a logical flow from background to proposed work;
• A clear and detailed description of the proposed experiments, including:
  • techniques to be used and methods and procedures
  • conceptual framework
  • specific hypothesis
  • complete and specific analysis plan
  • knowledge dissemination plan if appropriate
• Project Synergy: Describe how interrelated and synergistic the project is in the work towards a common goal. The overall program must have the potential to achieve much more than the simple sum of its component projects;
• An estimate of the time required to complete the proposed aims;
• The names and qualifications of the investigator team listed together with an indication of the extent of their participation and a clear description of roles of personnel (detailed fully in budget justification).

C – Core Facility Description (if applicable, limit to 5 pages)

Applications for core facility may include support for central facilities and core personnel. Such requests must be applicable to multiple individual projects within the program and must be defended by a clear rationale.

Core Facility descriptions must include the following:

• A clear and detailed description and justification of the proposed core component;
• The names and qualifications of the core personnel listed together with an indication of the extent of their participation and a clear description of their roles (detailed fully in budget justification).

Appendices (if applicable)

Appendices may include items such as references, tables, charts, figures, photographs, questionnaires and consent forms. All appendices items must be uploaded together in one PDF document.

Note 1: For the purpose of peer review, the research proposal should not depend on information in the Research Proposal appendix, other than references, tables, charts, figures and photographs that are not included in the page limit of the research proposal. Reviewers are under no obligation to read the Research Proposal appendix other than to read references, tables, charts, figures and photographs.

Summary of Progress (limit to 2 pages; if applicable)

Do not include references, tables, charts, figures or photographs.

Renewal applicants must provide a progress report describing the research that has been performed over program's previous funding period and include a description of how the program has evolved. This section should include enough detail to permit proper evaluation of the research already performed.

New applicants are encouraged to summarize previous work relevant to this application.

Response to Previous Reviews (limit to 2 pages; if applicable)

If you are resubmitting an unsuccessful application, you may respond to previous reviewer's comments and/or indicate what improvement have been have in response to the critique. Your response should not require reference to any other document, because reviewers will not have access to previous application information.

Task 4: Complete Summary of Research Proposal (limit to 1 page)

Each sub-project and core Program Grant application must include a detailed Summary of Research Proposal, which will be examined by the peer review committee as an integral part of the application.

The abstract must include the following sections:

• Title of sub-project;
• Description of the problem to be investigated, the objectives of the proposed research, and the proposed methodology.

Task 5: Enter Budget Information and Supporting Documents

This task collects information on the budget for your research project.

Each sub-project and core Program Grant application must submit the requested budget information and supporting documents.

Specific Instruction for Nominated Principal Applicant / Program Coordinator

• Budget information must be the sum for each sub-project and core budget requested.
• The total amount requested for a single program can vary from a minimum of $750,000 to a maximum of 1.5 million per year.
• You must include a budget form for each year funds are requested.
• Term of support:
  • New grant: a period three years maximum
  • Renewal grant: a period of five years maximum

Financial Assistance Requested

In the column entitled "No.", provide an estimate of the number of human resources required for a full year for each human resources type listed. For part-time and/or shared resources, indicate fractions (e.g., 0.5). In the "Salary" and "Stipend" columns, provide the pro-rated salary/stipend amount for each human resources type.

• You may not request benefits for trainees.
• The Salary + Benefits columns must equal the CIHR + Cash + In-Kind columns.
• Amounts must be in Canadian funds.
• If the operating base changes significantly for subsequent years, provide estimates for each year accordingly.
• Information on eligibility of expenses and employment under grants is found in the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC & SSHRC) Financial Administration Guide, Use of Grant Funds.
• Individuals paid from grants are not employees of CIHR.
• Equipment refers to non-replenishable items and must be requested in year 1 only.
• Each budget item must include the applicable provincial and federal taxes and should be calculated using the after-rebate tax rates. After rebate tax rates are available on the Canada Revenue Agency website.

Budget Attachments

Financial Assistance Requested Details

Provide a full justification for all budget items relative to the proposed research. Additional information regarding allowable costs is provided in the Funding Opportunity details.

If you include a need for research personnel and trainees, state their roles and explain why you require the level (in terms of qualifications and salary) that you are requesting.

Itemize the expendables and services; for example, number and cost of animals, nature and amounts of reagents, numbers of subjects, or number and cost of printing survey instruments. For travel requests, indicate the purpose of the trip(s), the people that will be traveling, and their destination(s).

For maintenance and/or equipment items included in this operating budget, indicate:

• the availability and status of similar equipment;
• the anticipated extent of utilization;
• reasons for choice of specific type, model or service contract, in relation to alternatives; and
• where applicable, the necessity for upgrading existing equipment or service contract.

If you are requesting or hold start-up funds to equip a new laboratory, detail any funds you have received or have applied for from other sources for this purpose (e.g. institutional sources) and how you intend to use these funds.

Cost Quotations / Cost Support Letters

For single items of equipment or service contracts costing more than $10,000 and up to $25,000, attach at least one cost quotation.

For single items costing more than $25,000, attach to the quote a letter from the Authorized Official at the Institution Paid attesting that the equipment is not currently available, plus at least two competitive quotes.

Note: No other information may be attached to this task. Any additional material will be removed from the application prior to being sent to reviewers.

Human Resources

Estimate the number of hours per week each applicant will be working on the research project.

Employment History

List this person's position at the time of application, their current salary rate ($/annum, excluding benefits) and their current source of funding.

Task 6: Attach Other Application Materials

The Nominated Principal Applicant/Program Coordinator must attach (with his/her full application) an applicant table identifying all the Principal Applicants per sub-project. This applicant table will allow CIHR to link a Program Grant application with its related sub-projects. The applicant table should be uploaded as an "Other" document type must clearly be titled in the "Description Field" as "Applicant Table".

The following other application materials may be attached (in PDF format):

• Applicants are encouraged to provide a diagram or table detailing the milestones of their program and/or sub-project(s).
• Publications: Up to five publications from the past five years, relevant to this sub-project.
• Letters of support: May be appended when specific incremental cash or in-kind contributions are being provided in support of the proposed research. Letters in general support for the research, the researcher or the research team should not be appended and may be removed.
• Letter of collaboration: Complete a collaboration table which will be followed by letters from Collaborators who are expected to make a significant contribution, confirming their willingness to participate in the manner indicated.
• Questionnaires (if applicable): May include validated questionnaires and/or surveys to be used.
• Consent forms (if applicable): May include validated consent form(s) to be used.

Task 7: Peer Review Administration

This task collects information used for the purpose of peer review administration.

Suggested External Reviewers

Suggest Canadian and/or foreign reviewers that you feel have the expertise to review your application. CIHR reserves the right to make the final selection of external reviewers. You should not suggest reviewers in conflict of interest. Consult the conflict of interest guidelines on the CIHR website for more information.

Reviewers to Exclude

Provide the names of individuals that you feel cannot provide an objective review of your application.

Future Committee Member Nominations

Nominate individuals that you feel would be an attribute to a particular peer review committee.

Future Committee Member Nomination/Proposed Committee

For more information consult the Peer Review Committees and Mandates on the CIHR website.

Suggested Committees

Enter "TFF" for the peer review committee.

Task 8: Print/Upload Signature Pages

1. Print the signature page PDF file which is found on ResearchNet.
2. Obtain all required signatures.
   • Electronically submitting an application via ResearchNet constitutes a signature from the Nominated Principal Applicant;
   • CIHR requires the "original" or "copied" signature of other participants (i.e., other Principal Applicants, Co-Applicants, etc.);
   • CIHR requires an "original" or "copied" signature from the "authorized official" on behalf of the institution. Electronic approval of applications (using eApproval) on ResearchNet constitutes a signature from the authorized official on behalf of the institution;
   • Verify the requirements for original signatures by consulting the sections titled Required Signatures on Application Forms and Meaning of Signatures on Application Forms in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide.

Scan and upload the signed signature pages including the routing slip in the Print/Upload Signature Pages task in ResearchNet prior to submitting your application.

Task 9: Preview Application Materials

Review all components of your application. If a task is incomplete, you must provide the missing information to successfully submit your application.

Task 10: Consent and Submit Application

Submit Application

You must review the terms listed and respond to the questions regarding consent in order to submit your application.

You must click Send to send your application to CIHR.