Operating Grant — Aging in the Community

Who is eligible?

• Independent researchers or knowledge users affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution and/or affiliated institutions, including hospitals, research institutes, and other non-profit organizations with a mandate for health research and/or knowledge mobilization.
• Individuals affiliated with an Indigenous non-governmental, not-for-profit organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge mobilization mandate.
• Indigenous non-governmental organizations in Canada with a research and/or knowledge mobilization mandate.

Who is not eligible

• The Nominated Principal Applicant cannot be employed by the community-based organization that is currently delivering the program or social innovation being evaluated.
• Teams cannot include a Principal Knowledge User.
• An applicant can only submit one application as a Nominated Principal Applicant.

Eligible expenses

• Community mobilization and engagement costs that respect the culture and traditions of Indigenous peoples, including culturally relevant promotional items, tobacco, cloth, feasting and gift giving for honoring ceremonies, and cash reimbursements.
• Contracts and/or consultant fees for knowledge mobilization and communication activities for Indigenous Elders, community members, and Indigenous knowledge holders involved in activities related to the Indigenous community.
• Accessibility supports necessary for the NPA or team members to carry out the project and engage with persons with disabilities, including specialized equipment, support services, compensation, and alternate document formats, excluding standard employer-provided supports.
• Translation and preparation of information or material intended for public consumption.
• Compensation of patient partners.

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Costs related to the implementation of existing interventions normally associated with the health care system, except intervention costs associated with the direct cost of research, such as development, evaluation, and context-specific adaptation.
• Capital expenditures, including building construction, renovations, and improvements.
• Overhead costs, including rent and electricity.
• Costs related to the general operations and administration of the host organization.

• Research Approach: the rationale for evaluating an established program or social innovation, the strength of the methodological approach, and the integration of equity considerations, economic evaluation, and Indigenous Health Research considerations where applicable.
• Feasibility: the team’s combined expertise and experience, the research environment, timelines and milestones, data access or collection, and the strength of partnerships.
• Impact of the Research: the priority community need addressed, the knowledge mobilization plan, the potential to improve the program or social innovation, and the role and contribution of applicant partners.

• Submit a Full Application through ResearchNet.
• In the Identify Participants task, list all participants and upload the NPA’s tri-agency CV.
• Complete the Research Proposal, Sensitive Technology Research Areas, Summary of Research Proposal, and Budget Information tasks.
• Attach the required application materials, including the SGBA certificate, the Team Expertise and Experience attachment, the Applicant Partner COI document, the Knowledge Mobilization Plan, and any required collaboration or support letters.
• Upload the Partnership Details form and signed Partner Letter for the community-based organization directly connected to the program or social innovation, and any additional partner forms if applicable.
• Print and upload the signed signature pages and Routing Slip before submitting the application.

• CIHR-IA will perform a relevance review based only on the one-page Summary of the Research Proposal and the Applicant Partner Letter from the community-based organization.
• Relevant applications that select a Strategic Research Priority Area will undergo a secondary relevance review using the Summary of the Research Proposal and the Relevance Review Form.
• A review committee comprised of researchers and knowledge users will evaluate the applications.
• Funding will be distributed to the top-rated applications in each pool, then all remaining applications will be pooled together and funded in rank order.
• The NPA must work in active partnership with the applicant partner throughout the grant term, participate in reporting requirements as appropriate, and submit a one-page plain language summary, at least one knowledge product, and an electronic Final Report.