Grant Review Support Program

Early planning and robust feedback builds scientific merit

The WCHRI Grant Review Support Program offers WCHRI academic members the opportunity to obtain critical and robust scientific feedback prior to submission to the CIHR Project Grant Program. This program seeks to support academic development and engagement in research at all career stages and phases.  

WCHRI will obtain external and internal reviewer feedback, and schedule a scientific advisory meeting (for/between the participant, their research champion and internal reviewer). Additional support may also be coordinated through this program including letters of support, research platform consultation and grant editing.

Eligibility

All applications must align with our application relevance criteria to be eligible for this program opportunity. Eligibility criteria for the Grant Review Support Program are as follows:

  • The principal investigator must be a WCHRI academic member for not less than one year prior to application, except new recruits with an academic appointment of less than one year at the time of the application deadline. Refer to WCHRI Membership for further information. 
  • Each principal investigator must have a “research champion”. Refer to the WCHRI Research Champion section below for further information.
  • Each principal investigator may submit up to two project grant proposals.
  • All project titles must be unique.
  • Proposals that have been submitted three times to the CIHR Project Grant Program are not eligible.

Participation in this Grant Review Support Program is an eligibility requirement for the WCHRI Bridge Grant Program. Applications for WCHRI Bridge funding will not be considered without participation in this program.

Program eligibility is established upon submission of completed program forms.

Grant Review Support Program research champion

This WCHRI program requires that all principal investigators have a research champion.

The champion’s engagement includes:

  • working with the principal investigator to develop and refine the application up to final submission.
  • providing scientific and strategic feedback to maximize the possibility of leveraging funding. Feedback may include:
      • recommending alternative funding opportunities or programs where it has been determined that a stable level of assessment has been or will be obtained, and/or
      • where further submission of the work is unlikely to result in funding through the CIHR Project Grant Program.
  • a written review of the proposal is required and will be solicited directly by WCHRI.
      • The WCHRI form must be used to provide the review.
  • participating at a single one-hour review meeting with the principal investigator and internal reviewer.

A research champion can be external to the University of Alberta.

Grant Review Support Program call for participation

Summary of process

WCHRI offers an electronic application process for this program. To participate in this program opportunity, the following requirements apply:

  • The principal investigator is required to complete and submit the WCHRI Grant Support Program Access Form.
  • WCHRI will send the WCHRI Grant Review Support Program Proposed Research Project Form.
      • Refer to the Application and deadline section below for form details and deadlines.
  • All program forms are unique and specific to each principal investigator.
  • External and internal reviewers will be solicited directly by WCHRI.
  • All reviews will be forwarded to the scientific advisory committee (principal investigator, research champion and internal reviewer).
  • WCHRI will book a scientific advisory committee meetings for each submission; meetings will occur between August 7 – August 15, 2023.
  • WCHRI will solicit final CIHR reviews and SO notes.
  • Submitted information is final and not subject to amendment. Late submissions and/or supplemental information are not accepted.
  • WCHRI Grants offers individual meetings to participants to address specific concerns and needs.

Application and deadlines

The application is a two-step process:

  1. WCHRI Grant Review Support Program Access Form (this form is a two-part submission)
    • Principal investigators must complete:
      • The WCHRI Grant Review Support Program – Principal Investigator Form and
      • The WCHRI Grant Review Support Program – CIHR Project Grant Detail Form.
    • The deadline for submission of both forms is July 7, 2023, at 4 p.m.
  2. WCHRI Grant Review Support Program – Proposed Research Project Form
    • The following will be required in the Proposed Research Project Form:
      • The 10-page proposed project with figures, tables and surveys as required, and
      • The principal investigator’s CCV.
  • The Proposed Research Project Form is due July 11, 2023, at 4 p.m.   
  • External and internal reviews will be solicited directly by WCHRI.
  • External and internal reviewers will assess the scientific merit of the proposed research based on this drafted proposed research project.

Access the participation form

Program timelines

For further information

Refer to the program information and then send questions to WCHRI grants.