Notice of an upcoming Canadian Post COVID-19 Condition Research Network funding opportunity

Introduction

The CIHR Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of a Canadian Post COVID-19 Condition Research Network funding opportunity. We are providing preliminary information to allow the research community to prepare and respond to an expedited process.

Background

This funding opportunity is part of the Government of Canada's continued response to address the health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding opportunity is focused on research associated with the long-term effects of COVID-19 infections (i.e.: post COVID-19 condition) on Canadians’ health and health systems. The need for this investment was informed by feedback from researchers, healthcare professionals, people with lived/living experience, and domestic and international policy and decision makers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on the health and wellbeing of Canadians through the direct impacts of acute illness as well as through overwhelming demands and disruptions to health services, healthcare systems, and other essential services. Although the typical duration of acute COVID-19 illness is two to four weeks, some patients have described debilitating symptoms persisting or recurring for weeks or months after acute illness. These prolonged symptoms are commonly referred to as post COVID-19 condition or Long COVID. The range of post COVID-19 condition symptoms reported is broad and can vary from mild to severe and debilitating effects that can affect all ages. Although the national prevalence of post COVID-19 condition still requires more research, emerging studies suggest a significant population burden.

Initial research on post COVID-19 condition has focused on identifying, defining, and addressing the condition. While there are some early inroads being made regarding the underlying basic biological mechanisms that drive post COVID-19 condition, there is still much that is unknown at this time.

Objectives

Through the establishment of an integrated, interdisciplinary, and equitable Canadian Post COVID-19 Condition Research Network:

• Provide a platform to strengthen Canada’s capacity to undertake and contribute to ongoing non-duplicative research on post COVID-19 condition and coordinate, consolidate, and enable the use of existing and emerging research evidence^{Footnote 1}; and
• Enable comprehensive and timely understanding of the biological, clinical, mental health, health systems, and population health impacts of post COVID-19 condition and its relevance for developing programs, policies and informing practice that promote health and health equity; and
• Engage relevant stakeholders, knowledge users and partners at the local, national, and international level to support coordination of research activities, to co-develop equitable and inclusive processes, to amplify research findings, and to promote further collaborations; and
• Swiftly mobilize, high-quality research evidence to inform policies and practices and to support communities as part of an equitable response to the post COVID-19 condition.

Anticipated Timelines

• FO Launch: Week of October 17, 2022
• Registration Deadline: Week of October 31, 2022
• Full Application Deadline: Week of November 21, 2022
• Notice of Decisions: Week of January 9, 2023
• Funding Start Date: December 1, 2022

Funds available

The Government of Canada's financial contributions are subject to availability of funds. Should the Government of Canada funding levels not be available or are decreased due to unforeseen circumstances, the Government of Canada reserves the right to reduce, defer or suspend financial contributions to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.

• The total amount available through this funding opportunity is up to $20M over 5 fiscal years, enough to fund one (1) Canadian Post COVID-19 Condition Research Network
• There is a possibility for renewal based on the evolution of the pandemic; there maybe also be potential for the Network to expand its scope and connect with other relevant initiatives and partners.

Preliminary application details

Application requirements for the application process will be outlined in the Funding Opportunity details to come. The application process will be comprised of mandatory two steps:

1. Registration
   • There will be no review process at the Registration stage.
   • Nominated Principal Applicants (NPA) who submit a registration will be contacted by CIHR to obtain consent to allow CIHR to share the Summary of Research Proposal, name and email address with other registered NPAs to enable the exploration of collaboration and joining together of interested applicants.
2. Full Application
   • In addition to responding to all the competition objectives, the application must respond to key design components including:
     • Governance and Priority Setting
     • Domestic and International Engagement and Coordination
     • Data Management and Sharing
     • Engagement of People with Lived/Living Experience
     • Capacity Building
     • Knowledge Mobilization
     • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
     • Indigenous Engagement
   • Applications must clearly describe the research team's commitment to engaging a diversity of members, in particular related to how they will address team composition and recruitment processes; governance, research environment; training and mentoring activities; and/or knowledge mobilization activities.

The Canadian Post COVID-19 Condition Research Network funded through this call must coordinate with and expand on existing research, infrastructures (e.g.: existing cohorts), and relationships with local, national, and international stakeholders, knowledge users, and partners in order to leverage efforts and increase timeliness, efficiency, and impact of research on the post COVID-19 condition.

Please also note

Given the urgency of this funding competition, recruitment for peer reviewers will begin immediately. If you are interested and available to volunteer as a peer reviewer, please reach out to CIHR immediately at pdd-crpphe-cep-crppus@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

We thank applicants and peer reviewers in advance for their flexibility and understanding with respect to the need for this expedited process.

Contact information

For general inquiries please contact:
crpphe-crppus@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Date modified:

2022-10-19