Notice of Upcoming Funding Opportunity: Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) Phase III: Research Teams

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) Phase III: Research Teams funding opportunity (FO).

This FO is led by the CIHR Institute of Aging (IA), in collaboration with the CIHR Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging (BHCIA) Research Initiative, CIHR Institutes of: Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH), Gender and Health (IGH), Indigenous Peoples Health (IIPH), Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD), and Canada's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR); and in partnership with the Azrieli Foundation, including its Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE).

The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is considering joining this funding opportunity in a bilateral call with CIHR with a focus on Indigenous Health Research. As such, details related to the NHMRC and the International Australia-Canada Indigenous Health Research teams provided herein are pending final approval.

Overview

While the CCNA was previously funded as one large, directed grant, inclusive of the research teams, CCNA Phase III is comprised of two stages:

• Stage 1: A Directed Grant for the CCNA Operations Centre, including modifications to optimize central network capacity (including research/data platforms) to support the neurodegenerative disease research community. The CCNA Operations Centre was recently funded for five years, in the amount of $20,600,000, starting April 1, 2024.
• Stage 2: An open, strategic funding competition to fund CCNA Research Teams.

CCNA Phase III: CCNA Research Teams (Stage 2)

This FO is open to the diverse neurodegenerative diseases research community to carry out research projects that align with the National Dementia Strategy (NDS) and the three CCNA research themes of: Primary Prevention, Secondary Prevention and Treatment, and Quality of Life.

Researchers may propose projects using primary data collection methodologies, and/or may propose projects that leverage CCNA research data platforms [i.e. the Comprehensive Assessment of Neurodegeneration and Dementia (COMPASS-ND) Study], and/or non-CCNA data sets/cohorts. For projects using existing datasets, data availability at the time of the application, and data accessibility by the start of funding will need to be demonstrated.

Applicant teams will be required to leverage the CCNA Operations Centre's Central Resource Supports, and once funded, the CCNA Research Teams will be formally associated with, and meaningfully linked to, the CCNA Operations Centre, and will be expected to support the fulfillment of CCNA's overall objectives. Information on the CCNA Operations Centre and its Central Research Supports and Data and Biological Samples holdings will be detailed in an Applicant Guide within the FO.

• Applicant teams should not communicate directly with the CCNA Operations Centre in developing applications for this FO. All inquiries should be directed to the CIHR Contact Centre (support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca or 1-888-603-4178).

Objectives

The specific objectives of the CCNA Research Teams FO are to equitably and inclusively:

• Support research in age-related neurogenerative diseases related to the themes of primary prevention, secondary prevention and treatment, and quality of life;
• Support the continuous improvement and optimal use of CCNA research platforms and central research support for research in neurodegeneration in aging;
• Catalyze and build training and mentoring capacity to foster career development of the next generation of researchers in the field, inclusive of the diversity of people in Canada, and Australia, as applicable, by leveraging training and other opportunities offered by the CCNA Operations Centre;
• Enhance capacity for knowledge mobilization practices throughout the research process, in both official languages, to increase the dissemination and uptake of neurodegenerative disease research results to relevant parties and partners in research;
• Facilitate interdisciplinary, interinstitutional, interprovincial, and international (if applicable) collaborations, and create linkages within and across teams, themes, and the Operations Centre, and between a diversity of researchers and knowledge users in age-related neurodegenerative diseases; and
• Advance research on neurodegenerative diseases and improve more equitable health outcomes for diverse groups of people in Canada, and Australia, as applicable.

Research Themes

• Theme 1 Primary Prevention
• Theme 2 Secondary Prevention and Treatment
• Theme 3 Quality of Life

Strategic Research Priority Areas

• Biomarkers
• Cardiovascular Disease and Age-Related Cognitive Changes
• Health Equity in Caregiving
• International Australia-Canada Indigenous Health Research
• Nutrition and Metabolic Health in Aging
• Sex, Gender and Dementia in Black and/or Racialized Communities

Indigenous refers to First Nations, Inuit and Métis in a Canadian context and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in an Australian context.

Funds Available

At the time of this announcement, the total amount available is up to $15,050,000 CAD and up to $3,000,000 AUD to fund up to fourteen (14) grants. This funding amount and the number of teams may increase if additional funding partners participate.

• The maximum amount is $250,000 CAD per year for up to four (4) years, for a total of $1,000,000 CAD per grant.
• The maximum amount for the Australian component of the "International Australia-Canada Indigenous Health Research" grant is $375,000 AUD per year for up to four (4) years, for a total of $1,500,000 AUD. This Australian funding amount is in addition to the funding provided for the Canadian component of the International Australia-Canada Indigenous Health Research teams as described above. As such, Australian-Canadian teams are eligible for total funding of up to $1,000,000 CAD and $1,500,000 AUD.
• SPOR Supplement: A supplement for Patient Engagement in Research from Canada's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) is available for all successful teams to support patient-oriented research, for up to $75,000 CAD per grant.

Webinar(s)

CIHR will be hosting two applicant webinars to support interested applicants with the requirements of this funding opportunity and development of applications, and to answer questions related to the CCNA Operations Centre, such as, the planned CCNA's central research support, the availability of data on research platforms, and the availability of biological samples.

Attendance to at least one of these webinars is strongly encouraged. To find out more information, visit the Webinars page.

Frequently Asked Questions

CIHR will develop a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to provide further details about this funding opportunity after the applicant webinars. The webpage will be updated frequently until the application deadline. If you have any questions related to this funding opportunity, you are encouraged to send them to the CIHR Contact Centre (support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca or 1-888-603-4178).

Partner Linkage Tool

CIHR is providing a Partner Linkage Tool that is intended to facilitate connections between researchers and knowledge users, including persons with lived and living experience (PWLLE) and decision makers, should there be interest. This is not a mandatory tool. Information is provided on a volunteer basis and does not confer any advantages in the evaluation and funding of applications. The table will be updated weekly until the application deadline. If you would like to use this tool, please complete a short survey. The information you provide will appear on CIHR's website. Please note that potential applicants are not required to use the linkage tool or contact those who have submitted their information.

Anticipated Timelines

Launch: Summer 2024
Registration Deadline: Early Fall 2024
Application Deadline: Late Fall 2024
Funding Start Date: Spring 2025

The official CIHR funding opportunity will be posted on ResearchNet in the coming weeks.

For a full list of CIHR funding opportunities, please visit ResearchNet.

Date modified:

2024-08-22