Critical Care Strategic Clinic Network (CC SCN) 2023 New Investigator Seed Grant Competition

Eligibility

Applicants:

• Principal investigator (PI) must have a university appointment at one of Alberta’s academic institutions (e.g., clinical faculty or academic faculty such as adjunct/assistant/associate/full professors) and be eligible to hold funding at their institution.
  • The money must be held in a research account under the PI’s name at the academic institution.
• PIs must be a New Investigator and be within 7 years of initial faculty appointment (i.e. clinical or academic).
• A member of the research team must be affiliated with AHS
• PIs may only hold a single active grant from the 2023 CC SCN Seed Grant competition, but may be co-investigators on multiple awards.
• Successful applicants must submit proof of relevant ethics approvals BEFORE funds will be released.

Summary

The Critical Care Strategic Clinical Network (CC SCN) New Investigator Seed Grant competition supports biomedical, clinical, population health, and health services research proposals that are designed to provide critically ill patients with better care and better health outcomes. Proposals can target science and innovation in any part of the continuum: from improved understanding of the biologic aspects of a particular disease, to the application of a new therapy or supportive care, to improvement of the quality of life for patients, their families, or both, to enhancing the quality of survivorship or bereavement and to strengthen the training of critical care providers.

This competition is designed to advance the Critical Care SCN's long-term research goals.

1. To increase capacity for scientific work within the Alberta critical care community,

2. To enhance the culture of science and innovation within the Alberta critical care community,

3. To improve the health and health care delivered to critically ill patients through knowledge creation and knowledge translation.

Projects

Funding will be considered for any of the following activities:

• Priority will be given to research that aligns closely with the CC SCN’s Transformational Roadmap Strategic Priorities of System Transformation, Clinical Best Practices, and Maturing as a Learning Health System. A priority area of interest to the CC SCN are seed grant proposals that look at supporting critical care staff facing moral distress/injury and burnout (i.e. consistent with the quadruple aims of improving patient and caregiver experience and improving critical care provider satisfaction).
• Research focused on improving health outcomes of critically ill populations in Alberta.
• Pilot research projects, with intent to use the results to pursue later funding for a larger grant application to agencies such as Alberta Innovates (PRIHS, HIIS), CIHR, or other external research funding agencies.
• Pilot or small studies that conduct new research, are feasibility studies, test new approaches, or develop a new idea.
• Pilot or small research projects/activities that are realistic in terms of scope and goals within the grant timelines. Projects should have clear and measurable goals.
• Important changes to the study design, including study population, recruitment or intervention, must be reported to the CC SCN immediately. If changes substantially deviate from the original application, the grant may be closed and the funds returned.
• Funds must be expended within 1 year from the time they are made available.