UU直播
1. About the Program
The D2R Initiative鈥檚 academic foundation is multidisciplinary. Many D2R investigators are members of established research entities such as Centres and Institutes. These research entities play a central role in UU直播鈥檚 research mission, by supporting strategic research areas and enhancing the collaborative and multidisciplinary nature of research and training that align with D2R's vision, mission, and objectives.
Research Centres and Institutes have been foundational not only in building research expertise in many areas of the D2R Initiative, but also in providing a platform to stimulate and facilitate multi-disciplinarity and create new research interfaces. They have played a key role in building strength in genetics, genomics, RNA, biomanufacturing, clinical research, social determinants of health, regulatory and policy aspects, and many other areas. Recognizing the significant role of research Centres and Institutes, a portion of the D2R funds is allocated to supporting their activities. D2R aims to amplify its impact in strategic research areas and support programs and activities that are aligned with D2R鈥檚 overarching goals.
The D2R funding also aims to facilitate leveraging of additional support from Faculties and external grants to foster innovation and translate research discoveries into commercial activities, health outcomes, and other societal impacts. The expectation is that D2R-supported Centres and Institutes will become hubs that drive forward the D2R mission through unique technology platforms and research expertise, cutting-edge research, large-scale collaborations with other entities, effective training programs, and impactful dissemination of knowledge.
2. Objectives
The support to Centres and Institutes aims to:
- Enhance their ability to create scientific synergy across diverse disciplines, leveraging their unique strengths to advance D2R鈥檚 research agenda.
- Provide operational funding for essential staff that will allow the Centres and Institutes to deliver networking events, seminars, trainee research days, and symposia, and ensure effective operation while overall benefitting D2R鈥檚 mission.
- Support unique infrastructure essential to the core activities of Centers and Institutes and of their members.
- Develop partnerships with other research entities, at the University, locally, nationally and internationally, including with industry.
- Offer opportunities for trainees through activities such as seminars, mentorship programs, and other learning experiences, thereby fostering the next generation of researchers and professionals in genomic-based RNA therapeutics and other D2R axes and research priorities.
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Key Information |
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Key Dates |
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| Application |
The application consists of an and specific documents to upload. Use the templates provided. Review the online form and gather all necessary information and documents beforehand. The form needs to be completed in one session as it does not support saving and resuming. |
| Eligibility |
Status
Alignment with D2R
Applicant
Limitations
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| Funding and Duration |
The amount per award is up to $100,000 annually for up to three years, for a maximum of $300,000. |
3. Funding and Duration
The amount per award is up to $100,000 annually for up to three years, for a maximum of $300,000.
3 to 4 Centres or Institutes are expected to be funded.
4. Key Dates
Application Deadline: September 30, 2024 at 5 PM Eastern time. Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Award Announcement: November 2024
5. Eligible Expenses
Eligible expenses are direct costs, only, including salaries of personnel, communication costs and supplies. Small equipment costs, including computers, of up to $10,000 are allowable.
All expenditures must comply with the .
For any questions about eligible expenses, please contact the D2R office: D2R.Funding [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Centre%20and%20Institute%20Support%20Program)
6. Eligibility
Status
- Research Centre or Institute must be approved under the UU直播 Policy on Research Entities or by an academic institute approved by UU直播's听Board of Governors.
- Centres or Institutes located outside of UU直播鈥檚 campuses (i.e., at a UU直播-affiliated hospital or institute) must have undergone a formal approval or recognition process by their respective institute.
- Research Centres or Institutes with provisional status may receive funding for one year with continued funding contingent on obtaining full status within the first year of D2R funding.
Alignment with D2R
- The Centre or Institute鈥檚 mission and overall purpose must align with D2R鈥檚 mission, objectives and needs, including conducting activities aligned with D2R's听Foundational Axes and Priority Disease Areas.
- Only those Centres and Institutes with strong alignment and which can demonstrate a significant impact on D2R's research areas will be considered for funding.
Applicant
- Normally, the Scientific Director of the Centre or Institute is the Principal Applicant. The Principal Applicant must be a faculty member at UU直播 who is eligible to hold Tri-Agency research funding.
Limitations
- The application limitation within a funding cycle set for some of the D2R鈥檚 Funding Programs does not apply to the Centres and Institute Support program.
7. Application
The application consists of an and specific documents to upload. Use the templates provided.
Review the online form and gather all necessary information and documents beforehand. The form needs to be completed in one session as it does not support saving and resuming.
7.1 Documents to Upload
- Proposal (Template) 鈥� 5 pages in English or 6 pages in French
- Budget and Tables in .xls (Template) 鈥� 3 tabs:
- a) Current Budget & Forecast
- b) D2R Budget Request
- c) Membership
- If available, the most recent annual report
7.2 Proposal
Page Limits:
a) English applications: maximum 5 pages, inclusive of references
b)听French applications: maximum 6 pages, inclusive of references
Any additional pages will be removed prior to review.
Use the template provided to address the following.
A. Context and Opportunity
- Describe the scientific, research, and societal context in which the research Centre or Institute operates, and the key issues or problems it is attempting to tackle.
- Describe the institutional context in which the research Centre or Institute operates, and how its activities relate to other research units, whether additive, complementary, or interdisciplinary.
- Describe how the research Centre or Institute is positioned nationally and internationally.
- Describe the research opportunities that exist in these environments and for which the research Centre or Institute is ideally positioned.
B. Strategic Alignment with D2R
- Describe the major research streams and disciplines defining the research Centre or Institute.
- Describe the vision, mission, and strategic priorities of the research Centre or Institute.
- Provide historical context and summarize any major milestones (scientific, academic, funding) achieved by the research Centre or Institute since its creation, including recent translational impacts and commercial activities.
- Describe how the Centre or Institute and proposed research activities align with D2R鈥檚 research axes and priority disease areas.
C. Research Program, Membership, Governance, and Impact on D2R
- Indicate the status of the research Centre or Institute with regards to institutional approval.
- Provide an overview of the research program.
- Provide details on training, outreach activities, and support for trainees.
- Provide an overview of membership and how it relates to the major activities and strategic objectives of the research Centre or Institute (a list of members is required in the Budget and Tables document, 鈥淢embership鈥� tab).
- Describe the governance and administrative structure (an organizational chart can be included).
- If relevant, list key resources such as research facilities, core platforms, and others.
- Highlight current and planned partnerships that might be facilitated by D2R support.
- Highlight any existing or planned grants or collaborations that will enhance the interdisciplinary nature of the Centre or Institute, as relevant to D2R鈥檚 mandate.
D. Rationale for Seeking D2R Funding
- Describe how the requested funds will contribute to the Centre's or Institute's current and future activities.
- Describe how these activities will contribute to D2R鈥檚 vision, mission, and strategic objectives over the next three years, including its research axes and priority disease areas.
- Provide a narrative description of any budget items that require greater explanation.
- Explain how D2R funds could be used to leverage other sources of funding for the Centre or Institute.
E. References
- Provide references only for documents cited in the proposal.
- Provide a DOI for each publication, when available.
8. Evaluation Process
8.1 Review
An administrative review will be conducted for each application to verify the application鈥檚 completeness and the eligibility of the Centre or Institute, and its Scientific Director/Principal Applicant.
A strategic review will be completed by the D2R鈥檚 Strategic Alignment Review Committee (SARC) based on the criteria listed below.
8.2 Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Context and Opportunity:
- Clarity in describing the scientific, research, and societal context.
- Relevance of the institutional context and the Centre鈥檚 or Institute's positioning nationally and internationally.
- Identification of key research opportunities and the Centre鈥檚 or Institute's capability to address them.
- Strategic Alignment with D2R:
- Alignment between the Centre鈥檚 or Institute's major research streams and disciplines with D2R's strategic priorities, research axes, and priority disease areas.
- Clear articulation of the Centre鈥檚 or Institute's vision, mission, and strategic priorities.
- Historical context and major milestones, including translational impact and commercial activities.
- Contribution to D2R鈥檚 vision, mission, and objectives over the next three years.
- Research Program, Membership, Governance, and Impact:
- Status of the Centre or Institute with regard to institutional approval.
- Quality and scope of the research program, training, outreach activities, and support for trainees.
- Relevance and engagement of membership to major activities and strategic objectives.
- Effectiveness of governance and administrative structure.
- Availability of key resources such as research facilities and core platforms.
- Strength of current and planned partnerships and collaborations, including those facilitated by D2R support.
- Rationale for Seeking D2R Funding:
- Justification of the requested funds and their impact on current and future activities.
- Potential for D2R funds to leverage other sources of funding.
- Detailed and realistic budget justification.
9. Announcement of Results
- The Centres and Institutes will be informed of the results by email in November 2024.
- Successful Centres or Institutes will receive a Notice of Award (NoA), which details the terms, conditions, and reporting obligations.
- The Scientific Director of the successful Centre or Institute must complete the D2R Award Acceptance Form and UU直播鈥檚 Research Funding Checklist (RFC) within two weeks of receiving the NoA.
10. Contact Information
Email: D2R.Funding [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Centres%20and%20Institutes%20Support%20Program)
