Call for Proposals

The Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN) invites Early Career Investigators engaged in neurodevelopmental disabilities research from all disciplines to apply for the 2022 Early Career Investigator & Mentorship Awards competition.

Summary

  • Award: $50 000 per year for two years (total award $100 000) comprised of $50 000 funding from KBHN and $50 000 from an eligible partner
  • Award term: 24 months from September 2022 (or otherwise as negotiated).
  • Early Career Investigator eligibility: Must be a faculty member or Principal Investigator at an eligible research institution who is an early career investigator (within five years from the date of their first research-related appointment, minus eligible delays in research). The individual must be engaged in neurodevelopmental disability research in one or more of the priority areas outlined below and can use the funds to support a postdoctoral fellow.
  • Types of partners required: Canadian or international institutions or organizations (private, public, not-for-profit) of any type (see details below).
  • Application Deadline: June 13th, 2022
  • Anticipated Date for Award Notice: July 15th, 2022

What Is the KBHN Early Career Investigator & Mentorship Award

The goal of the Early Career Investigator & Mentorship Award is to build capacity in neurodevelopmental disability research. This award is intended to strengthen the Early Career Investigator’s research program by supporting the recruitment of excellent trainees and fostering increased connection to community partners.

This award supports opportunities that:

  • Align with KBHN’s emphasis on research related to and implementation of services and supports for children with a neurodevelopmental disability and their families.
  • Are driven by real-world problems and challenge areas in family-centred research related to neurodevelopmental disabilities.
  • Are solution-oriented and user-centred, involving children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families and stakeholders in all stages of the research.

While applications are encouraged from all academic disciplines, priority will be given to projects that directly address one or more of the following thematic areas.

  • Early screening and identification: Work with community partners and stakeholders to implement novel approaches to earlier recognition of developmental
  • Evidence-based interventions and treatment: Support the implementation of evidence-based interventions that target the child’s functional needs and work with community partners to ensure that innovations are integrated effectively into policy and
  • Family support: Work with community partners in identifying and providing the most effective strategies to support parents and caregivers to reduce family stress, improve communication, and access resources that help children, and their families, realize their full potential.

Who Should Apply?

Applicants must be:

  • A researcher holding an academic appointment at a Canadian University or research institute and eligible to receive funds from a federal granting agency (e.g., NCE, CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC).
  • Actively working in neurodevelopmental disabilities research and within five years from the date of the first research-related appointment at the application deadline, minus eligible career delays. Research-related appointments are defined as those where the individual has the autonomy to hold grants and conduct independent research.
    • All eligible leaves (e.g., maternity, parental, medical, bereavement) are credited as career delays twice the time taken.
    • Professional leaves (e.g., training, sabbatical, administrative) are not credited as career delays.
    • As of March 1st, 2020, those holding early-career status will have their status extended by one year due to COVID-19-related impacts (for example, if the date of initial appointment was July 1st, 2016, the eligibility for this competition is extended to July 1st, 2022).

Who can be a partner?

The partner organization can be a Canadian or international organization from the public, private or not-for-profit sector. Only cash contributions will be considered in the matching funding required from the partner organization. Eligible partner funding excludes contributions from federal granting agencies, such as NCE, NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC, CFI or Genome Canada. If you have questions about the eligibility of a current or potential partner or source of funds, contact Training@kidsbrainhealth.ca.

Why apply?

  • Early Career Investigators can strengthen their research program by building a research partnership and obtaining high-quality trainees funding.
  • Trainees get support toward faculty/community leadership positions by broadening their professional network.
  • Partner organizations obtain access to academic expertise.

How to Apply

Research proposals must be single-spaced. Fonts should be at least 12 pt. For all components of the application. All margins must be at least 2.5 cm (1 inch). Number pages consecutively in the upper right corner. All the materials should be submitted in a single PDF document (excluding the reference letters).

Applications must include:

  1. A proposal (maximum 6-pages), including:
  • Abstract/Summary (½ page) summarizing the proposed research (including background, aims, methods, relevance, and impact).
  • A Research Summary (maximum 3-pages) providing an overview of the research program proposed by the Early Career Investigator, explicitly highlighting the research and role of the trainee that the funding would be used to support. Please provide the following information:
    • The title of the proposal
    • A brief statement of relevant background information and rationale for the proposed research
    • The specific aims and research questions
    • The method that will be used to address each of the purposes (including the role of the trainee)
    • A description of how the research aligns with the KBHN priority areas noted above and the expected outcomes that will advance knowledge and improve the lives of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.
  • A Future Research and Training Plan Statement (maximum 1-page) outlining plans for the program of research over the next five years, including how the Early Career Investigator & Mentorship Award will:
    • Advance the applicant’s research career,
    • Improve opportunities for securing external research funding and the applicant’s fit with an external funding agency,
    • Assist with advanced research training of the trainee.
  • A Leadership and Collaboration Statement (maximum 1-page) that clearly describes the expertise and experience (disciplinary, professional, or methodological) of the Early Career Investigator, as well as any infrastructure access or collaborators (e.g., researchers, technicians, knowledge users, partners, patients, and trainees, etc.) that are key to success.
  • A Supervision and Mentorship Statement (maximum 1-page) identifies the supervision and mentorship plan and critical infrastructure in the environment to support the trainee recruited with this award.
  1. An up-to-date curriculum vitae following requirements described by the CIHR bio sketch joint CV.
  2. Two letters of reference (maximum 2-pages each, on official letterhead and signed) in support of the application, including a short biography for each referee.
    • One letter should be from a leading scholar in the nominee’s field of expertise or a collaborator (past or current).
    • One letter must be from the partner organization contributing match funding. The letter should demonstrate that a formal partnership exists or is being developed by supporting the activities of the traditional partnership through the cash contribution required (and other in-kind support, if applicable).

How to submit

All application parts must be contained in a single PDF file, starting with the abstract and the proposal, followed by the applicant’s CV.

Please apply the following file naming conventions: KBHN_ECA_Your last name_Your First name.pdf

Complete submission files should be sent by the candidate electronically to the following address: Training@kidsbrainhealth.ca. The email subject line should be KBHN_ECA_Your last name_Your First name.

The two letters of reference can be sent separately or within the candidate’s submission package to the email address above.

The deadline for receiving all materials, including letters of reference, is 5 pm PST on June 13th, 2022.

Review process

All applications submitted will undergo peer review by the KBHN Research Training Committee (RTC). 2-3 reviewers will review each application with a broad range of expertise, reflecting the breadth of typical applications in this competition.

Selection criteria

All applications will be assessed against the criteria and weightings below.

Criterion Weighting
Quality of the proposal 30%
The excellence of the researcher 20%
Supervision, mentorship, research environment 30%
Feasibility/quality of the partnership 20%

Funding decision

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the peer review process after the review panel meeting. A Notice of Award will be issued to the host institution following approval of the outcome of the competition by the KBHN Board of Directors. All decisions are final.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) statement

KBHN is committed to excellence in research and research training. Achieving a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is essential to creating the excellent, innovative, and impactful research necessary to advance knowledge and understanding and respond to local, national, and global challenges in neurodevelopmental disabilities.

With these goals in mind, KBHN is committed to:

  • Supporting equitable access to funding opportunities for all members of the
    research community.
  • Promoting the integration of equity, diversity, and inclusion-related considerations in
    research design and practices.
  • Increasing equitable and inclusive participation in the research system, including on
    research teams.
  • Collecting the data and conducting the analyses needed to include equity, diversity, and inclusion considerations in decision-making.

Through these means, KBHN will work with those involved in the research system to develop the inclusive culture needed for research excellence and to achieve rigorous, relevant, and accessible outcomes to the concerned stakeholders in the field of neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Cohort 2020-2021

Carly McMorris

Carly McMorris,
PhD, C.Psych

Ning Cheng

Ning Cheng,
PhD

Sarah Munce

Sarah Munce,
PhD