The goal of the KBHN Early Career Investigator & Mentorship Award is to build capacity in neurodevelopmental disability research. This award is intended to strengthen the research program of early career investigators 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 implementation of services and supports for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, their families and caregivers.
- Are driven by real-world problems and challenge areas in family-centered research related to neurodevelopmental disabilities.
- Are solution-oriented and user-centered, involving children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, their families, caregivers and community or industry stakeholders in all stages of the research.
The call for submissions is currently closed. Please sign up for our newsletter to receive updates about upcoming opportunities.
Areas of Focus
We encourage applications from all academic disciplines, and give priority to projects that directly address one or more of the following areas of focus:
- 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 Can Apply?
You are eligible to apply if you are:
- 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. At the application deadline for this award, they must be within five years* from the date of the first research-related appointment, minus eligible career delays.** Research-related appointments are defined as those where the individual has the autonomy to hold grants and conduct independent research.
- *As of March 1, 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 1, 2016, the applicant’s eligibility for this competition is extended from July 1, 2021 to July 1, 2022.
- **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.
What Qualifies as a Partner Organization?
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.
Benefits of Applying
- Through this award, early career investigators can strengthen their research program by building a research partnership and obtaining high-quality trainee funding.
- Trainees get support toward faculty/community leadership positions by broadening their professional network.
- Partner organizations obtain access to academic expertise.
Call for Proposals & Applications
The call for submissions is currently closed. Please sign up for our newsletter to receive updates about upcoming opportunities.
Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN) invites early career investigators engaged in neurodevelopmental disabilities research from all disciplines to apply for the annual Early Career Investigator & Mentorship Awards competition.
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:
- A proposal (maximum 6 pages), including:
- Abstract/summary (half page) summarizing the proposed research (including background, aims, methods, relevance, and impact).
- 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.
- An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV), following requirements described by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
- 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_YourLastName_YourFirstName.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_YourLastName_YourFirstName.
The two letters of reference can be sent separately or within the candidate’s submission package to the email address above.
Proposal & Application 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.
Contact Us
We’re here to support you. If you want to learn more about the KBHN Early Career Investigator & Mentorship Awards and other opportunities for trainees, please contact training@kidsbrainhealth.ca.
