Travel Award – Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD) Annual Meeting 2024

Table of Contents

Important Dates

Application Deadline: February 2, 2024

Anticipated Notice of Decision: Early March 2024

Description

The Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD) is an international society composed of basic and clinical scientists of diverse backgrounds who aim to advance science from a sex and gender perspective.

The CIHR Institute of Gender and Health (CIHR-IGH) will provide travel awards for trainees at Canadian institutions to attend the OSSD Meeting to be held on May 6-9, 2024 in Bergen, Norway.

Funds Available

The total funds available for this funding opportunity is $50,000, enough to fund at least 13 travel awards valued at up to $3,800 each.

Objectives

  • To promote cutting-edge, Canadian-based research that integrates sex as a biological variable and/or gender as a socio-cultural determinant of health;
  • To provide trainees at Canadian institutions with the opportunity to disseminate their research and network with internationally recognized leaders studying sex and gender science; and
  • To provide trainees at Canadian institutions with the opportunity to learn about recent discoveries in sex and gender science.

Eligibility

For an application to be eligible, the applicant must be:

  • A trainee registered in a master’s, doctoral or post-doctoral program or be a post–health professional degree fellow;
  • Currently registered (at the time of receipt of the award) and performing research within an eligible Canadian institution.
  • The first author and presenter of an oral or poster presentation;

In addition:

  • The findings presented in the abstract must consider sex as a biological variable and/or gender as a socio-cultural determinant of health as an integral part of the research question(s), research design, methods, analysis and/or data reporting.
  • This travel award values equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). A statement outlining EDI-informed considerations that apply to the application must be included (see How to apply section for more details). Here is a CIHR resource on EDI in research that may be helpful: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Research System.

Note: EDI-informed considerations may involve one or more of the following: research design, methodology (e.g., SGBA+ analysis), research respectfully involving and engaging Indigenous communities (TCPS 2 Chapter 9), research topic, application of the research, the living experience and/or community engagement of the applicant, and other considerations.

Guidelines

General CIHR Policies

Successful applicants funded through this funding opportunity and any other persons working on the project must fully comply with the applicable CIHR Funding Policies.

Allowable Costs

Applicants are advised to consult the Use of Grant Funds section of the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) Guide on Financial Administration (TAGFA) to determine if an expenditure is an appropriate use of grant funds.

For this funding opportunity only, eligible expenses are restricted to costs directly related to attending the OSSD 2024 meeting. The following are examples of appropriate uses of the grant funds, provided they satisfy the principles and pertinent TAGFA directives (see Travel and travel-related subsistence expenditures):

  • Travel and travel-related subsistence expenditures (including meals not included in registration fees during the conference, accommodation - shared accommodation is encouraged, and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses) incurred by the travel award recipient;
  • Childcare costs (up to $50 per day, where needed);
  • OSSD 2024 Meeting registration and abstract submission fees; and
  • Poster printing costs.

The following expenses are not eligible for support through this funding opportunity:

  • Passport and visa expenses;
  • Travel companion(s) expenses;
  • OSSD membership fees;
  • Any expenses incurred beyond the event dates specified above.

Note: Expenses incurred as a result of extending the stay beyond the event dates specified above, are the travel award recipient's own responsibility.

Review Process and Evaluation

Relevance Review Process

CIHR-IGH will perform relevance reviews to identify applications that are in alignment with the objectives of this competition. For the purposes of this travel award, applications deemed relevant will be those that align with:

  1. The mandate and/or strategic research priority areas of IGH;
  2. The goals and objectives of OSSD.

Applications that are not deemed to be relevant will be withdrawn from the competition. There is no formal appeal process for relevance decisions.

Inquiries about whether applicants are eligible and/or applications relevant should be sent prior to submitting the application at: IGH-ISFH@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Evaluation Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated and ranked according to the following criteria:

Research Approach and Impact (50%)

  1. Research approach: Evidence of knowledge, experience, and/or plans for incorporating sex and/or gender considerations into the applicant’s research question, including other EDI considerations, as an integral part of the research design, methods, analysis and data reporting.
  2. Impact on career: Potential impact of attending and presenting at the conference on the career of the applicant, reflected in the applicant’s letter of motivation.

Strength of the Applicant and the Application (50%)

  1. Excellence in health research: Demonstrated excellence in research relevant to career stage, including contributions to scholarly manuscripts and book chapters, presentations at scientific conferences, attainment of external funding, scientific leadership experience, involvement in scientific outreach activities, including community outreach activities, as reflected in the applicant's curriculum vitae (CV).
  2. Strength of the applicant: Demonstrated strength of the applicant based on the letter of support from the research supervisor.
  3. Clarity of the application: Clarity of the overall application, objectives(s) and rationale.
  4. Budget justification: Appropriate justification of budget and financial need.

Funding Decision

Once travel award applications have been scored and ranked, CIHR-IGH will fund relevant and highly ranked proposals (in rank order).

Applications that receive a rating below 3.5 will not be eligible for funding. Ranking will be in alignment with the Review Scale of the CIHR Institute Community Support (ICS) Travel Awards.

Conditions of Funding and Special Requirements

  • The applicant must comply with CIHR Funding Policies and consent to the use and disclosure of full application and nominative information for relevance review and funding decisions at the time of application;
  • In the event that the Notice of Decision is delayed and the OSSD conference takes place prior to the release of funding, the applicant will be required to pay for their own travel costs without guarantee of receiving an award;
  • The applicant cannot change or substitute the conference described in this application. Funds cannot be used to present at another conference;
  • The travel award is only applicable to the OSSD 2024 Meeting. Should the awardee be unable to attend the OSSD 2024 Meeting, the awarded funds will need to be reimbursed;
  • Successful applicants may be profiled in CIHR communications, on the CIHR-IGH website (or that of OSSD) and may be asked to submit a photo and/or short bio to be used in CIHR and IGH related communications (e.g., newsletters);
  • Successful applicants will be encouraged to deliver a presentation to their lab or research team on what they have learned from the OSSD 2024 Meeting; and
  • Successful applicants may be asked to complete a post-event report on their participation at the OSSD 2024 Meeting. More information will be provided at a later date.

How to Apply

Accompanying Documents

  1. A copy of the abstract that will be submitted to the OSSD 2024 Meeting. Abstracts must adhere to the format requested by OSSD.
  2. Certificate of completion for one of the sex and gender training modules. The applicant must submit a certificate of completion for one of the three online sex and gender training modules developed by IGH. Applicants should complete the module(s) that is most relevant to their research.
  3. Applicant’s CV (maximum 4 pages, Arial 11 point) including educational institutions and degrees earned, a list of the most relevant publications, abstract and conference presentations, awards, recognitions, leadership experience and outreach activities. Any additional relevant information to show the applicant’s leadership in the field of sex and gender science can also be included.
  4. Applicant’s letter of motivation (maximum 1 page, Arial 11 point). The applicant must provide a letter of motivation outlining:
    • How attending and presenting at the OSSD 2024 Meeting will advance their career in sex and gender science
    • How their research presentation may contribute to the relevant research community, organizations, stakeholders and health research in Canada.
  5. Applicant’s statement on EDI (maximum ½ page, Arial 11 point) that apply to the application. EDI-informed considerations may involve one or more of the following:
    • Integrating sex and/or gender as an integral part of the research design, methods, analysis and data reporting (e.g., SGBA+ analysis);
    • Research respectfully involving and engaging Indigenous communities (TCPS 2 Chapter 9);
    • Research topic, application of the research;
    • The living experience and/or community engagement of the applicant, and other considerations.
  6. Research supervisor letter of support, signed on institutional letterhead from the applicant’s primary supervisor that explicitly states:
    • Their consent for submission of the Travel Award application;
    • That they agree the applicant may travel to and present their findings at OSSD 2024 Meeting; and
    • The strength of the candidate.

For further guidance on incorporating gender and sex into health research, applicants are encouraged to consult resources on How to integrate sex and gender in health research. Some other resources on EDI in research may also be helpful: EDI in the research system (CIHR) and NSERC guide on integrating EDI considerations in research.

Contact Information

Inquiries about the application process should be emailed to IGH prior to submitting the application at IGH-ISFH@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

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