Tri-Agency CV – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

These questions and answers are intended to support applicants who are completing the Tri-Agency CV template. Please consult the How to Apply section of the Funding Opportunity (FO) in question for specific instructions regarding the Tri-Agency CV.

  • What is the Tri-Agency CV?

    The Tri-Agency CV uses a narrative-style CV template aimed at capturing relevant information from applicants. It is composed of six sections: Personal Information, Personal Statement, Most Significant Contributions, Other Contributions to Knowledge, Supervisory and Mentorship Activities, and Other Relevant Information.

  • Why was the Tri-Agency CV developed?

    Members of the research community have expressed frustration with the Canadian Common CV over the years, particularly the burden of work it places on applicants to complete and update their CV, the potential barrier to collaboration it creates, as well as the lack of usability and unreliability of the system.

    Since winter 2020, individuals from the research community have continued to participate in workshops to identify the needs of an improved CV management experience. The Tri-Agency Grants Management Solution team has summarized what it has heard from applicants and reviewers and designed a CV template to be more inclusive of all applicant types, to deliver on the usability needs and to reduce administrative burden for applicants and reviewers. CIHR is piloting the Tri-Agency CV to inform the development of a new CV for the agencies.

  • Who can use the Tri-Agency CV?

    Applicants applying for a funding opportunity (FO) that specifies the requirement to use the Tri-Agency CV. Currently, the Tri-Agency CV is being piloted with selected FOs at CIHR. Applicants applying to these selected FOs will not submit a Common CV. Please consult the How to Apply section of the FO for the application instructions for all applicant types for the particular FO.

  • How is a Tri-Agency CV created?

    Applicants can download the Tri-Agency CV template (Microsoft Word format) from CIHR's website.

  • What is the page limit for the Tri-Agency CV?

    The Tri-Agency CV may not exceed five (5) pages (or six (6) pages for a CV written in French). There is no limit to the volume of information for each section. You may choose to devote more space to certain sections depending on the nature of your past contributions and experience.

    The information entered in the Tri-Agency CV should be directly relevant to the grant application and should demonstrate how the applicant will contribute to the application at hand.

  • What are the formatting guidelines for the Tri-Agency CV?

    The Tri-Agency CV must follow CIHR's formatting guidelines for attachments.

  • Why is Affiliation(s)/Community field important in your Tri-Agency CV?

    The institution listed as the Primary Record in your Tri-Agency CV Affiliation(s)/Community section is a critical piece of information that is used to calculate Research Support Fund (RSF) grant credit shares for the program.

    Incorrect values can result in the assignment of a participant on a CIHR grant to the incorrect institution.

    An individual's primary Institutional affiliation, as recorded in CIHR's database, can be confirmed and updated as required, at any time, by contacting CIHR's Contact Centre.

  • How do applicants confirm program-specific eligibility requirements using the Tri-Agency CV?

    To demonstrate program-specific eligibility status (e.g., early career researcher (ECR), mid-career researcher (MCR), Catalyst grant, etc.), applicants must list any past and current research appointments in Section A. Personal Information of the Tri-Agency CV.

    Applicants can use Section B. Personal Statement to clearly state their status and can include any career interruptions, with start and end dates, or other details to contextualize their status.

  • How do applicants upload their Tri-Agency CV?
    • The Tri-Agency CV must be converted to an unsecured PDF file format and cannot exceed 30 Mb in size.
    • In the Task section "Identify Participants" of the ResearchNet application, click on the subtask "Attachments", select "Curriculum Vitae" as the Document Type, choose the Tri-Agency CV file to upload and attach it.
    • Applicants can consult the How to Apply section of the funding opportunity for other specific instructions.

  • Can I update my Tri-Agency CV post-submission to include information that was not previously available?

    Modifications to submitted applications are not permitted after the application deadline date.

  • How does the Tri-Agency CV support excellence in research funding and responsible research assessment?

    CIHR is committed to excellence in research funding and responsible research assessment practices. An important part of that is recognizing a wide range of research outputs in the review process and ensuring that applicants’ work is assessed on its own merits.

    In alignment with the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, CIHR wants to ensure that peer reviewers look beyond the traditional indicators of productivity when assessing contributions and impacts. Peer reviewers are asked to avoid using metrics (e.g., number of publications and citations; size/number of research grants) in isolation and to avoid using journal-based metrics (e.g., Journal Impact Factors) as surrogate measures of quality and impact.

    The Tri-Agency CV allows applicants to capture, by providing indicators of quality and impact, and provide context to their relevant contributions in a narrative manner to support peer reviewers in assessing their track record.

Please reach out to the Contact Centre for more information.

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