Team Grants: Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions

This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) webpage was created in response to questions submitted during the Applicant Webinars (January 29 and February 5, 2025), and through the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Contact Centre. It is intended to support those interested in applying to the Team Grants: Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention funding opportunity.

Please note that instructions provided in the Team Grants: Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention funding opportunity on ResearchNet take precedence over this FAQ webpage.

This webpage may be updated frequently until the application deadline. If you have any questions related to this funding opportunity, please contact the CIHR Contact Centre (support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca or 1-888-603-4178). Questions may be edited for clarity and length.

Application Process

  • Is the new Tri-agency CV (TCV) required for this funding opportunity?

    The new Tri-agency CV is not required for this funding opportunity.

  • Who should we contact for any questions related to preparing the application (e.g., research scope, eligibility) for this funding opportunity?

    Please contact the CIHR Contact Centre (support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca) for any inquiries related to this funding opportunity. 

  • Should figures and tables be included in the 15-page Research Proposal or the 5-page Research Proposal Appendix?

    Charts, tables, figures, and photographs can be included in either the 15-page Research Proposal or the optional 5-page Research Proposal Appendix if additional pages are required. The additional 5 pages are reserved exclusively for appendices, including charts, tables, figures, and graphs, and may not be used to extend the 15-page research proposal. For more details, refer to the How to Apply section on ResearchNet.

  • Should the budget include indirect research costs (i.e., overhead) or only direct research costs?

    The budget should include only direct research costs. For more details, refer to the Allowable Costs section on ResearchNet.

  • Since it is a Team Grant, are multiple mini projects expected in the proposal or one larger proposal like the CIHR Project Grant?

    It is up to the applicant how they would like to present their research proposal.

  • Will CIHR provide a template for the Data Management Plan (DMP)?

    CIHR does not have a specific template for the DMP. Applicants are encouraged to refer to CIHR's Data Management Plan Guidance and the DMP Assistant for guidance. Applicants can also refer to the Additional Information section on ResearchNet.

Eligibility

  • Can you participate in more than one application?

    An individual cannot submit more than one application to this funding opportunity as a Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA). You may participate in other roles (Principal Applicant, Co-applicant, Knowledge Users, Collaborators, etc.) on multiple applications.

  • Are international co-applicants eligible to receive funding?

    CIHR has no restrictions on the citizenship of co-applicants as long as they are in accordance with the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration.

  • Who can be the Nominated Principal Applicant for this funding opportunity?

    The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) must be an independent researcher affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution and/or its affiliated institutions (including hospitals, research institutes and other non-profit organizations with a mandate for health research and/or knowledge mobilization). The NPA must have their substantive role in Canada for the duration of the requested grant term. Refer to the Eligibility section on ResearchNet for more details.  

Funding Decision

  • How many pools can we apply to?

    Applicants can only apply to one pool as the Nominated Principal Applicant. However, you may participate in multiple pools in other roles (Principal Applicant, Co-applicant, Knowledge Users, Collaborators, etc.).

  • With so many different pools, how will applications be funded?

    Applications will be funded from the top down in order of ranking within each funding pool and according to partner relevance. Refer to the Funding Decision section on ResearchNet.

  • Will applications that apply to a specific pool also be considered for the General Pool?

    Applicants can only apply to a maximum of one pool as NPA. If an application is deemed non-relevant in a specific pool (except for the International Japan–Canada Geroscience Pool), the application will be considered in the General Pool if it meets the overall objectives of the funding opportunity and are relevant to the General Pool.

Research Teams

  • Are applicant partners required to be part of each team for this funding opportunity?

    Applicant partners are not required in each team and do not confer any advantages in the evaluation and funding of applications.

  • Can we include partners other than the four applicant partners that were presented at the Webinar and are listed on ResearchNet?

    Applicants may find other applicant partners in addition to those that were presented at the Webinar and are listed on ResearchNet.

  • Can private sector partners be included in our team application?

    Private sector partners can be included in the team application.

  • Is an Early Career Researcher (ECR) required in the research team or just encouraged?

    An ECR is required as part of the research team as outlined in the Eligibility section on ResearchNet.

  • Does it strengthen the application to have a senior researcher or junior researcher as the NPA of the team?

    It is the responsibility of the applicant to determine who would be best on their team to fill each role.

  • How do we make connections with other researchers interested in forming a team?

    CIHR encourages applicants looking to build a team to refer to the Partner Linkage Tool, which aims to facilitate connections between applicants to support the formation of research teams and application development.

Research Areas

  • Would projects relevant to prevention, risk reduction and/or early detection be included in the General Pool? Or would they only be eligible for the General Pool if they were identifying new targets and approaches for prevention, risk reduction and/or early detection? What about for cancer recurrence?

    Projects relevant to cancer prevention, risk reduction and/or early detection and that meet the overall objectives of this funding opportunity would be included in the General Pool, which can include, but is not limited to identifying new targets or approaches. This funding opportunity will not support research on cancer recurrence.

  • Would secondary prevention of recurrences fall within the scope of this funding opportunity?

    The scope of this funding opportunity does not include the prevention and early detection of recurrences.

  • As childhood cancers are typically not a focus of cancer prevention research, are projects focused on childhood cancers at a disadvantage in this competition?

    Projects that focus on childhood cancers and meet the overall objectives of this funding opportunity would be relevant to this competition.

  • Are pre-clinical cell and animal cancer prevention studies without human clinical trials eligible?

    Applicants can use any experimental model of their choice. Applicants should comment on the appropriateness of the proposed model(s) used and translational potential to human biology.

  • Are clinical intervention trials considered if they have translational and clinical outcomes?

    Clinical intervention trials that include a biological/mechanistic component would be relevant to this funding opportunity.

  • What does "late-stage intervention trials" mean?

    Late stage of an intervention trial (close to the clinic).

International Japan–Canada Geroscience Pool

  • Will AMED be funding only one grant for the entire ¥380,000,000 or will multiple grants be considered?

    Only one application relevant to the International Japan–Canada Geroscience Pool will be funded. This binational team will receive up to CA$2,000,000 to fund the Canadian component of the binational team and up to ¥380,000,000 to fund the Japanese component of the binational team. Of this ¥380,000,000, more than 50% of the Japanese budget must be allocated to the international scientific mobility aspect of the project. Refer to the AMED Call Supplemental Guidance for Japan-based applicants on the AMED website for eligible mobility expenses.

  • What is the structure of the Japan–Canada Geroscience international team?

    The joint application submitted to ResearchNet should describe a binational team comprised of researchers based in Canada and Japan that are working together on a project. The Canada-based applicants will be funded by CIHR and the Japan-based applicants will be funded by AMED.

    The Japan-based Principal Investigator (PI) of the binational team must be listed as a Principal Applicant in ResearchNet. The Canada-based Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) of the binational team must be listed as a Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) in the Japanese Supplemental Application Form (available on the AMED website) submitted to e-Rad.

  • For the Japan–Canada Geroscience Pool, does the team have to follow the same team structure/eligibility requirements?

    For applicants to the Japan–Canada Geroscience Pool, each binational team as a whole must meet the eligibility criteria outlined on ResearchNet. The NPA listed on ResearchNet must be from Canada. The binational team must be interdisciplinary, and at a minimum, must include each of the four participant types described on ResearchNet. Each participant type could be based in Canada or Japan. The NPA must be from Canada.

  • Is an Early Career Researcher required on the Canadian component of the Japan–Canada joint team or just encouraged?

    At a minimum, one ECR is required as part of the Japan–Canada joint team as outlined in the Eligibility section on ResearchNet. The ECR could be based in Canada or Japan. Refer to the CIHR definition of Early Career Researcher (ECR).

  • Should the 15-page Research Proposal be a combined proposal of both the Japan-based and Canada-based teams?

    The Research Proposal should be a joint proposal developed together by both the Japan-based and Canada-based applicants.

  • What is required for the International Scientific Mobility Plan?

    Refer to the Japanese Supplemental Application Form (available on the AMED website) for details regarding the International Scientific Mobility Plan. Contact AMED (amed-aspire@amed.go.jp) for questions regarding the additional requirements required by the Japan-based applicants on the binational team.

  • Can we apply to the Japan–Canada Pool with a non-geroscience related project?

    The International Japan–Canada Geroscience Pool is only for Geroscience-related projects.

  • For those interested in the Geroscience Pool, how do we make connections with researchers in Japan?

    Refer to the CIHR Partner Linkage Tool, which aims to facilitate connections between applicants to support the formation of research teams and application development.

Other

  • How can we access the slides that were presented at the Webinar sessions?

    Please contact the CIHR Contact Centre (support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca) for the slides.

  • Will this be a recurring competition?

    This is a one-time funding opportunity. A future round of this competition is not guaranteed.

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