Frequently Asked Questions - Health System Impact Fellowship (HSIF)

General

• What differentiates the Health System Impact Fellowship program from CIHR's CPRA and CGRS-D programs?

  The Health System Impact (HSI) Fellowship program provides an embedded research experience within health system organizations, and aims to better prepare doctoral trainees and post-doctoral researchers to embark on a wide range of career paths with greater impact. It is founded on the concept of experiential learning within health system organizations coupled with professional development training in an expanded set of competencies (e.g., leadership, knowledge mobilization, project management) designed to accelerate professional growth. The HSI Fellowship provides doctoral trainees and post-doctoral researchers with an opportunity to develop their embedded research experience and apply the skills they developed through their doctoral training to "real world" challenges faced by health system organizations, while also developing professional experience, enriched core competencies skills and networks. Additionally, the HSI Fellowship peer review criteria emphasize, in addition to the applicant's academic excellence, their professional accomplishments and leadership potential (see evaluation criterion) and a program of work designed to advance the organization's health system impact goals.

• I am uncertain about my career goals. What career paths does this fellowship target?

  The HSI Fellowship program was designed to support multiple career goals, but goals that share the common objective of applied and/or community-based research, evidence-informed decision-making, and health system improvement. We anticipate that the program will be valuable to individuals pursuing a range of career paths: those aspiring to become embedded scientists; those pursuing careers as independent researchers or scientists who want to conduct applied, policy- and system-relevant research while building partnerships beyond academia, applying their research and critical thinking skills in health system settings, developing transferable skills, and maintaining protected time for academic research; and those aspiring to management, leadership, or administrative roles in the health system who want "real-world" experience and are committed to using research and evidence in these roles. This peer-reviewed paper [ PDF (580 KB) - external link ] examines the career outcomes of Health System Impact Fellows funded between 2017-2019. Career profiles featuring alumni from across HSI Fellowship cohorts are also available on the HSI program webpage, providing a broader look at fellows' career trajectories following the program.

• What is the difference between a one-year and two-year fellowship?

  One-year fellowships are for doctoral trainees and are generally suited to well-defined, discrete, projects with clear deliverables (e.g. an economic evaluation of a new drug or treatment; a retrospective or prospective policy analysis of a program or intervention). Two-year fellowships are for post-doctoral researchers and are generally suited to programs of work that involve multiple projects addressing one or more priority areas that are conceptually linked (e.g. designing, testing and evaluating a new financing or service delivery model).

• Are cross-jurisdictional projects allowed?

  Yes. However, the focus and details of the project or program of work will be determined by the host health system organization or jointly determined by the applicant and host health system organization. Additionally, note that all program/project proposals will be assessed with the peer review criteria outlined in the funding opportunity, including the "extent to which the program of work proposal addresses a critical challenge/impact goal faced by the host health system organization."

• Where can I learn more about the Pan-Canadian Enriched Core Competency Framework?

  Refreshed Enriched Core Competency Framework for Health Systems and Policy Research

• Who should I contact if I have questions about the funding opportunity?

  For all inquiries about the funding opportunity, please contact:

  CIHR Contact Centre
  Telephone: 613-954-1968
  Toll Free: 1-888-603-4178
  Email: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

• My organization would like to host a fellow – who should I contact to get involved?

  For all inquiries about how to get involved as a host health system organization, please contact:

  Rhonda Boateng
  Lead, Communications and Strategic Initiatives
  rboateng.ihspr@ices.on.ca

  We also encourage health system organizations interested in embedding a fellow within their team to submit a profile to our Partner Linkage tool through this online portal. This profile tool is an opportunity to signal your interest in hosting a fellow, highlight your anticipated priorities for the embedded research project(s) (i.e., signal your priority areas/projects of interest), and convey why your organization is an ideal learning environment for an embedded researcher.

• How often is the Partner Linkage tool, the online resource featuring profiles of health system organizations interested in hosting a fellow, updated?

  It is updated on an ongoing basis (as soon as new profiles are added).

• Where can I find more information about applying with the Tri-agency CV?

  You can find more information on the Tri-agency CV (TCV) here: Tri-agency CV. Additionally, you can refer to the TCV Frequently Asked Questions.

• Where can I learn more about the previous cohorts of Health System Impact Fellows, their host health system organizations, and their programs of work?

  Check out the web profiles for the Health System Impact Fellows and program alum.

Eligibility

• Am I eligible to apply?

  You are eligible if you are:

  • Stream A (Doctoral): A trainee who is enrolled full-time in a doctoral degree by the award funding start date, and studying HSPR (i.e. the field of scientific investigation that generates evidence on how to create systems, policies and organizational structures and invest in programs, services and technologies that maximize health and health care system outcomes) or related fields for their doctoral training at a Canadian CIHR eligible institution, and who is not a current or past employee of their proposed host health system organization (unless the applicant falls within the special case exception - see below for definition of current or past employee) and who has not previously held a HSI doctoral award; or
  • Stream B (Postdoctoral): A trainee who has obtained their doctoral degree (PhD or DrPH) in HSPR (see above a.) or a related field (e.g. population health, public health, public policy, economics, political science, sociology, epidemiology) or will obtain their degree by the award funding start date, who has not previously held a HSI post-doctoral award, and/or who is not a current or past employee of their proposed host health system organization (unless the applicant falls within the special case exception - see below for definition of current or past employee).
• My doctoral degree (PhD or DrPH) is/was not in health services and policy research. Am I eligible?

  If you believe you meet the objectives and the eligibility criteria of the HSI Fellowship opportunity, we encourage you to apply. Please note that the funding opportunity specifies "doctoral degree in HSPR or related fields," and we recognize there are many related fields. Illustrative but non-exhaustive examples are provided in the funding opportunity in the Eligibility section (e.g., population and public health, economics, epidemiology, political science, artificial intelligence, etc.). All applications undergo an eligibility screening and relevance review process once submitted to CIHR to assess whether individuals and projects meet the eligibility as specified in the funding opportunity and are relevant to the objectives and relevant research areas. CIHR will only be able to confirm eligibility after the eligibility screening and relevance review has taken place.

• For doctoral trainee applicants, are there any eligibility requirements regarding degree stage or is this fellowship program open to doctoral trainees at any stage of their studies?

  The program is open to doctoral trainees at any stage of their degree. They must, though, be at a stage where they are able to commit at least 60% of their time to being embedded within their host health system organization and focused on the impact-oriented project/program of work. They must also have the support of their doctoral thesis supervisor, who must serve as the academic supervisor for the fellowship. Finally, they must be enrolled full-time in a doctoral degree at a Canadian CIHR eligible institution by the Health System Impact program award funding start date and be able to provide proof of PhD registration and proof that they are studying HSPR or related fields.

• I would like to apply for the post-doctoral stream but will not complete my doctoral degree by the application deadline. I expect to defend my dissertation by the funding start date. Can I still apply?

  Yes. You may apply to the postdoctoral stream if you have not completed your doctoral degree by the application deadline. As outlined in the Conditions for Funding, applicants must provide proof of completion of their PhD or DrPH requirements before beginning the postdoctoral fellowship. Acceptable documentation may include official confirmation from the applicant's Program Director or equivalent that:

  • all doctoral degree requirements have been completed, including the PhD/DrPH graduation or oral defence; or
  • the applicant has a confirmed oral defence date scheduled within two months of the award start date.
    • Some universities will not officially register a post-doctoral fellow until the PhD defense has been successfully completed.
• Is there an eligibility window to have obtained a doctoral degree no more than five years prior to the competition deadline?

  No, there is no eligibility window concerning when a doctoral degree is obtained. The program is open to anyone who meets all the eligibility criteria stipulated in the funding opportunity. This approach reduces eligibility barriers for some disciplines and fosters the mobility of talent across sectors, so as to enhance the diversity and excellence of Canada's cadre of trainees.

• I anticipate completing my doctoral degree (PhD, DrPH) by the start date of the fellowship but what if there are delays and I have not defended in time? Can I defer?

  No, deferrals due to delayed doctoral degree completion times are not permitted for this program. However, if the applicant has successfully defended their thesis by the award start date, or has a confirmed defense date scheduled for within two months of the award start date outlined on the funding opportunity, they may contact CIHR to discuss.

• Eligibility states that I must be a trainee affiliated with a CIHR eligible institution. What does this mean?

  This means you must currently hold or seek affiliation as a trainee (i.e., as a doctoral trainee or post-doctoral researcher) with the university at which your proposed academic supervisor is based. It also means, in most cases, that the CIHR portion of your award funds will flow through the university to you. A list of CIHR eligible institutions is available here.

• I'm an organization interested in becoming eligible to hold and administer CIHR funds. How do I do this?

  We are supportive of this and see this as an essential step to building embedded research capacity and learning health systems. The eligibility and application process is outlined on CIHR's website.

• If I applied to Tri-agency or CIHR program(s) at the doctoral and postdoctoral level, am I allowed to apply for the Health System Impact Fellowship?

  Yes. An applicant may apply for the HSI Fellowship and other tri-agency awards (e.g., CGRS Doctoral Award, CPRA) in the same year but cannot receive funding from both awards simultaneously.

  If the applicant is successful in the HSI Fellowship competition and another federal award competition they will need to ensure that the funding periods do not overlap. Where permitted under the terms of the other award, the applicant may select a later start date or request a deferment of that award in order to undertake the HSI Fellowship first. Note: because the HSI Fellowship program is funded with strategic funds, deferrals for the HSI Fellowship (e.g., to commence other federal awards) will not be permitted.

  Applicants should also be aware of the deferment and interruption limits applicable to other Tri-agency awards. As per the Tri-agency Research Training Award Holder's Guide, the maximum Deferment / Interruption is 12 months, which has implications for postdoctoral applicants that are offered or hold another federal multi¬year post-doctoral award at the time of HSI Fellowship application or notice of decision (e.g., applicants that are awarded both a HSI Fellowship and CPRA in the same year will not be permitted to accept both).

• I already hold a Tri-agency or CIHR program(s) award at the doctoral and postdoctoral level, but I am interested in enriching my training with experiential learning embedded within a health system organization. Am I able to apply for the Health System Impact Fellowship as well?

  Yes. If you are successful in the HSI Fellowship, you can hold both awards simultaneously. However, you cannot receive funding from other Tri-agency awards at the same time. A request for Interruption of Award from other federal funding sources must be granted before funding for the HSI Fellowship will be administered. The maximum Interruption is 12 months, which has implications for post-doctoral applicants that hold a federal post-doctoral award at the time of HSI Fellowship application. Note: An Interruption from the HSI Fellowship is not permitted for the purposes of taking up another federal award.

• The HSI Fellowship funding opportunity specifies that eligible applicants must not be current or former employees of the host health system organization, unless I fall within the special exception case. What does this mean? And, what if I am currently (or formerly) a post-doctoral fellow with the organization? What if I am doing (or did) a research internship with the organization? What if I am on contract with the organization?

  It varies.

  Current/former doctoral trainees and post-doctoral researchers are eligible to apply and must, in their CIHR application, specify the value -add that the HSI Fellowship will bring to their current training with the same organization. Current/former research interns are eligible to apply if their internship was 12 months or less in duration and must, in their CIHR application, specify the value - add that the HSI Fellowship will bring to their current training with the same organization.

  Current/former employees and individuals on paid contract with the organization are ineligible to apply. Individuals on paid contract are viewed as contract employees of the organization. The HSI Fellowship is not intended to serve as a vehicle to extend paid contract work. However, the exception to this is in the case of large organizations (defined as 500 or more employees), with multiple branches/departments/divisions, and where the fellow would be embedded in a different branch/department/division than their current one and be supervised and mentored by a different decision-maker (or equivalent) than that to which they currently report for their employment. Applications in this scenario are strongly encouraged to pay close attention to peer review criterion: Potential value-add to the applicant and the host health system organization.

• I am a physician (MD) and I completed an MSc in Health Systems. Am I eligible to apply?

  As per the eligibility criteria of this funding opportunity, applicants must be a trainee enrolled full-time in a doctoral degree (PhD or DrPH) or have obtained their doctoral degree (PhD or DrPH) (e.g. MD PhD is eligible, MSc MD is not).

• For the doctoral award, does the candidacy exam need to have already been completed prior to applying?

  As long as you have been accepted to a full-time program, you can apply (i.e., you do not need to have completed candidacy exams prior to applying). However, you require approval from your thesis supervisor as she/he must serve as the academic supervisor for your HSI Fellowship, too.

• I am a current Health System Impact Doctoral Fellow. Am I eligible to reapply?

  Current HSI Fellows cannot re-apply to the Fellowship during the same degree. Doctoral fellows can re-apply to the HSIF if transitioning from PhD to post-doctoral studies. Please refer to eligibility criteria of Funding Opportunity.

Application Process

• Does the project/program of work need to be related to the student's PhD dissertation work?

  It may be helpful for the project/program of work and thesis work to align, but this is not a requirement.

• How do I decide the % of my time to spend within the host health system organization? The funding opportunity specifies 60-100%, depending on whether I'm a doctoral or postdoctoral applicant. If I opt for 70%, what do I do with the remainder of my time?

  In some cases, the host health system organization will specify the required percentage of time based on the anticipated scope of work. In other cases, you and your host health system organization will jointly determine the appropriate percentage of time based on the anticipated scope of work and your shared goals with respect to academic training and collaborations. Flexibility in the time commitment is intended to enable awardees to make meaningful contributions to the host health system organization's program of work, become immersed in the culture and operations of the organization, and benefit from mentorship by executive leaders, while also making it possible to protect a portion of time for doctoral program commitments (e.g., course or thesis work) or post-doctoral academic research with the academic supervisor.

  As outlined in the Conditions of Funding section of the funding opportunity:

  • For doctoral awardees, "the remaining percentage of time (if any) must be spent on their doctoral program commitments (e.g., course work, comprehensive exam, dissertation) with their academic supervisor."
  • For post-doctoral awardees, "the remaining percentage of time (if any) must be spent on academic research and related activities (e.g., publishing thesis manuscripts, teaching at the university, advancing an existing program of research and/or developing a new one) under the supervision of their academic supervisor."
• How is 60% defined? 70%? Does this time need to be allocated equally across the year, for example 3.5 days per week every week?

  60% is defined as on average, 3 days per week (based on a 37.5 hour work week). 70% is defined as, on average, 26 hours per week (based on a 37.5 hour work week). The 60-100% time does not need to be allotted equally on a weekly basis for the fellowship duration. A few illustrative examples include:

  • Spending 100% of the time embedded within the host health system organization over the summer (or other) term, and reducing the time commitment accordingly in subsequent months to focus on doctoral program commitments.
  • Spending 100% of the time embedded within the host health system organization for 31 of 52 weeks (60% of 52 weeks), and spending the balance of time focused 100% on doctoral program commitments.
  • Spending 100% of the time embedded within the host health system organization for 12 months.

  Regardless of the approach chosen, the awardee and their health system and academic supervisors must agree and outline this in the application.

Evaluation Process

• What evaluation criteria will be used to assess my application?

  Please refer to the HSIF Evaluation Criteria for Peer Reviewers.

• What is the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and what does it mean for me?

  The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) is a global initiative whose purpose is to support the development and promotion of best practices in the assessment of scholarly research. DORA recognizes the need to improve the ways in which research is evaluated, beyond widely used journal-based metrics. As a signatory of DORA, CIHR has reaffirmed its commitment to excellence in research evaluation. CIHR recognizes and values a broader range of contributions, including outreach and mentoring, and emphasizes their quality and impact.

  For applicants, this means being able to highlight a broad range of contributions and impacts in your applications. This could include contributions such as: articles, reports, books, guidelines, datasets, code, tools, training and mentorship, volunteerism, community engagement, standards, software, and commercialized products—and whether your work has influenced policy and practice, health outcomes, societal outcomes, and whether you have engaged in distinctions-based, meaningful, and culturally safe health research.

  For peer reviewers, this means being supported with enhanced guidance and practical tips to consider: the value of a range of contributions and impacts, factors that could affect productivity, the importance of the content of articles over the publication metrics or journal identity.

• Will applications for the doctoral and post-doctoral stream be peer reviewed together?

  The same peer review criteria will be used for both streams; there will be a specific peer review committee to evaluate applications from each stream, and each stream has its own funding pools and dedicated budgets (see the Funds Available section of the funding opportunity).

• If I believe my fellowship is relevant to one of the partner Institutes (e.g., CIHR-IPPH), should I specify this in my application?

  Yes. If your proposed fellowship is relevant to the research area of a participating CIHR Institute or partner, you should identify the applicable Research Area(s) in your application and provide a justification for relevance.

  All applications must be relevant to IHSPR's mandate and the definition of Pillar 3 research (i.e. General Pool). Subsequently, CIHR Institutes and Partners will conduct relevance reviews to ensure applications in their respective pools are relevant to their respective research areas.

  Applications deemed not relevant to the General pool will be withdrawn from the competition. However, applications that do not meet the requirements of a specific pool may remain active in the competition if they are deemed relevant to other pools, including the General pool.

  Applicants may select up to two (2) additional Research Areas. Justification of relevance must be given for each Research Area selected. If more than two additional Research Areas are selected, the application will only be considered for the first ones identified.

Health System Organization/Academic Institution

• What qualifies as an eligible host health system organization?

  The Eligibility section of the funding opportunity defines "health system or related host health system organization" as follows: A host health system organization may be a public, private for-profit, or not-for-profit organization at the local, regional, provincial/territorial, or federal/national level (e.g., national health or health-related organization, Indigenous health organization [community-based or other, such as an Indigenous non-governmental organization], ministry of health, community hospital, academic teaching hospital, health authority, quality council, public health organization, health charity, consulting firm undertaking health or health-related work, pharmaceutical company, health-related professional association). A health system organization is defined as an organization that contributes to: direct service delivery; mandated quality monitoring; the development of policies or programs that affects the health of individuals, populations and/or the health system; the development, provision or evaluation of technologies/products/services; or consulting services aimed at improving health outcomes and/or health system effectiveness and efficiency. Please refer to Partner Linkage Tool for a list of organizations that have expressed interest in hosting trainees. The list is not exhaustive; applicants may also approach organizations that are not on the list.

  Eligible international host organizations must be multinational in scope, include Canada as a country in its multinational partnership/membership, and offer a health services and policy research-relevant project to prospective applicants that is applicable to the Canadian context with potential to generate learnings for Canada.

  Note: While universities, research institutes (i.e., organizations whose primary mandate is to conduct or fund research) and CIHR-funded entities (e.g., units, platforms, teams) may play an important role in the HSI program, they are not eligible host health system organizations in this funding opportunity.

• If I do not have existing relationships with health system organizations, can CIHR help me find a host health system organization?

  Yes. We have developed a Partner Linkage Tool for applicants that features profiles of health system organizations from across the country that have expressed interest in hosting a Health System Impact Doctoral trainee, and/or Postdoctoral researcher. These organizations are committed to the objectives of the funding opportunity, are enthusiastic about hosting fellows for experiential learning opportunities centered on high priority challenges and contributing to fellows' professional development and have earmarked the required funding contribution. Applicants are invited to review the profile of these organizations and reach out directly to those of interest to discuss details and explore fit. Applicants are encouraged to review the list frequently as it will be regularly updated as more organizations express interest in the program.

• Am I required to apply with a host health system organization featured in the Partner Linkage Tool? Will applicants working with organizations from the Partner Linkage Tool receive bonus points in peer review?

  No. The partner profile tool is an optional resource. Applicants can apply with an organization profiled in the tool or seek out their own host health system organization that meets the funding opportunity's eligibility criteria. One will not be favoured over another in terms of peer review. Regardless of whether the host health system organization is from the tool or not, the same peer review criteria will be used.

• How do I express my interest to potential host health system organizations?

  The Partner Linkage Tool includes instructions (and tips) to applicants regarding how to submit an expression of interest (EOI) to potential host health system organizations. The instructions specify that EOIs must be sent by email (see the contact details in the host health system organization's profile) and must include a general introduction, a purpose statement and the applicant's CV (professional CV, not TCV). Organizations will use these documents for initial screening. Review the Instructions for applicants on the Partner Linkage Tool page for detailed instructions.

• I have met with multiple organizations and want to confirm my interest in one. How do I do this?

  When a mutual fit is confirmed between an applicant and an organization, an email between the two will officially verify the partnership, the anticipated percentage of time embedded, the health system supervisor's commitment to supervision and mentorship, and the host health system organization's 30% funding commitment. At this stage, a partnership is considered established, and applicants and organizations are discouraged from continuing to explore other opportunities that could jeopardize their commitment to each other. The applicant and host health system organization will then develop the CIHR application.

• Do the host health system organizations have specific projects in mind, or is it up to the applicant to propose a project to the host in line with their profile?

  It varies. In some cases, the organization has a project or projects in mind while in other cases the organization has signaled high-level priorities and welcomes ideas from applicants about what to focus on and how to do so. Applicants are encouraged to explore this with the organizations of interest to them.

  Regardless of how the project is developed, the proposed project or program of work must focus on health services, health policy and/or health system challenges that are of high priority to the host health system organization.

  Applicants are also encouraged to keep in mind the peer review criteria, including the extent to which the proposed project/program of work addresses a critical challenge or impact goal of the host organization, the impact potential within the organization and the value-add to the organization by hosting the applicant.

• Above and beyond the details of the experiential learning opportunity and embedded project, are there other things I should discuss with my proposed host health system organization that will help pave the way for a high-quality fellowship experience?

  Yes. Here are a few recommendations:

  • Professional development, supervision and mentorship: Professional development that accelerates career readiness and ability to make an impact is a key aspect of the HSI Fellowship program. The "Quality of the host health system organization's and academic institution's training, supervision and mentorship plan" is one of four core peer review criteria. We encourage you to meet jointly with your proposed health system and academic supervisors to discuss professional development and mentorship opportunities.
  • Partnership expectations: Applicants are encouraged to discuss and establish a shared understanding of the respective roles, responsibilities and expectations of the fellow, health system supervisor and academic supervisor. For embedded, partnered research, it is good practice to discuss your shared impact goals, intellectual property, conflict resolution, confidentiality of information, publication policies, and acknowledgements and authorship up front. CIHR's intellectual property policy is that intellectual property is governed by institutional policies.
  • Other organizational policies: For example, location of work (in-person, virtual, hybrid), human resources policies (e.g., benefits options/requirements - see FAQ # 22).
  • For post-doctoral applicants: we encourage you to discuss and identify potential academic supervisors with expertise that is complementary to the focus of the embedded project, and that you discuss strategies for co-mentorship (e.g., regular meetings that involve the fellow, health system supervisor and academic supervisor).
  • Funding arrangements: CIHR recommends that if the host health system organization is not a CIHR Eligible Institution (i.e., eligible to receive and administer the CIHR funds), that it set up an agreement with the fellow's academic institution and transfer its portion to the university to administer (along with the CIHR's portion of the funds)A preliminary discussion to ensure the organization has a mechanism to transfer the funds (either via transfer agreement to the awardee's academic institution or direct payment to the awardee if the HSO is the institution paid), if the fellowship is funded, is recommended.
• My host health system organization is affiliated with a university, does that make it a university-based Research institute and therefore not eligible as a host health system organization?

  For the purpose of this competition, a health system organization is defined as an organization that contributes to: direct service delivery; mandated quality monitoring; the development of policies or programs that affect the health of individuals, populations and/or the health system; the development, provision or evaluation of technologies/products/services; or consulting services aimed at improving health outcomes and/or health system effectiveness and efficiency. Eligible international health system host health system organizations must be multinational in scope, include Canada as a country in its multinational partnership/membership, and offer a health services and policy research-relevant project to prospective applicants that is applicable to the Canadian context with potential to generate learnings for Canada. It is the NPA's responsibility to determine whether their organization fits this definition. As the host health system organization plays a role in the evaluation criteria and relevance review to support the strategic objectives of this funding opportunity, the applicant must read carefully the funding opportunity and related literature prior to submitting their application.

• Can I partner with more than one host health system organization, if one is considered the main host health system (e.g., primary supervisor, provides the funds, hosts the fellow), and the other provides expertise?

  There is nothing in the funding opportunity that precludes this. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to consider the peer review criteria upon which the application will be evaluated, including impact, feasibility, value-add to the host health system organization, and more. Peer review will be conducted in accordance with the CIHR Reviewers' Guide for Health System Impact Fellowship Program. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the peer review criteria.

• Are federally-funded organizations like Health Canada and others eligible to participate as host health system organizations?

  Yes. Federally funded organizations, such as Health Canada, may be eligible to participate as host health system organizations. As with all prospective host organizations, it is important to discuss and ensure that the organization has the necessary mechanisms in place to participate in the program, including the ability to contribute the required 30% funding towards the fellowship.

  However, CIHR-funded organizations (e.g., SPOR SUPPORT Units) are not eligible host health system organizations.

• Can an applicant submit multiple proposals with different host health system organizations?

  No. An applicant is permitted to submit only one application to CIHR per application cycle. However, an applicant is permitted to explore opportunities with multiple potential host health system organizations before deciding which one to partner with (i.e., expressions of interest to multiple organizations is permitted in the partnership-development phase) but must ultimately partner with one organization and submit only one CIHR application.

• Can the host health system organization's contribution come from grant/funds from an external partner of the Health System Impact Fellowship competition?

  This funding opportunity allows for the use of grant/funds from external partners to cover the 30% host partner contribution. However, contributions from existing CIHR or Tri-Agency grant funds are ineligible. If other external funding is being used toward the host contribution, applicants are encouraged to confirm that the terms and conditions of that funding permit it to be used for this purpose.

• Can an organization put forward more than one applicant?

  Yes, as long as it has the capacity (e.g., supervision and mentorship, as well as office space) and resources (i.e., the 30% host health system funding contribution is required for each applicant) to support multiple applicants. When an organization commits to an applicant (by way of the letter of support), it is committing to providing the experiential learning opportunity, the mentorship and supervision, and 30% funding to the applicant if they are successful in peer review.

• Can I work remotely from my host health system organization?

  Remote embeddedness and experiential learning is permitted if host organization policies allow it. Applicants and their supervisors are required to demonstrate in the "Training Environment and Support" section of their application how high-quality training, mentorship and professional development will be provided in a remote context. See the How To Apply section for details.

• I live in a different province than my proposed host health system organization. Can I use my stipend to support relocation expenses?

  Yes. Relocation expenses are an eligible use of award funds.

• Are organizations focused on global health eligible?

  Yes, as long as they meet the definition outlined in the Eligibility section.

• Could one of the host health system organizations be an organization located outside of Canada?

  For Doctoral Awards (Stream A), the host health system organization listed on the application must be located in Canada. For Post-doctoral Awards (Stream B), applicants may select an international host health system organization. Note that eligible international host health system organizations must be multinational in scope, include Canada as a country in its multinational partnership/membership, and offer a health services and policy research-relevant project to prospective applicants that is applicable to the Canadian context with potential to generate learnings for Canada.

Supervisors

• Does CIHR provide help to find an academic supervisor?

  No. It is the applicant's responsibility to find an academic supervisor. Note the Eligibility criteria which state that for applicants to the doctoral stream, the academic supervisor must be the trainee's primary doctoral degree supervisor. Applicants are encouraged to consider the Eligibility criteria when considering academic supervisors, and the commitments that academic supervisors are required to make to the fellow, as outlined in the How to Apply section of the funding opportunity.

• What if my proposed host health system organization and academic supervisor are in different provinces?

  This is allowed. You will be based in the province of the host health system organization and can make appropriate arrangements for academic training with your academic supervisor (e.g., short-term intensive in-person training, remote training, a combination of both, etc.). The appropriateness and feasibility of these arrangements, whether in -person or remote, must be specified in the application and will be assessed in peer review (see evaluation criterion). A remote relationship with your academic supervisor is likely more feasible for post- doctoral fellows, who are not in the midst of doctoral course or thesis work.

• If the supervisor from the host health system organization also has a university appointment, can they also serve as the academic supervisor?

  No. As outlined in the Eligibility criteria of the funding opportunity, the application must include a Primary Supervisor from the host health system organization that is a health system leader (an executive-level decision maker) and an academic supervisor with an academic appointment with a university-based HSPR (or related) graduate training program in Canada "and who is a different individual than the health system supervisor." Note: as per the Eligibility guidelines, for doctoral trainee applicants, the academic supervisor must be the trainee's primary PhD supervisor. For post-doctoral applicants, it is possible that the host health system organization will have suggestions for possible academic supervisors with complementary expertise, skills and networks, but it is ultimately the applicant's decision about who to pursue as an academic supervisor.

• Is the supervisor from the host health system organization expected to have a doctoral degree (PhD, DrPH)?

  No. The supervisor from the host health system organization is required to be an "executive-level decision maker" that is committed to providing the fellow with professional development, mentorship and support. It is her/his professional experience, skills, advice and networks that the decision maker is sharing with the fellow, in addition to a commitment to provide professional development in alignment with the Refreshed Enriched Core Competency Framework. Please consult the HSIF Evaluation Criteria for Peer Reviewers, which includes further detail on the evaluation criteria for both applicants and reviewers.

• Should the postdoctoral fellow have completed their doctorate degree with the same academic supervisor as the proposed academic supervisor for the HSI Fellowship?

  No, this is not required. Applicants should ensure the proposed academic supervisor meets the eligibility criteria outlined in the funding opportunity, and are encouraged to consider seeking out an academic supervisor whose expertise complements the scope of work that will be pursued with the host health system organization.

• Can the academic supervisor be located at the host health system organization as well (assuming they have an academic affiliation that allows them to supervise trainees)?

  Yes.

• Can an applicant have two health system supervisors in addition to the academic supervisor?

  The eligibility criteria require one primary health system supervisor and academic supervisor to be identified in the application. ResearchNet permits only one individual to be designated as the Primary Supervisor (i.e., Health System Supervisor) for your application. This individual must be identified in your application and their experience and expertise described in the Team Expertise and Experience form, along with their letter of support.

  However, you are welcome to reference a second Health System Supervisor elsewhere in your application—such as in your research proposal or the Training, Mentorship, and Professional Development section. While this second supervisor will not be officially recognized in CIHR's funded research database, the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) can include them in program-related communications, emails, and events if your application is successful.

  Please note:

  • Only one primary (health system) supervisor should be formally identified.
  • The application will be evaluated based on the established criteria, so we encourage you to review the Review Process and Evaluation section of the funding opportunity.

Award Administration

• Can I defer the start date of my fellowship?

  For the purpose of this funding opportunity, the following are not permitted:

  • A Deferment (all awards must start on the prescribed award start date stated in the funding opportunity)
  • Paid or unpaid leaves for the purpose of other relevant work experience or to take up another award.

  However, given there is flexibility in how the awardee's time is allocated, one scenario, as long as the awardee and their health system and academic supervisors are supportive, could be that the awardee starts the fellowship from the start date but spends 100% of the first quarter on doctoral research, and 100% of the second through fourth quarters embedded at the host health system organization on the impact-oriented project.

• My host health system organization and I are keen to get started on the work. Can I accept a short-term contract with my host health system organization while I await the fellowship notice of decision?

  Yes. An applicant is permitted to accept short-term employment with their host health system organization that commences after the fellowship application deadline, while they await the notice of decision.

• Can I hold the HSI Fellowship and a private, local, or provincial fellowship?

  The HSI Fellowship requires a full-time commitment from the fellow. That said, holding a provincial or local award concurrently is not prohibited by CIHR; however, you must check with the provincial/ local fellowship for their terms and conditions.

• Who is eligible for the $5,000 supplement?

  Applicants applying to the Northern pool or to an international host health system organization may be eligible for a $5000 supplement (see How to Apply for details).

• How and to whom do CIHR and the host health system organization flow their funds?

  CIHR flows its funds to a CIHR eligible institution. A list of CIHR eligible institutions is available online. In most cases, this will be the applicant's academic institution. In some cases, though, it could be the host health system organization if it is a CIHR eligible institution (e.g., Fraser Health Authority, Vancouver Island Health Authority, North York General Hospital). If the fellow's university and host health system organization are both eligible to hold CIHR funds, the fellow can choose where funds should flow in the application (in the ResearchNet task "Enter Proposal Information," "Institution paid" – see How to Apply section for further details).

  CIHR stipend funds flow on a pro-rated monthly basis, and the professional development training allowance funds flow in full lump sum payment at the start of each funding year.

  Host health system organizations that are not CIHR eligible institutions are strongly encouraged to establish an agreement with the awardee's academic institution and flow funds there. This ensures a streamlined payment system for the HSI awardee (one rather than multiple payers), and also maintains the awardee's status as a doctoral trainee or post-doctoral researcher of the institution, not an employee of the host health system organization (i.e., this award is not an employment contract – it is a fellowship training award). Based on experience with previous program cohorts, establishing this agreement, if it is a first-time relationship, can take time and we encourage host health system organizations and academic institutions to start the process as soon as the fellow receives the CIHR Notice of Decision. We also encourage that, during the application phase, the host health system organization confirm internally that it has a mechanism to transfer funds to the university. Consult the Institutional Eligibility to Administer CIHR Grant and Award Funds webpage for details.

• At some universities, postdoctoral researchers are paid salary and benefits, rather than stipend. Is the $70K inclusive of benefits or would the host health system organization or academic institution need to provide benefits over and above the $70K?

  Institutional policies related to the status of awardees and fellowship payments may differ according to specific legislation and/or institutional policies. The $70K stipend must be paid in accordance with the institution's policies. Benefits cannot be deducted from the $70K stipend. The stipend is a cost of living allowance provided to the individual to support their training endeavors. The stipend is not provided in the context of income compensation for the individual's services, as the individual is not an employee of the Agency. Benefits are not provided by CIHR.

  Fellows are encouraged to discuss benefits options with their supervisors prior to commencing the fellowship, and how they will be paid if benefits are required (in many cases, fellows can purchase private plans through the university, though this varies by university).

• Will I need to apply for ethics approval for my proposed project/program of work?

  Very likely yes, especially if you intend to publish the findings. Additionally, many institutions require confirmation of ethics approval prior to releasing the funds to the awardee. We encourage you to discuss this with your health system and academic mentors early on, during the application phase.

• Will my professional development training and research allowance be put on hold until research ethics approval is obtained?

  Potentially yes, as this policy decision rests with the administering institution. From a Health System Impact Fellowship program perspective, and as outlined in the Conditions of Funding section of the funding opportunity, the Research Allowance is, in this program, a Professional Development Allowance that is primarily intended for, but not limited to, the following expenses: 1) Expenses related to travel and accommodation required for the national cohort meeting; and 2) Fees associated with professional competency development or equivalent training that aligns with the enriched core competencies.

  The responsibility for ensuring proper management of funds provided by the Tri-Agency falls solely to the administering institution. Fellows are encouraged to meet early on with their Office of Research Services to learn about the policies and procedures for accessing the training allowance.

• Are Health System Impact Fellowship awards a grant or a stipend?

  The Health System Impact Fellowship awards are a stipend. As per the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration (TAGFA), the Tri-council agencies define a stipend as financial support given to a recipient of a training award to support them while they are working on their research thesis and/or gaining research experience. Note: the "professional development and research allowance" portion of this award is considered a grant and use of funds is governed by regulations in the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration (TAGFA).

• Is my Health System Impact Fellowship award taxable?

  As per the Tri-Agency Research Training Award Holder's Guide "Awards paid by Canadian Institutions" section, awards are paid based on the Institutions' payments schedule. The Taxation and Immigration section of the Guide states that Postdoctoral fellowship award holders should plan for their award to be taxed as income in Canada. The Guide notes that no portion of a scholarship or fellowship award can be withheld by the administering institution without the prior written consent of the award holder, except for taxation purposes where applicable, recognizing that taxation of income is subject to federal and provincial taxation legislation that varies based on the province where the award holder resides. The administering institution can therefore unilaterally deduct applicable tax charges from the award holder's funds and subsequently provide the award holder a T4A tax form for tax filing purposes. Award recipients can obtain information about the amount and method of payment, the deductions allowed, and the receipts required from the Tax services offices and tax centres of the CRA.

  Doctoral award holders should contact the Tax services offices and tax centres of the CRA for taxation advice.

• What constitutes an eligible expense under the research allowance?

  The Research Allowance portion of this award is primarily intended for, but not limited to, the following expenses: 1) Expenses related to travel and accommodation required for the national cohort meeting; and 2) Fees associated with professional competency development or equivalent training that aligns with the enriched core competencies. Applicants should review the Use of Grant Funds section of the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) Guide on Financial Administration for a complete listing and description of allowable costs and activities. Award holders must also follow their administering institution's policies and procedures regarding allowable expenses and the use of research funds.

• Do I need to do anything if I am planning to decline the award?

  Yes. As we will potentially be offering your award to the next applicant on the ranking list, we need to know that you are declining the award as soon as possible and certainly no later than 15 business days after the offer has been posted to your ResearchNet account. Please send CIHR a signed copy of the Response to an Offer of Award form stating that you are declining the award and letting us know why. As this is a partnered program and you have made commitments to a host health system organization about a high-priority and impact-oriented program of work, you must also notify your proposed health system and academic supervisors.

• In the funding opportunity, it mentions the maximum dollar contribution per award. Can you confirm that host health systems could offer more than 30%, and if the applicant would receive this additional amount?

  Yes. As long as the 30% host health system contribution is confirmed at time of application, offering more than this is permitted.

• At some universities, doctoral trainees receive a funding package that includes tuition coverage. If I accept the HSI Fellowship, will my university funding package be affected? Will I still need to pay tuition given I will be at my host health system organization for at least 60% of my time?

  University policies with respect to funding packages vary, as do university policies regarding what happens to funding packages when external awards are received. We strongly encourage doctoral applicants to meet with their department chair (or equivalent) to discuss the HSI Fellowship and departmental funding package.