Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

The topic of the call is natural history studies addressing unmet needs in rare diseases.

Projects shall focus on a group of rare diseases or a single rare disease following the European definition i.e., a disease affecting not more than five in 10,000 persons in the European Community, EC associated states, and Canada. Applicants are encouraged to assemble groups of rare diseases based on relevant criteria and commonalities if this strategy leverages added value in sharing resources or expertise.

For more information, please consult EJP RD JTC2023.

Research Areas

This funding opportunity will support transnational research proposals relevant to at least one of the following areas:

1. Estimation of disease prevalence;
2. Identification of biomarkers/companions for the diagnosis/prognosis of a rare disease (RD);
3. Identification of biomarkers/indicators/predictors of a rare disease or group of disorders (e.g., having the same etiology) onset/progression (including collection of genetic, physiological, environmental data or variables….);
4. Identification of relevant endpoints for future studies that include potential biomarkers, querying patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and quality-of-life measures;
5. Identification of biomarkers/variables for therapeutic approaches (pharmacology, drug repurposing, gene therapy, RNA therapy, cell therapy, medical devices…).

Using cellular and animal models for validation of the new diagnostic approaches in the subtopics listed above, where relevant, is permitted.

Additional elements need to be considered in the application, including:

• Study design;
• Specific considerations for natural history studies and patient registries;
• Integration of appropriate bioinformatics and statistical skills;
• Sex and/or gender considerations;
• Innovative data collection methods;
• Inclusion of the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles as related to new research data; and
• Inclusion of patient and caregiver perspectives.

For more information on these elements, as well as approaches and topics excluded from the scope of the call, please consult EJP RD JTC2023.

Funds Available

CIHR and partner(s) financial contributions for this initiative are subject to availability of funds. Should CIHR or partner(s) funding levels not be available or are decreased due to unforeseen circumstances, CIHR and partner(s) reserve the right to reduce, defer or suspend financial contributions to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.

• The total amount available for this funding opportunity is CAD 1,800,000, enough to fund approximately 4 grants from all Canadian funding sources. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate. The maximum amount per grant is CAD 150,000 per year for up to 3 years, for a total of CAD 450,000 per grant.
• Of this CAD 1,800,000:
  • Up to CAD 1,200,000 is available from CIHR-IG to fund applications relevant to at least one of the EJP RD JTC2023 Research Areas;
  • Up to CAD 450,000 is available to fund applications relevant to the mandate of Ataxia Canada;
  • Up to CAD 150,000 is available to fund applications relevant to the mandate of Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

For more information on the appropriate use of funds, refer to Allowable Costs.

Eligibility to Apply

For an application to be eligible, all the requirements stated below must be met:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) leading the Canadian component 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 translation).
2. The NPA must have their substantive role in Canada for the duration of the requested grant term.
3. If the Canadian team in the consortium includes more than one Canadian researcher, only one of them must be named the NPA on the abbreviated application submitted to CIHR.
4. CIHR's Early Career Researcher definition will be followed for the Canada-based applicants.

All Canadian applications must additionally meet EJP RD JTC2023 eligibility.

How to Apply

• Note: The CIHR application is required at the Full Proposal stage only.
• The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of two steps for Canada-based applicants: 1a) Pre-Proposal to EJP RD; and 2a) Full Proposal to EJP RD and 2b) Abbreviated Application to CIHR.

Step 1a - Pre-Proposal to EJP RD:

• Pre-Proposals must be submitted in English only to EJP RD. For more information, consult EJP RD JTC2023.
• Note that no documents need to be submitted to CIHR at the pre-proposal stage.

Step 2a - Full Proposal to EJP RD:

• Invitations to submit Full Proposal are expected to be sent end of April 2023 by the Joint Call Secretariat.
• Full Proposals must be submitted in English only to EJP RD. For more information, consult EJP RD JTC2023.

Step 2b - Abbreviated Application to CIHR:

The purpose of this additional application to CIHR is to provide CIHR with an operating budget for the project, with the amounts quoted in Canadian dollars, a complete justification for funds requested, and a one-page research summary of the project.

• In addition to the Full Proposal to EJP RD, Canadian consortium members invited to submit a Full Proposal to EJP RD JTC2023 must also complete an abbreviated CIHR application (in one of the two official languages of Canada) and submit it using ResearchNet.
• To complete the CIHR abbreviated application, follow the "Specific Instructions" listed below and, where applicable, consult the Grants – Application Guidelines. Please note that not all of the tasks listed in the Guidelines are required for this funding opportunity.
• All Canadian participants, with the exception of Collaborators, are required to:
  • Have/obtain a CIHR PIN
  • Complete the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Self-identification Questionnaire.

Deadlines

Pre-proposal to EJP RD : Feb 15, 2023

Full proposal to EJP RD and Abbreviated Application to CIHR: June 14, 2023

WEBSITE

SFU Signature Sheet, CIHR Routing Slip and Full Applications are due to ORS 3 business days before the application deadline.