The Digital Technology Supercluster is leading the development of solutions to some of the biggest issues created by COVID-19. The COVID-19 Program is focused on unlocking solutions to protect the health and safety of all Canadians and our economy through the development, deployment, and scaling of digital technologies.

Have a project idea? We want to hear from you. 

Get in touch with us

For more information on the Digital Technology Supercluster’s COVID-19 Program and project eligibility, please review the program guide. 

The Program will focus on five pressing needs:

Health system

Technologies that support our health systems, hospitals and healthcare workers to effectively manage resources to provide high quality care to patients.

Community health

Technology solutions that enable Canadians, their families and friends to access to care in their communities, in their homes and/or in remote locations, and to connect and support each other. 

Safe Living

Enabling technologies for Canadians to live safely and securely, and to access the support and resources they need, whether at home or at work. 

Diagnostics and Therapeutics

Platforms that support sharing of data, research and scientific developments and for support clinical trials in the drive to discover and deploy new vaccines, diagnostic tests and therapies for COVID- 19.

Emergency Response

Tools and technologies that can be used to predict, plan and respond to any subsequent COVID-19 waves and other crises situations. 

THANK YOU to the dozens of organizations that have brought ideas forward so far. Your leadership on this is what Canada needs now.

We are ready for this and we know you are too.

Questions?
Please email Digital Technology Supercluster COVID-19 Program Team.

PLEASE FILL OUT THIS APPLICATION FORM

If you are a scientist at an academic institution currently working on a COVID-19 related project and in need of funding, this call is for you. Fast Grants are $10K-$500K and decisions are being made in less than 48 hours. Payments to university are made instantly as soon as you are awarded the grant.

Eligibility

• A PI at an academic institution
• Already working on a project that could help with COVID-19 pandemic within the next 6 months
• In need of additional funding to support the project

What can funds be used for?

Funds should be used solely to expedite COVID-19 related science. Grant recipients have complete discretion over how they’d like to spend the money.

Criteria

• Prefer cheap projects (so that dollars can go further) and will yield results quickly

Important Timelines

• Rolling applications – first funding decisions will be made Sunday April 12. Subsequent decisions will be made within 48 hours.

Conditions

• Must used grant money for COVID-19 related science
• You will need to send monthly updates for 6 months summarizing your progress – can be as simple as a single paragraph email
• Must upload all manuscripts reporting work supported by this grant to a preprint server
• In line with the Gates Foundation policy, will pay at most 10% overhead

Click here for more details.

Please contact Ingrid Qemo at Ingrid.Qemo@uwindsor.ca if you plan to apply. 

Ontario Together is welcoming help from businesses, researchers and organizations who can supply emergency products and innovative solutions to support Ontario’s response to COVID-19.

THE NEED FOR SUPPLIES

If your business or organization can provide medical products such as ventilators, swabs, masks and eye protection click here!

WHAT DOES ONTARIO NEED?

1. Your Innovation! Do you have a solution for? Tell them your solution here!
   1. Virtual mental health services for vulnerable populations
   2. Supply chain resiliency monitoring
   3. Financial planning or advising for small business at a low-cost
   4. Remote learning for elementary/secondary students
2. Your Ideas! If you have ideas, products or services that could help Ontarians tell them your ideas here!

ONTARIO TOGETHER FUND

Ontario has dedicated $50M to support submission that can go into action quickly. This Fund will help companies retool, build capacity or adopt technological changes needed to produce supplies and equipment for hospitals, long-term care home and other critical public services.

THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA ALSO NEEDS PRODUCTS/SERVICES: Find out what they need here

For more information click here.

If you need help making an online submission, call 1-888-777-0554

InfoEd Global is provides an online database of international COVID-19 funding opportunities and resources. Click on the link below to access the InforEd Global database.

Covid-19/Coronavirus Resources

As the landscape around COVID-19 continues to change, our priority of supporting global public health remains steadfast.

In response to the Government of Canada’s and provinces’ announcements of funding to quickly mobilize researchers and companies to combat COVID-19, Mitacs is making a number of short-term changes to our business operations.

For a limited time, small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) responding to federal and provincial requests can solve COVID-19 research and development challenges with academic expertise, enhanced leveraged funding, and one-to-one support from Mitacs.

Through Mitacs, companies can access our Accelerate internships. They start at four months, with a modular model that allows for larger projects. For COVID-19-related work, the financial contribution may be eligible to start at $3,750, which turns into a $15,000 research award through our funding. In addition, the applications will be given priority treatment to ensure a quick start to the project and in the hopes of meeting this extraordinary challenge to Canadians. Note that opportunities also exist for virtual interaction between participants.

For more information, please contact Wilson Luo (wluo@mitacs.ca) or 226-787-4096.

This program builds teams to address challenges requiring further research and development for solutions to meet COVID-19 related needs. The NRC will build these teams drawing on internal-to-government capacity and academic researchers who register using the link below to indicate their interest, and related areas of expertise and capabilities.

The NRC will receive $15M to form dedicated teams to address challenges in the areas of greatest research and development (R&D) need in the fight against COVID-19. The NRC Pandemic Response Challenge Program will accelerate the development of diagnostics and medical countermeasures for a rapid front-line response to protect and treat Canadians. This national vehicle will convene the best Canadian and international researchers from academia and small and medium-sized businesses to collectively accelerate R&D to address specific COVID-19 gaps and challenges as identified by Canadian health experts. The Pandemic Response Challenge Program is currently structured around 3 main research areas:

• Rapid detection and diagnosis
• Therapeutics and vaccine development; and
• Digital health.

Researchers at Canadian and international universities, government departments, colleges, and highly innovative firms with relevant expertise can now register their interest to work with us on these challenges by clicking the Register Now link below.

Funding is available to help cover the costs of research for academic institutions, small and medium-sized businesses, and other eligible recipients participating in the challenge teams. Over the coming weeks, we will post the specific R&D challenges, send information to registered researchers, and invite them to indicate the expertise and capabilities they can bring to a team.

Register Now

SCOSCIP COVID-19 Response

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario-based industries and academic institutions are coming together to form strategies and provide support for this ongoing global crisis. As such, the work that needs to be done in advanced manufacturing, bioinformatics, molecular modelling, vaccine development and epidemiology demands considerable computational capacity.

The SOSCIP COVID-19 Response aims to provide rapid access to high-performance computing (HPC) resources on our advanced computing platforms. Through industry-academic partnerships, compute space for collaborators committed to responding to COVID-19 will be fast-tracked, and successful applicants will be rapidly launched onto the compute systems.

See infographic below on the details of how to proceed with an application.

Please contact oris@uwindsor.ca if you will be submitting an application to this opportunity and/or if you have any questions.

The federal granting agencies announce funding to encourage vaccine confidence in Canada

February 1, 2021

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) are pleased to provide preliminary information on an upcoming launch of a special $2.25 million funding opportunity to support activities that promote vaccine confidence in Canada. The agencies expect these activities will improve public understanding of vaccines and help Canadians to make evidence-based decisions, especially among populations that are unsure of vaccine safety.

The new funding is targeted at Canadian non-profit organizations, non-federal museums and science centres, and academic institutions with a strong track record of science and/or health promotion. Researchers with an expertise in combating vaccine-related misinformation may apply, either individually or in collaboration with science and/or health promotion organizations. Proposed activities should address one of the following two themes: 1) Delivering vaccine-safety information to key communities and groups, or 2) Building capacity in the community to promote vaccine confidence.

Successful proposals will be selected based on their ability to deliver the activities successfully; the design and originality of the proposed activities; and the expected impact and reach. 

The deadline for applications is slated for early April. A complete program description with details on how to apply will be posted in early March on the NSERC website.

Applicants may request up to $50,000 in funding for a one-year period.

The agencies encourage organizations to consider the needs of official language minority communities in the development of their proposed activities and to have official documentation and promotional material in both official languages.

A funding opportunity for new research on vaccine confidence will be announced by CIHR in the coming weeks. These two complementary funding opportunities will help ensure that Canadians can benefit from both existing and new research in this important area.

For more information, please contact us at promoscience@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

CIHR Operating Grant: Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities Funding Opportunity

Description

As the pandemic has evolved, so have the research needs of decision makers. There are important research gaps in Canada’s response that have become evident; gaps that need to be addressed rapidly and in a sustained manner to respond effectively to the pandemic. In order to achieve its goals, the Government of Canada will launch several funding opportunities under the “Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities” banner to address the identified research gaps in Canada. As priority gap areas are identified, additional funding opportunities will be launched. The purpose of this and upcoming funding opportunities is to provide rapid funding for projects which respond to identified gaps in COVID-19 research areas.

Research in priority areas is needed to effectively mitigate the rapid spread of COVID-19 and minimize its direct and indirect impacts on individuals and communities within and across jurisdictions in Canada and globally. Mitigation and recovery strategies require a coherent and integrated response from all Canadians, and especially from health care workers, researchers, public health authorities, industry, policymakers, decision makers at all levels, and the health system.

Funds Available

The total funding amount available for this and upcoming COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities competitions is approximately $119M. The amount invested in this competition will not be the full amount and will depend on the number and quality, as assessed by peer review, of applications received. However, some funding will be reserved for future competitions to address emerging priorities.

• The maximum amount per grant that can be requested for a clinical trial or a randomized control trial is $1,000,000 over one year.
• The maximum amount per grant that can be requested for all other types of research is $500,000 over one year.

Please note that the budget amounts have been set at these levels to allow for adequate funding of some of the research projects that could be submitted. However, it is expected that most budgets will be lower than these maximums. All budgets will be subject to rigorous analysis to ensure applicants are requesting appropriate funds for their research.

Partnership approaches, either in-kind or in cash, to increase the budget available to projects and/or maximize the impact and reach is encouraged; however, they are not mandatory.

Objectives

Please note that to be eligible to the competition applications must address both objectives AND respond to at least one (1) of the fifteen (15) subtopics under the six (6) research areas.

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

1. Accelerate the availability and use of high-quality and real-time evidence and/or solutions to support Canada’s ongoing response to the pandemic in order to better prevent, detect, treat and manage COVID-19; and
2. Generate evidence related to one or more diverse population(s), including for instance: health equity considerations, health status (e.g. high risk populations, individuals with comorbid conditions), sex and gender, a life cycle approach (from children to aging adults), and/or racialized or First Nations, Inuit, Metis and Urban Indigenous populations.

Note: It is expected that, where appropriate, projects will enhance local, national and/or international collaborative efforts, including in low- and middle-income countries, to mitigate the rapid spread of COVID-19 and related negative consequences.

Research Areas (6) and Subtopics (15)

1. Variants

This research area extends CIHR’s existing suite of investments in emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant research by providing funding to:

• Subtopic 1: Understand the impact of the new variants on disease progression and/or severity.
• Subtopic 2: Phenotype circulating viral variants, particularly those that may affect response to medical countermeasures (e.g. vaccine, therapeutics) and diagnostic tests.

1. Vaccines

This research area complements existing federal investments in vaccine safety and effectiveness research by providing funding to:

• Subtopic 3: Determine the efficacy and long-term durability of the response of the vaccines with respect to the emerging variants of concern, with additional focus on possible immune escape mutants.
• Subtopic 4: Determine the immune correlates of protection (humoral and cellular), which can be used to understand natural immunity and compare it to vaccine-mediated immunity.

1. Confidence in science

This research area is focused on building trust in public health and science by providing funding to:

• Subtopic 5: Examine drivers of vaccine hesitancy and approaches to improve vaccine confidence.
• Subtopic 6: Develop and test broader strategies that can be used to improve uptake of public health and safety measures, including the wearing of masks and vaccines.
• Subtopic 7: Identify approaches to improve overall trust in public health and the health care workforce among the general population and among various sub-populations in Canada.

1. Post COVID-19 condition

This research area is focused on identifying, defining and addressing the post COVID-19 condition (i.e. Long-COVID, Long-Haulers) to understand the biological and psychological impacts by providing funding to:

• Subtopic 8: Understand underlying causes and biological factors, including biomarkers or biological correlates to strengthen causal links with SARS-CoV2 infection.
• Subtopic 9: Improve recognition and diagnosis - including the heterogeneity of presentation and/or barriers resulting in under-diagnosis or misdiagnosis.
• Subtopic 10: Understand the inter-relationship between existing comorbidities and the occurrence of the post COVID-19 condition.
• Subtopic 11: Develop and testing treatment, including interventions that characterize and mitigate the role of immune responses in long-term persistence of inflammation.
• Subtopic 12: Improve strategies to manage the post COVID-19 condition including understanding lessons learned for patient care both in and out of hospital and understanding related psychological, social impacts, and culturally safe care.

1. Testing models and surveillance

This research area is focused on improving testing models for various congregant settings, including for example schools, workplaces, border crossings, long term care homes, prisons, by providing funding to:

• Subtopic 13: Examine testing models (e.g. olfactory; nasopharyngeal; salivary) that could be used as surveillance in different settings
• Subtopic 14: Identify and evaluate low cost rapid diagnostic approaches that can be used in congregate settings (e.g. schools, workplaces, long term care homes, prisons).

1. Long term care

This research area is focused on improving preventive measures in long term care homes by providing funding to:

• Subtopic 15: Examine the efficacy of preventive measures and how they are implemented (e.g. implementing updated infection prevention and control standards, reducing trips out of the home for care, approaches to address health workforce challenges)

Please note that research projects that include persons with lived and living experience from diverse communities (i.e. patient partners/engagement) are highly encouraged where applicable. As an example, researchers may consider engaging with persons with lived and living experience with post COVID-19 residual symptoms beyond the hospital setting. This recognizes that many individuals experiencing ongoing post COVID-19 residual symptoms may not have a documented history of SARS-CoV2 infection, as they were not hospitalized, did not require immediate medical attention, or did not seek a doctor's appointment as a result of initial contraction of SARS-CoV-2.

Public Health Agency of Canada: Immunization Partnership Fund Increasing Confidence, Acceptance and Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccines

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) invites eligible organizations to submit a letter of intent (LOI) for time-limited projects to increase Canadians' confidence, acceptance and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.

This Call for Proposals is a two-step process. The first step is the submission of a LOI, which provides an overview of the proposed project. Applicants whose LOIs meet all eligibility criteria and best fit the objectives of this funding opportunity will be invited to move on to the second step by submitting a full proposal.

LOIs must be submitted by March 5, 2021.

Applications must be submitted using PHAC's Immunization Partnership Fund LOI Template. To obtain a copy of the LOI Template, please contact: phac.cgc.solicitations-csc.aspc@canada.ca with the subject line "LOI Immunization Partnership Fund".

Overview

Ensuring all Canadians have access to information on the importance of vaccination is a challenging yet crucial goal. Many Canadians, including those who have been historically underserved and marginalized by health and public health services, and those whose lives are negatively impacted by a range of social determinants of health (SDOH) including gender, ethnicity, occupation, homelessness, and incarceration, may require supports to help them understand and access these important vaccines.

Vaccine hesitancy and the spread of misinformation about vaccines has also been a persistent challenge for many years and has been amplified in recent years by digital social platforms. Instilling confidence in COVID-19 vaccines may be particularly challenging given the spread of misinformation related to these vaccines. Engendering trust, confidence and acceptance will require innovative approaches.

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign is the largest mass vaccination campaign ever undertaken. As such, it presents an opportunity to identify and address longstanding systemic barriers to vaccination - including acceptance and uptake of vaccines beyond those that prevent COVID-19. New and reimagined interventions are required to develop or expand tools, education, and supports for healthcare providers as well as strategies and resources to support community-driven solutions. There is no "one size fits all" solution, and a multifaceted approach, grounded in Canada's diversity, is crucial for reaching all Canadians.

Objectives

Projects funded through this program must support one of the following objectives:

• Build capacity of health care providers (HCPs) as vaccinators and vaccination promoters
• community-based COVID-19 education, promotion and outreach
• build capacity for evidence-based vaccination communication

Who can Apply?

The following types of organizations are eligible to apply for funding:

• Canadian not-for-profit and voluntary organizations
• incorporated and unincorporated groups, associations, societies and coalitions
• provincial, territorial, regional, and municipal governments and agencies
• organizations and institutions supported by provincial and territorial governments (such as regional health authorities, schools, post-secondary institutions)
• Indigenous organizations including First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations

Key Requirements

Projects supported through this funding opportunity must incorporate the following key requirements:

• Evidence-based
• Health equity
• Cultural safety

Funding Amount and Duration

The total funding envelope for this program is approximately $9M. The value of funding per project is a minimum of $100,000 total to a maximum of $500,000.

Projects should be a minimum of 1 year and all projects must conclude March 31, 2023.

Applicants will be assessed on their ability to leverage in-kind and financial contributions that will contribute to the project’s development and implementation, although a specific matched funding ratio is not required.

Application Process

This call for proposals is a 2-step process. The first step is submission of a LOI. LOI must be submitted by March 5, 2021 using PHAC’s Immunization Partnership Fund LOI Template which can be obtained through contacting phac.cgc.solicitations-csc.aspc@canada.ca with the subject line "LOI Immunization Partnership Fund".

Applicants whose LOIs meet all eligibility criteria and best fit the objectives of this funding opportunity will be invited to move on to the second step by submitting a full proposal.

As part of the Government of Canada's continued response to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has announced the upcoming launch of the Indigenous Peoples and COVID-19 Knowledge Synthesis, Evaluation and Assessment Grants Rapid Research Funding Opportunity.

The funding opportunity (FO) provides critical funding for Indigenous communities, organizations and researchers, and supports the response of Indigenous Peoples to meet their unique needs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this FO, CIHR will invest $2M, with a maximum of $100,000 per year (for 1 year) and $200,000 per year (for 1 year) for knowledge synthesis and for evaluation and assessment grants, respectively.

Successfully funded projects must address at least one of the main research focus areas, which include:

1. Indigenous Peoples' understanding and experience with respect to COVID-19;
2. delivering COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, self-isolation and other management practices, and policies related to Indigenous Peoples and the COVID-19 pandemic; and,
3. culturally safe COVID-19 prevention, preparedness, response and recovery for Indigenous Peoples.

Anticipated Timeline*

Launch: Fall 2020
Application Deadline: December 2020
Notice of Decision: March 15, 2021
Funding Start Date: March 2021

*These timelines are estimates and subject to change.

This funding opportunity will provide funds for two streams of research:

1. Knowledge Synthesis Grants: This stream will fund knowledge synthesis activities related to COVID-19 such as literature reviews, needs assessments, environmental scans, and knowledge gaps or strength identification. See National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health for other knowledge synthesis ideas.
2. Evaluation and Assessment Grants: This stream will fund the evaluation and assessment of new or on-going initiatives, programs, policies or interventions related to COVID-19, including but not limited to, community-based and/or cultural initiatives, arts-based interventions, proof of concept, pilot studies, and social or economic impact studies.

Funds Available

• The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $2M.
  • The maximum amount per grant for Knowledge Synthesis grants is $100,000 for one year.
  • The maximum amount per grant for Evaluation and Assessment grants is $200,000 for one year.

For more information, please visit the CIHR website, and for all inquiries, please contact the CIHR Contact Centre at support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

Please also feel free to contact Ingrid Qemo for any questions, or of your intent to potentially putting in a grant.

CIHR Indigenous COVID-19 Rapid Research Funding Opportunity

RESEARCH AREAS

This funding opportunity will support projects relevant to one or more of the following research areas:

• Indigenous Peoples’ Understanding and Experience with Respect to COVID-19, including cultural responses grounded in Indigenous Knowledges and self-determination; intersections with, and impact on, on-going health, social, economic and climate crises; and/or perspectives of (or participation in) vaccine research, sero-surveillance studies, and clinical trials.
• Delivering COVID-19 Testing, Contact Tracing, Self-Isolation and Other Management Practices, and Policies Related to Indigenous Peoples and the COVID-19 Pandemic, including culturally safe approaches and challenges.
• Culturally Safe COVID-19 Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery for Indigenous Peoples, including design and delivery of programs and services that are grounded in Indigenous Knowledges, self-determination, and local community context.

This funding opportunity will provide funds for two streams of research:

1. Knowledge Synthesis Grants: This stream will fund knowledge synthesis activities related to COVID-19 such as literature reviews (e.g., integrative review/structured review; synthesis of qualitative research; realist review; meta-analysis of quantitative research; systematic review; and scoping review), needs assessments, environmental scans, and knowledge gaps or strength identification (including community engagements, or arts-informed events, with Indigenous Elders and/or Knowledge Keepers, youth, decision-makers, etc.). See National  Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health for other knowledge synthesis ideas.
2. Evaluation and Assessment Grants: This stream will fund the evaluation and assessment of new or on-going initiatives, programs, policies or interventions related to COVID-19, including but not limited to, community-based and/or cultural initiatives, arts-based interventions, proof of concept, pilot studies, and social or economic impact studies.

Sex and gender differences exist in the research areas above, making sex and/or gender issues an important component of this research initiative. CIHR will require applicants to consider sex as a biological variable and gender as a socio-cultural factor in their research.

OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:

• Identify wise programs, policies or actions, and/or address critical knowledge gaps, including data, related to further understanding of the immediate impacts and/or future consequences of COVID-19 among First Nations, Inuit, Métis and/or Urban Indigenous populations, communities and/or individuals;
• Identify, implement and evaluate culturally safe, and community-led solutions to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its immediate and/or future consequences among First Nations, Inuit, Métis and/or Urban Indigenous communities;
• Accelerate First Nations, Inuit, Métis and/or Urban Indigenous community-led knowledge translation and knowledge mobilization activities related to COVID-19 within the context of Indigenous health; and
• Inform and contribute to relevant research capacity and infrastructure, or adapt existing programs and infrastructure, in First Nations, Inuit, Métis and/or Urban Indigenous communities to enable Indigenous communities to design, lead, and meaningfully participate in culturally safe responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Successful applications will meet at least one of the above-noted objectives.

FUNDING

• The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $2,000,000, enough to fund approximately 15 grants.
• Of this total amount:
  • Up to $1,000,000 is available to fund applications relevant to Knowledge Synthesis Grants. The maximum amount per Knowledge Synthesis Grant is $100,000 per year for up to one year.
  • Up to $1,000,000 is available to fund applications relevant to Evaluation and Assessment Grants.  The maximum amount per Evaluation and Assessment Grant is $200,000 per year for up to one year

Webinar

CIHR will be hosting the following webinar to support participants with the requirements of the funding opportunity “Indigenous Peoples and COVID-19 Knowledge Synthesis, Evaluation and Assessment Grants Rapid Research” and to answer questions on how to apply.

Duration: 60 minutes
When: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 1:00 PM ET
Language: English presentation followed by a period of questions and answers in both official languages, English and French

Join

IMPORTANT DATES

November 10, 2020	Registration Deadline Registration is due on ResearchNet for this funding call.
November 24, 2020	ORIS Internal Deadline Please submit: 1) ORIS Internal form with signatures; 2) Draft proposal/budget and other application material to Ingrid Qemo for review.
December 8, 2020	Full Application Deadline Applications are due on ResearchNet.
March 31, 2021	Anticipated Notice of Decision
March 1, 2021	Funding Start Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please inform Ingrid Qemo at ORIS of your intent to apply as soon as possible.

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – COVID-19 HOT SPOTS

POSTED: SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has been experienced unequally within countries and Canada is no exception. Over 80% of COVID-19 deaths in Canada have been in long-term care facilities. Further, within the hardest hit provinces, cases have clustered in lower socio-economic neighbourhoods where minority populations are concentrated. Additionally, workers whose jobs require routine direct interaction with the public are at greater risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Understanding the factors that give rise to these “Hot Spots” is critical to informing the design and assessing the effectiveness of efforts aimed at reducing disproportionate risk to SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19.

This Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) is for population-based studies that will report novel data relating to COVID-19 infection and immunity in three types of COVID-19 “hot spots”: i) geographic areas; ii) long-term care facilities; and iii) occupation groups.  

The three “Hot Spots” for Study:

1. Geographic Areas:  Neighbourhoods, boroughs, and municipalities with disproportionately high rates of COVID-19 (defined as cases per thousand above a defined threshold), where there are often high concentrations of racialized populations, Indigenous populations, recent immigrants, and homeless persons. 
2. Long-Term Care Facilities: About 25% of long-term care facilities in Canada have suffered COVID-19 outbreaks with extremely high mortality rates. Residents, front-line workers, families, visitors and personal care companions all factor into infection risk, yet 75% of facilities have not experienced outbreaks.  
3. Occupation Groups and Populations Served: Those who are at higher risk because working from home is not an option and the nature of the work setting places them in close proximity and requires significant interactions with the population served, the general public, and/or co-workers. Priorities include:
   • Education workers and students – i.e. teachers, support staff and students;
   • Public service workers – fire, police, transport, security;
   • Industrial workers – meat/fish packing, seasonal agricultural;
   • Retail workers – grocery, restaurant, personal goods.

Health care workers in the acute care setting as well as prisons and correctional workers are not included in this RFEOI as there are other funding opportunities covering these groups.

Studies focusing on these “hot spots” are expected to provide a more in-depth understanding of the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity in high- versus low-risk communities and/or prospectively evaluate interventions to decrease risk of infection in these settings.  

Expressions of Interest are expected to:

• Focus on only one of the three “hot spot” areas defined above;
• Demonstrate active engagement of relevant stakeholders in the community(ies) within the “hot spot”, from inception through to dissemination of the research;
• Draw on measures of COVID-19 immunity (serological, cellular, salivary) and also acute infection (RTPCR/NAATs);
• Consider a range of relevant independent variables that determine individual, household, and/or workplace risks or protective factors;
• Be innovative, interdisciplinary and of high scientific quality;
• Be carried out within a 12-18-month time horizon.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST?

The Expression of Interest (EOI) is a 5-page form, submitted in either English or French, that includes: i) study focus; ii) study questions, design and methods; iii) description of geographic area, long-term care setting, or occupation group; iv) demonstration of stakeholder engagement; v) anticipated timeline for results; vi) budget; and vii) investigator details/biosketch.

THE EOI FORM CAN BE ACCESSED HERE:

EOI FORM

ONCE COMPLETE, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR EOI HERE :

SUBMIT YOUR EOI

Proposal Preparation Workshop: Following screening of the EOIs by the COVID-19 Immunity Taskforce (CITF) Secretariat, those deemed to have the most potential will be invited to a mandatory proposal preparation workshop on October 6, 2020. The workshop aims are threefold: i) to provide further context of the CITF and to ensure Provincia/Territorial and Federal perspectives are fully considered; ii) to foster linkages between population studies with studies of immune response to infection; and iii) to align EOIs on similar topics to facilitate the development of team proposals.    

Proposal Submission: The CITF secretariat will work with the teams that emerge from the workshop to develop a final, full proposal of 10-12 pages. The proposals will be submitted no later than October 12, 2020. After independent review and revision, final revised proposals will be submitted on October 26, 2020. Those selected will be given instructions as to how to submit.

Budget: The CITF intends to fund multiple studies in each “hot spot” category that meet or exceed expectations related to scientific value, community/stakeholder engagement, and policy relevance. An overall funding envelope of up to $30 million is available.

TENTATIVE DATES OF IMPORTANCE

Event	Dates
EOI deadline to submit	Sept 21
Peer review of EOI completed	September 30
Proposal Development Workshop (by invitation)	Week of October 5
Full proposal deadline	October 12
Review of full proposal completed	October 19
Submission of revised full proposal	October 26
Funding Announcement	Week of November 10

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is now accepting proposals for the 2021 Grants Program!

Initial proposal deadline: Friday, October 9, 2020

The WSIB Grants Program aims to enhance workers’ compensation system outcomes by supporting innovative proposals that align to the WSIB's strategic mandate. The proposals funded through the program will help to strengthen Ontario's workers' compensation system and deliver on our priority of making Ontario a safer place to work.

Grant priority areas

The central areas of focus for the 2021 WSIB Grants Program support the WSIB’s strategic plan with a focus on the impact of COVID-19. Three considerations for potential proposals include:

1. COVID-19 is changing how we work
2. COVID-19 is changing how we approach health and safety
3. COVID-19 is changing how we support return-to-work and recovery

The Grants Program is committed to supporting the WSIB’s strategic priority of being financially responsible and accountable through the operating practices of the program on an ongoing basis.

Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that align to the topics of interest identified. Highly practical research and training proposals aligned to the three primary considerations are also accepted.

For more information about the program and the application process, please visit the WSIB Ontario website.

Sponsor: SSHRC with the Future Skills Centre

Program: Knowledge Synthesis Grants: Skills and Work in the Digital Economy – September 2020

Who can apply?  Faculty who conduct research in the social sciences or humanities.  Postdoctoral researchers may be eligible; confirm with nwiebe@uwindsor.ca .

What’s it for?  SSHRC and the Future Skills Centre have launched a Knowledge Synthesis Grants competition to assess the state of research knowledge of the topic of “working in the digital economy.” Grants are intended to foster a deeper understanding of the state of knowledge on the implications of digital technologies for workers in a global landscape. The resulting synthesis reports will identify how academic, public, private and not-for-profit sectors can support workers in response to the new challenges and opportunities presented by digital technologies and the COVID-19 crisis. The reports will also suggest ways that educators, employers and policy-makers can encourage lifelong learning and create effective, resilient and inclusive workplaces in a rapidly changing economic landscape. Furthermore, understanding the ways in which new technologies are challenging traditional constructs of work and the workplace, governance, education, labour relations, and economic growth may empower individuals and organizations in a time of economic uncertainty.

Knowledge Synthesis Grants support researchers in producing knowledge synthesis reports and evidence briefs that:

• support the use of evidence in decision-making and the application of best practices; and
• assist in developing future research agendas.

Notes:

• Grants are not to support original research. Rather, they are intended to support the synthesis of existing research knowledge and the identification of knowledge gaps.
• Knowledge syntheses should address all 3 objectives identified in the funding opportunity description, and at least one of the identified themes (or related issues). Proposals need not address COVID-19.
• Successful applicants will share their findings with SSHRC through a knowledge synthesis report (max. 40 pages), evidence brief (2 pages), and a forum in Ottawa.
• All team members have forms to complete in the SSHRC system. The applicant must complete the online application and a SSHRC Web CV. Co-applicants must complete a SSHRC Web CV and an invitation form. Collaborators must complete a brief invitation form (name, contact info, etc.).

Value & duration:  $30,000 over 1 year. Budgets should request grant funds for travel to the forum to Ottawa. If the forum takes place virtually, the funds set aside for travel can be reallocated towards additional knowledge mobilization.

Important dates:  

Date	Activity
July 16, 2020	Program launch
July 31, 2020	Notice of Intent Please let Natasha Wiebe, ORIS, know if you expect to apply.
August 17, 2020*	UWindsor deadline for draft application For review that will strengthen your proposal, email the rough copy of the application to Natasha Wiebe, ORIS, and the appropriate person in your Faculty: Education:  Kara Smith, cc. Mandy Turkalj FAHSS:  Brent Lee  HK: Cheri McGowan Law: Laverne Jacobs Other Faculties: Ask your department head and dean to sign your ORIS form before the deadline below.
August 24, 2020*	UWindsor deadline for ORIS form Email to Natasha Wiebe an ORIS form digitally signed by you, your department head, and dean/designate.
September 3, 2020, 4 PM*	SSHRC deadline ORIS must forward your application to SSHRC after you submit.
December 2020	Results announced
January 2021 (tentatively scheduled)	Kick-off webinar with SSHRC
June 2021	Knowledge synthesis report & evidence brief due SSHRC Guidelines will be provided. Must be completed prior to one-day forum.
June 2021 (tentatively scheduled)	Knowledge mobilization forum, Ottawa Applicant must attend this forum to discuss their knowledge synthesis, and invite a non-academic partner organization or knowledge user to join them. Include travel costs in budget submitted with application

*Applications submitted after ORIS deadlines may not be forwarded to SSHRC.

 For more information:

Online resources	Funding opportunity description Application instructions Evaluation criteria Examples of final reports and evidence briefs produced from recent Knowledge Synthesis Grants SSHRC Web CV – Required for applicant and co-applicants Help with  SSHRC online forms
SSHRC contact	Questions about application: KSG-SSC@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca, 613-944-5327 Technical issues: SSHRC HelpDesk
UWindsor contact	Natasha Wiebe, Office of Research and Innovation Services (ORIS) nwiebe@uwindsor.ca, Monday – Friday, 8:30 – 4:30

 

Overview

Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) is committed to building world-leading advanced manufacturing capabilities in Canada.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NGen is launching a strategic supply challenge aimed at developing sustainable and globally competitive manufacturing capabilities in Canada for products critical to protecting the health of Canadians.

Projects will be selected for funding based on critical needs identified by the Government of Canada, the long-term viability of manufacturing those products in Canada, and the ability of manufacturers to produce products that are safe for use and meet required product and production quality standards.

Application Process

1. 1. Join NGen as a Member organization
2. 2. Read the Project Guide and Finance Guide here
3. 3. Register for the information webinar
4. 4. Visit the Project Application Portal to submit your application - Opens July 9th 2020

Important Dates

• Challenge Launch: June 25, 2020
• Webinar - Application and Finance: Rules & Process: July 9, 2020 
• Deadline for Applications: August 11th, 2020 17:00 EST

COVID-19 response evolves; new challenge focuses on moral injuries to frontline workers and first responders

As the larger pan-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, new areas of research are coming into focus examining how the pandemic is affecting Canadians. The latest IDEaS challenge brings a new element to light: moral injury.

While the risk of moral injury is typically associated with warfare and conflict, evidence from the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic suggests otherwise. Healthcare workers and first responders are showing similar signs of having suffered extreme psychological, cognitive, and emotional responses, including guilt and shame as they make life and death decisions that on occasion go against their own moral beliefs and standards. This can leave them in a state of anxiety and distress on top of being overworked and overwhelmed.

The symptoms of moral injury are unique and not adequately captured by existing diagnostic tools. These profoundly distressing experiences can be morally injurious and result in long-lasting mental health challenges and impairment if left unresolved.

Our latest challenge looks for new ways to identify, diagnose and treat the moral injuries left by providing care during worldwide pandemic.

Moral Trauma on the Frontline – See, Prevent and Treat

Innovators will have until July 30, 2020 to submit their proposals to the IDEaS program.

Please apply now at Canada.ca/Defence-Ideas

Please inform Ingrid Qemo if you will be putting in an application.

Please submit a draft of application alongside an ORIS form to Ingrid no later than July 23, 2020 for review and required signatures.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has recently announced the Call for Proposals for the Exceptional Opportunities Fund (EOF) – COVID-19 competition. The EOF competition is open for proposals from all disciplines that can demonstrate a direct and immediate impact on current and pressing research issues related to COVID-19. This may include, but is not limited to, research in epidemiology, virology, vaccine development, diagnostics, therapeutic devices, mental health, social and economic policy and public health response.

To qualify for this funding opportunity, a project must meet the following requirements:

• The infrastructure component must be an indispensable element of an ongoing research project related to COVID-19.
• The infrastructure component must be acquired at the latest by March 31, 2021.

The researchers listed in the proposal must be:

• Recognized leaders in areas of research related to COVID-19;
• Currently engaged in research or technology development activities related to COVID-19 that are innovative, feasible and meet international standards.

Details of the CFI Call for Proposals are available at: https://www.innovation.ca/awards/exceptional-opportunities-fund-covid-19 

Internal Call for Expressions of Interest

Due to the tight timeline for this call and the size of the University of Windsor’s envelope ($300,000) only one application can be submitted to the CFI. Therefore, the Vice President, Research and Innovation is issuing this call for Expressions of Interest (EOI). We request that potential project leaders observe the process and timelines indicated below.

NB: Only researchers who have secured funding from external or WE-SPARK Health Institute for COVID-19 research are eligible to submit an EOI.

Timeline

June 15, 2020, 4:30 PM, EOI: Please email to Nicole Noel (address below): 1) A maximum one-page description of the proposed project with sufficient details for evaluation and including: a) A list of proposed project participants (up to 5) and how they meet the researcher criteria above; and b) A high-level budget for the infrastructure to be requested.              

June 16, 2020 Final review by the VP Research & Innovation - Successful Project Leaders notified

July 6, 2020 CFI Deadline for the submission of proposals

Fall 2020 CFI Board decisions     

March 31, 2021 Project End Date

Please direct any questions about this competition to: Nicole Noël, Research Coordinator - Institutional Projects & Communications, Office of Research & Innovation Services, Email: nnoel@uwindsor.ca.

As part of the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces’ response to COVID-19, the Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) program is inviting external experts to help the Defence Team analyze, understand, and learn from the pandemic.

To meet this challenge, we have launched the COVID-19 Challenge. This challenge will provide non-recurring financial support, up to a maximum of $10,000CAD to fund projects such as conferences, roundtables, workshops, research, and publications. Proposals should consider how COVID-19 mitigation measures will impact their project’s feasibility and ways they can use virtual collaboration. 

For more information or to apply, please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/minds/current-opportunities.html . Applications will be accepted until 11:59 pm (EST) on July 1, 2020.

If you are interested in applying for this opportunity, please contact Sara Kenno (Engineering) or Michelle Nevett (Science).

PSI COVID-19 Research Stream

PSI Foundation invites all eligible clinician researchers to apply for this special funding stream.

How to Apply

We will manage these application through our Health Research Funding stream. We will fast-track the processing of COVID-19 applications and aim for full review at our June 2020 Grants Committee meeting. Please submit your applications as soon as possible.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are very happy to assist.

As part of the larger pan-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program is participating in a multi-departmental initiative seeking innovative solutions to help in the fight.

In support of members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the public safety community, these challenges were designed to strengthen Canada's ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics, as well as other emergencies such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

The below challenges are focused on improving disease tracking and likely exposure to COVID-19 using data analytics as well as making sure those on the front lines have a safe operating environment through a combination of better decontamination technology and improved personal protective equipment.

The following challenges are now available:

Rapid response: Real-time insights for pandemic decision-making

Scrubbing your scrubs: Finding ways to re-use Covid-19 protective gear

Super sanitize: Cleaning sensitive equipment and workspaces

Innovators will have until June 23, 2020 to submit their proposals to the IDEaS program.

To apply, visit Canada.ca/Defence-Ideas.

Please note that the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has temporarily suspended its Exceptional Opportunities Fund – COVID-19

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is pleased to publish the call for proposals for the Exceptional Opportunities Fund – COVID-19 competition.

In this competition, the CFI aims to support urgent infrastructure needs for ongoing research related to COVID-19. The EOF – COVID-19 competition will be open for proposals from all disciplines. Projects submitted through this competition should include a compelling case on how the infrastructure component is an indispensable element of a current research project related to COVID-19.

The CFI will invest up to $25 million for this competition. As an exception to our usual competitions, the CFI will cover up to 100 percent of the eligible costs of each project.

Institutions can submit their proposals between June 1, 2020, and June 15, 2020 Temporarily Suspended, in the CFI Awards Management System (CAMS).

During that time, the CFI will receive proposals up to a total value of $31.25 million (125 percent of the available budget). Once that limit is reached, the competition will close and the application module will no longer be available in CAMS. Please send any questions you may have to EOF-COVID19@innovation.ca.

Please note:

Funding is for the purchase of research infrastructure.

The researchers listed in the proposal must be:

• Recognized leaders in areas of research related to COVID-19;
• Currently engaged in research or technology development activities related to COVID-19 that are innovative, feasible and meet international standards.

Eligible institutions can submit proposals requesting between $200,000 and $1.5 million from the CFI.

If you are interested in applying, please contact Nicole Noël in ORIS as soon as possible.

 

CIHR Operating Grant: COVID-19 Mental Health & Substance Use Service Needs and Delivery

This funding opportunity seeks implementation science and population-level intervention research to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its containment measures on mental health and substance use. Key to all the short-term studies supported through this funding opportunity is establishing an evidence base for follow-on implementation science approaches. Research findings developed through this rapid response funding opportunity must be timely, innovative, and have clear linkages to both policies/services and established needs.

Description:

Applications must be related to mental health and/or substance use AND response to at least one of the following 12 defined research area subtopics grouped under three defined research areas:

1. Understanding Rapid System Transformations
   • Mental health and/or substance use services transformation (e.g. barriers to care delivery, transition to virtual mental health care, uptake and experiences of individuals receiving virtual care, development and implementation of tools for delivery for virtual care) on both service providers and those receiving care.
   • Altered access to services (e.g. changes in access to primary care and emergency services, including community-based services, shift to emergency shelters from supervised drug consumption sites) on both service providers and those receiving care.
   • COVID-19-specific interventions aimed to support mental health, promote mental wellness and resilience, and/or prevent problematic substance use (e.g. crisis supports, virtual care apps, and other social supports) at regional, provincial, territorial and/or pan-Canadian implementation levels.
   • Access to culturally safe mental health treatment, care and support to First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Peoples including urban/rural/off-reserve, homeless, marginally housed, and/or transient Indigenous populations.
2. Developing Innovative Adaptations of Services and Delivery
   • Innovative adaptations of delivery/access approaches or interventions/supports (services) for mental health and/or substance use, including the promotion of mental wellness.
   • Innovative solutions for strengthening adaptive mental health and/or substance use care system capacity and flexibility through service delivery training and capacity building.
   • Novel approaches for integrating mental health and substance use care systems with each other, and/or with other primary, secondary, and tertiary care systems for other chronic conditions.
   • Innovative approaches to spread, scale and implement evidence-based mental health and/or substance use interventions adapted for COVID-19.
   • Innovative adaptation of mental health and wellness services/programs that are accessible, acceptable and culturally safe to Indigenous Peoples and, particularly, to those who face multiple vulnerabilities (e.g. Elders, women who are exposed to violence, people who use drugs and substances, gender diverse individuals).
3. Matching Access to Service with Needs
   • Developing and testing novel/innovative approaches/methods to track the prevalence/incidence/rates of mental health and/or substance use, and identifying where existing mental health services exist (across communities/provinces/territories/regions) whose access could be matched to highest needs.
   • Developing and testing novel/innovative approaches to delivering mental health and/or substance use services, in real-time, and considering access to health care services in hospitals and/or in community settings (including specific priority populations) over time (e.g. learning health systems).
   • Developing more equitable and effective matching of access to social and health related services with mental health and/or substance use needs of people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Available Funds:

Approximately $10.27M of funding is available. Maximum amount per grant is $200,000 over one year.

Objectives:

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:

• To understand and address the acute mental health and/or substance use needs of individuals, communities and/or populations, and/or the effects on related care systems, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
• To develop the evidence to better match access to mental health and/or substance use services with the people who need them the most, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications must be in alignment with both of the objectives to be deemed relevant to this funding opportunity. 

Important Dates!!

For more information please review the funding opportunity details on ResearchNet.

 

June 18, 2020	CIHR Registration Deadline To complete registration, please follow the instructions in the Grants – Registration Guidelines along with any additional instructions found below under “Specific Instructions”.
June 26, 2020	ORIS Internal Deadline Please submit: 1) ORIS Form signed by applicant, department head and dean, 2) draft  application, to Ingrid Qemo for review.
July 7, 2020	CIHR Submission Date Submission on ResearchNet
August 25, 2020	Anticipated Notice of Decision
September 1, 2020	Funding Start Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please contact Ingrid Qemo if you are interested in putting in an application.

The Azrieli Foundation is pleased to announce the “Back on Track from COVID19” funding opportunity, and request that you circulate the attached guideline to clinical and fundamental researchers working in the area of neurodevelopmental disorders. 

This opportunity addresses the interruption to biomedical research laboratories and clinical research as a result of the COVID19 emergency. The funds are intended to cover costs to research incurred by facility shutdown or changes in work plans due to social distancing, assisting graduate student progress to complete research, and to mitigate the loss of promising discoveries and ideas.

The award (up to $CDN 10,000) will be used to supplement an already awarded peer-reviewed grant/project, and selection will prioritize Early Career Researchers.

To access the application form, instructions and timelines, please visit our website.

If you interested in applying for this opportunity, contact Michelle Nevett (Fundamental Science) or Ingrid Qemo (Clinical Science/Health).

Description

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges globally. While much needed focus to date has been on developing and testing effective countermeasures to control the spread of the virus, examining the longer-term impacts of the pandemic—and the ensuing economic slowdown—on individuals, businesses and communities is just as important.

Social sciences and humanities research, including Indigenous research, both in disciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches, can help shed light on the nature of these impacts. It can also build knowledge on the potential strategies for managing recovery efforts, addressing inequalities in our societies, and building resilience to handle later waves of the pandemic as well as other emergencies.

Working in partnership with government, industry and not-for-profit organizations, researchers from across the social sciences and humanities can help provide the data, insight and evidence to guide action in the months and years to come.

There are a wide range of ways social sciences and humanities researchers can contribute: from highlighting the lessons of history, to probing individual and group behaviour, to exploring possible responses in policy and practice in all sectors.

SSHRC encourages projects in, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Understanding the differentiated social impacts of a pandemic, like COVID-19, using gender-based analysis, or by analyzing its political and economic effects at a regional, national or global scale.
• Designing and implementing effective and equitable recovery measures, such as fiscal and monetary policies, supply chain management measures, and social protection and employment creation initiatives.
• Building longer-term resilience and disaster preparedness, for instance, by learning from Indigenous knowledge systems, developing new emergency, public communication and work environment plans, or by rethinking communal and pedagogical approaches, artistic models and rituals.

Through Partnership Engage Grants (PEG), the PEG COVID-19 Special Initiative provides short-term and timely support for small-scale, stakeholder-driven partnerships. It will allow researchers and their partners to address urgent and specific needs, challenges or opportunities through collaborations. It will also provide a unique opportunity to foster a knowledge exchange on COVID-19 crisis related issues, challenges and impacts between postsecondary researchers and different sectors of society, including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and other highly qualified personnel.

Value and duration

SSHRC is committed to investing up to $1.5 million over the next two PEG competitions to support COVID-19 related projects, at a maximum amount of $25,000 per project for one year.

Eligibility

PEG COVID-19 Special Initiative applications are subject to the general PEG eligibility requirements.

Application  process and deadlines

Applicants must complete the PEG application form, and follow the accompanying instructions, as outlined in the PEG funding opportunity description.

SSHRC will accept applications for the PEG COVID-19 Special Initiative for the following deadlines:

• June 15, 2020
• September 15, 2020

In their application form, applicants must:

• Insert the prefix “COVID-19” in the application title;
• under Keywords, include “COVID-19;” and
• under the “Goal and project description” section of the application, demonstrate that the proposed project pertains to related issues, challenges or impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Timeline	Activity
April – May 8, 2020	Notice of intent As a courtesy, let Natasha Wiebe, ORIS, know that you plan to apply. (NOI not required by SSHRC.) Consider meeting virtually with Natasha to discuss your idea, the application process, ideas for matching funds, or the SSHRC forms required for the partner organization and any co-applicants or collaborators.
May 11, 2020	Faculty deadlines Education:  Email Glenn Rideout, cc. Mandy Turkalj: (1) rough copy of application, and (2) ORIS form signed by you.  FAHSS:  Email Brent Lee: (1) rough copy of application, and (2) ORIS form signed by you and your department head. HK: Email Cheri McGowan: (1) rough copy of application, and (2) ask your department head and dean to sign your ORIS form before the ORIS deadline. Law: Email Laverne Jacobs: (1) rough copy of application, and (2) ORIS form signed by you. Other Faculties: Email your department head and dean about signing your ORIS form before the ORIS deadline.
May 25, 2020*	ORIS deadline Email Natasha Wiebe: (1) application; (2) ORIS form signed by you, your department head, and dean; and (3) supporting documents for any UWindsor cash/in-kind contributions.
June 15, 2020, 4 PM*	SSHRC deadline Submit early to accommodate last-minute fixes and technical glitches. ORIS must forward your application to SSHRC after you press “submit.”
September 1, 2020	Grant start date (anticipated)

*Applications received past ORIS deadlines may not be approved and forwarded to SSHRC.

 For more information

Grant websites	Partnership Engage Grant funding opportunity description -- links to online application & SSHRC Web CV Partnership Engage Grants COVID-19 Special Initiative – additional instructions for applicants proposing projects directly related to COVID-19 NEW Instructions for grant application UPDATED
SSHRC contacts	Questions about grant & application process: 613-943-1007; partnershipengagegrants@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca Technical support:  613-995-4273; webgrant@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca; Hours
UWindsor contact	Natasha Wiebe, ORIS, nwiebe@uwindsor.ca, 8:30-4:30 Mon - Fri

Program: Research Grants on Education: COVID-19 Related Special Grant – June 2020

Sponsor:  Spencer Foundation

What’s it for? 

• The COVID-19 Related Research Grants support education research projects that will contribute to understanding the rapid shifts in education in this time of crisis and change. The Spencer Foundation is especially interested in supporting two primary categories of projects. First, they are interested in supporting studies that aim to understand and disrupt the reproduction and deepening of educational inequality caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Second, they also recognize that in times of great disruption and change, there may be opportunities to remake and imagine anew forms of equitable education. Thus, we they also interested in research projects that are working to reimagine educational opportunities in these times.  Review funding opportunity description for complete details.
• Proposals to this program must be for academic research projects that aim to study education. Proposals for activities other than research are not eligible (e.g., program evaluations, professional development, curriculum development, scholarships, capital projects).

Value & duration:  Up to $50,000 USD for projects ranging from 1 to 3 years. Budgets proposed must be in U.S. dollars.

COVID-19 considerations:  Consider UWindsor’s COVID-19 Research & Innovation Guidance when crafting your research proposal. See especially the Research Ethics section.

Deadline: June 8, 2020

 More information:

Grant websites	Funding opportunity description Grant guidelines and FAQs
Foundation contacts	Questions about grant & application process: Jasmine Janicki, jjanicki@spencer.org
UWindsor contact	Natasha Wiebe, ORIS, nwiebe@uwindsor.ca, 8:30-4:30 Mon – Fri

 

If you are interested in applying for this funding opportunity, contact Natasha Wiebe as soon as possible.

The Canadian Medical Association Foundation and the Foundation for Advancing Family Medicine have come together to support family physicians in their efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The result is the Covid-19 Pandemic Response and Impact Grant Program (Co-RIG).  This program will be deployed in two phases.  Phase I will target immediate and short-term innovations that maximize the effectiveness of care for patients, while guarding the safety of health workers, leading to a rapid, front-line response to protect and treat everyone in Canada.

A request for proposals for Phase II will be issued in the coming months. The second phase of funding will focus on innovations and initiatives that prepare family medicine to cope with the challenges related to the pandemic in the long term, be it by scaling up existing innovations, responding to a resurgence of COVID-19 or preparing for other threats to human health and well-being.

Successful Phase I applicants will not be excluded from applying to Phase II Co-RIG funding.

Applications are due June 4, 2020 at 4pm ET.

Click Here to Apply

Context and Guidelines

The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting the health and economic well-being of nations on a scale that has not been seen for more than a century. The response to such a threat must be rapid and effective in order to minimize the harmful impact of a virus that is both highly transmissible and lethal. The family medicine response to COVID-19 must support innovation that targets and protects highly vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, those with chronic conditions, and the homeless, amongst others.

Consistent with their role as front line care providers, family physicians are uniquely positioned to respond to COVID-19 through practice innovations that are both preventive and therapeutic. Similarly, as care givers for all, and for all conditions, family physicians must respond to both the direct and indirect health impacts of COVID-19. At all times, and especially at times of pandemic crisis, family physicians play an integrative health system role, working with public health officials and other health care professionals to ensure patients and populations receive safe medical care. As well, the Family Medicine professional profile emphasizes adaptation, wherein family physicians draw on their generalist competencies to respond to rapidly changing patient needs and care settings.

Co-RIG Program Phase I supports practice innovations that reduce the direct or indirect harms of COVID-19. Direct efforts include innovations that prevent the spread of COVID-19 and/or mitigate negative patient/population outcomes related to COVID-19. Indirect efforts include innovations that are targeted to non-COVID-19 health conditions, such as the negative health outcomes associated with neglected chronic disease and ancillary mental and social effects caused by the pandemic crisis.

Phase I will target family practice innovative interventions that can be implemented rapidly or have been recently implemented, and that are likely to have a measurable, positive impact on patients and/or populations within 6 months of the start of funding. Funding will:

• Support family physicians and health care teams as they work to contain COVID-19 transmission, improve clinical outcomes for those infected, and protect front-line health care workers, while continuing to attend to the other urgent health needs of the population.
• Target high impact innovations that respond to the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19.

The Co-RIG program is not a research program, although an evaluation plan must be part of the proposal. The emphasis is on innovation and potential for high impact, rather than methodologic rigor and knowledge creation. Program funding will support efforts that improve health care for patients in individual family practices, as well as larger proposals that engage multiple practices, scale up successful interventions or aim to benefit the population more broadly.

Proposed innovations and practice changes may take a variety of forms. These include, but are not limited to: therapeutic techniques; procedural practice changes; new patient and community outreach programs/technologies; EMR enhancements and analysis; developing new tracking and monitoring devices; redeploying medical and non-medical staff; enhanced communication with other care providers.

For more information, visit COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Impact Grant Program (Co-RIG) – Phase I Request for Proposals

NSERC supports over 11,000 world-class researchers across Canada, and we fund their research collaborations with over 4,000 companies. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NSERC is leveraging the expertise of researchers in natural science and engineering and their partners across Canada to address this unprecedented crisis.

NSERC is providing up to $15 million in total support to stimulate collaborations between academic researchers and the public and not-for-profit sectors, and industry to address pandemic-related research and technical challenges. Support for up to $50,000 for one-year projects is being made available immediately.

NSERC will process these applications in an accelerated fashion. Partners do not need to provide cash contributions to participate, but must be engaged throughout the research process, from input in design to using the expertise and/or the research results.

Please visit the NSERC Alliance COVID-19 grants webpage for more information.

MAKING THE SHIFT

Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Hub

Targeted Call: COVID-19 and Youth Homelessness Prevention

Objective

Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Hub is seeking proposals for innovative and original research projects that address the implications of COVID-19 on youth homelessness. Proposed projects should generate knowledge that will inform our current response to the pandemic, the recovery phase, and the future of our response to youth homelessness, and in particular the necessity of making the shift to prevention.

Successful proposals should be designed to begin as soon as possible after notification of award. Submissions may be entered by an individual or a team. Priority will be given to projects that have strong partnerships and include people with lived experience of youth homelessness.

Matching funds in the form of cash or in-kind contributions are encouraged from the University of Windsor and any community partner organizations, and should be confirmed by letters of support from each contributing organization.

Potential Areas of Focus include, but are not limited to:

• Challenges that youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness in Canada face during a pandemic. Do vulnerable sub-populations (e.g., young people with disabilities, Indigenous youth) face unique challenges?
• Prevention measures (e.g., quick access to housing, family and natural supports, mental health support, interpersonal violence prevention, evictions prevention) to be researched should there be a second wave. What measures or changes to services or models of delivery occurred during the first phase that should be sustained?
• Legal and justice implications of Canada’s COVID-19 response for young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
• Impacts of the ban on eviction orders on young people, and what happened during the transition period to post-isolation? What supports are necessary for hazardously housed youth to avoid homelessness in the future and in the context of future pandemics?
• In the context of the recovery phase of the pandemic, what should our response to youth homelessness look like?

Value: Applicants can apply for a grant of up to $40,000

Duration: 12 months

Deadline: Monday May 25th, 2020 at 12pm EST

Eligibility: Open to researchers in Canada that are linked to an institution that is eligible to hold Tri-Council funding.

Please refer to the application guidelines here

How to Apply:

Complete 1) 1000-word proposal; and 2) Excel budget template provided near the bottom of the website and submit via the APPLICATION PORTAL. An official letter of support is required to confirm any cash or in-kind contributions from the University of Windsor. Please note the application portal does not save your information and make sure to have all your information on hand when you’re preparing the portal submission.

Questions:

Email mtsfunding@yorku.ca

Please notify Natasha Wiebe, ORIS if you are intending on applying, and if you have questions on the funding opportunity or the letter of support required to confirm any cash or in-kind contributions from the University of Windsor. Please provide Natasha with an ORIS form (signed by you, your area head, and dean) and a copy of the submitted grant application.

CIHR Operating Grant: COVID-19 May 2020 Rapid Research Funding Opportunity

DESCRIPTION/ RESEARCH AREAS

This funding opportunity is part of Government of Canada's continued rapid response to address the health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding will enable rapid and timely research responsive to the current phase of COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and around the globe, which is focused on slowing and stopping the spread of SARS-CoV-2, including but not limited to:

• understanding the underlying pathophysiology and immunological response;
• developing and testing therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics;
• providing evidence for best care strategies to those who are suffering from severe disease;
• creating evidence-based policies to support health workers and health systems as well as those designated as essential services, in coping with the significant burden posed by COVID-19; and
• ongoing, adaptive social and public health responses.

Funding is also available for observational studies, implementation science or other relevant study designs to scale-up promising existing projects, reorient current research or platforms, or initiate new rapid response research that can be initiated immediately upon successful application of funds, to address COVID-19 in one of more of the following research areas.

Understanding the safety, efficacy, effectiveness, ethics, and implementation of:

• Vaccines, diagnostics, or therapeutics, such as but not limited to:
  • Examine the enhanced immune disease and Antibody Dependent Enhancement (ADE) aspects of safety of vaccines
  • Testing existing therapeutics to prevent and treat COVID-19 infection
  • Point of care diagnostics that can be applied at home and/or in remote locations
  • Correlates of protection based on sero-surveillance testing data for COVID-19 infection
  • Optimization and testing of convalescent sera or other passive antibody transfer protocols
• Clinical management and health system interventions, such as but not limited to:
  • resource allocation decision-making, including access to equipment such as ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as therapeutics
  • interventions to plan for, expand on, or redress surge capacity as well as organization of care, and the healthcare workforce
  • management of COVID-19 in cases with co-morbidities such as diabetes or cardiorespiratory conditions
  • access to and implementation of  timely and relevant clinical management approaches, such as virtual care and related guidelines or non-hospitalized care of cases, including in remote locations or Indigenous communities
  • infection prevention and control measures
  • interventions and strategies to mitigate the impact on non-COVID care
  • population level genomics that determine COVID-19 differences in susceptibility and severity
• Social, policy, and public health responses and related indirect consequences, such as but not limited to:
  • population-level containment strategies such as physical distancing, quarantine, and travel restrictions
  • public health communications and citizen engagement
  • impacts of external decisions/measures on self-determination and self-governance of Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
  • scale-up of systems for assessment and diagnostics testing and follow-up
  • real-time data development and design for predictive or forecasting models and observational studies that inform policy-making

FUNDING

The maximum amount per grant that can be requested for clinical trial research is $5,000,000 over 1 year.

The maximum amount per grant that can be requested for all other types of research is $2,500,000 over 1 year.

Please note that the budget amounts have been set at these levels to allow for adequate funding of some of the research projects that could be submitted. However, it is expected that most budgets will be significantly lower than these maximums. All budgets will be subject to rigorous analysis to ensure applicants are requesting appropriate funds for their research.

Partnership approaches, either in-kind or financial, to increase the budget available to projects and/or maximize the impact and reach is encouraged; however, they are not mandatory.

Applications due: May 11, 2020

Notifications: June 2, 2020

Funding Start: May 1, 2020

Please inform Ingrid Qemo at ORIS of your intent to apply. Please prepare to submit an ORIS form and draft of the application by May 4, 2020 to Ingrid for review as well.

CIHR Operating Grant: Knowledge Synthesis: COVID-19 in Mental Health and Substance Use (Knowledge Synthesis Grant: COVID-19 Rapid Research Funding Opportunity in Mental Health and Substance Use)

Due to the nature of this funding opportunity and the quick turnaround time, please contact Ingrid Qemo to notify her of your intent to apply so that material may be reviewed in a timely manner.

IMPORTANT DATES

Application Deadline: May 7, 2020

Anticipated Notice of Decision: May 22, 2020

Funding Start Date: May 1, 2020

FUNDS AVAILABLE

$2,000,000 available to fund up to 40 grants. Amount may increase if additional partners participate.

**Maximum amount per grant is $50,000 over 6 months**

Partnership approaches (in-kind or cash) are encouraged, but not necessary.

OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:

• To address evidence gaps and build the evidence base for the mental health and substance use response to COVID-19.
• To provide current evidence on mental health services needs, delivery and related guidelines, practice and issues, placed in the COVID-19 context (e.g. effective virtual service delivery models, or other models of care).
• To provide decision makers with high quality, timely, accessible and relevant evidence that responds to a priority need in a short period of time.

Eligible research areas include (but are not limited to):

• Knowledge translation approaches, practices and platforms applied to inform both population-level and targeted mental health and substance use responses during the pandemic. This includes resilience and wellness responses/approaches;
• Population-based interventions to reduce potential mental health and substance use impacts of COVID-19 caused by factors including but not limited to: prolonged periods of social isolation, unexpected employment disruptions, school closures, financial distress, and changes to routine;
• Targeted interventions to address the mental health and substance use issues and needs of high-risk groups;
• Innovative surveillance and monitoring in both the general Canadian population and amongst high-risk groups to assess mental health and substance use needs and system transformations (including the use of learning health systems, other modes of service delivery (e.g., virtual care), alternate remuneration models, etc.).

Proposals are encouraged to consider priority populations that may face unique contexts during this time.

It is expected that knowledge synthesis will:

• Critically assess the state of knowledge related to mental health and substance use from a variety of sources;
• Identify knowledge strengths and gaps, including applicability and/or transferability to the current pandemic context; and
• Use effective knowledge mobilization methods to facilitate the sharing of research findings with multisectoral stakeholders.

For more detailed information please click here.

Program Description

Funded by FedDev Ontario, the EPIC Nimble Program is launched in partnership with WEtech Alliance and WindsorEssex Small Business Centre (SBC) to support existing traditional small businesses currently facing challenges in their businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will support participants looking to adopt technology to either create new revenue streams or to pivot to a new business model in order to achieve sustainability and stay competitive in the fast-changing marketplace.

Benefits of the Program

The program is valued at over $6000 in cash and services, which includes:

• Up to $4,000 in grant funding on eligible services (see Funding and Eligible Expenses section)
• Tech development work
• One-on-one mentorship through WEtech Alliance
• Access to the EPIC Legal Triage team on legal and intellectual property related questions
• Access to SBC’s programs and services
• Access to WEtech’s client perks on eligible discounts and credits on various cloud platforms and software

Eligibility

The program is open to any existing for-profit small business in the Windsor Essex region with at least two years of operation. Eligible applicants must propose an innovative idea, describing how the idea can help their businesses achieve sustainability or to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace by adopting technology.

Key Dates

• April 13th, 2020 – Application Opens
• April 30th, 2020 – Application Closes
• May 11th, 2020 – Successful Applicants Notified
• November 30th, 2020 – Program Ends (projects may start anytime after May 8th but must complete before November 30th)

Funding and Eligible Expenses

Successful participants will receive up to $4,000 in grants that must be used towards the proposed project. Participants will meet with EPICentre Program Lead to finalize the budget. The use of funds must be directly related to the proposed project. The following is a list of eligible expenses:

• Tech development costs, including hiring of UWindsor students or consultants in the area of expertise identified
• Marketing costs
• Equipment, software, materials and supplies
• Legal costs

**At least 50% of the grant must be used in tech development activities

Terms and Conditions

By completing and submitting this application, applicants agree to:

• Be entered into EPICentre’s database and receive relevant information in the future (can opt-out later)
• Be included in any promotional material and news article published by EPICentre and partners
• Respect the final decision made by Selection Committee.

If approved, participants agree to:

• Meet with assigned mentor to review the project scope, set project milestones and review progress of the project as required
• Sign up as WEtech Alliance’s client (free)
• Review and finalize project budget with EPICentre’s Program Lead
• Participate in prescribed workshops, seminars and events
• Be connected with potential students and tech experts in the area of expertise needed
• Report relevant metrics to EPICentre for reporting purpose up to three years after completion of the program

Application

Click here for Application Details

Overview

The Ontario government is providing rapid research funding to contribute to global efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic

Applicants are invited to submit proposals that:

• Contribute to the global response to the COVID-19 outbreak to mitigate the rapid spread of COVID-19 and its potential negative consequences;
• Provide evidence to inform clinical and public health response (including, but not limited to research in medical, social and policy countermeasures), and/or inform decision-making and planning at the provincial, national and international levels;
• Are highly feasible with immediately achievable and important results; and,
• Are supported by the Vice President of Research, CEO or Scientific Director at the applicant’s institution.

Application Process

Institutions must have submitted proposals through the Ontario Together Portal first before submitting MCU funding applications to this Fund.

• Proposals should be submitted to Ideas Section of Ontario Together portal (https://www.ontario.ca/form/submit-your-ideas-to-help-fight-coronavirus)
• The project title should start with the words: “MCU Research Proposal:”
• The institution name should be included in the portal submission.

Institutions must submit full MCU funding applications within seven (7) days of having received the MCU application form from the Ministry. The Ministry will confirm this date to the applicant/institution at the time it provides the applicant/institution with the application form for this Fund via email.

See section on Application Submission Requirements of these guidelines.

The earliest a project can start is January 1, 2020. Expenditures are eligible from the project start date, which is January 1, 2020.

Funding

The Fund will pay up to 100% of the requested eligible direct operating costs (including salaries and benefits and limited costs, which include up to 10% for facilities and equipment, and up to 10% for management and administration), as well as a portion of indirect (overhead) costs (up to 40%). The program's contribution is inclusive of both direct and indirect cost support.

The Ministry does not have a maximum funding ask per grant and will consider all funding requests on a case by case basis. This Fund does not have a match component. However, where applicable, applicants should outline whether the proposed project is co-funded by any other funding agency.

Eligibility

Funding is open, on a competitive basis, to members of the research community and must be endorsed by the Vice President of Research, CEO or Scientific Director at the applicant’s institution. For-profit organizations and agencies of for-profit entities are not considered eligible and cannot apply for, or receive, funding. All decisions regarding eligibility will be made by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities at its sole discretion.

Funds contributed for approved projects are disbursed to the lead applicant institution. In all instances, funding contributed by the Fund for projects must be directed to the eligible research institution(s) in Ontario and expended in Ontario.

Note: Although Clinical Trials are not an eligible expense under this Fund, funding can be used for costs related to personnel and testing involved in a clinical trial.

The City of Windsor is offering an enhanced funding round for the Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) grant program in response to COVID-19. The evolving pandemic crisis is having a significant impact on the creative community – those working in the local arts, culture and heritage sector that help shape a vibrant city.

Independent musicians who rely on income from performances at restaurants, bars and nightclubs have cancelled engagements as small businesses close their doors in the interest of public safety. Theatre, dance and music-based productions, art and history exhibitions, book launches, workshops, summer camps and classes as far out as July and August of 2020 are being postponed or cancelled..

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens and City Council recognize the municipality has an opportunity to provide tangible support for the creative community at this time, while also giving Windsorites a renewed sense of pride during this crisis.

The City is re-launching the ACHF grant program to offer support to local artists affected by COVID-19, while supporting projects that will have a positive impact on all residents navigating social distancing at home during this time.

The ACHF COVID-19 Enhanced Funding Round will be administered as follows:

• Available funding: $60,000
• Maximum funding per applicant: $1,000
• Minimum funding per applicant: $500
• Who is eligible to apply: Local musicians, comedians, storytellers, dancers, singers, theatre artists, poets, filmmakers, visual artists, designers, and artisans (if you received ACHF funding in 2020 Round 1, you are still eligible to apply)
• What projects are eligible: 45-60 minute live streams of performances including music/theatre/spoken word/poetry/storytelling, short films, visual art projects, and online classes/workshops/tutorials that all have a live component that allows them to be shared widely with the community; also non-live projects that can be accessed, downloaded, shared, etc. by residents virtually
• Application phase: Applications will be accepted online only at www.achfwindsor.ca from Friday, April 17, 2020 to Friday, April 24, 2020
• Public presentation phase: Works must be available/presented to the public between May 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020
• Where will works be presented: Online, on streaming platforms and social media sites, and through partnership with the City of Windsor’s Cultural Affairs office; all using the #WindsorStaysCreative hashtag; non-live activities (i.e. downloadable arts resources) will be hosted on our ACHF web section
• Who to contact for support:
  • Cathy Masterson, Manager of Cultural Affairs at cmasterson@citywindsor.ca

“Windsor has a proud history of investment in our arts, culture and heritage creative community,” said Mayor Drew Dilkens. “Now more than ever, as we struggle to remain connected while socially distant, our local artists need us as much as we need them. The results will be shareable positive stories and experiences for our entire community to engage with over the coming months.” 

Individuals and organizations are encouraged to apply online at www.achfwindsor.ca.

Backgrounder: Additional support for the creative community during COVID-19

The City is encouraging residents to support our local creative community at this time. The Culture section of the City’s website includes Creative Community COVID-19 Resources linking local creatives with municipal, provincial and federal resources to help during this challenging time. Additionally, Mayor Dilkens expanded on the #YQGStandsStrong initiative to target community support towards our creative community by encouraging residents to:

• participate in an online art class;
• set up a commission with an artist;
• donate the value of a show or experience ticket back to the artist or organization;
• share resources, galleries and links to artists, and buy artwork online;
• purchase gift cards for use with local artists/groups;
• participate in live streams (concerts, exhibit openings, sing-alongs, poetry readings) that showcase the arts; and
• share stories of our favourite artists, groups, spaces or experiences online.

About the Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) grant program

The City of Windsor’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) invests the soul of our City by providing financial assistance to locally developed arts, culture and heritage projects that provide exciting, surprising and meaningful opportunities to strengthen our creative community. This funding initiative supports the City of Windsor's priority to build a strong and stable creative community that contributes to a prosperous creative economy and to making Windsor an amazing place to live.

Program Objectives

• Promote innovation and support new, dynamic efforts in the creative community;
• Develop unique cultural resources to enhance the health and vitality of our communities and the quality of life for our people;
• Encourage participants in the creative community to stay and continue to create and work in the City of Windsor;
• Make arts, culture and heritage central to the lives of all our people;
• Increase public awareness and access to the arts, culture and heritage sectors; 
• Celebrate diversity by recognizing our rich creative community; and
• Value creativity by promoting and supporting arts, culture and heritage.

Projects eligible for funding will benefit one or more cultural sectors; and will develop new alliances and creative, innovative approaches. Funding will be distributed over two evaluation periods. Projects must address one or more of the following key priorities:

• Increase Windsor’s attractiveness, affordability, and quality of life;
• Support the development of new audiences;
• Increase the supply of skilled cultural workers;
• Nurture creativity and imagination through arts, culture and heritage projects;
• Encourage the inclusion of diverse cultural groups;
• Increase public access to the creative community.

Organizations and individuals are urged to apply online following the project guidelines on www.achfwindsor.ca.

This Testing Stream Notice is issued under the Innovative Solutions Canada Program (ISC) Call for Proposals 001 (EN578-20ISCD). The ISC Program Testing Stream (formerly known as the Build in Canada Innovation Program) is soliciting interested suppliers to participate in the Program to enhance Canada’s capacity in research and innovation in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. Interested suppliers will have the opportunity to bid on various themes under specific Covid-19 categories outlined below. 

For more ISC information, Bidders can visit the ISC website.

SOLICITATION PERIOD: From April 9, 2020 closing April 21, 2020.

Please refer to the Solicitation Documents which contain the process for submitting a proposal.

Steps to apply:

Step 1: read this Notice

Step 2: read the Call for Proposals

Step 3: Submit your application here

Canadian content: This requirement is solely limited to Canadian goods and/or services.

CATEGORIES: Medical and Non-Medical

Medical Category: The medical category refers to innovations that will directly support doctors, researchers, and healthcare workers in their efforts to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Innovations applying under the medical category should have a direct application towards the combating of the COVID-19 or be of direct use for healthcare professionals to assist and protect them in the course of their duties.

1.) Theme: Prevention and Protection

Solutions under this theme could include, but are not limited to:

a. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Masks, gloves, clothing or other equipment that protects individuals from infection
• Solutions around the recycling and re-purposing of PPE
• PPE manufacturing process improvements to increase the overall output of PPE
• Training solutions designed to assist personnel to work with PPE and/or deal with hazardous environments/materials

b. Sanitization

• Sanitization agents or chemical protective measures to assist in combatting the spread of COVID-19 in hospitals, clinics, labs, or other medical facilities
• Automated cleaning/sanitization of PPE

2.) Theme: Testing and Diagnostics

Solutions under this theme could include, but are not limited to:

• Rapid, portable, and/or Point-of-care (POC) or other testing methods and solutions
• Reagents solutions to improve diagnostic testing
• Laboratory equipment (both POC and non-POC) for research, study and development of treatments

3.) Theme: Patient Monitoring, Tracking and Wellness

Solutions under this theme could include, but are not limited to:

• Patient monitoring, tracking, and management solutions and tools to support in-hospital/disease center, non-hospital or in-home health care and services
• Tracking, consolidating and acquisition of data from provincial health experts and authorities such as epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists.
• Ventilators and other medical devices to address COVID-19 or other infectious diseases
• Solutions relevant to the assessment and improvement of mental health during public health emergencies 
• Mobile quarantine facilities

Non-Medical Category: The non-medical category refers to innovations that will assist Government of Canada departments and agencies, including through their partnerships with provinces, territories and municipalities, in addressing the challenges and impacts posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies in the future.

1.) Theme: Surveillance, Tracking, Situational Awareness and Critical Response

Solutions under this theme could include, but are not limited to:

• Solutions or applications to support education, information sharing and guidance between public sector organizations and individuals/citizens
• Disease predictive modeling and tracking solutions that enable information sharing among public health professionals/medical service providers
• Solutions and tools that boost situational awareness and allow medical, public health, first responder and security personnel to coordinate, decide and respond to crisis initiatives in real-time
• Solutions that will assist with remote detection of infections and/or surveillance and/or enforcement of pandemic/crisis lockdowns
• Solutions and tools to improve planning, tracking and assignment of medical, first responder, and law enforcement personnel, and/or health supplies during pandemic responses
• Methods for analyzing information sources to understand how communities and public health agencies are responding to public health emergencies 
• Food supply chain stabilization solutions that promote efficient and sustainable agricultural production to enhance food security
• Solutions that help address awareness, information sharing and mitigation of increased COVID-19 themed (or like public health emergencies) cyber threats and online scams
• Solutions or tools to support impact analysis and decisions regarding economic recovery

  2.) Theme: Sanitization

Solutions under this theme could include, but are not limited to:

• Sanitization agents or chemical protective measures for a variety of applications or settings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 or other infectious diseases

• Automated sanitization and remote sanitization tools

Testing Departments: All interested federal departments and agencies.

Funding Mechanism: Contract

MAXIMUM FUNDING:

The maximum overall funding available for all Covid-19 Contracts under the Testing Stream is $10,000,000.00 CAD excluding applicable taxes, shipping, travel and living expenses.

Maximum Contract Value:

Multiple contracts could result from this requirement.

The maximum funding available for any contracts resulting from this Notice is: $550,000.00 CAD excluding applicable taxes, shipping, travel and living expenses.

This disclosure is made in good faith and does not commit Canada to contract for the total approximate funding. Final decisions on the number of awards will be made by Canada on the basis of factors such as evaluation results, departmental priorities and availability of funds.

This ISC Thematic Covid-19 Testing Stream Notice is an invitation to the scientific, technical and innovation communities to submit pre-commercial innovative science and technology proposals in response to Government of Canada requirements.

All information related to Testing Stream Proposal Submission, Evaluation Procedures and Basis of Selection are contained in the CFP solicitation document and its attachments on the ISC Website.

Background and Context

The goal of this CFP is to help the Government of Canada enhance Canada’s capacity in research and innovation on medical countermeasures, including antivirals, vaccine development and support for clinical trials for delivery of Canada’s Research and Innovation response to COVID-19.

Frequently asked questions, as well as on-going Bidder questions will be answered and published in an amendment to the Testing Stream Notice Document.

ENQUIRIES

All enquiries must be submitted in writing to TPSGC.PASIC_COVID19-APISC_COVID19.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca no later than five calendar days before the Notice closing date. Enquiries received after that time may not be answered.

CANADIAN FRAILTY NETWORK – FRAILTY AND COVID-19 Requests for Proposals

Download PDF Proposal

Purpose

The Canadian Frailty Network (CFN) is looking to fund proposals aimed at investigating the interaction between frailty and COVID-19. Older adults living with frailty are the most vulnerable to COVID-19. As a result, CFN is looking for health, social or policy research studies that investigate determinants of increased susceptibility, and solutions to mitigate or prevent the differential risk to COVID-19. See below for specific proposal details.

Background

The mission of the CFN is to improve care for older adults living with frailty and to support their family and friend caregivers. We do this by increasing recognition, understanding and assessment of frailty, increasing evidence for improved decision making, advocating for improvements to health and social care, educating the next generation of care providers and by engaging with older adults and their caregivers.

The World Health Organization has officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Most people will not become seriously ill when exposed to the virus. However, 15 to 20 per cent may require hospitalization. However, older people with co-morbidities and likely frailty are those at highest risk of mortality and adverse outcomes.

Proposal Details

Two Streams of Funding: CFN is looking for health, social or policy studies that fall under one of the two following streams of research:

1. Proposals that study the differential impact of frailty on the response or outcomes of a therapy or add a frailty cohort/subgroup to an existing ongoing COVID-19 investigation.

Example: People living with frailty are added as a sub-group an ongoing clinical study evaluating a COVID-19 therapeutic or diagnostic test.

1. Original research proposals that investigate the outcomes and underlying mechanisms for the observed outcomes, the utility of frailty as a prognostic factor, complexities of care, unique challenges for adults living with frailty and COVID-19 infection.

Timelines

• Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF document by 8 pm EST Friday April 17, 2020.
• Proposals must be submitted via email to research@cfn-nce.ca. Emails date stamped after the deadline will not be eligible.
• All work arising from funded proposals will need to be completed by March 31, 2022.

Budget

• Total maximum CFN funding of up to $500,000 is available for this entire competition.
• Note: CFN may add partners to this competition and hence overall funding may increase.
• Single proposal budget maximum is $250,000. Note that increasing budgetary requests will be expected to produce a proportionally greater impact and will undergo commensurate scrutiny as to the potential to achieve these impacts.
• For this RFP CFN no longer requires 1:1 matching funds.

Please contact Ingrid Qemo at Ingrid.Qemo@uwindsor.ca if you will be submitting an application and/or require assistance/review of the application.

WE-SPARK Health Institute has launched a Rapid Response funding call for those that are currently working on COVID-19 related research. This application is open to Primary Applicants at any of the WE-SPARK partner institutions (University of Windsor, St. Clair College, Windsor Regional Hospital and Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare).

Program Overview

The WE-SPARK Igniting Discovery Grants Program was established as an annual grant program to invest in emerging, innovative and novel health research and education projects that are aligned with WE-SPARK HEALTH Institute’s mission and strategic priorities.

Research Areas

This specific Igniting Discovery opportunity is a part of WE-SPARK’s collective effort to locally address the public health challenges of COVID-19 outbreak. The funding will contribute to efforts to accelerate the development, testing, implementation of medical and social countermeasures to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak addressed by any of the following research areas:

1. Epidemiological studies
2. Development/ evaluation of diagnostics for detection and surveillance
3. Development of candidate vaccines
4. Development/identification of candidate therapeutics
5. Clinical characterization & disease management
6. Cultural dimensions of the epidemic
7. Public health response studies
8. Identification of approaches to support psychosocial needs of our society
9. Studies of logistics of response (infrastructure, transportation, etc.)
10. International relations
11. Communication/education surrounding the disease
12. Addressing medical shortages (including PPE, ventilators, etc.)

Eligibility

To be elibible to apply, you must:

1. Be a Principle Applicant (PA) that holds a primary appointment at any of the four partner institutions (University of Windsor, St. Clair College, Windsor Regional Hospital, and Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare), and/or must be a Core member of WE-SPARK. The term of affiliation must at least cover the proposed project period.
2. Not have secured funding for the research project you are proposing for this grant program.
3. Research work has to cover COVID-19 priority areas

The research activity is expected to be primarily performed at 1 of the WE-SPARK Partner Institutions. If another location is proposed, strong justification must be provided.

Funding

One-year grant(s) for $5,000 will be awarded and are expected to be used for approved research-related expenditures. This grant is intended to support research consumables and non-consumables, salaries for research personnel, and small equipment. For PAs whose primary affiliation is the University of Windsor, the VPRI will be providing matching funds of $5,000 to successful awards. Budget is contingent upon approval.

Submission Deadline

Applications must be submitted to Ingrid Qemo at Ingrid.Qemo@uwindsor.ca by 5:00pm on April 10, 2020.

Please click on the links below to access copies of the guidelines and application form:

• 2020 Guidelines
• Application Form

For more information, please contact Ingrid Qemo at Ingrid.Qemo@uwindsor.ca.

Vale Launches $1 Million COVID-19 Challenge

Vale is joining the fight against COVID-19 by launching the Vale COVID-19 Challenge, a USD $1 million fund designed to propel innovative COVID-19 solutions into the marketplace to reach the end user within 15 days of the approval date. The challenge is open in Canada and Brazil with each selected solution eligible to receive up to USD $200,000.

Companies, startups, institutions, universities and professionals with innovative solutions to help our communities and lessen the impact of COVID-19 are invited to participate. Vale is seeking submissions for solutions in three categories: Risk Monitoring and Prevention, Patient Monitoring and Open Challenge.

In Canada, Vale has proudly partnered with experts from the healthcare sector to assist members of Vale’s leadership team in the technical evaluations of the submissions:

• Dr. Ken Jenkins (Horizons Occupational Health Solutions)
• Dr. Farrell Cahill (Medisys)
• Dr. Greg Ross (Health Sciences North Sudbury)
• Don Duval (NORCAT)

For more information about the challenge and to apply online, visit: www.vale.com/canadacovid19challenge by April 8. Selected applications will be announced on April 24.

CIFAR is issuing a targeted call for AI and COVID-19 interdisciplinary research collaborations to spark innovative, high-risk/high-reward ideas and projects. CIFAR’s Catalyst Program provides seed funding for time-limited activities.

Sample topics may include: pathogenicity and/or transmission of COVID-19, AI tools to accelerate vaccine development, or AI applications to advance our understanding of the economic impacts of the COVID-19, among others.

Examples of eligible catalyst-supported activities include, but are not limited to:

• Pilot projects
• Interdisciplinary projects involving trainees
• Large-scale, team-based grant proposal development

Submission requirements:

• Proposals must be submitted jointly by at least two Principal Investigators
  • One applicant must be a current CIFAR Program Member or Canada CIFAR AI Chair
  • Co-applicant(s) may include past CIFAR program members, or researchers at any institution around the world.
• Must not exceed one page (approx. 500 words).
• Title and brief description of the project or activity
• Proposed start date of the activity
• Name(s) of co-supervised trainee(s) (if applicable/known)
• Estimated budget (not to exceed $15,000 CAD)

Proposal should describe the potential:

• impact on society;
• understanding of an aspect of COVID-19;
• impact on career development for trainees; and
• outputs

Proposals will be reviewed and recommended for funding by CIFAR’s program advisory committee members and international college of reviewers.

Apply Online

Successful applicants will be notified on April 6, 2020.

For more information, please contact: Rachel Parker, Senior Director, Research (CIFAR) catalystfunds@cifar.ca.