Research and Knowledge Mobilization - Exploration Program

The Brain-Heart Interconnectome (BHI) program is the first dedicated research program that aims to bring together multiple, diverse disciplines to catalyze a new transdisciplinary approach to studying, preventing and treating brain-heart (B-H) disorders. The BHI program was made possible with support from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), a tri-agency initiative of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Consistent with CFREF objectives, BHI supports the full range of research, from fundamental to applied, and encourages transformative collaborations among researchers from health sciences, social sciences, humanities, engineering and natural sciences. It fosters community, provincial, national and international partnerships across academic, private and not for profit sectors to deliver research leading to important social and economic benefits for Canada.  The BHI vision is for uOttawa and its partners to become the global leaders in advancing mission-driven integrated B-H research including research focused on biomedical discoveries, clinical interventions, service delivery models, community prevention approaches and understanding and addressing the systemic and unequal distribution of B-H disease burden among populations to improve health equity.  

Please see the BHI website for further information on the BHI and its Foundations, Themes and Cross-Cutting Themes.  

The objective of this program is to advance new areas of mission-driven, high-impact integrated brain-heart research by supporting BHI researchers to:

• Test a new hypothesis or develop new approaches to a research problem that challenge prevailing paradigms;  
• Explore a bold and risky research question through a proof-of-principle experiment; and/or
• Advance creative and innovative research by proving initial concepts and finding solutions to obstacles.

It is expected that by investing in this early phase research, BHI will enable its research community to establish the necessary preliminary evidence to be successful in securing funding for high-impact integrated brain-heart research through larger external funding programs.

The Exploration Program will support projects that integrate the expertise of researchers from at least two scientific disciplines (e.g., health sciences and political science; psychology and medical biotechnology; mathematics and clinical medicine) and use a research co-production approach in collaboration with patients as well as other knowledge users. To drive creativity and innovation, projects are encouraged to:

• involve researchers that have not previously worked together and from different institutions in Canada or internationally;
• address the scope and priorities of multiple BHI Foundations, Themes and Cross-Cutting Themes;  
• address the mandate of more than one of the federal Tri-Agencies: Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council; and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council;  
• involve Early Career Researchers in leadership positions;  
• expand the diversity of voices meaningfully engaged, co-leading and benefiting from B-H research to include Indigenous people and underrepresented groups including racialized individuals; African, Caribbean, and Black individuals; persons with disabilities; women; and individuals from 2SLGBTQIA+ communities; and
• involve partner institutions, including cash and in-kind contributions, to expand the scope and reach of the work.    

BHI defines patients as individuals with lived experiences with a health issue, informal caregivers (including family and friends) and/or individuals that are at risk of, or otherwise, affected by brain-heart conditions. Knowledge users are people, including representatives of communities and organizations who are likely to use research results to make informed decisions, or anybody who may benefit or be otherwise affected by research results. This can include, but is not limited to Indigenous leaders and communities, patients, health professionals, community-based organizations, health charities, health system leaders, policy-makers, and private sector organizations. 

The total amount available for the first launch of this program is $1,200,000 for up to two (2) years, enough to fund up to twelve (12) projects. The maximum amount per project is $100,000 over two (2) years. Funding for at least two (2) projects will be reserved for Early Career Researchers (ECRs). ECRs are defined as investigators within five years of their first independent research-related appointment at the time of application. Although not mandatory, matched funding from partner organizations is highly encouraged.

1. Project eligibility

To be eligible, a project must:

• Use a research co-production approach with patient partners.
• Address the goals and deliverables of one or more BHI Foundations, Themes or Cross-Cutting Themes.  
• Be relevant to joint brain and heart health.
• Be interdisciplinary in nature.

2. Applicant team eligibility

The proposed project must include:

• Principal Applicant - Academic: A BHI Core Academic Member eligible to hold Tri-Council research funding.  
• Co-Principal Applicant – Patient Partner: Patient Partner: a patient (as defined above) that is meaningfully involved in co-leading the project. Patient partners participating as a Co-Principal Applicant on one or more projects are considered BHI Core Partner Members.
• Co-Applicant – Academic: A BHI Core or Associate Academic Member eligible to hold Tri-Council research funding that is from a clearly distinct research discipline than the Principal Applicant.  

NOTE: Individuals may submit only one (1) application as Principal Applicant or Co-Principal Applicant in this competition but may be a Co-Applicant on other applications. Early career researchers are encouraged to apply.

Applicants that require additional support identifying patient partners or knowledge users can contact:

• Dawn Richards, PhD, Patient Engagement Cross-cutter Lead [email protected] and
• Andrea Smith, PhD, Specialist, Patient Engagement & Knowledge Mobilization Cross-cutter [email protected]

The project may also involve:  

• Co-Applicant(s) - Academic: BHI Core Academic Members, BHI Associate Academic Members or those eligible for this membership category (includes researchers and research personnel from academic institutions in Canada or internationally), BHI Core or Associate Trainee Members or those eligible for these membership categories.  
• Co-Applicant(s) - Knowledge Users (encouraged): Knowledge users participating as co-applicants are considered BHI Associate Partner Members.
• Co-Applicant(s) - Patient Partners: patients participating as co-applicants are considered BHI Associate Partner Members.
• Collaborator(s):  individuals (from academia or from other sectors) who play an active role in the research and research-related activities but not involved in leading the research project. Collaborators are considered to be BHI Associate Partner Members or Associate Academic Members depending on their institution.  

Before submitting an application and a budget, applicants should review the  CFREF Administration Guide.  All eligible expenses must adhere to guidelines in the CFREF Administration Guide.  

Eligible expenses are limited to direct costs only, such as:

• Costs associated with patient and/or public engagement including compensation for time spent on project activities, travel, etc.
• Salaries and nondiscretionary benefits of members of the research team (i.e., students at all levels, postdoctoral researchers, research associates, technicians, administrators).  
• Materials, supplies and other expenses related to research and knowledge mobilization activities.
• Laboratory services or core facility fees.
• Activities to develop and grow the research collaborations within the applicant team.

Award Period: Funds will be awarded for the period of March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2027. 

All applications will be reviewed for completeness and on-time submission. All complete applications will be reviewed by members of the BHI Scientific Council to verify relevance to BHI Foundations, Themes and/or Cross-Cutting Themes and joint brain-heart health. All relevant applications will then be evaluated by a multidisciplinary peer review committee composed of researchers, health professionals, patients and other knowledge users. The review process will involve the following criteria:

Applicants

• Suitability and strength of the research team, including the appropriateness of the leadership team’s scientific expertise and lived experience relevant to brain-heart health.
• Diversity of the research team, including expertise from distinct scientific disciplines from  across the mandates of the Tri-Agencies, inclusion of researchers from different institutions and efforts to include a diversity of lived experience including perspectives of Indigenous people and/or other groups typically underrepresented in research.  
• For projects involving First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples, the extent to which the team has the necessary knowledge, expertise, and experience to conduct research and activities in ways that are meaningful and culturally safe.  
• Nature and quality of the collaboration between the researcher(s), patient partner(s) and other knowledge users, including the thoughtfulness of strategies to manage power dynamics.  

Relevance, originality and quality of the project  

• Alignment of the proposed research project to the:
  • The goals and deliverables of one or more BHI Foundations, Themes or Cross-Cutting Themes. Preference will be given to projects that are relevant to more than one Foundation, Theme or Cross-Cutting Theme.  
  • Joint brain and heart health
  • The objective of the Exploration Program.
• Clarity, quality and appropriateness of the research question and design, methodology and analysis plan.  
• Originality of the proposed research, in terms of the hypotheses/research questions addressed, novel technology/methodology, and/or novel applications of current technology/methodology.  
• Appropriateness of the approach to embedding IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Social Justice) considerations into all stages of the project and extent to which the project supports the engagement of Indigenous peoples and groups underrepresented in science including but not limited to, women, racialized minorities, persons with disabilities and members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities.
• For research projects involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, appropriate consideration of TCPS 2 (2022) – Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada and demonstration of meaningful and culturally safe involvement practices, plans and activities throughout the research project.
• Feasibility of implementing the project according to budget and timelines.  
• Creative and authentic nature of the proposed research co-production approach.  

Deliverable and expected impact

• Degree to which the project addresses a significant gap or opportunity in integrated brain-heart research.  
• Potential of the proposed project to create new knowledge, challenge paradigms in brain-heart research and/or establish the foundation for additional innovative and high-impact research.  
• Clarity of proposed deliverables and outcomes and the appropriateness of the indicators of success (qualitative and/or quantitative).
• Extent to which the team meaningfully includes relevant partners and the extent and appropriateness of their roles and contributions (if applicable). 

All Principal Applicants will be notified by email of the results of the competition (including any requests for revisions) and successful Principal Applicants will be sent a Notice of Award. Principal Applicants and their institutions are required to ensure all relevant institutional and Tri-Agency guidelines and policies are followed.  

Before the release of funds, Principal Applicants and Co-Principal Applicants must complete the training requirements associated with their BHI membership category.  Principal Applicants, Co-Principal Applicants and Co-Applicants are required to complete the uOttawa Count Me In survey once the new survey has been launched (anticipated by April 2025). Trainees supported through BHI grants may be required to complete core training.  

Successful Applicants will be expected to acknowledge the support they receive from BHI and provide a report at the end of the funding period to meet BHI’s annual reporting obligations to CFREF. Further details on reporting requirements and schedule will be provided by BHI Secretariat after grant notification. 

Prior to preparing the application, applicants must discuss their proposed project with the Lead(s) of the most relevant BHI Foundations, Themes and/or Cross-Cutting Themes to ensure it is aligned with the Scientific Strategy of the BHI and will contribute to the related goals and deliverables. Please contact Leads as early as possible.  

Applicants must complete the online application form (including attachments) by 11:59 p.m. ET, December 18, 2024. Applicants will be notified by email of the successful submission of their proposal.

Applicants are encouraged to review the resources available below related to Indigenous Engagement; Co-Production and Knowledge Mobilization; Patient Engagement; Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Social Justice (IDEAS); and Open Science as applications are developed.  

The online application form will include the following sections:

• Project details (e.g., title, applicants (CRDC codes), keywords, check box to confirm project was discussed with relevant Foundation/Theme/CC lead).
• Plain language summary (200 words)
• Contributions to BHI: Describe how the project and activities relate to joint brain-heart health, including the specific brain and heart conditions to be addressed. Describe how the project will contribute to the goals, objectives and deliverables of one or more BHI Foundations, Themes or Cross-Cutting Themes (300 words).
• Description of the team (500 words) including:  
  • the interdisciplinary nature of the team, including expertise of academics, patients and other knowledge users and the degree to which team members have worked together previously  
  • the complementary knowledge and skills of members and the role and contribution of each
  • how IDEAS has been considered in team composition  
  • if relevant, the team’s relationship and experience with Indigenous communities and partners
  • information on strategies that will be used to address power imbalances between academic, patients and other knowledge users, particularly from groups that are underrepresented in research
• Description of the project (~2000-2500 words) including:  
  • research objectives, research questions and/or study hypothesis
  • background and rationale for the project  
  • study design and research methods
  • the co-production and patient engagement approach to be used throughout the project  
  • the context and approach to embedding IDEAS throughout all phases of the project  
  • if relevant, the approach for involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis people and practices and plans into the project and  
  • potential risks to the project and its implementation and strategies to mitigate the risks
• Outputs and impact (300 words):  
  • nature of any partnerships, including cash and in-kind contributions
  • how the project outcomes are expected to challenge prevailing paradigms in brain-heart research, advance research methods and approaches through creativity and innovation and/or create opportunities for future high-impact brain-heart research  
  • indicators of project success (qualitative and/or quantitative)
• Milestones (200 words): Describe the overall timelines and major milestones of the project. The detailed milestone table in the budget module is also to be completed.  

Include the following items as attachments with your application:  

• Project budget: Prepare a budget for the project, including the module for estimating costs associate with patient engagement (please see budget template in the budget section of the application.) Co-funding from partners is encouraged and must be included in the budget template, if applicable.  
• CVs: Provide a brief CV (5 pages or less) for all Principal Applicants and Co-Applicants (preferred format is the new Tri-Agency CV template)
• Letters of Support (optional): Letters of support should include a specific description of cash or in-kind contributions from partners; a collaborators specific involvement in the project and/or how a partner intends to use the project outcomes. General letters of support for the team or project should not be included.  
• RE Form: Applicants from the University of Ottawa are required to include Request for Funds form (RE Form) completed and signed by all parties.  

Indigenous Engagement

• Interim guidelines for compensation of patients and Indigenous partners (PDF, 211.96 KB)
• Jull J, King A, King M, Graham ID, Morton Ninomiya ME, Jacklin K, Moody-Corbett P, Moore JE. A principled approach to research conducted with Inuit, Métis and First Nations people: promoting engagement inspired by the CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People (2007-2010). Intl Indigenous Policy J 2020; 11(2): 1-32.  
• Robinson-Settee H, Settee C, King M, Beaucage M, Smith M, Desjarlais A, Chiu HHL, Turner C, Kappel J, McGavock JM. Wabishki Bizhiko Skaanj: A learning pathway to foster better Indigenous cultural competence in Canadian health research. Can J Public Health 2021; 112: 912–918.  
• Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2 - 2022)  Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada  
• Defining Indigenous Health Research and meaningful and culturally safe health research (CIHR)  
• Indigenous Research Level of Engagement Tool (IRLET) (IRLET Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (scpor.ca)
• Indigenous Research Statement of Principles (SSHRC)  
• First Nations Principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP®) Principles
• Collective Benefit, Aughority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics (CARE) Principles for Indigenous data governance

Commercialization

• Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)

Inclusion, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility and Social Justice (IDEAS)

• Best Practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research  
• Key considerations for the appropriate integration of sex and gender in research (CIHR, 2019)
• Health Portfolio Sex and Gender Based Analysis Plus Policy  

Patient Engagement

• Ethics Guidance for Developing Partnerships with Patients and Researchers
• Supporting Diversity - Tapestry tool
• Authorship  
  • Video from the EQUATOR Canada Publication School – English
  • Video from the EQUATOR Canada Publication School - French
• Patient-Oriented Research Level of Engagement Tool (PORLET) (PORLET Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (scpor.ca)

Knowledge Mobilization

• KT planning template: helps to address the essential components of the KT planning process
• KT plan appraisal tool (PDF, 201 KB):  guides the assessment of quality for a proposed KT plan
• Knowledge Translation Checklist  (PDF, 591 KB) – helps to think about all the sections in which knowledge translation can be addressed in a grant proposal  
• Plain Language Checklist for lay audiences (PDF, 348 KB): offers useful guidance when preparing knowledge translation resources for lay audiences.
• CIHR - Guide to Knowledge Translation Planning at CIHR: Integrated and End-of-Grant Approaches – Access here
• uOttawa Knowledge Mobilization
• Research Impact Canada
• Reporting guidelines:  
  • Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public (GRIPP2) checklist
  • Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) Guidelines

Open Science

• OSF | BHI Open Science Crosscutter 

All applicants are encouraged to attend a bilingual 90-minute information session on the BHI funding opportunities. The information session will be held on:  

• November 28 at 12-1:30 p.m. EST. Register here.

The session will be recorded and posted on the BHI Funding Opportunity website for those unable to attend.  

For all inquiries, please contact:

[email protected]

Patient Engagement Drop-In Information Sessions

Applicants requiring assistance related to patient engagement are encouraged to attend drop-in sessions on:

• Thursday, December 5 at 9am EST. Link to the drop-in session.

If you can’t attend either of these drop-ins and would like additional support regarding patient engagement, please contact: 
Dawn Richards, PhD, Patient Engagement Cross-cutter Lead
Andrea Smith, PhD, Specialist, Patient Engagement Cross-cutter