Award Guidelines

The award will provide support for highly qualified child health clinician candidates to develop their requisite knowledge and skills for a career as an independent scientist in child health research. Trainees will engage in research training and a core curriculum in one of the participating Child Health Research Training Centres of the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program.

Research training will be supervised by a research mentor and advisory committee and structured to facilitate excellence in research with an interdisciplinary focus. The progress of successful candidates within their respective programs will be assessed annually by the CCHCSP.

Three types of awards will be granted:

Predoctoral Award: This award is directed at candidates with a health professional degree who wish to engage in or enhance their research training. Examples include a MD or a Nurse with a MSc, both of whom lack prior extensive research training. Individuals applying to train in laboratory-based (biomedical) sciences will be expected to engage in a PhD program that includes doctoral level research. In some disciplines, training towards a PhD may not be available or appropriate, e.g. some clinical epidemiology programs. In these cases, individuals will be expected to complete a Masters degree and perform research that is consistent with that achieved within a doctoral program. Registration in a graduate program is a requirement. A 90% time commitment to the research program is expected.
Postdoctoral Award: This award is directed at candidates with a health professional degree and a prior PhD who wish to extend their research competence in child and youth health research. Examples include a MD with a PhD acquired before clinical training and who needs a postdoctoral research experience or a PhD-Psychologist who requires additional research training before embarking on a career in child/youth health research. As a general rule, individuals who have recently completed doctoral-level research training in child and youth health research will be expected to advance to the career development program versus a postdoctoral experience. A 90% time commitment to the research program is expected.
Career Development Award: This award is directed at clinician scientists who have completed doctoral level research training and who are newly appointed as a clinician scientist (within two years of completing their research training) based in one of the participating Child Health Research Training Centres of the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program. The award will facilitate guarantee of protected time during early career development within a mentored research program. A minimum of 75% time commitment to research is expected.

Eligibility Requirements

The program is open to Canadians and permanent residents of Canada. Applicants must be eligible for licensure or already be licensed to practice their clinical specialty in Canada. A candidate must hold an appropriate health professional degree in medicine, surgery, nursing, psychology, nutrition, rehabilitation sciences or communication disorders and must have completed appropriate education and clinical training to meet the requirements of an appropriate licensing body to practice as a child health professional in Canada.

The eligibility requirements of different child health professionals are as follows:

Medicine and Surgery

Physicians or surgeons who have completed or completing a fellowship in Paediatrics or a Paediatric subspecialty in a Royal College accredited training program. For candidates who are completing training, awards will take effect only after the recipient has completed all requirements of the training program, including the oral examination.

Pharmacy

Pharmacists who have completed a PharmD or a PhD and have completed a residency Program and/or at least 2 years of clinical experience in Paediatric Clinical Pharmacy and wish to pursue either postdoctoral training or career development. Pharmacists who have achieved an MScPharm or MSc degree and who have completed a residency Program and/or have at least 2 years of clinical experience in Paediatric Clinical Pharmacy and wish to pursue research training at the doctorate level.

Nursing

Nurses who have completed a doctoral degree and/or post doctoral training, have completed the requirements for clinical practice and wish to pursue either postdoctoral training or career development. Nurses who are trained at the Masters level (not necessarily in nursing) who have been working (licensed) with children or youth, or interested to work with children and youth, and wish to pursue research training at the doctorate level. Clinical nurse specialists or nurse practitioners (with Masters degree in nursing), who have been working with children or youth, and wish to pursue research training at the doctorate level.

Psychology

Psychologists who have completed a doctoral degree and have completed the requirements for clinical practice. Those individuals completing their training may be on a temporary register for supervised practice while undertaking the registration examinations.

Nutrition, Rehabilitative Sciences and Communication Disorders

Nutritionists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, audiologists and speech pathologists who have completed a Masters degree and have been working with children and youth, and who wish to pursue a doctorate degree.

Candidates who are more than seven years cumulative post-clinical training* by the competition deadline are not eligible to apply for this award. For career development awards, candidates should be within two years of completing their research training. However, any interruption in a candidate's post-clinical or post-research training will be taken into account in determining eligibility.

Individuals wishing to undertake research training in the same research environment in which they received their PhD are NOT eligible for an award. That is, while they may train in the same department they may not be supervised by the same team of individuals as during the PhD.

Applicants for pre-doctoral awards may have completed as much as eighteen (18) months of training within a doctoral or equivalent level program by the date of application.

*Applicants for doctoral awards who are more than 7 years post-M.Sc., research involvement and productivity while working in a clinical position since receiving M.Sc. may be taken into account as a special consideration. Applicants who are more than 7 years post-M.Sc. must submit a letter that describes their circumstances and provides an account of why they have chosen to change careers to be a clinician scientist. The letter should also provide evidence of

· capability to conduct scientific research

· commitment to a career as a clinical scientist

· record of leadership in their field

· capacity to become an independent researcher

Location of Tenure

These awards must be held at one of the Canadian institutions, which are part of the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program (U Alberta, U British Columbia, U Calgary, Dalhousie U, Laurentian U, Laval U, U Manitoba, McGill U, McMaster U, Memorial U, U Montreal, U Ottawa, Queens U, U Toronto, U Saskatchewan, U Sherbrooke, U Western Ontario), and/or child health research institutes affiliated with these universities.

Note: ALL applicants from Quebec Universities (U Montreal, McGill U, U Sherbroke, U Laval) must also apply to FRSQ! Please speak to your Centre Leader for more details.

Closing Dates

Competition deadline is April 1st and November 1st of each year.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applications

A complete application consists of:

A CCHCSP Training Module. Candidates are required to submit the research training proposal in Child Health (maximum of five pages) in addition to the Training Module.Label the proposal as page 7 (a to e). The Training Module is a .pdf fillable form and can be found here: http://www.cchcsp.ca/training-paths/how-to-apply
Page 8a: For pre and post doctoral research awards, a maximum of one page is to be completed by the supervisor describing not only the space, facilities and personnel support for the candidate, but also the interdisciplinary nature of the training, the commitment of the supervisor and the advisory committee towards the candidate’s research training, the commitment of the trainee to participate in the core curriculum, and the commitment of the supervisor and trainee to participate in regional and national symposia of the CCHCSP.

For career development awards, a maximum of one page is to be completed by the Chair of the Department and/or by the Head of the Research Institute describing the space, facilities, personnel support, job description for the candidate guaranteeing a minimum of 75% protected time for research, the commitment of the research advisor and advisory committee towards the candidate’s career development, the interdisciplinary nature of the candidate’s research, and the commitment of the candidate and research advisor to participate in regional and national symposia of the CCHCSP.
CIHR or Common CV Module for both the candidate and the proposed supervisor(s).
Official transcripts of the candidate's graduate and/or health professional training, including proof of any degrees completed in original sealed envelope from the institution(s).
Proof of Canadian licensure: documentation of general or academic license by an appropriate licensing body.
Three assessments from persons under whom the candidate has trained, who have had a good opportunity to assess the candidate's potential for research. Assessments should be provided by the candidate's PhD supervisor and postdoctoral supervisor(s) (if applicable);
Documentation from the host training institution of contribution of 50% of the training award for the duration of the award.
Proof of Canadian citizenship or Permanent Residence status.
A letter of commitment from the proposed Primary Supervisor / Research Mentor to attend yearly National Symposia during the award period.
If this is a re-application, you must provide a response to previous reviews.

A completed application package, consisting of the Training Module, Candidate's CV, Supervisor(s)/Research Mentor's CV's, sealed Sponsor Assessments, transcripts, and any other materials listed above. The complete application must be received at the following address on or before the closing dates:

Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program
The Hospital for Sick Children

555 University Avenue, Room 7291
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8

In addition, copies of the Application MUST be submitted on a CD - 3 CD's are required. Sponsor Assessments and Transcripts may be sent directly to the address above and are not required to be part of the CD package.

Selection

Review and evaluation of the application will be conducted by the multidisciplinary Selection Committee of the CCHCSP based on the qualification of the applicant, the research training proposal and the research training environment. The adjudication process will be that of the CIHR peer-review committees. Highly qualified candidates will be invited for an interview with the Selection Committee.

Duration of Support

The duration of support will depend on the degree to be pursued and licensure (where applicable) held by the applicant.

For those who intend to proceed to a PhD degree or an equivalent level of training, the maximum period of support is four years.
For those with a PhD degree or equivalent research training, who wish to pursue postdoctoral training, the maximum period of support is three years.
For early career development support, the maximum period is four years.

The total duration of funding provided by this program may not exceed the maximum periods of support described above.

Stipends

Doctoral Awards:

The annual stipend is $50,000 per annum without benefits. Successful awardees are expected to organize their own benefits with the host institution. Stipends are valued in Canadian dollars and are not subject to income tax. It is expected that 50% of the award ($25,000) will be contributed by the CCHCSP and 50% ($25,000) by the host institution.

Postdoctoral and Career Development Awards:

The annual stipend is $70,000. Successful awardees are expected to organize their own benefits with the host institution. Stipends are valued in Canadian dollars and are taxable. It is expected that 50% of the award ($35,000) will be contributed by the CCHCSP and 50% ($35,000) by the host institution.

Research Allowance

No research or travel allowance will be provided. However, the Award recipients and their supervisors will be supported to attend the Annual National Symposia and Mini Symposia. A written commitment from the supervisor/mentor stating his/her agreement to attend National Symposia is required with the application.

Note: Some CCHCSP Centres (above) have internal peer review deadlines. Please contact your Centre Leader for more information.

Note: Applications may be submitted in French. Please note, you are requested to advise the CCHCSP National Office of your intent to submit in French two weeks prior to the application deadline.