The ILC Research Program

Research

Proposed Program:

Online Research Grants Portal open: Last day of February annually
Full Application deadline: April 15th, 5:00 PM EST
Notification of decision: August 15th
Funding start date: September 1st

Please see the eligibility and requirements section prior to creating an application.

1. Description

The Postdoctoral Fellowship program provides support for highly qualified postdoctoral fellows to engage in research that is in an area of clear relevance to Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and The ILC Foundation’s Annual Research Program Fellows will train under the supervision of an Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes researcher who qualifies as a Principal Investigator as defined by The ILC Foundation. Applications are to be completed and submitted by the fellow, under the close supervision of the proposed supervisor. The training program must include actual involvement in conducting research. It is expected that the fellow will be spending at least 75% of his/her time conducting research during the tenure of the award. Fellows enrolled in programs oriented toward clinical training focused on research are eligible for these awards.

2. Consumer/Patient-Engagement

The ILC Foundation strongly values the voice of consumers in research, both in their inclusion in grant applications and the peer review process. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their submission.

3. Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must:

3.1 Work at an eligible research institution in Canada on a research project that is relevant to one or both of the research theme(s) identified in The ILC Foundation’s research program to: (1) improving our understanding of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and finding potential cures, and (2) improving the care and management of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes;

3.2 Be in receipt of a PhD or a health professional degree (or equivalent, in a field such as medicine, dentistry, rehabilitation sciences, nursing, pharmaceutical studies, veterinary medicine, etc.) by the anticipated start date of the project;

3.3 Be within their first four (4) years of postdoctoral training at the time of the application deadline; and

3.4 NOT be in the same research laboratory (supervisor) in which they received their PhD.

Note: Applicants who are not in receipt of their PhD at the application deadline but who will be in receipt of their PhD by the start of funding, and who can provide all required documentation, are eligible to apply. The roles and responsibilities of the Trainee and Host Institution in the management of The ILC Foundation’s research and training funds are defined on The ILC Foundation’s website.

4. Award Amount and Term

Pending available funds, The ILC Foundation will fund up to two projects to be completed within a one-year period. Projects may be funded in one project of $50,000 or two projects to a maximum award of $50,000 annually, which would need to be matched. These awards are non-renewable.

Please note the matching funds required for this program:

4.1 Candidates who hold a PhD or who hold a clinical health professional degree are eligible. The other 50% of the award funding must come from one or more partners (government, industry, NFP or academic institution) or be allocated from an existing research agency grant.

5. Peer Review

A peer review process will be used to review applications and will consist of scientific and clinical experts with broad expertise, along with consumers to provide patient perspectives.

6. Application

All submissions will be screened for completeness and eligibility. Note that incomplete applications by the deadline will be deemed ineligible and withdrawn from the competition. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that applications are complete at the time of submission. All applicants are strongly advised to read all program documentation listed below. If you have any questions, please contact us at research@theilcfoundation.org.

A maximum of one application per trainee will be permitted in each competition. Applications must be submitted through The ILC Foundation’s online application system and include the following components:

  • Scientific abstract (Max. 500 words)
  • Project description (Max. 2500 words)
  • References (Max. 32,000 characters)
  • Relevance of the proposal to one or both of the ILC Foundation’s research theme(s): (1) Improving our understanding of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and finding potential cures; and (2) improving the care and management of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (Max. 500 words)
  • Lay summary sections (Max. 100-150 words per section)
  • Knowledge translation (KTE) plan section (Max. 250 words per section)

7. Required Attachments

  • Signature page (candidate, supervisor(s), department head and Host Institution)
  • Candidate and supervisor(s) Canadian Common CV (CIHR Project Biosketch)
  • Official transcripts of the candidate’s graduate training
  • Timeline and milestones (1 pg diagram / chart)
  • Three letters of support, including one from the candidate’s primary supervisor outlining the value of the award to the candidate, the research environment, any out-of-discipline training or mentorship and details of the source of matched funding
  • Letter of support from the persons and/or organizations who will be providing matched funding

8. Review Criteria

The review criteria for applications will include, but not necessarily be restricted to the following:

8.1 Quality of the candidate and research environment:

  • Strength of the CVs, transcripts, letters of support etc.
  • Strength of the research and training environment
  • Strength and appropriateness of the supervision

8.2 Potential impact of the award to the candidate

  • Quality of the research project
  • Scientific merit of the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes research project and its potential to create new knowledge, significantly advance our understanding of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes, and/or improve care or support for people affected by Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes. For example, the development of new therapeutics, diagnostics, devices, intellectual property, information to consumers and/or health policy makers, decrease the burden of illness, improve quality of life, etc.
  • Feasibility of the proposed research project within the time frame. For example, are the timelines appropriate, technology and laboratory environment available, etc.

8.3 Relevance of the proposal to Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and to The ILC Foundation’s Research theme(s)

It is the applicant’s responsibility to make convincing arguments supporting the relevance of their proposals to one or both of The ILC Foundation’s Strategic Themes.

The consumer reviewer’s role is to assess the feasibility and potential impact of the research to address an important problem, the potential of the candidate, as well as to assess the quality of the lay sections.

Important notes about this award

Out of discipline training or mentorship is encouraged to expand the trainee’s perspective on (and experience with) collaborative multi-disciplinary research and help to facilitate the applicant’s career development.

Awardees are permitted to hold additional training salary awards up to a value of 100% of the total salary stipend amount.

• e.g., TPF salary award stipend = $40,000 per year; The ILC Foundation’s support = up to $20,000 (50%); alternative salary awards up to $20,000 (50%) are permitted.

If the awardee receives alternative salary award support between 50 and 100% of the total salary stipend amount, the amount of The ILC Foundation’s salary award will be reduced accordingly.

• e.g., TPF salary award stipend = $40,000 per year; alternative salary award is $30,000 (75%); The ILC Foundation’s support = $10,000 (25%).

If the awardee receives alternative salary award support above 100% of the total salary stipend amount (i.e. $40,000 or greater), then the awardee must decline The ILC Foundation’s salary award and return all unspent funds.

Awardees are expected to spend at least 75% of their time in research training. (i.e. the student may spend no more than 10 hours/week in paid employment that is not directly related to their research training).

If, at any time during the tenure of the award, the supervisor feels that the progress of the awardee is not satisfactory, The ILC Foundation must be notified in writing immediately. The award may be terminated at any time for good and sufficient reason by the awardee, the Institution or The ILC Foundation. It is the responsibility of the supervisor and the Institution to notify The ILC Foundation immediately of the change of status of an awardee.

For health care professionals who are currently registered in PhD programs and are receiving an award from The ILC Foundation, the award will terminate when the fellow has completed the degree requirements.

9. Awardee and Host Institution requirements

In addition to the requirements set out in the Host Institution agreement (see below), awardees and Host Institutions who receive The ILC Foundation funds are expected to act as ambassadors of our mission and may be called upon to communicate about their research with donors and other stakeholders. We also encourage grantees and Host Institutions to reach out to us to discuss opportunities for engagement.

Applicants are reminded to access The ILC Foundation website for details on the administration and reporting requirements (scientific and financial reporting, policies, etc.)

9.1 Description

Grants for research will be awarded to projects deemed worthy of support, provided that the basic equipment and research facilities are available in the institution concerned and that it will provide the necessary administrative services. Such awards will be granted for the purchase and maintenance of animals, expendable supplies, minor items of equipment, payment of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and technical and professional assistants, open access publication costs, research travel and permanent equipment.

These grants do not provide for personal salary support of the Principal Investigator (PI) and/or Co-applicants nor for institutional overhead costs.

9.2 Additional Authors: This category formally recognizes other individuals who will make substantial intellectual contributions to the research project or have contributed to the drafting of the application itself, but who are not eligible to be included as Co-Principal Investigators or Co-applicants. Students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates lay contributors and investigators based outside of Canada may be included in this category. Students, post-doctoral fellows and research associates may receive salary support from a grant.

9.3 Collaborator: A Collaborator is a researcher, consumer or other individual who makes a meaningful contribution to the research project or application such as: providing tissue/fluid samples or data; consultation; platform resources (e.g. equipment, specific reagents, specialized training); statistical analysis; etc. A collaborator can be based outside of Canada. However, funds can only be spent in Canada and, if research is conducted outside of Canada, the NPI must present convincing arguments on the need to conduct research at a non-Canadian institution(s). Partner: A Partner is a participant in the research project representing industry, government, consumer or other academic groups (i.e. domestic or foreign).

9.4 Partner: A Partner is a participant in the research project representing industry, government, consumer or other academic groups (i.e. domestic or foreign).

9.5 Consumer (Patient-Engagement): A Consumer is a person living with or affected by Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes. Consumers are not required in all grant applications but The ILC Foundation strongly values the voice of patient-engagement in research, both in their inclusion in grant applications and the peer review process. Applicants are encouraged to consider this in their submissions.

Any question of eligibility or unusual circumstances not described above will be reviewed and an assessment by The ILC Foundation will be made.

10. Certificates

The following may be required from all participating institutions, depending on the proposed work:

10.1 If this application involves the use of biological materials, a certificate must be submitted from each institutional Biohazards Committee guaranteeing that the project will be conducted under conditions which satisfy the “Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines” published by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Health Canada. Please reference their website for current guidelines.

10.2 If this application involves the use of experimental animals, a certificate must be submitted from each institutional Animal Care Committee guaranteeing that all animals will be cared for and studied under conditions meeting the standards stated in the Canadian Council on Animal Care guidelines

10.3 If this application involves human experimentation, a certificate must be submitted from the appropriate Committee of each institution involved, stating that the protocols and methods have been found acceptable from an ethical point of view in accordance with the “TCPS 2 – Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans” (TCPS 2 has replaced the 1st edition of the TCPS (1998)), published by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

If the application involves the use of human samples, please note that The ILC Foundation is committed to ensuring that high quality ethically sourced bio-specimens are used in research it funds, as these yield high, reproducible quality data. If human samples are included in projects submitted to The ILC Foundation, applicants are required to provide one of the following:

10.4 Document that all bio-specimens will or have been collected in accordance with recognized standards, such as the Canadian Tissue Repository Network (http://www.ctrnet.ca/resources/operating-procedures) or equivalent (e.g. CLIA). Adherence to these standards and/or certification will be included as part of the peer review. Participation in external quality assurance programs will be considered eligible grant expenses.

10.5 Provide a brief description of the source, quality and handling procedure of the samples.

10.6 Certification (1) or description of samples (2) would be required at the time of application deadline for evaluation by reviewers.

10.7 Please be advised that no funds will be released to successful applicants until all required certificates are received.

11. Host institution/The ILC Charitable Foundation agreement

Grants are made only with the consent and knowledge of the administrative head of the institution at which they are to be held and institutions must abide by the policies contained in the Host Institution/The ILC Foundation Agreement. Approvals indicate that the officials at the Host Institution have read and understood all of the various obligations of the parties, which includes a formal policy on Integrity in Research and Scholarship. No funds will be released to successful applicants without these approvals. Applicants are reminded that the agreement also contains a disclaimer and indemnity clause. Specific terms of the agreement are available (see below).

12. Support of research associates and professional assistants

Grant applications may contain requests for the support of professional assistants or research associates. It is recognized that research associates may often be key personnel in a research program. However, any person holding an academic rank equivalent to Assistant Professor or higher cannot be considered to be a professional assistant or research associate and therefore may not be paid from a
grant.

13. Support of trainees

The support of graduate trainees and postdoctoral fellows are encouraged. Salaries requested should conform to the Host Institution rate based on the experience of the individual required for the project as of the first year of the project. If the person is unnamed, justify the need for a post-doctoral fellow with the number of years of experience required specifying the work to be undertaken.

Taxation will depend on the Host Institutions policy regarding trainees.

14. Notification of award

Successful applicants will receive an official “Notification of Award” (NOA) indicating the duration and the value of the grant. The finance office and the research office of the Host Institution will also be informed. Results of the competition will be posted on The ILC Foundation website. All applicants will subsequently be provided with the scientific critique prepared by the review panel. It is the objective of The ILC Foundation is to support the highest calibre of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes research.

15. Scientific reporting, publications and communications-related activities

All grant recipients must submit scientific reports throughout the grant and after the grant end date. Principal Investigators will be e-mailed instructions about completing the report in our online system. Submission of these reports is mandatory. Failure to submit the required reports will result in the future installments being withheld.

16. Annual progress and end of grant reports

Investigators are asked to provide a summary of progress, a list of publications and presentations associated with the grant, details on trainees, and impacts of their research. Investigators will also be asked to list any activities that have helped to promote The ILC Foundation.

17. Post grant reports

As impacts of research may occur beyond the termination date, grantees must submit a “Post Grant” report two years after the grant termination date. The report will capture publications, status of trainees, etc.

In order to highlight research findings to the public, grantees are requested to contact The ILC Foundation Research Manager with copies of important preprints and reprints and to involve the appropriate office in any media interactions that emanate from the funded research activities. The funder acknowledgement (item 11) must be included in any grant announcements.

18. Open access policy

Please request a copy of and read The ILC Foundation’s open access policy, which states that research findings must be made publicly available within twelve months of the peer-review publication date.

19. Acknowledgement of funds

Investigators are expected to publish their results in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and to present their findings at scientific conferences. Grantees must acknowledge the funder in all scientific communications and media releases related to the grant. Proper acknowledgement would be “This research is supported by The ILC Foundation (grant #)”. Grants co-funded /funded by a partner/donor will be advised of appropriate language for the acknowledgement.

Grantees should notify The ILC Foundation once a manuscript is accepted for publication to provide details of the journal, title of the article, expected date of publication and a copy of the article. If a grantee’s host institution and/or publisher is preparing a press release or other media announcement, the grantee, institution or publisher must inform The ILC Foundation in advance by email. All announcements must clearly acknowledge The ILC Foundation as the funder.

All presentations (PowerPoint, posters, etc.) containing research results arising (in whole or in part) from an ILC Foundation funded grant must contain The ILC Foundation logo. Please contact The ILC Foundation whenever you are planning to present research results.

20. Knowledge translation

To help increase stakeholder awareness of The ILC Foundation-funded research and the impacts of our research investments, PI’s may be asked:

  • to serve as a member on a peer review panel or committee
  • to summarize your work in a brief article intended for a lay audience and/or to present to a lay audience or the media
  • to increase public awareness of The ILC Foundation’s research program by acting as a spokesperson at local events through a regional office
  • to participate in relevant events designed to facilitate knowledge translation such as webinars.

Any such requests will be made with as much notice as possible. Our staff, volunteers and donors are keen to hear about your progress. The promotion of The ILC Foundation-funded work is critical to the continuing growth of our research program.

21. Financial reporting

An annual Statement of Account is required within 90 days of the grant year end. Statement of account forms may be found on the Financial Administration page of our website. The financial administration page also describes policies and practices which govern how grant and award funds are spent.

22. Other provisions

Grantees and Host Institutions should be aware of the conditions that apply to all individuals receiving research funds or training assistance.

23. Strategic Theme I: Improving our understanding of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and finding potential cures.

Research under this theme will seek to improve understanding of the causes of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes in order to develop new approaches to alleviate the pain, neurological deficits and prevent and/or slow the progression of disease, improve quality of life, and potentially cure those affected by Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes.

Research programs relevant to Strategic Theme I will have a main objective of one of the following goals:

  • 23.1 Understanding the mechanisms that contribute to the pentad super-syndrome of dysautonomia, mast cell activation syndrome, Ehlers Danlos Syndromes, gastroparesis, and autoimmunity
  • 23.2 Understanding Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes pain pathophysiology and identifying therapeutic opportunities;
  • 23.3 Identifying and characterizing risk, and causal factors and/or development of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes pain (including: biologic and endogenous factors; physical environment; and, psychological, social and economic factors);
  • 23.4 Discovering, developing and evaluating diagnostic (early detection), prognostic and predictive markers and technologies (such as imaging, diagnostic and other assessment tools) of disease (including: biomarker discovery and evaluation);
  • 23.5 Discovering, developing and evaluating potential therapeutic interventions in model systems and preclinical settings. (Including: pharmaceuticals; biologics; gene/cell/tissue therapies; medical devices; surgery, including neurosurgery; and physical agents – including physical therapy, radiotherapy, ultrasound, laser and phototherapy).

24. Strategic Theme II: Improving the care and management of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes

Research under this theme will seek to uncover new knowledge that will inform better ways to optimize the health of people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes through improved treatment, management and self-care strategies.

Research programs relevant to Strategic Theme II will include intervention research, observational studies and systematic reviews with a main objective of:

  • 24.1 Primary prevention of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (including: individual characteristics, risk behaviours and influences, public policy and educational interventions/programs; environment; nutrition; and, vaccines);
  • 24.2 Treatment and disease management in clinical, community or population settings (including: pharmaceuticals; biologics; gene/cell/tissue therapies; medical devices; surgery; physical agents – including radiotherapy, ultrasound, laser and phototherapy; physical, behavioural, and complementary therapies);
  • 24.3 Researching the individual’s care (psychosocial impacts and economic consequences of disease, quality of life, management of pain and other symptoms, education), self-management (attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of health care providers; decision making; guidelines; education; and, work) of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and its outcomes;
  • 24.4 Psychological, physical (PT/OT, exercise), lifestyle, coping (adaptations, accommodations) and complementary treatments, programs and interventions;
  • 24.5 Investigating influences and implementation issues related to screening.

26. Strategic Theme III: Addressing major gaps in EDS healthcare

Evaluating the organization, governance and delivery of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes health care services, the impact of (local, regional and national) health policy and the economics of health care as well as studies into health care research design, measurement and methodologies.

27. Knowledge Translation and Exchange

Research is one of the most powerful tools to help us get closer to cures and better treatment options for those living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes. For that reason, research is a primary mission investment of donor dollars each and every year. However, most of our donors do not attend conferences or have subscriptions to academic journals to learn about all of the great work that is led by Society Researchers. It is important that the results, outcomes and impacts of the research that The ILC funds are available to share with donors and to help promote the work of The ILC. As such, grant recipients are expected to provide The ILC with Progress and End-of-Grant reports as part of its knowledge translation and exchange strategy.

We encourage all researchers to leverage The ILC’s voice, programs and services as a way to help build awareness and interest about their research to grow the research program.

28. Host institution/The ILC Foundation agreement

In the event that the Principal Investigator (and all others who participate as a result) is awarded a grant (refers to any form of funding to a Host Institution or other recipient) with funds administered by The ILC Foundation then for value received, the undersigned Host Institution agrees that the Institution shall provide adequate physical and organizational infrastructure for the conduct of the research, research training, and other activities funded by The ILC Foundation, and:

28.1 Any grant that may be awarded shall be administered in accordance with the Regulations set forth on The ILC Foundation research website. Grants awarded are made only upon the approval of The ILC Foundation. All grants are at all times conditional upon and subject to, availability of funds to The ILC Foundation. In addition, The ILC Foundation reserves the right to terminate, at any time and without cause, any grant.

28.2 Any proposed clinical investigation involving experimentation in human subjects has been or shall be examined by the appropriate Host Institution(s) committee(s) and found to be acceptable from an ethical point of view in accordance with the TCPS 2 – Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, published by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

28.3 Any proposed investigation involving the use of experimental animals has been or shall be examined by the appropriate Institutional Animal Care Committee(s) and found to be acceptable as far as the experimental procedures and the continuing care of these animals are concerned, in accordance with the Canadian Council on Animal Care guidelines.

28.4 Any proposed investigation involving the use of biological materials has been or shall be found acceptable by the appropriate Institutional Biohazards Committee(s) and will be conducted under conditions which satisfy the Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines published by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Health Canada.

28.5 Any proposed investigation involving human samples has been or shall be collected in accordance with recognized standards, or shall include a description of the source, quality and handling procedures.

28.6 The Host Institution(s) within which the research will be conducted maintains or shall develop during the term of any grant a policy on inventions and patents which applies to the Principal Investigator and which does not require The ILC Foundation to assume any responsibility for any costs, expenses or liabilities relating to inventions or patents.

28.7 The Host Institution(s) accepts responsibility for:

  • 28.7.1 Investigating possible instances of misconduct in research or scholarship;
  • 28.7.2 Imposing appropriate sanctions in accordance with their own policies;
  • 28.7.3 Informing The ILC Foundation of conclusions reached and actions taken, including decisions involving Co-applicants from other institutions where there is more than one institution involved; and

28.8 Any and all actions taken or omitted to be taken by it, or the Principal Investigator as applicable.

28.8 The Host Institution agrees that in cases in which misconduct or any other breach of the obligations owed by the Host Institution(s) to The ILC Foundation has occurred, The ILC Foundation may impose its own sanctions as set out in the policy statement on The ILC Foundation website or take such other
actions as The ILC Foundation may determine. 28.8 The Host Institution(s) accepts responsibility for issuing a “Statement of Account” on an annual basis, for each grant being administered under its authority. The Host Institution(s) must provide regular information to the PI regarding their account.

28.9 None of The ILC Foundation, their associates, or their respective directors, officers, agents, members, employees or representatives shall be liable for any loss, injury, damage or any other liabilities whatsoever to persons or property due to or arising out of the said research, either directly or indirectly, whether attributable to negligence or otherwise, including any loss, injury, damage or liabilities to the health or well-being of any research subject or innocent bystander or any loss, injury, damage or any other liability whatsoever to an agent, employee or representative of the Host Institution or Principal Investigator.

  • 28.9.1 The Host Institution agrees to indemnify and save harmless The ILC Foundation, their associates and their respective directors, officers, agents, members, employees and representatives (individually an “Indemnitee”) from and against:
  • 28.9.2 all claims, damages, losses, costs, expenses, liabilities or demands of any nature whatsoever which an Indemnitee sustains (or may sustain) including in respect of or in connection with any claim, action, proceeding or any other circumstance which is alleged, threatened, commenced or prosecuted, for or in respect of any act (or inaction or omission), deed, matter or thing whatsoever, made, done or permitted to be done by the Host Institution(s) directly or indirectly including by the Principal Investigator or any other party, whether attributable to negligence or otherwise arising out of or by virtue of its having granted funds for research to the Host Institution(s), Principal Investigator or the Host Institution(s), in respect of its having acted or omitted to act in connection with such research; and
  • 28.9.3 all other costs, charges and expenses, including legal fees and expenses on a substantial indemnity basis, whether such costs, charges and expenses relate to the forgoing damages, claims, liabilities, demands or
    otherwise, which an Indemnitee sustains or incurs in or about or in relation to the research.
  • 28.9.4 The person named as the Principal Investigator remains the Principal Investigator on a grant for the duration of the grant unless given express permission by The ILC Foundation. In addition, if the eligibility of the PI changes over the term of the grant, The ILC Foundation must be informed immediately.
  • 28.9.5 Host Institution(s) shall ensure the Principal Investigator advises all others named and working on the grant of the regulations of The ILC Foundation, including the policies regarding inventions and patents and misconduct.
  • 28.9.6 The ILC Foundation must be acknowledged for public announcements of a grant, publications or presentations, in the format described in the Notification of Award.
  • 28.9.7 Grantees and their host institutions must acknowledge The ILC Foundation (and/or ILC Foundation partner/donor, as appropriate) in all materials, communications and media releases related to the funded work.
  • 28.9.8 Contravention of The ILC Foundation policies, as applicable, by the Host Institution(s), Principal Investigator or any others may result in consequences including the immediate termination of a grant, return of any funds already disbursed and the requirement of the Host Institution(s) to compensate The ILC Foundation for any and all costs, expenses and other amounts.

29. Annual progress and end-of-grant reports

In order to highlight research findings to the public, grantees are requested to contact The ILC Foundation Research Manager, Knowledge Translation and Exchange with copies of important preprints and reprints and to involve the appropriate office in any media interactions that emanate from the funded research activities. The funder acknowledgement must be included in any grant announcements.

All grant/award recipients must submit scientific reports throughout the grant/award and after the end date. The report must be submitted fifteen (15) days after the anniversary date of the grant/award for subsequent payments to be released. Principal Investigators will be required to submit progress reports.

***Submission of these reports is mandatory. Failure to submit the required reports will result in the future instalments being withheld. ***

30. Grants and Career Awards

An “Annual Progress Report” must be submitted by the Principal Investigator of any ongoing research grant. This progress report provides details of progress, and research impacts, media contacts, leveraged funding, trainees and any publications/honours during the grant year.

31. Training Awards

At the completion of each award year, a report summarizing the progress to date must be submitted. This report should be prepared in close consultation with the research supervisor.

32. Post-grant reports

Grants and Career Awards As impacts of research may occur beyond the termination date, grantees must submit a “Post Grant” report two (2) years after the grant termination date. The report will capture publications, status of trainees, etc. Principal Investigators will be emailed instructions about completing the report. If you encounter problems or have not received an email, please contact research@theilcfoundation.org.

33. Code of conduct for scientific review panel members

The following Conflict of Interest Guidelines are intended to govern the conduct of members of scientific review panels regarding the disclosure and avoidance of conflicts of interest.

Scientific review panels have the primary responsibility for the assessment of research proposals. The ILC Foundation must be satisfied that any real or perceived conflict of interest has not had an adverse impact on the proposal assessment and the granting process.

Conflicts of interest occur when the panel member’s individual research program, individual research interests and goals and/or individual institutional or job-related interests are sufficient that they may have an influence on the granting process. Conflicts may also exist when the panel member has the opportunity to influence the assessment and recommendation of research in ways that could lead to professional, personal or economic gain, or otherwise give improper advantage to the panel member, the panel member’s family, or institutions in which the panel member or the panel member’s family hold official positions or significant economic interests. Conflict exists where there is a perception of conflicting interests, regardless of the intention of the individual and whether or not the individual is actually influenced. The principles in this definition apply equally to Panel Chairs and their family members.

34. Procedure for disclosure

Each member of a scientific review panel shall agree to maintain the confidentiality of The ILC Foundation’s information and to adhere to The ILC Foundation’s Code of Conduct for Scientific Review Panel Members. Management shall carry out such assessments as is necessary in the allocation of research proposals in order to avoid conflicts of interest.

35. Conflicts of interest for panel chairs

The research application of the chair of a panel shall be assigned to another panel. If this is not possible, the chair shall step down from the panel in the competition that his or her application is reviewed.

36. Panel members who are Principal Investigators

The applications of other members of a panel, including Scientific Officers, who would be considered Principal Investigators shall be assigned to another panel, to the extent feasible. If it is not feasible, the member shall step down from the panel in the competition that the application is reviewed.

37. Panel members who are co-applicants

To the extent feasible, the applications of other members of a panel who would be co-applicants shall be assigned to another panel, provided the expertise is available and no unfairness to the applicant will ensue. If it is not possible, the member shall:

37.1 Step down from the panel in the competition that the application is reviewed; or,

37.2 Be absent from the panel during the discussion, review and determination of the rating of the application. The other members shall not indicate the rating of the application to the applicant.
Procedure

The staff will review annually all cases that involve real or apparent conflicts of interest to determine whether further guidelines are required.

38. Bias of panel members

Maintaining the independence, objectivity, rigour and integrity of the assessment process is vital. Panel members should strive to avoid situations in which prior relationships or experience may consciously or unconsciously bias their judgment and make it difficult to assess a research proposal objectively. Examples of such bias may occur where the panel member and applicant:

  • 38.1 are members of the same academic department
  • 38.2 have collaborated on research in the past three years or propose to collaborate in the immediate future
  • 38.3 have a professional association as a student, postdoctoral fellow or supervisor in the past three years
  • 38.4 have a close personal or business relationship
  • 38.5 are known to be direct competitors, or known to have strongly conflicting professional or scientific views

This list is not exhaustive.

When any such circumstances occur, they shall be disclosed to the staff and to the panel Chair, who shall make a determination as to whether:

  • 38.6 the panel member should be excluded at the outset from all further aspects of the evaluation of the proposal in question; or,
  • 38.7 the panel member should remain on the panel and the nature of the possible bias should be disclosed to the panel at the time of its meeting in order for the panel to determine an appropriate action at that time.