Background
McGill Global Health Programs (GHP) is pleased to collaborate with the McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity (MI4) to co-sponsor one Seed Fund Grant (SFG) with support from the Steinberg Fund for Interdisciplinary Global Health Research.
The GHP-MI4 Steinberg SFG aims to catalyze innovative and impactful infection or immunity focused global health research at McGill & affiliated hospitals, by providing one seed grant to enable the launch of a new, interdisciplinary, infection or immunity focused global health research project and make it competitive for sustained external funding. The research must be conducted in a low or middle-income country, or in a resource-poor setting within Canada (e.g. with indigenous communities in the Canadian North). Proposals should be forward-thinking and aim to address global health issues that are emerging and will increase in importance over the coming decade.
A summary of the Request for Proposal is available below. The full document is available in this PDF document. In case of a discrepancy between the web and PDF versions of the RFP, the PDF version prevails.
Key Dates:
- Launch of GHP-MI4 Steinberg SFG: October 7, 2020
- SFG application deadline: December 16, 2020, 11:59 PM Eastern Time
- Evaluation period: December 17, 2020, to February 28, 2021
- SFG announcement to applicants: March 1, 2021
GHP-MI4 Steinberg SFG - Funding Available and Parameters
Team Composition
- The GHP-MI4 Steinberg SFG requires a minimum of two Principal Investigators (a nominated Principal Investigator (PI) and a Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)) from at least two different departments or centres at McGill University or its affiliated institutions.
- A maximum of three PIs can be included.
- Preference will be given to proposals that include a Co-PI from a low-resource setting, and that includes opportunities for involvement of McGill students.
- Additional collaborators are allowed and may come from within or outside McGill and its affiliated hospitals.
- Subcontracts to investigators outside McGill University and its affiliated institutions are permitted, subject to the approval of GHP and MI4.
Eligibility
- The nominated PI must be an early (0-5 years)- or mid (6-10 years)-career investigator at McGill University, or an affiliated hospital.
- A researcher may participate in only one GHP-MI4 Steinberg SFG proposal as a PI or Co-PI.
- Researchers currently holding an active seed grant from the Steinberg Fund for Interdisciplinary Global Health Research (PI or Co-PI) are not eligible to apply for this grant unless the previous project is complete.
Non-Eligible Projects
The following are examples of projects that are not eligible under this grant opportunity:
- Fundamental (laboratory or bench) research projects, without a clear translational focus on population outcomes.
- Research that is already supported by other sources.
- Gap funding to bridge support between external grants or contracts.
Available Funds and Grant Term
- One award is available up to a maximum of $50,000 in value.
- All funds will be disbursed in one payment at the start of the project.
- The grant term must be between 12-18 months.
- Grants are non-renewable and unspent funds must be returned to the source from which the funds originated at the end of this period.
Eligible Costs
- Normal research expenditures like supplies, salaries for research personnel, students, and post-docs are permitted.
- Funds may not be used to:
- support salary of PIs,
- purchase equipment above $7,000 CAD,
- cover travel expenses related to conferences.
- All budgeted items must be in compliance and compatible with the policies and guidelines of the co-PIs’ respective institutions, as well as the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide (TAFAG).
- Please note that final decisions regarding budget eligibility will be made by GHP leadership.
- There is no acceptable overhead component to the GHP-MI4 Steinberg SFG. All the awarded funds are to be directed towards eligible costs.
Application Instructions
- Download and complete all sections of the GHP-MI4 Steinberg SFG Application Form.
- Prepare all proposal content as per the ‘Proposal Checklist’ on Page 3 of the Application Form.
- Submit the proposal as one PDF containing the completed Application Form and all proposal content.
Submission Deadline and Procedure
- The deadline for submissions is December 16, 2020, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
- All applications must be submitted by email in PDF format to ghp-progmanager.med [at] mcgill.ca, copying grantsmcgilli4.med [at] mcgill.ca. Please include “GHP-MI4 Steinberg SFG” in the email subject line.
Review
Please see the RFP document for information on the assessment and review process.
Additional Information
If additional information is required to complete a GHP-MI4 Steinberg SFG submission, please contact ghp-progmanager.med [at] mcgill.ca.