Aim of the program
This program serves to initiate and promote an innovative and non-funded aspect of scientific research by researchers who are members of the Quebec Pain Research Network (QPRN). For example, they could verify the feasibility of an innovative concept, obtain preliminary data that will allow the preparation of a grant application to one of the recognized funding agencies, or facilitate the start-up of a high-risk initiative. According to the QPRN Charter, only regular members of the QPRN are eligible. Eligible projects must be related to pain, must not be funded and must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Career start-up support: is intended for members at a junior career stage (less than 5 years of service as of September 30 of the current year), who are initiating their research programs and have not yet obtained funding from a major granting agency. Funding of $25,000 is reserved annually for this category of application OR;
- Support for implementation in the Quebec ecosystem: is intended for members who are new to Quebec (for less than 3 years, regardless of their career stage) and who are initiating their research programs and have not yet obtained funding from an agency OR;
- Support for the reorientation of work: for established members who are reorienting their work OR;
- Major project start-up support: for established members who want to develop new collaborations to combine their respective knowledge to build data for a grant application to a major granting agency.
Duration of awards
Awards are normally made for a period of one year. In certain exceptional circumstances, the QPRN will authorize the spreading of grants over two fiscal years. Any request for extension must be received no later than 9 months following the date of authorization of the transfer of funding by the QPRN management and may not exceed the end of the following fiscal year.
Overlap
Any scientific and budgetary overlap with other sources of funding is not permitted.
Eligibility criteria
- The principal researcher must be a regular member of the QPRN before the announcement of the annual competition and maintain their status throughout the grant period (the application for membership must have been received before the launch of the competition);
- The principal researcher must reside in Quebec at the time the funds granted by the QPRN are used.
- Note that it is possible to be a co-applicant on more than one application
Investigator Obligations to the Program
The funded investigators agree to the following:
- Acknowledge the support of the QPRN as an initial funding body in any publication (abstract, peer-reviewed article, etc.) or presentation that results from this research;
- Participate in the annual QPRN retreat in order to present its results and keep members informed of the progress of the funded pilot project;
- Produce a report at the end of the grant. This report should summarize the progress of the research results, including copies of articles published following this research, summaries of scientific presentations at events, etc. For the sake of visibility and enhancement of the projects stimulated by this funding, the identification of deliverables related to training, dynamism, influence and the leverage effect of funding are decisive;
- Notify the QPRN of the decision of the granting agencies to which the project has been submitted;
- Declines the entire grant (100%) by the QPRN in the event that the same project is funded by another granting agency, as soon as possible.
Note : Failure to meet these obligations may result in an investigator’s ineligibility to receive financial support from the Pain Network until these obligations are met.
Support
- A maximum amount of $25,000 may be granted to a project;
- Eligible expenses must be in line with the Fonds de recherche du Québec’s policies, Principes directeurs de gestion et gouvernance des réseaux thématiques document, latest version.
Spending on this project must be completed by the end date provided in the ‘Notice of Award’. In exceptional situations, a 1-year extension may be granted.
Required documents
The project must be in line with the mission of the RQRD and its research priorities. It can also represent a springboard for applying for a grant from a major funding organization.
Applications are submitted online via the link on the QPRN website. A confirmation will be sent to you upon receipt of your file. If you do not receive confirmation after 48 hours, please contact the QPRN coordinators (gestion@qprn.ca).
The form includes :
- Rational (150 words) ;
- Objectives and hypothesis (if applicable) (150 words) ;
- Methodology (1200 words) ;
- Justification of the pilot nature of the project (150 words) ;
- Scientific, clinical and/or social relevance (150 words) ;
- Strategies applied to prioritize equity, diversity and inclusion (150 words) ;
- Specific budget (Attached file) that cannot include a student’s salary (a supplemental salaray is allowed only, e.g., a student hired for one session only);
- Information on the ethical status of the project (if available) ;
- The Canadian Common CV in “CIHR BIOSKETCH” format for each of the researchers involved in the project ;
- There is no rule for the reference format in the text. The reference table and figures can be uploaded as one separate file in the “Other documents” section.
Online submission :
The project must be in line with the mission of the QPRN and its research priorities. It can also represent a springboard for applying for a grant from a major funding organization.
Applications are submitted online via the link on the RQRD website. A confirmation will be sent to you upon receipt of your file. If you do not receive confirmation after 48 hours, please contact the RQRD coordinators (gestion@qprn.ca).
