Kids with Cancer Society Operating Grants

Purpose
The Kids with Cancer Society (KWCS) Operating Grants will support pediatric cancer research at the University of Alberta. 

Value
Up to $60,000/year for 2 years 

Eligibility and Application Criteria

  • Research projects must be within the scope of pediatric cancer research
  • The Principal Investigator (PI) or a Co-PI must be a CRINA member. Apply for CRINA membership.  
  • Co‐investigators must be University of Alberta faculty members. Collaborators are not restricted to the University of Alberta. 
  • All applications must be submitted through the researcher homepage for institutional approval
  • Funding from other sources cannot be held for the submitted research project
  • Grants are tenable at the University of Alberta only.
Application 
  1. Proposal (4 pages not including references and figures/tables/charts and associated legends [maximum 2 additional pages]; 12-point Times New Roman, single-spaced, 1-inch margins)
    1. Background & Literature Review
    2. Hypothesis, Rationale & Specific Aims
    3. Experimental Plan, Methods & Analysis
    4. Experimental Design & Anticipated Results. Please also describe how sex and gender are integrated into the research design and practices when appropriate.
    5. Research Environment - Details of the investigator(s), including which member(s) of the research team, if applicable, will be responsible for which aspect of the project and a rationale for their inclusion in the project, and a description of the research environment where the work will take place. 
  2. Relevance to Pediatric Cancers
    A statement (0.25 page) explicitly describing how the proposed work could move the field forward and accelerate progress in pediatric cancer research. This statement should also clearly address the expected “next steps” following the completion of the project. 
  3. Budget
    A budget summary (1 page) and justification (up to 2 pages) related to the supplies, equipment and personnel associated with the research project. This must include the number of personnel required to complete the work and a description of their experience and/or education level, and their time commitment to the project.
    • Allowable expenses: personnel costs, applied and expendable materials, experimental animals, equipment items totaling less than $3,000, equipment maintenance costs up to $3,000/yr (in total, not per item of equipment), and computer and publication costs up to $2,000/yr. 
    • Travel expenses may constitute a part of the grant application. Allowable travel expenses include conference travel to present the research results, as well as travel to facilitate research collaboration, to a maximum of $2,000/yr. The travel allowance may be used to fund the Principal Investigator (PI/Co-PIs), a Graduate Student, or both, but may not exceed $2,000/yr. 

   4. Investigator Qualifications
        Please attach a CIHR Biosketch CCV for all investigators.

   5. A list of 5 reviewers that you believe have the expertise to review the application 
 
Review Process
The applications will be assessed by an expert panel of internal and external reviewers
Assessment:

  • Research strategy
    • scientific merit and compelling rationale that considers critical review and analysis of preliminary data and/or published literature, as appropriate
    • identification of potential limitations of the proposed research strategy and how they will be addressed, including alternative approaches
    • appropriateness of the term and amount of support requested
  • Investigator(s)
    • qualifications and appropriate expertise of the investigator(s)
  • Environment
    • quality of the research environment in which the work will take place

Budget and Period of Support
Funding requests should be for a maximum of $60,000/year for 2 years. 

Additional Criteria
A final report must be submitted within one month of termination of the award. 

Communications and Acknowledgement 
The following acknowledgement should be used in all publications and presentations resulting from this work: “This research has been funded by the generosity of the Kids with Cancer Society through the Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA) and the Division of Pediatric Immunology, Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Care, and Environmental Health (iHOPE), Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta.”

Deadline
October 11, 2024

Please submit your complete application to CRINA (crina@ualberta.ca). Any questions regarding the application process can be directed to crina@ualberta.ca.