Call for Catalyst Grant Projects

Introduction:

The Novo Nordisk Network for Healthy Populations (NHP) is committed to supporting multi-disciplinary, collaborative teams to co-design projects that will support the development of interventions and programs in the Peel Region focused on reducing the burden of diabetes and chronic disease. The NHP will support an evidence-to-practice approach to tailor, adopt, and integrate evidence-informed practices, programs, and policies into local health care, community services, and living environments. This grant opportunity will catalyze partnerships between researchers and local stakeholders to bridge the divide between research and practice and bring programs that work to communities in need.

Catalyst Grant Description:

The NHP’s Catalyst Grants will focus on building and growing collaborations between academics, researchers, clinicians and the Peel Region community while offering resources and capacity building opportunities to support the processes required for collaboration and research proposal development.

Catalyst Grants will be awarded to support projects that aim to develop, expand, or adapt evidence-informed programs, interventions, or evaluations that align to the Network’s mission:  To reduce social inequities in risk and burden of diabetes and other chronic diseases through better care, lower risk factors and healthier living environments.

The Catalyst Grant Program will focus on supporting non-competitive, collaborative, community-driven research projects. Through this process the NHP will bring together cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral teams to form projects based on priorities identified through a three-prong priority setting process, which includes gaining feedback from the NHP’s Advisory Committee, the NHP’s community (faculty, researchers, clinicians and community-based organizations) and the results of the NHP’s baseline data analysis.

Specifically, the Catalyst Grant Program aims to support the community and align to our findings by:

1. Applying an equity-based approach to priority setting: To ensure a fair and equitable approach to priority setting, community members have been actively involved in the process.
2. Supporting community-based organizations in local research projects: The grant program will establish partnerships with community-based organizations that have a desire to or are already addressing the issues being studied. This will not only help incorporate community perspectives into the research but also provide opportunities for community organizations to contribute new research ideas based on local insights and lived experience.
3. Emphasizing education and capacity building: The grant program will provide education and capacity building opportunities to increase community members' knowledge and skills related to research. This will enhance their ability to participate in and benefit from the research.
4. Fostering relationships between academics/researchers and the Peel Region: The grant program will encourage collaboration between faculty and community members to establish a long-lasting relationship and build trust. This will ensure that future research aligns with the needs and perspectives of the community.
5. Identifying future research priorities/themes: Community members will be engaged to identify future research priorities and themes. This will ensure that the research is relevant, meaningful, and addresses the most pressing issues for the community.

Funding Guidelines:

• Award Amount: Grants will be awarded up to $100,000 for 1 year, based on submitted budgets.
• Deadline: Full applications are due April 1, 2024, 5:00pm EDT (Online Form)
• Exclusions: Current Catalyst Grant Fund holders are excluded from applying as Nominated Principal Applicants and cannot hold funds for more than one NHP Catalyst Grant at a time. Current NHP Catalyst Grant holders may apply as Co-Applicants, Collaborators etc., but may not hold funds.
• This funding is not to be used as bridging or emergency funding, nor is it intended to support ongoing studies. It may, however, support a new direction of a previously funded project, and can be combined with additional funding to support new projects. A clear rationale for this should be provided in the application.

Review the Grant Guidelines Here!

Catalyst Grant Project Objectives (projects may be relevant to multiple objectives):

Catalyst grant projects must be aligned with one of the following themes that have been identified through NHP community engagement activities:

A. Micro Focused Projects

Projects that will support the development of evidence informed interventions focused on the ‘micro’ health level (i.e. the individual level where people seek care), that improve the quality of chronic disease care through the development of accessible, equitable, and effective healthcare services. We are seeking projects that will inform evidence-supported interventions focused on patients and families, health care providers and health care administrators that will help make health services more coordinated, effective and accessible. Projects within this category will address one of the following topic areas:

1. Identify opportunities for diabetes and chronic disease prevention in the healthcare system that will lead to healthier communities
2. Improve screening and early detection of diabetes and chronic disease
3. Create tailored chronic disease care pathways that improve coordination and equitable access to services

B. Meso Focused Projects

Projects that will support the development of evidence informed interventions focused on the ‘meso’ health level (i.e. the community level where people spend their time), that promote healthy living and encourage the development of informed, empowered, and connected communities and services.

We are seeking projects that will inform evidence-supported, accessible, and culturally adaptable interventions that aim to increase diabetes awareness and optimize health behaviours within specific high-risk groups, community-based organizations or local business settings. Projects within this category will address one of the following topic areas:

4. Improve health for priority populations and those living with social disadvantage, including but not limited to:

• Optimize health for immigrant populations and equity-deserving groups
• Improve health for visible minorities that are at high-risk
• Educate and inform communities about risk factors and healthy living
• Connect and empower communities to accelerate action for social change

5. Promote positive health behaviours for communities and individuals, including but not limited to:

• Increase opportunities to improve nutrition
• Improve opportunities for leisure activities
• Enhance social capital and empowerment

C. Macro Focused Projects

Projects that will support the development of evidence informed interventions focused on the ‘macro’ health level (i.e. the ‘city/policy’ level where people live and work), that create healthy environments through the development of health-centered policies and health-promoting living, learning, and working environments.

We are seeking projects that will inform evidence-supported interventions that target areas such as municipal and regional policies and urban planning to optimize the built environment, access to healthy foods, physical activity and medicines. Projects within this category will address one of the following topic areas:

6. Facilitate physical activity choices in the built environment, including but not limited to:

• Increase active transit
• Increase neighbourhood walkability
• Increase neighbourhood safety

7. Prioritize health and wellbeing in systems and structures, including but not limited to:

• Promote healthy food environments
• Enhance access to adequate housing
• Increase useable parks and green spaces

8. Optimize health promotion in working and learning environments

Research proposals must demonstrate that the goal is to develop, expand or adapt evidence-informed programs, interventions, or evaluations that address the risk or burden of diabetes and chronic disease and demonstrate an evidence-to-practice or Implementation Science approach.

Project Requirements:

1. Evidence-informed: Projects must justify how evidence generated will inform the development of an intervention, program or policy that will improve indicators of diabetes and chronic disease; or a proposed intervention, program or policy must be informed by prior evidence showing promise at improving service indicators, risk factors and/or outcomes for diabetes and chronic disease;
2. Equitable: Must have a population health and equity focus and aim to positively affect all or priority populations within Peel Region, improving the environmental, social, cultural, and/or structural determinants of health related to diabetes and chronic disease;
3. Implementable: Can include policy changes, introduction of a new program or practice, and/or physical changes to the environment to improve risk and/or outcomes of diabetes and chronic disease that can adapted and feasibly be implemented within the Peel Region;
4. Engaged: Must engage community stakeholders as equal partners in the research. Stakeholders should be involved in developing the research questions and methodology, as well as in data collection, the interpretation of findings and dissemination of results.

Grant Program Activities Process:

Workshop #1: Solutions for Healthy Populations: Collaborative Priority Setting Workshop

Members of the Peel region community will be invited to join academics, researchers, patients, clinicians, and public health and health care leaders, and members of the Network’s Advisory Committee to attend a full-day workshop aimed at identifying key research priorities and to begin forming collaborative research project teams.

Workshop #2: Priorities to Projects: Developing Collaborative Teams and Project Proposals

Workshop attendees will come together again in the October 2023 to validate these themes and confirm their interest in participating on a project team. Project teams will also spend this time discussing potential research questions, outlining team roles and responsibilities, and working on the team’s PGA form submission.

Capacity Building Resources

The NHP is focused on supporting the success of all projects and project teams and will offer resources that will support the development of successful project teams and final proposal submissions. Topics may include implementation science, effective community engagement, and knowledge translation. Additionally, the NHP may also provide access to resources to facilitate team collaboration such as access to space.

Review Process for Catalyst Grant Application

To be considered for a Catalyst Grant, project teams will submit the Catalyst Grant Application Form. The application will undergo a two-phased review process which includes a friendly review and then applications will be reviewed by the Network’s Review Committee; ad hoc reviewers may be included in the review process as subject matter experts (Additional details on pg. 8)

• If a member of the Network’s Selection Committee wishes to apply, they will be excused from the adjudication process for that application and a replacement Committee member will be appointed.

Roles and Responsibilities: Opportunities for Participation and Team Structures:

There are a number of ways interested organizations can participate in the NHP catalyst grant program.  While detailed descriptions of roles and responsibilities for each participating organization are outlined below, each team has the flexibility to articulate more specifically how each team member will be involved in the project. Also, team members can fulfill more than one role.

Project Team Structures:

*If both co-principal applicants (Co-PA) are from the same category (Categories: Community or Academic/Researcher), they must ensure they have a co-applicant from another category. Therefore, a project team will include core team members that are either a member of a community organization or a researcher/academic that can provide relevant expertise.

Project Team Expertise:

Each project team must identify which team structure (as outlined above) they wish to align with at the time of application submission. Community organizations and academics/researchers are expected provide teams with the expertise and foundational knowledge related to their area of expertise that will support the success of the project.

Community Organization

A community organization that is the Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) or Co-Principal Applicant (Co-Pas) is required to:

• Lead/support priority-setting process
• Advise on and lead or support community engagement
• Provide expertise and knowledge related to community capacity, ongoing activities, project relevance, and gaps/needs
• Lead/support proposal development and project implementation
• Engage in and/or lead knowledge exchange and dissemination activities
• Facilitate feasibility in the community setting
• May provide additional resources (funding, in-kind support, etc.)

Academics/Researchers

An academic/researcher that is the Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) or Co-Principal Applicant is required to:

• Lead/enhance research and evaluation capacity of teams
• Provide expertise on content, project design and methodology
• Lead/support proposal development and project implementation
• Lead/support knowledge exchange and dissemination activities 
• May provide additional resources (funding, in-kind support, etc.)

Composition of Team and Categories of Engagement

In addition to project teams having an NPAs and/or Co-PAs that are either representatives from community organizations or researchers/academics, they are expected to have a core group that includes individuals that fulfill the following roles:

• At least 1 trainee or early career researcher (within 5 years of faculty appointment)
• At least 1 senior or mid-career researcher
• At least 1 team member that is a person with lived experience
• At least 1 community organizations (Applications with more than one community partner will be rated more favorably.)

Below is a description of all possible team member designations. ‘

The table indicates the roles that are required to be fulfilled. Please note: one team member can have multiple roles.

Supports Provided by the Network for Healthy Populations:

Project success depends on each team’s effort and collaboration. To assist teams throughout the life cycle of their projects, NHP will provide a range of supports including:

• Resources and tools to project implementation
• Infrastructure to enable teams to collaborate virtually via teleconference and webinar, and hold in-person meetings
• Identification of academic partners to enhance the research and program evaluation capacity of teams
• Access and connection to our intersectoral network of stakeholders
• Facilitation of data collection and outcome evaluation

Knowledge Translation/Mobilization Plan

A key aspect of Catalyst Grant Program is for project teams to develop knowledge translation/knowledge mobilization plans. By bridging the gap between research outcomes and practical implementation, this plan ensures that the project's insights are not confined to academia but are effectively disseminated and integrated within the community. It empowers stakeholders by making research relevant and accessible, enabling informed decision-making, promoting sustainability, fostering collaboration, measuring impact, catalyzing innovation, and optimizing resource allocation.

It is expected that all project teams include a comprehensive knowledge translation/knowledge mobilization plan. Each team will be invited to a capacity-building session that will support the development and implementation of their plan. Project teams will also be expected to present the results of their projects at the NHP Research Seminar, a monthly lunchtime webinar series that presents current research in the field.

Budget Considerations

• Applications must include a detailed budget, as well as a description of how the funds would be allocated to meet the project goals.
• Allowable expenses include trainee salaries, research activities (i.e., analyses), conferences and knowledge translation activities, equipment and open access journal fees, as well as additional administrative costs required to support the project. Nominated Principal Applicant’s and Co-Principal Applicant’s salaries are not considered an allowable expense.

Catalyst Grant Submissions and Review

The Catalyst Grant Program offers a structured process for project funding, designed to support team building, innovative initiatives and ideas.

This program provides applicable projects and project teams with:

1. Planning Grants (up to $15,000,00)

2. Catalyst Grants (up to $100,000.00)

Catalyst Grant Application:

All applicants who received an NHP Planning Grant are required to develop and submit a Catalyst Grant application, in line with their Planning Grant Funding Conditions.

• Deadlines:
  • Friendly Review Deadline: March 15, 2024 (5:00 PM EDT) (details below)
  • Final Catalyst Grant Application: April 1, 2024 (5:00 PM EDT)
• Submission: Please submit completed application forms online at the link below: https://forms.gle/z4VTdFprFFxx5fui8
• All documents, forms, and CVs should be converted into PDF format for submission and can be uploaded using the link above.

The submission package must include:

1. 1. The completed NHP Catalyst Grant Application Form with the signature page uploaded to the online form.
   2. CV of the nominated Principal Applicant, Co-Principal Applicants, and Co-Applicants, including current appointments, grants and relevant publications (abbreviated version, maximum 5 pages).
   3. Proposed project budget using the excel spreadsheet provided by NHP.
   4. A letter of support from each knowledge user, collaborator, decision maker and/or advisor.
   5. Other appendices (such as draft data collection tools and interview guides, references, etc.) in a single PDF file.

All applications must be submitted using the templates provided by NHP. Files should be submitted in formats as specified above.  You will receive confirmation of receipt within 2 business days. Submissions that do not adhere to the NHP submission guidelines will not be accepted.

Review Process: The NHP will be offering a two phased review process to support applications to ensure that the proposed projects meet all qualifying criteria for funding, and are scientifically sound, relevant, and feasible.

1. Friendly Review:

Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Recommended but not mandatory)

The friendly review is intended to provide technical and practical feedback to help teams enhance their proposals before the final submission, and to ensure all qualifying criteria for funding are met prior to the final submission deadline. This review will be conducted by an internal NHP review committee. Feedback will be divided into two sections: Major Revisions and Minor Revisions.  Major revisions must be addressed by teams before the proposal can proceed to the formal peer review phase. However, teams are strongly encouraged to incorporate all feedback provided through the friendly review process. 

2. Formal Peer Review:

All applications will undergo a Formal Peer Review once submitted which consists of a review conducted by a NHP Review Committee, consisting of individuals with expertise in the proposal’s subject area. Teams will receive reviewer comments on their proposals.

Funding Notice: After the evaluation process, successful applicants will receive a funding notice that outlines the terms and conditions of the grant, including the awarded amount, reporting requirements, and other relevant information.

For questions, please contact: director.novonordiskhp@utoronto.cav