2015Graduate Studentship Grant Application Instructions

Application Deadline April 23, 2015 at 4:00pm

Research GrantsAdministration,4-081Edmonton ClinicHealth Academy(ECHA)

11405–87Avenue,Universityof Alberta,Edmonton,T6G

OVERVIEW OF WCHRI GRADUATE STUDENTSHIP GRANT

The WCHRI Graduate Studentship program offers competitively funded training support to outstanding students currently engaged in a full-time, thesis-based graduate level program of study at the University of Alberta. The Graduate Studentship award, currently valued at up to $24,000 per annum for up to 24 months, is intended to fund a research project relevant to women or children’s health research. Note that all successful applicants may only implement this award on September 1 of the award year.

Students and supervisors from all departments and disciplines researching issues related to women's and children's health are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for the WCHRI Graduate Studentship Program, the applicant must be:

  • a member of WCHRI;
  • under the primary supervision of a WCHRI member;
  • registered in a full-time, thesis-based, graduate program at the University of Alberta in a health-related discipline leading to a master's or doctoral degree at the time of application;
  • engaged in the above research at the time of implementation of the award.

Supervisors may only submit one application per competition; no more than two WCHRI graduate students will be supported simultaneously for any faculty member as either a supervisor or co-supervisor. For Associate and Full Professors, cost share at staggered rates has been adopted by WCHRI.

All applicants must provide evidence of GPA at time of program entrance provided by the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research (FGSR). Note that you will need to sign a waiver authorizing FGSR to release this information to WCHRI . The waiver is available for download on our website and will be available at the workshops as well.

AcurrentofficialUniversityofAlbertatranscriptmustalsobesubmittedtoWCHRItoevidencethecandidate’s currentGPAstanding,homedepartment/faculty andfull-timeregistrationinahealth-relatedgraduatelevelprogram ofstudiessinceprogram admission.Thistranscriptdoes not need to beplaced in an envelope. The transcript is to be included at the end of the application.

Allcandidatesmust providetwolettersof reference,oneofwhich should befromtheproposedsupervisor. Each letter of referencemustbeconfidential,signed bytherefereeand received byWCHRIin a signed,sealedenvelope. Letters mustbedatedtowithinsix (6)months ofthecompetitiondeadline.Lettersofreferenceshouldbewritteninkeepingwiththe qualitiesoutlined inthegradinggrid.Candidatequalitiessuchasmotivation,intellectualability,maturity,futureprospects withinaresearchenvironmentandany previousresearchexperiencesshouldbedetailedforthecommittee’s consideration.

Theproposedresearchprojectone-pagesummaryshouldclearly presentthehypothesis/researchquestion,objectives, methodologicalapproachandexpectedoutcomes.Applicationswillberandomly assignedtoabroadlycomposedpeer- reviewcommittee; allapplicantsarestronglyencouragedtoensurethatsufficient detailisprovidedforreviewers,whomay notbeexpertsintheareaproposed,to beabletoassessthefeasibility andoverallmeritoftheproposedresearchasa trainingopportunity.

Application Relevance to WCHRI Mandate

All applications submitted through WCHRI Grants must align with WCHRI's relevance requirements. Applications that do not present with clear relevance to WCHRI's vision will not be eligible to hold WCHRI funds (other eligibility criteria must also be met). WCHRI's stated vision is to improve outcomes for women and children through health research.

To establish relevance, all applications must clearly address the following:

  • The primary research question must be directly relevant to women and/or children’s health;
  • The research question should specifically target improving outcomes for women and/or children through health research (i.e. context);
  • The animal model must be clearly justified and provide specific details that include rationale for the chosen model, animal age and sex, and relevance/applicability to the research question;
  • Methodology, including details of study design sufficient to demonstrate benefit, impact, and/or potential for improved women and/ or children’s health outcomes.

Applicants should note that the above are some common considerations; alternative or additional factors may need to be included depending upon the proposed research. All applications will be screened for relevance using the following scoring system:

Project Relevance with WCHRI Mandate / Score
Somewhat relevant to WCHRI mandate / 0
Moderately relevant to WCHRI mandate / 1
Highly relevant to WCHRI mandate / 2

The candidate is responsible for ensuring that the signed, hard-copy of the application is complete and received by WCHRI Research Grants Administration not later than 4:00 pm on the deadline date. Late applications will not be accepted.

Further program information may be found in the competition guidelines on our website at

If you have any questions regarding the WCHRI Graduate StudentshipGrant Program or application process, please contactWCHRI Grants Administration at .
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION OF APPLICATION FORM

  • Read the complete application and guidelines before you start filling out the application form.
  • Complete the application form using Calibri font size of 11 point.
  • Do not exceed the space provided. Additional pages may be provided only where indicated and must be provided in Calibri 11 pt font size. All margins are restricted to no less than 2 cm. Additional pages or information may be appended only where indicated and must include the applicant’s name in the header and the page number in the footer (page 7a, 7b, 7c, etc…).
  • Do not submit material that is: double-sided, photo-reduced or stapled.
  • Do not forward or send transcripts, letters of reference or other supporting documentation directly to WCHRI. All supporting documentation must accompany your application.
  • Application signatures should reflect the applicant’s home faculty and the academic supervisor’s primary appointment; In the event that this application results in an offer of award, funding will be released to the department that is the candidate’s recognized department/ faculty affiliation.
  • The complete, original, signed application package must be received by WCHRI on, or before, the deadline with all of the information below:
  • Evidence of your GPA at time of program entrance provided by the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research must be submitted with your application. Note that you will need to sign a waiver authorizing FGSR to release this information to WCHRI (see our website for the document);
  • A current official University of Alberta transcript, does not need to be put in envelope, include at the end of the application;
  • Two letters of reference; one from the proposed supervisor; in separate signed, sealed envelopes from the referees (see below for details);
  • A current and up to date copy of your Supervisor’s CIHR Academic CommonCV;
  • A current and up to date copy of your Supervisor’s publication list for the last five years, with trainees’ names underlined;
  • A current and up to date copy of your Co-supervisor’s CIHR Academic CommonCV;
  • A current and up to date copy of your Co-supervisor’s publication list for the last five years with trainees’ names underlined;

Letters of reference should be written taking into consideration the qualities outlined in the grading grid below. Candidate qualities such as motivation, intellectual ability, maturity, future prospects within a research environment and any previous research experiences should be detailed for the committee’s consideration. Examples of the above qualities should be provided to assist the committee in the assessment of the candidate’s motivation and dedication to excel in the graduate program and chosen area of research. In addition to the above, successes that demonstrate excellence in research should be clearly highlighted by the referee. Examples include: track record evidencing research funding, publications, and awards, honors and citations.

No photocopies of the grant application are required. All applications submitted for the 2015 competition must use the current application form. Previous application forms will not be accepted. Applications with missing information or documentation will be submitted to the Committee as is. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the application is accurate and complete.Unsolicited documentation will not be forwarded to the review committee. Examples of unsolicited information include information detailing most significant contributions and activities and contributions.

Graduate Studentship Grant Grading Grid

All applications will be reviewed by the WCHRI Graduate Studentship Advisory Committee and ranked according to merit. Applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

  • Student Factors
  • Academic Record: GPA (2 point maximum);
  • Academic Record: Awards and Prizes (2 point maximum);
  • Academic Record: Publications (2 point maximum); and
  • Reference Letters (3 point maximum).

A maximum of 9 points may be awarded in this section.

  • Supervisor Factors
  • Supervisor’s Research and Publication Record (3 point maximum);
  • Evaluation of the Training Environment and the role of the Trainee (3 point maximum);
  • Additional point for faculty at the Assistant Professor level (1 point).

A maximum of 7 points may be awarded in this section.

  • Research Project Factors
  • Feasibility and overall quality of the research project and fit with Women and/or Children’s Health (3 point maximum).

A maximum of 3 points may be awarded in this section.

  • Research Relevance with the WCHRI Mandate
  • Research Relevance (must meet acceptable committee standards to be eligible for funding);

STUDENT FACTORS

Academic Record (Score of 0 to 2)

Points for GPA / Point Allocation
(maximum)
GPA of less than or equal to 3.59 / 0
GPA between 3.60 and 3.85 / 1
GPA between 3.86 and above / 2

A maximum of 2 points may be allocated for Applicant's GPA

Academic Record: Awards and Prizes (Score of 0 to 2)

Points for Previous Awards and Prizes / Point Allocation
(maximum)
No previously obtained awards and/or prizes / 0
Solid track record of obtaining awards and/or prizes / 1
Excellent track record of obtaining awards and/or prizes / 2

A maximum of 2 points may be allocated to Applicant’s Awards and Prizes

Academic Record: Publications (Score of 0 to 2)

Points for Previous Publications / Point Allocation
(maximum)
No previously obtained publications / 0
Solid track record of publications / 1
Excellent track record publications / 2

A maximum total of 2 points may be allocated to Applicant’s Publications
Letters of Reference (Score of 0 to 3)

Points for Quality of Applicant’s Letter of Reference / Point Allocation
(maximum)
Letter provides general information about the candidate’s personal characteristics and/or academic strengths. / 0
Letter is supportive of the candidate, and speaks in general terms, with few details regarding his/her personal characteristics (motivation, intellectual capacity, maturity, etc.) and academic strengths. / 1
Letter is very positive and provides considerable details about the candidate’s relative strengths. Candidate has accumulated some research experience, and the letter comments on the candidate’s competence/abilities in this area. / 2
Letter is very positive and strongly supportive of the candidate and communicates an element of excitement about his/her future prospects in conducting research. The letter clearly details the candidate's research successes and accomplishments and highlights, giving examples, the candidate's strengths, competencies and abilities. The candidate will have had significant experience in research which may have resulted in publication. / 3

A maximum total of 3 points may be allocated for the Quality of the Applicant’s Letters of Reference

SUPERVISOR & CO-SUPERVISOR FACTORS

Supervisor’s Research and Publication Record (Score of 0 to 3)

The supervisor, and where applicable, the co-supervisor's, research track record will be evaluated with reference to faculty level, research productivity and impact, and publication history.

Quality of Supervisor’s/ Co-Supervisor’s Publication Record / Point Allocation
(maximum)
The supervisor’s/co-supervisor’s level of productivity in the recent past is modest. / 0
The supervisor/ co-supervisor has a good/solid record of publications including co-publications with trainees. / 1
The supervisor/ co-supervisor has a very good/strong and consistent track record of publications including co-publications with trainees. / 2
The supervisor’s/ co-supervisor publication record is excellent in terms of research publications (including publications with trainees), and may have received national/international recognition. / 3

A maximum of 3 points may be allocated for the Supervisor Publication Track Record

Overall Impression of the Training Environment and the Role of the Trainee (Score of 0 to 3)

Describe the training research environment, the resources available to support the student (funding and other resources) and the types and number of trainees the investigator has supervised and published with.

Strength of Supervisor (and where applicable co-Supervisor). Where there is co-supervision, the role of the co-supervisor must be clearly relevant to fostering the trainee's success in the research environment. / Point Allocation
(maximum)
It is not clear that adequate resources are available to support the candidate’s work. / 0
The proposed research project will enable the trainee to obtain new methodological expertise; appropriate operating funds appear to exist to support the project. / 1
The proposed research project and the candidate's role are clearly defined. The trainee is expected to make intellectual and methodological contributions. Research resources are clearly available to support the project. / 2
The proposed research has been developed to capitalize on the trainee's abilities and interests. The research 'fit' will clearly result in an excellent trainee experience. Research resources are not a concern. / 3

A maximum of 3 points may be allocated for the Overall Impression of the Training Environment and the Role of the Trainee

Additional Bonus for Assistant Professor (1 point maximum)
If primary supervisor is an Assistant Professor, add one bonus point. / Point Allocation
(additive)
If the primary supervisor is at the Assistant Professor faculty level, then an additional point is allocated. / 1

A maximum of 1 point may be allocated

RESEARCH PROJECT FACTORS

Overall Impression of Proposed Research Project and Fit with the WCHRI Mandate

This section must include specific details of the relevance of the proposed research with the WCHRI mandate of providing benefit to women and/or children's research in Alberta, and more broadly, Canada.

Overall Impression of Proposed Research Project (Score of 0 to 3)

Impression of Proposed Research and ‘Fit’ with WCHRI Mandates / Point Allocation
(maximum)
The project appears to be commensurate with the level of the candidate's training and/or has low relevance to WCHRI mandate. / 0
The project is relevant to health and is well written, providing sufficient rationalization and methodological details and/or is moderately relevant to WCHRI mandate. / 1
The project is relevant to health and is well written, providing sufficient rationalization and methodological details. In addition, this work will potentially produce an original contribution to existing knowledge in this field and is extremely relevant to WCHRI mandate. / 2
The project is clearly defined and is well written. The description provides enough methodological details to evoke confidence that the goals of the project will, in all likelihood, be achieved. The project is related to an important area of health research and has the potential to contribute substantially to the knowledge in this field and is extremely relevant to WCHRI mandate. / 3

A maximum of 3 points may be allocated for the Proposed Research Project

A maximum total of 19 points are available.

Instruction – Graduate Studentship Grant-1-Application Deadline April 23, 2015

2015 WCHRI Graduate Studentship Grant Application

Application Deadline April 23, 2015 at 4:00pm

Research Grants Administration, 4-081 ECHA, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 1C9

The information on this page will be used by WCHRI ONLY and will not be communicated outside the Institute.

Candidate Name: Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial(s)
Complete Mailing Address: / Gender: Male Female
Telephone Number: (780)
University of Alberta E-mail Address:

WCHRI supports the University of Alberta's efforts to ensure the highest standards of research and scholarship practice and behaviour. By signing below, each candidate and their supervisor(s) asserts that this application adheres to all research policies and procedures in place at the University of Alberta. WCHRI reserves the right to request institutional confirmation of assertions contained within this application.

Misrepresentations of authorship, credentials or research support may result in disqualification of the candidate from this competition. Further actions may include: disqualifying the candidate or supervisor(s) from future competitions for a time period determined solely by WCHRI, withdrawal of any remaining installments of support for any existing WCHRI grant or award for which misrepresentation appears in the submission, and seeking partial or full repayment of any past financial support under any WCHRI grant or award for which misrepresentation appears in the submission.

Further information on research and scholarship integrity, the University of Alberta's governance policies may be found at:

SIGNATURES

The undersigned agree to abide by UAPPOL and the general conditions governing any award made pursuant to the sponsorship of this application.

Required Signatures / Printed Name / Date (day/month/year)
Candidate: / dd/mm/yy
Supervisor: / dd/mm/yy
Co-Supervisor:
(if applicable) / dd/mm/yy
Supervisor's Department Chair: / dd/mm/yy
Supervisor's Faculty Dean: / dd/mm/yy

Candidate Name: Last Name, First Inital

CANDIDATE’S SECTION – CANDIDATE TO COMPLETE

CANDIDATE’S CONFIRMATION OF WCHRI MEMBERSHIP: YES NO

If not a member, please complete application at

RESEARCH RELEVANCE: Children’s Health Women’s HealthBoth

RESEARCH TYPE:Quantitative ResearchQualitative ResearchMixed

PROPOSED SUPERVISORY TEAM & LOCATION OF RESEARCH

Please provide the name(s) of your Supervisor, your Co-supervisor (if applicable) and the primary location of your proposed research.

Proposed Supervisor (Last Name, First Name) / Position
Proposed Co-Supervisor (Last Name, First Name) / Position
Primary Location of Research / Contact Information
Department of / Telephone: (780)
Faculty of / Fax: (780)
Room Number & Building: / Supervisor’s Email:

CURRENT ACADEMIC PROGRAM AND ACADEMIC RECORD

All applicants must provide a waiver authorizing WCHRI to obtain evidence of entrance GPA provided by the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research (FGSR). You must alsosubmit a current, official University of Alberta transcript with this application.

Current (Recognized) Degree Program / Masters PhD / Full-time thesis-based
Yes No
Program Start Date / mm/yy / Expected Completion Date / mm/yy
Faculty and department in which you are currently registered as a graduate student:

EXTERNAL PEER REVIEWED TRAINEE AWARDS

Do you currently hold an external peer-reviewed award:

/ Yes No
If yes, please identify the awarding agency and program:

Do you have a current pending application for another peer-reviewed award:

/ Yes No
If yes, please identify the agency and program:

Candidate Name: Last Name, First Inital

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

List all academic achievements (i.e. prizes, honors, awards, distinctions, citations, etc.). Additional pages may be used. Do not list extra-curricular activities or accomplishments.