PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE RESEARCH FUND (PLERF)
GUIDELINES AND INFORMATION
2015
ABOUT CDRIN
The Canadian Depression Research and Intervention Network (CDRIN) is a nationwide initiative funded initially by the Federal Government of Canada. CDRIN’s mission is to create and share knowledge that leads to more effective prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of depression and depression-linked illnesses (such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and that leads to a reduction in the stigma associated with depression.
CDRIN has funded the development of regional depression research hubs across Canada, including the Maritimes Depression Hub, led jointly by Dr. Rudolf Uher, a Psychiatrist, and Dr. David Pilon, a Psychologist and Program Leader in Specialty Mental Health Services, supported by an Executive Committee with strong representation from people with lived experience (PLE) in the Maritimes community. One goal for the development of regional hubs is to build a national network of collaborating centres that can address research priorities in depression, encourage the translation of research results into clinical practice and service delivery, and do so with meaningful input and leadership from patients and their families.
PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE RESEARCH FUND (PLERF)
The involvement of PLE of depression, bipolar illness and related disorders (comprising primarily current and former patients and their family members) in research is centralto the success of the Maritimes Depression Hub and its activities. To encourage this involvement, the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University (in collaboration with the CDRIN Maritimes Depression Hub) makes available small research grants (up to $10,000 per successful proposal) for research projects initiated by people with lived experience (PLE) of depression and related illnesses in collaboration with experienced researcher(s). This funding is called the People with Lived Experience Research Fund (PLERF). Information on eligibility criteria and the submission process for PLERF can be found in the following pages.
TYPES OF PROJECTS FUNDED
The funding available through PLERF can be used for the following purposes:
- To fully fund small-scale projects that can be completed within the budget framework allowed
- To fund a sub-project of a larger research program related to PLE interests
- To obtain initial pilot data to assess and strengthen the feasibility of submitting a proposal to another funding agency to conduct a more extensive project
- To initiate a new research program that requires pilot data to assess feasibility or to bring a new research team together
ELIGIBILITY and REVIEW CRITERIA
Who Can Apply
You can apply to receive funding from PLERF if:
- At least one of the investigators is a PLE of depression or related illness in the Maritime Provinces.
- At least one of the investigators has a substantial record of research activities, training and background experience appropriate for the conduct of the proposed project and analysis of the data obtained. This individual should be appointed as a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University.
- All investigators have had a significant intellectual input into some or all of the following: formulation of the research question, design of the study, proposed analysis and interpretation of the results.
Review Criteria
PLERF grants are intended to support the meaningful involvement of PLE in research on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, or management of depression, bipolar illness and related illnesses, or on the care and support of individuals with such illnesses and their families. Each proposal will be evaluated in relation to the following broad criteria:
- Scientific quality of the proposed research
- Feasibility of conducting the research within the planned budget and time frame
- Potential to add new knowledge to the existing body of research on depression and related illnesses
- Active involvement of PLE of depression and related illnesses in the development and proposed conduct of the research
If you are uncertain as to whether or not you are eligible to apply for funding through PLERF, please contact fore submitting your proposal.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL
There are two deadlines for applications each year (April and October). Submissions are made electronically by emailing them with a hard copy of the cover page (signature page) of the grant to:
Megan Bellefontaine
Research Administrative Assistant
Department of Psychiatry
Room 8412, Abbie J. Lane Building
Complete submissions (application form and all appendices) must be submitted by the deadlines. No late applications will be accepted. Please see the attached application form, which details the required components for your submission.
THE REVIEW PROCESS
Your proposal will be reviewed by anonymous expert reviewers (research experts and experts with lived experience of depression or related illnesses). The reviewers will assess your application based on the four criteria listed above. Funding for any project will not exceed $10,000. The amount of funding granted for each proposal depends on factors such as the total amount of funding available and the number of eligible applications received.
IF FUNDING IS APPROVED
Congratulations! The first step after funding is granted is to receive Research Ethics Board (REB) approval from the relevant review board, if you have not already obtained such approval. Your funding cannot be released to you and your research team until you have provided the Department of Psychiatry with the REB approval for your project.
Once REB approval is documented, a research account will be opened for you, from which funds can be drawn by the investigators up to the total granted. Funds granted must be used exclusively for the purposes proposed in the application. Any proposed changes to the use of the funds awarded should be submitted to r review before being implemented, as well as to the REB involved.
The proposed project should be initiated within 6 months of the approval of the grant. A progress report is to be submitted annually to the Department of Psychiatry detailing information such as progress in the conduct of the research, the status of the budget and any presentations, public communications or publications related to the research project.
PLERF Application Checklist
The following information must be included in your submission for it to be considered complete.
To be submitted electronically:
Completed application form including first page (signatures not needed in electronic copy);
Appendices as needed;
Common CVs in CIHR format including publications and presentations for any established researchers on the proposal;
A statement of research experience and knowledge of depression, bipolar illness or related illnesses by the PLE(s) involved in the proposal;
Official price quotes for equipment, third-party services, hospital departments or study-related supplies;
Letters of support/agreement from collaborators as appropriate.
To be submitted in hard copy:
Completed first page of application with all applicable signatures.
PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE RESEARCH FUND (PLERF)
APPLICATION FORM
2015
A. Cover Page
1Principal Investigator (PI):Affiliation or contact information:
2Co-investigators/Affiliations (Co-PI/Co-I):
Collaborators/Affiliations:
Eligible Applicant (if not the PI):
Title:
3Status of Ethics Review:
If obtained, provide a copy of the official approval letter; if to be submitted, indicate to which REB.
Signatures Date
Principal InvestigatorEligible Applicant
Head, Department of Psychiatry
Complete applications must be submitted electronically to:
Signed cover page should be submitted to: Megan Bellefontaine
Administrative Assistant, Research Section
Department of Psychiatry
8th Floor Abbie J. Lane Building
The PI has overall responsibility for the conduct of the research. Other investigators have a significant intellectual input into (some of) the formulation of the research question, the design of the study, its analysis and interpretation. Collaborators may provide essential services or resources related to the conduct of the research. Note that if the PI is a PLE who is not appointed to the Department of Psychiatry, contact information should be provided.
2 Note that if the PI is not an established researcher affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry, one of the co-Investigators or a co-Principal Investigator must be.
3All human subject research requires prior ethical approval by a duly constituted Research Ethics Board (i.e., the REBs of the Nova Scotia Health Authority, IWK Health Authority, or Dalhousie University. Note that the title and the investigators names must be identical in this proposal and in the REB submission. If you believe that this project does not require ethical approval, you must obtain a written statement from one of these REBs to that effect. Animal research requires prior approval by the Dalhousie University Committee on Laboratory Animals in accordance with the rules of the Canadian Council on Animal Care.
B. Proposed Research
Relevance (500 word maximum):
Describe how the proposed research involves people with lived experience and how it meets the goals of supporting research on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, or management of depression, bipolar illness and related illnesses, or the care and support of individuals with such illnesses and their families.
Full Proposal:
In an attachment, briefly summarize relevant background work in this area by others and by the applicants (include references), summarizing the state of knowledge in this area. Describe the objective(s) of the proposed research briefly and clearly. State the hypotheses to be tests, describe methods to be used, measures and outcomes to be obtained, and a plan for statistical assessment of the results. Highlight the novelty of the proposed research and describe how it will address an issue relevant to the goals of this program and/or lead to a new line of research and new funding applications. Your attachment can be a maximum of five pages for this section, not including references and any figures or tables included in an Appendix.
C. Funding Requested
Total funding will not exceed $10,000.
Costs of travel, meetings, entertainment and publications/presentations are not eligible for funding.
We will assume that there is no financial overlap of current or proposed funding with the current proposal, but if there is an appearance of such overlap, indicate in detail on a separate page why the requested funding is not redundant with available funding and is required for the project. Failure to provide sufficient detail may delay review of the proposal.
Total Funding Requested:Detailed Budget and Justification:
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D. Investigators
Briefly explain the role of each investigator:
PI/EA/Co-I? / Name: / Role:Attachment
For each established investigator on the proposal, provide the following information: name; degrees and training (dates and institutions); current position; awards/honours; number of total lifetime publications by category (peer-reviewed journal publications, book chapters, books, published abstracts, presentations); a list of these for the last five calendar years, including original authorship, title and a full bibliographic reference; current research funding and funding applied for. Use the web-based Common CV to generate this information in CIHR CV format.
People With Lived Experience Research Fund ApplicationAugust 2015 version / Page 1 of 9