UTOPIAN Project Selection Criteria

Criteria
Project Importance: The project should represent an important family medicine or primary health care question(s) that is currently being faced by clinicians and/or their patients. It should have the potential to improve patient health and/or health services. Clear justification is provided for the importance of the question (e.g. incidence, prevalence, costs etc.).
Methodological Quality: Where a credible methodological review has been completed by a scientific peer committee(e.g. by CIHR) and the project is in a fundable range, the project will be scored in the excellent/outstanding range. If the project has not had a credible review completed, then a formal review must be completed[1].
Project Feasibility: The project should be feasible in terms of the methods being appropriate for the question(s), the proposed recruitment, timeline, having proposed sufficient funds (and other resources) to successfully complete the project and be ethically sound (ethics approval process must be identified).
Study Team: The project must include a DFCM faculty member within an experienced study team (appropriate research training, experience and productivity). The DFCM faculty members’ roles must be clearly described. The study team is appropriate in terms of its complementarity and expertise to successfully complete the project as proposed. Each participating study site must have a DFCM Co-Investigator as part of the study team. The project must have the potential for DFCM faculty to have one or more peer-reviewed publications which meet the authorship requirements of ICMJE.
Increased Research Capacity for the DFCM: The proposed research team and research environment (e.g. staff and infrastructure) should encourage quality mentorship opportunities. The project will usually include diverse sites; be relevant and of benefit to participating sites; and the benefits to the sites for participating/collaborating must be clearly stated.
Translation of Knowledge Into Practice: The project should include a plan for integrated KT where stakeholders and/or potential knowledge users are engaged in the entire research process as well as appropriate end-of-grant KT, which includes providing feedback to each participating site.
Potential to Contribute to the DFCM’s Research Reputation: The project should have the potential to contribute to the DFCM’s international and/or national reputation for conducting family medicine/primary care research.

Lay abstract (max 250 words)

List of acronyms used in the application

UTOPIAN Project Application Form

Principal Applicant(s):

Mailing address:

Co-Applicant(s):

Project Title:

Location(s) where the research will be conducted:

Has this project been funded already?Yes □No □

If yes, funding agency:

If no, what are the potential funding sources:

Is there industrial funding and/or any commercial involvement? Yes □ No □

If yes, describe:

Is this research to be carried out as a contractYes □ No □

If yes, append a copy of the agreement with this application.

Has this project undergone scientific peer-review?Yes □ No □

If yes, describe:

Has this study received REBapproval?Yes □ No □

If yes, provide approval letter with this application.

Research question(s) and rationale for doing the study; study population:
Methods (describe all procedures; sources of data, and analysis plan):
Project feasibility:
Outcome(s) to be measured:
Experience of applicants with this type of research and their roles (identify which applicants are DFCM faculty members):
Project Start and End Dates: Start date: dd/mm/year End date: dd/mm/year
Project Timeline:
Budget and Justification:
UTOPIAN involvement in the project (support requested):
Date first discussed with UTOPIAN administrator:
Which DFCM teaching sites (number and details if known):
How many practices/offices:
How many patients to be recruited:
Over what time period:
Overall request for facilitator hours and/or any other support:
Payment for services to UTOPIAN: Y/N
If yes, please elaborate on funds available:
If no, please justify:
If this is a pilot/feasibility study, what is the target for main grant application (source and timeline).
Signature of Principal Applicant: ______Date: ______
Signature of Department Chief/Division Director: ______Date: ______

[1]Where the applicants are unable to obtain peer review this will be provided by members of the UTOPIAN Scientific advisory Cttee.