CIHR Team Grant: Embracing Diversity to Achieve Precision and Health Equity – LOI
Well-being, Health and Biomedical Discovery
Deadlines
Academic Unit: inquire with unit
Memorial Deadline: RIS review not required for Letter of Intent
External Deadline: Thursday 1st, February 2024
Description
In the past few decades, there have been tremendous improvements in the fields of therapeutics, genomics, immunology, multi-omics, gut microbiome, epigenetics, and virology, along with the rise of big data science, computational biology, and artificial intelligence. In addition, the evolution of evidence-based medicine, or the systematic application of scientific evidence into clinical practice, has resulted in more rigorous approaches to assessing evidence and more effective application in clinical settings.
However, it is increasingly clear that one-size-fits-all approaches to disease diagnosis, care, treatment, and prevention have limited effectiveness1. Heterogeneity exists at the individual and population level with regards to biological, genetic, molecular, structural, systemic, and environmental determinants of health, as well as aging, which significantly impact the maintenance of health, the prevention of disease, and the effectiveness of diagnostic tools and treatments.
According to data from the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS), 44% of adults (20 years and older; from 2015-2016 data2) and 73% of seniors (65 years and older; from 2016-2017 data3 reported having at least 1 of 10 common chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. In Canada, 1 in 3 people live with diabetes or prediabetes; 1 in 10 are affected by kidney disease; 1 in 5 have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or metabolic (dysfunction) associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD); and 1 in 4 have obesity. In addition, Canada has one of the highest rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the world. Understanding diversity and heterogeneity can lead to more precise prevention and treatment approaches for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which are the leading cause of death worldwide and represent an emerging global health threat4. It is also imperative to ensure diversity is considered in developing approaches for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, such as HIV and sexually transmitted and blood borne diseases (STBBI), as the impacts are often disproportionate amongst diverse populations and co-morbidities with NCD further impact health outcomes for chronic infections.
In October 2022, the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD) held a virtual workshop entitled “Heterogeneity in Nutrition and Metabolic Health” that brought together researchers and other stakeholders to: (1) define the scientific opportunities, research gaps and priorities related to heterogeneity in nutrition and metabolic health; and (2) identify the Canadian strengths that could be leveraged to support a strategic research initiative on heterogeneity in nutrition and metabolic health. A number of representatives from other CIHR institutes and external partners participated. Applicants are highly encouraged to review the summary of this Workshop posted on the INMD website.
Overview of the Funding Opportunity
The Team Grants: Embracing Diversity to Achieve Precision and Increase Health Equity aims to inspire a paradigm shift in health research whereby biological, behavioural, social and environmental diversity and structural determinants of health are considered and integrated. This approach will lead to a better understanding of how individuals stay healthy and help develop effective interventions and policies to improve the health of all people in Canada. This funding opportunity emphasizes health equity and inclusion of a diversity of populations who have historically experienced inequitable health outcomes in Canada.
This funding opportunity is composed of two types of grants:
- Research Teams (RT) Grants
- Knowledge Mobilization (KM) Hub Supplement (KMH)
See ResearchNet for more information
| Competition | Letter of Intent (202402EDL) | Full Application (202410EDA) |
|---|---|---|
| Application Deadline | 2024-02-01 | 2024-10-22 |