Media Backgrounder – Researcher-Clinician Partnership Program


We are not sure if our innovation qualifies. Who can we contact for more information? Where can I learn more about CABHI?

Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CABHI)
Baycrest Health Sciences
3500 Bathurst Street Toronto, ON M6A 2E1
Email: info@cabhi.com
www.cabhi.com

Who are health service providers?

Health service providers include (but are not limited to) family health teams, community care providers, long-term care homes, independent and assisted living facilities, regional health authorities, and hospitals.

Who are considered as Clinicians for this program?

A clinician is a health care professional that works as a primary care giver of patients in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, clinic, or patient’s home. A clinician diagnoses and treats patients. Clinicians take comprehensive exams to be licensed and some complete graduate degrees in their field of expertise, and a clinician must follow evidence-based best-practices and other professional codes of conduct set by laws and professional governing bodies. For example, clinicians may include dentists, mental health counselors, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, radiographers, occupational therapists, optometrists, physical therapists, physicians, podiatrists, psychologists, registered dieticians, speech language pathologists, orthopedists, respiratory therapists.

Who are considered as Researchers for this program?

A researcher is an individual who:

  • is autonomous regarding their research activities; and
  • has an academic or research appointment which:
    • must commence by the effective date of funding; and
    • allows the individual to pursue the proposed research project, to engage in independent research activities for the entire duration of the funding, to supervise trainees, and to publish the research results; and
    • obliges the individual to conform to institutional regulations concerning the conduct of research, the supervision of trainees, and the employment conditions of staff paid with CABHI funding.

Why should I apply to the RCP2?

RCP2 provides an opportunity to bring clinicians and researchers together to work as a team to accelerate promising solutions for aging and brain health.

RCP2 supports collaborative teams of clinicians and researchers to refine, test, validate, and disseminate their innovative solutions in real-world settings.

By participating in this program, innovators can obtain evidence that their solution is clinically, technically, commercially and operationally feasible, and thus have the potential to be implemented with system-wide impact.

What support does CABHI offer to projects selected for the RCP2 Program?

 CABHI will provide funding of eligible project costs, to a maximum of CAD $600,000, and will provide project support, advice, and guidance.

What are CABHI’s expectations from applicants?

Applicants must have prior experience in leading evidence-based implementation initiatives, preferably in developing and implementing aging and brain health related clinical solutions or practices that have demonstrated improvements in outcomes, effectiveness, quality of aging and brain health and in testing solutions for this purpose. Selected applicants will be expected to:

  • Provide regular updates and reports to the CABHI project lead.
  • Ensure necessary resources are allocated to the project to drive consistency in outcomes and make necessary funds available.
  • Ensure engagement and participation from staff within the Host Institution.
  • Allocate time for staff to participate in project implementation at the trial partner site.

Identify a Host Institution (health service provider or research organization) that will support the implementation of the project and if possible, also provide cash and/or in-kind funding for the project costs.

What are the RCP2 selection criteria?

The solutions offered align with one or more of the following CABHI innovation themes:

  • Emergency Department Visits: Solutions that avoid or reduce unnecessary emergency department visits for older adults living with dementia.
  • Falls Prevention: Solutions that prevent falls, or mitigate injury due to falls in older adults with dementia.
  • Aging at Home: Solutions for better management of complex chronic conditions for older adults with dementia living at home.
  • Cognitive Fitness: Solutions that improve brain health or cognitive fitness in older adults.
  • The solution offered is not at an idea, concept, or at the prototype stage; solution offered is at an advanced stage, appropriate for user testing and validation.
  • The solution has evidence of future scalability to provide system-wide impact, and is clinically, technically, commercially and operationally feasible to implement.

CABHI will not participate in initiatives that involve basic fundamental research, academic- oriented goals, pharmaceutical clinical trials, or incubators for start-ups.

What does advanced stage of development with promising scalability mean?

Applications should describe early evidence that validates the efficacy or effectiveness of the proposed innovative solution (product, service, or practice).

Applications must also demonstrate that the proposed implementation methodology stands a good chance of success in a real world setting based on previous successful implementation of similar methodologies.

RCP2 program funds products or services in which development stage?

According to the Technology Readiness Levels developed to evaluate the maturity of goods and/or services for the Build in Canada Innovation Program, innovations must score TRL 7, 8 or 9.

Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) are a measure to evaluate the maturity of an evolving innovation. (https://buyandsell.gc.ca/initiatives-and-programs/build-in-canada-innovation-program-bcip/program-specifics/technology-readiness-levels).

At which stage is my clinical practice research eligible for RCP2 funding?

The clinical and translational science spectrum represents each stage of research along the path from the biological basis of health and disease to interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. The spectrum is not linear or unidirectional; each stage builds upon and informs the others. https://ncats.nih.gov/files/translation-factsheet.pdf

  • Clinical practice research that is at either stage T2, T3, or T4 will be eligible for funding:
  • T2 research yields knowledge about the efficacy of the interventions in optimal settings. Exemplified by Phase 2 & 3 clinical trials.
    • T3 research yields knowledge about how interventions work in real world settings.

Exemplified by:

  • Phase 4 Clinical Trials
  • Health Services Research (Dissemination, Communication, Implementation)
  • Clinical Outcomes Research
  • T4 research ultimately results in improved global health.

Exemplified by:

    • Population-Level Outcome Studies
    • Social Determinants of Health

(The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Centre. Harvard Catalyst.)

Which expenses are eligible for reimbursement by CABHI under this program?

Refer to RCP2 – Eligible Expenses Guideline.

Can I view the template of the full online application form before I am notified if my application has been shortlisted?

Yes, a template of the full online application form is available in PDF format.

This document is intended for those who wish to begin to prepare their application in advance of being invited to submit the full online Application Form.  However, only those applicants who are selected will be invited to complete and submit a full application form using a secure online form

Is a PDF version of the Call for Innovations available?

Yes, view the PDF version of the Call for Innovations.

What happens if my application is selected?

An agreement will be established between CABHI, the Host Institution, and any other Signatory (or Signatories). The Host Institution in turn will coordinate with other project partner organizations, if applicable, to clarify roles and responsibilities, expectations and deliverables, budget and project timelines. It is expected that the agreement will be signed by August 31, 2017.

What are some common pitfalls to avoid when applying?

Pay special attention to the following points when submitting your application:

  • Ensure that the offered solution addresses at least one of the four innovation themes.
  • Ensure that the solution offered is at an advanced stage, appropriate for user testing and validation. The solution offered must not be at an idea, concept, or at the prototype stage.
  • Ensure that the Host Institution (health service provider or research organization) represented in the application is sufficiently resourced to sustain the project work and expense for the full 12 to 18 month project timeline.

Are there any fees for submitting an application?

There are no fees for submitting an application to the RCP2 Program.

-30-

The Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) is a solution accelerator for the aging and brain health sector— we work with innovators to provide funding and support to develop, test, and disseminate new ideas and technologies that address unmet brain health and seniors’ care needs. Operating through a combination of government investment and charitable contributions, CABHI is a unique collaboration of health care, science, industry, not-for-profit and government partners whose aim is to help improve quality of life for the world’s aging population. For more information on CABHI, please visit: www.cabhi.com.

About Baycrest Health Sciences: Baycrest Health Sciences is a global leader in geriatric residential living, healthcare, research, innovation and education, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides excellent care for older adults combined with an extensive clinical training program for the next generation of healthcare professionals and one of the world’s top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, the Rotman Research Institute. Baycrest is home to the federally and provincially-funded Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, a solution accelerator focused on driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector, and is the developer of Cogniciti – a free online memory assessment for Canadians 40+ who are concerned about their memory. Through its dedicated centres, the organization offers unmatched global knowledge exchange and commercialization capacity. Founded in 1918 as the Jewish Home for Aged, Baycrest continues to embrace the long-standing tradition of all great Jewish healthcare institutions to improve the well-being of people in their local communities and around the globe. For more information please visit: www.baycrest.org

Media Contact:

Arielle Zomer, Senior Communications Specialist, CABHI, 416-785-2500 ext. 6086, azomer@baycrest.org

Jonathan MacIndoe, Senior Communications Specialist, Baycrest Health Sciences, 416-785-2500, ext. 6579, jmacindoe@baycrest.org