CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award

The first launch of the CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence (REDI; pronounced "ready") Early Career Transition Award (2022) will facilitate the transition of promising researchers who self-identify as Black^c (any gender) or racialized^dwomen^e into independent research faculty positions in Canadian academic, health system and research institutions. Applicants may be post-doctoral researchers, clinicians, or research associates. Racialized women and Black people are among the most underrepresented in science and medicine faculties in Canadian academic institutions, have the highest unemployment rates compared to non-racialized professors, and encounter systemic barriers, discrimination, and inequity within academia.

The CIHR REDI Award Program aligns with Government of Canada and Tri-agency priorities to address systemic racism, sexism, and discrimination in Canadian institutions through an intersectional lens, tackle systemic barriers that limit the full participation of all talented individuals, and increase equitable and inclusive participation in the research system. It also reflects the commitment of CIHR and partners to foster a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive research funding system.

CIHR plans to relaunch this program in future years with each round of CIHR REDI Early Career Transition Awards open to specific underrepresented groups, recognizing existing inequitable systems produce different impacts and outcomes for different groups of people. Future competitions will benefit from the early learnings of the 2022 funding opportunity, community consultations, and the continued accrual of self-identification data from Canadian academic, health systems and research institutions.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

1. Promote research independence and academic research career readiness of highly qualified post-doctoral researchers, clinicians and PhD-holding research associates belonging to specific underrepresented groups;
2. Increase the number of funded researchers from specific underrepresented groups conducting excellent research who secure their first independent research faculty position in a Canadian academic, health system or research institution; and
3. Provide funded researchers from specific underrepresented groups with early career support to enhance their probability of future success in obtaining independent research funding and launching successful research faculty careers in Canada that will contribute to the creation and/or use of health-related knowledge to improve the health of Canadians.

Eligibility

CIHR's position on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is available in the Tri Agency Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

For an application to be eligible all the requirements stated below must be met: 

1. The NPA must self identify with at least one of the following groups:
   • Racialized* women
   • Black people
     Note: In relation to these criteria, eligibility will be determined using the response(s) provided in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Self-identification Questionnaire. Given that this Funding Opportunity is only open to specific populations, selecting "I prefer not to answer" to one or more of the questions relating to these criteria will prevent your candidacy from being considered. For additional information, please see the FAQ.
   Note: *In this funding opportunity, the term "racialized" is used as an alternative to "visible minorities," as used in the Employment Equity Act and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Self-identification Questionnaire.
2. The NPA must be a trainee by the Funding Start Date and, specifically, one of the following:
   • A PhD-holding post-doctoral researcher at a CIHR eligible academic institution, health system or research institution.
   • A clinician holding an MD, DVM, DDS or a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree-holding allied health professional in either a post-doctoral position, or a faculty position denoting independence in clinical responsibilities but not in research, at a CIHR eligible academic institution, health system or research institution.
   • A research associate or equivalent who is a PhD-holding researcher employed at a CIHR eligible academic institution, health system or research institution.
   Note: For the purposes of this funding opportunity, the NPA cannot hold, or be on leave from, an independent researcher position. NPAs who are uncertain of their eligibility as it relates to their employment or appointment (e.g., those with a PhD or equivalent research doctoral degree who are not in a post-doctoral training position at the time of application) are strongly encouraged to email CIHR Contact Centre at support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca to confirm their eligibility as a trainee prior to preparing their application.
3. The NPA can be a Canadian citizen*, permanent resident*, or a citizen of another country**.
   Notes:
   *NPAs with Canadian citizenship or permanent residency are eligible to hold their Phase 1 awards outside or inside Canada. For Phase 2, refer to the Supplementary Information for Phase 2 of the CIHR REDI Early Career Transition Award.
   **NPAs who are neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents are only eligible to hold their Phase 1 award in Canada.
4. The Primary Mentor must be an independent researcher with an academic appointment and be either the NPA's current supervisor or a principal investigator who will function as the NPA's Primary Mentor for their Phase 1 REDI project. Additional mentors do not need to hold an academic appointment.
5. The NPA must have successfully completed one of the sex- and gender-based analysis online training modules through the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health. A Certificate of Completion must be included in the application (see How to Apply). Select and complete the training module most applicable to your research project.
6. For applications focusing on Indigenous Health and/or involving Indigenous Peoples:
   • the NPA must provide evidence of having meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples (see How to Apply).
   • the Primary Mentor must self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) and/or provide evidence of having meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples (see How to Apply).

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