Eligibility
Applicants:
- Principal investigator is a novice or emerging Alberta investigator with no more than five years research experience. Principal investigators who do not hold a regular university appointment should normally have a co-applicant with such an appointment. Post-doctoral fellows and graduate students are not eligible. Preference will be given to principal investigators who do not already hold external salary awards for research or major research grants.
- Studies must focus on health services or population health research in Alberta. The description of these two research areas outlined by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) will be used. Please see the links from CIHR http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13787.html and http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13948.html. Studies that involve health investigators and populations beyond the cities of Edmonton and Calgary, including rural Alberta, are encouraged.
- In order to enhance the practical application of the research, the principal investigator must involve a user of research as a co-applicant (e.g. health service or population health manager or decision maker, practitioner group). Researchers are encouraged to include people with lived experience on the research team.
Summary
The MSI Foundation is a research granting charitable organization which has supported more than 300 investigators over the past 50 years, many of whom have made significant contributions to health research in the province of Alberta. For the 2024 year, the Board of Trustees will continue to support novice or emerging investigators in the field of health services and population health research (similar to CIHR pillar 3 or 4). Projects also require a co-applicant who is a user of research. The Foundation is committing $300,000 to $350,000 per year to this initiative. The value of an award is up to $50,000.00 per year for a maximum of two years.
Since 2010 the MSI Foundation has awarded grants to 67 new investigators, often as their first substantial peer- reviewed grant. On average we receive 40 Letters of Intent per year, select 15 for full applications and fund 5-7 projects. A range of health disciplines and wide variety of projects have been supported as indicated on our website.
Letters of Intent
Projects must be conducted in Alberta and directed toward “promoting matters of health in the best interests of the people of Alberta”. We are inviting Letters of Intent, describing the research project. From these letters, a number of investigators will be invited to develop full applications. These applications will undergo peer review for selection and funding.