CIRN 2024 Call for Proposals
Background
Established in 2013, the Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN) is a national network of vaccine and immunization researchers established to create research infrastructure to respond to infectious disease threats, to develop and test methodologies, and conduct applied research related to the evaluation of vaccines and immunization programs. The network focuses on vaccine safety, immunogenicity and effectiveness, and immunization program implementation and evaluation.
Funded through the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and administered through CIHR, CIRN was awarded $15,000,000 over the next 5 years (2024-2029) for the following research priority areas to be addressed by CIRN’s sub-networks.
Priority Research Areas
- Developing methodologies to test vaccines in areas such as short- and long-term safety, effectiveness and protection
- Rapid evaluation of vaccine candidates for safety and immunogenicity in persons of all ages
- Evaluating vaccine safety (including adverse events following immunization) and effectiveness through population health research, including in priority populations1, following release for general use
- Evaluating current immunization programs and policies for accessibility, coverage and effectiveness in Canada
- Research on interventions to improve vaccine acceptance and uptake, and address science of misinformation and disinformation, including consideration of priority populations and priority research projects to inform current and future public health policy
- Modelling and economic analyses, to support the roll-out of vaccines and public health immunization strategies
1Priority populations in this context includes Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), persons with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups, and members of LGBTQ2+ communities.
The following additional resources were provided to the CIRN Management Committee from our key stakeholders for the 2024 call for proposals:
2024-2026 National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) Workplan
CIRN Sub-Networks
Canadian National Vaccine Safety (CANVAS) Network: uses web-based vaccinee self-reported surveys to collect information about whether health events occur after receiving newly approved vaccines. Unlike other vaccine safety surveillance systems, CANVAS methodology incorporates an unvaccinated control group, which enables the detection of safety signals. CANVAS will be addressing priority areas 1 and 3 and is not seeking project proposals.
Clinical Trials Network (CTN): conducts both traditional and rapid clinical trials in the general population and specialized groups with a focus on safety, immunogenicity, and mechanisms of immunity. CTN maintains readiness to conduct controlled prospective clinical trials of novel vaccines for public health emergencies and trials to address priority knowledge gaps for immunization decision making, as identified by public health partners. CTN will be addressing priorities 1 and 2, and is seeking new project proposals to address these areas.
Serious Outcomes Surveillance (SOS) Network: conducts active surveillance for broadly defined acute respiratory illness at hospital sites in four Canadian provinces (Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta).
Real-world Evidence for Vaccines using Existing Data (REVivED) Network (formerly the Provincial Collaborative Network): uses routinely collected health administrative, laboratory, vaccination, and other “big” data to conduct population-based assessments of real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE), safety, coverage, and program impact to ensure vaccine programs achieve their intended goals of preventing disease and reducing health inequities. For this project call, REVivED does not have funds available for individual investigator-initiated projects, as the funding envelope is being reserved to establish analytic infrastructure in provinces that have robust and accessible data holdings. Decisions regarding which projects will be pursued will be determined through a separate consultative process between members of the REVivED network, the REVivED Cross-Provincial Leadership Group, and the REVivED Advisory Group (comprising federal/provincial/ territorial immunization advisory groups/decision-makers). CIRN members who are primarily affiliated with other networks may propose cross-network projects using REVivED infrastructure by either contacting the REVivED Cross-Provincial Leadership Group to determine the appropriateness of their project for their inclusion in the aforementioned consultative process or by submitting a proposal to the general CIRN funding call (in which case, the projects will need to receive funding from the budgets that have been allocated to their respective networks).
Social Sciences and Humanities Network (SSHN): assesses evolving drivers of vaccine acceptance and uptake and identifies effective approaches to improve vaccine confidence and coverage, focusing on populations that have experienced inequitable health outcomes due to structural, social, behavioral, and biomedical determinants of health. SSHN will be addressing priority area 5 and is seeking new project proposals from CIRN members to meet this priority area.
Special Immunization Clinic (SIC) Network: aims to advance knowledge of safety of revaccination in patients with Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFIs) following established and new vaccines (e.g., RSV), and optimize immunization practices for immunocompromised populations. SIC will be addressing priority areas 1 and 3 and is seeking new project proposals from CIRN members to address these priority areas.
Modelling and Economics Research Network (ModERN): conducts epidemiological analyses, mathematical modelling, and economic analyses to study the cost-effectiveness and population-level effectiveness of public health interventions. ModERN will be addressing project area 6 and is seeking new proposals from CIRN members to meet this priority area.
Immunity of Canadians and risk of epidemics (iCARE) and Laboratory Science (iCLS) Network (formerly Reference Laboratory Network [RLN]): conducts vaccine research to provide evidence for local, provincial, territorial and federal policy-makers, and manages the sample archive comprising sera and other biological material collected in CIRN studies in order to keep them accessible for future studies. iCLS will be seeking new proposals that address priority areas 2, 4, and 6.
Eligibility
Principal Investigators (PIs) must have an appointment at an eligible institution that allows them to hold grants.
PIs must be a CIRN member and affiliated with a CIRN sub-network focused on their research priority area. For proponents new to CIRN, the membership process must be initiated prior to the LOI submission.
PIs are encouraged to discuss project ideas/proposals with the relevant sub-network prior to submission.
PIs and project team members must complete the CIHR Certificate of Completion for the sex-and gender-based analysis training modules prior to submitting an LOI. The certificate of completion must be submitted with the LOI to be considered.
Projects may be submitted as one year or two year projects.
Key Dates
The following dates will be used for the 2023 project selection:
| Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline |
Invitation Notice to Submit Full Proposal | Full Proposal Deadline | Notification of Successful Project Applications |
Funding Start Date of New Projects |
| September 30, 2024 | October 21, 2024 | December 13, 2024 | February 24, 2025 | April 1, 2025 |
How to Apply
Please carefully review the information above before applying. If applicants have any questions related to their application, they are encouraged to contact the CIRN Network Management Office by email: cirn@iwk.nshealth.ca
Send completed LOI form and all necessary attachments to CIRN NMO by 11:59pm local time on September 30, 2024. Submissions may be in English or French. Late applications will not be considered.
Application Review Process
Letters of intent will be reviewed and prioritized based on their integration with CIRN sub-networks, how they propose to address the priority areas, public health importance, and the funding envelope available for each sub-network/priority area. CIRN members who are ECRs or new investigators to CIRN (PI on <=2 proposals previously) and projects from CIRN members already affiliated with sub-networks will be given priority. Successful Investigators will be invited to submit a full project proposal (a template for the proposal will be provided to successful LOI proponents), which will include a one-page cover sheet, six pages describing the project (which includes a section on Knowledge Translation and EDIA). Additionally, applicants will be asked to include a detailed budget and budget justification. Project proposals will be reviewed/recommended for funding by an Independent Peer Review Committee, with final funding decisions being made by the CIRN Management Committee.