CIRN Membership

OBJECTIVES/RATIONALE

The objective of the CIRN Membership Policy is to support the commitment of members to the organization, provide consistency in the requirements for CIRN membership across the sub-networks, and enhance transparency, fairness, and cohesiveness. The policy will ensure the CIRN Management Committee as well as other CIRN committees are able to apply consistent eligibility criteria for CIRN operating grants and traineeships.

This policy applies to all CIRN Members (see definitions below).

CIRN MEMBERS

Membership in CIRN provides opportunities to collaborate and connect with a diverse group of infectious disease/vaccinology/public health experts across Canada, including  researchers at all career stages, policy-makers, trainees (undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical students and postgraduate clinical trainees), and highly qualified personnel (HQP). Being a CIRN member affords researchers prioritization and eligibility for funding, access to the CIRN AGM and other knowledge translation activities. Additionally, CIRN Trainee members benefit from networking opportunities, participation in a vaccinology-based curriculum, and the opportunity to present their work to a large group of senior researchers, policy-makers, and fellow trainees through various knowledge translation events.

As a network, maintaining an inclusive philosophy helps CIRN support its mandate of training the next generation of vaccine researchers to ensure the sustainability of both CIRN and the vaccine research enterprise in Canada. Criteria for membership shall be reassessed by the CIRN Management Committee every two years to to ensure they are appropriate and sufficiently inclusive.

A CIRN Member has a commitment to conducting, collaborating on, and/or supporting research to advance our understanding of the use of vaccines to improve human health, with a focus on Canadian health priorities.  A member is defined as any individual who has met the following one or more criteria:

  • Participating in one of CIRN’s eight sub-networks by: attending sub-network meetings, attending the CIRN Annual General Meeting (AGM), participating as a Principal Investigator (PI), Co-Investigator (Co-I), collaborator, trainee, or Knowledge User on a CIRN project, and/or supervising a CIRN Trainee
  • Participating on a CIRN committee
  • Participating in CIRN’s Training and Education Seminar Series either through attendance or as presenting faculty

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES

Investigator: Investigators (PIs) must have an appointment at an eligible institution that allows them to hold grants.

Trainee: Undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical students and postgraduate clinical trainees holding a CIRN scholarship, or other funding source to undertake research related to one of CIRN’s six priority research areas1.

Knowledge User/Public Health Practitioner: Individuals who are likely to be able to use CIRN research results to make informed decisions about health policies, programs and/or practices.

BECOMING A MEMBER

To become a CIRN member, individuals must be endorsed by a CIRN sub-network Co-Lead or one of CIRN’s four Champions. Applicants must submit an application form, along with a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Biosketch (or other curriculum vitae) with an endorsement email from the relevant network Co-Lead to be considered. The application form can be found here. The CIRN Management Committee will review applications on a quarterly basis, and membership will be granted by 2/3 vote.

1Priority Research Areas

  1. Developing methodologies to test vaccines in areas such as short- and long-term safety, effectiveness and protection
  2. Rapid evaluation of vaccine candidates for safety and immunogenicity in persons of all ages
  3. Evaluating vaccine safety (including adverse events following immunization) and effectiveness through population health research, including in priority populations1, following release for general use
  4. Evaluating current immunization programs and policies for accessibility, coverage and effectiveness in Canada
  5. 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
  6. Modelling and economic analyses, to support the roll-out of vaccines and public health immunization strategies