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Frequently Asked Questions - Seed/Bridge Fund

Who can apply?
Funding parameters
Application process
Reporting
Questions

WHO CAN APPLY?

Who is eligible to apply for a grant from the Seed/Bridge Fund?

The "Principal Applicant" for the Seed/Bridge Fund grant must be a service provider, administrator, or researcher working with clients of the Ministry or in partnership with programs and services offered by the Ministry of Seniors and Community Supports, (see http://www.seniors.gov.ab.ca/ for a list of their programs and services), and contracted services through community agencies.

Can I conduct my research/evaluation project on my own or do I need to partner with someone?

Project teams are encouraged, where appropriate, to be multi-disclipinary and multi-sectoral, and to be comprised of a service provider or decision/policy-maker and a community partner (e.g., seniors or persons with disabilities, community organizations), and have sufficient research expertise. These partners are listed as "Project Partners" on your Application Form.

FUNDING PARAMETERS

Where can I find the guidelines for the Seed/Bridge Fund?

Grant Details and Guidelines are available here.

What's the maximum amount awarded?

$25,000

How long do I have to complete my project?

Projects must be completed and reporting submitted within two years of the project start date.

What types of research/evaluation questions are allowed?

The purpose of the Seed/Bridge Fund is to financially support the startup of research/evaluation projects (often in the pilot stage), or the transition of research/evaluation projects into their next phase (e.g., to cover funding gaps). In some circumstances, this grant may also be used to fund literature reviews and syntheses.

Projects must be focused on research or evaluation, be related to mental health or mental well-being, and fall under one of the six domains of interest. The target population of the project must be either or both seniors and persons with disabilities.

Some examples of questions for Seed/Bridge Fund projects are listed in Appendix A or the Grant Details and Guidelines. These examples may help gide applicants in developing their projects. Questions not included in the Appendix are also eligible for funding.

What are the six domains of interest?

Independent living: Supports and barriers
Employment
Early identification and prevention: Protective and risk factors
Poly-pharmacy: Risks associated with using several medications
Strength-based approaches
System capability to respond to those with complex needs

What is the difference between Seed and Bridge Funding?

Seed funding is intended to stimulate research and provide funding to allow researchers/practitioners to gather initial information/data to explore potential areas of research and innovation. Bridge funding is intended to facilitate or enable projects to move from one stage of funding to another stage or level of funding.

In both instances (Seed or Bridge), this funding is intended to connect to or result in other projects as part of a larger research endeavour. This includes, for example, pilot projects where further phases are expected or anticipated. Alternatively, it may also include moving forward an existing evaluation or project to another level of research. All applicants must demonstrate and describe how this project relates to previous or subsequent projects.

Can I use the funding to implement an innovative new program or intervention?

No. The grant funding is to used strictly for research/evaluation. A full list of exlusionary criteria can be foudn in the Grant Details and Guidelines.

Can I use a portion of the grant towards cover-off time?

Yes, in some circumstances the grant may be used for cover-off purposes to allow practitioners/service providers to dedicate some of their time to the project. Cover-off refers to using project funds to support the time (including partial amounts of time) of a Principal Applicant or team members in order to complete the project (i.e., time release). This must be explicitly acknowledged in a letter of support from your organization and/or supervisor.

Please note: Academic researchers may not use the grant for cover-off purposes.

Can other sources of funding be used in combination with the Ideas Fund grant to conduct my research/evaluation project?

Yes. However, these sources must be listed in your application.

When will funds be disbursed (what is the project start date)?

Projects may begin once the Grant Agreement has been signed. It is anticipated that Grant Agreements will be drafted in Fall 2010 and projects will begin in January 2011.

APPLICATION PROCESS

What do I need to submit in my application package?

Your application package should consist of:

- A completed Seed/Bridge Fund Application Form

- A Project Plan

- All other appendices

How do I submit an application?

You will need to submit your application package by email to Corrina Pasarica as well as four hard copies by mail or courier. The mailing address is available in the Grant Details and Guidelines.

Will I receive confirmation that you have received my application?

You will receive an email confirmation of your application submission. If you do not receive confirmation within 2 business days of submitting your application, please contact Corrina Pasarica.

What is the deadline for submitting my application?

The deadline for submitting your application package (electronic and hard copies) is 4:00pm on September 10, 2010.

Who reviews my application?

Applications under the Seed/Bridge Fund will be reviewed by an Applied Advisory Panel for merit and feasibility. This Panel will include practitioners from the Ministry of Seniors and Community Supports and members of the CRGI Project Steering Committee.

The guidelines state that I will need to complete the ARECCI Ethics Screening Tool as part of my application. What is the ARECCI tool and where can I find it?

The Alberta Research Ethics Community Consensus Initiative (ARECCI) Ethics Screening Tool will help you to determine whether the project qualifies as research,evaluation, or quality improvement, and to evaluate the potential level of risk to participants. This tool will take approximately 10 - 20 minutes for the Principal Applicant to complete. The results of the ARECCI tool should be printed off and appended to your application.

What do I do if the Ethics Screening Tool indicates that my project should go through an ethics review?

The results of the Ethics Screening Tool may indicate that you require a review. If you are a successful applicant and are offered a grant, the ethics review will be required before a contract is signed and any funds are disbursed.

Are there any other ethics related requirements for my application?

It is the responsibility of all applicants to ensure that they comply with local and/or organizational policies regarding administrative or ethical approval to conduct research within the organization where the project occurs.

In addition to completing the ARECCI tool described above, you must describe in your Project Plan how ethical consideration will be addressed throughout the project, such as informed consent, recruitment, privacy and confidentiality (e.g., security of data, access to results), and broadly ensuring risks to participants are proactively managed.

Who do I contact if I have any ethics-related questions?

You may contact Linda Barett-Smith, Manager of Research Ethics Initiatives at the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. You may contact Linda by email or phone (780-423-5727).

REPORTING

Are there templates that I can use for reporting?

Reporting requirements are outlined in the Grant Details and Guidelines. Templates will be provided to successful applicants.

Will my report(s) be made public?

Portions of, or the entire report(s), maybe made public through our Research Partnership Program website (www.mentalhealthresearch.ca).

QUESTIONS

Who can I contact if I have questions?

Corrina Pasarica, Administrative Assistant for the Alberta Addiction and Mental Health Research Partnership Program, is the contact person for this initiative. She can be reached by phone (780-342-8820 or 780-427-0116) or email.