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CCS partner prevention research grants

  1. Home
  2. Research
  3. For researchers
  4. Current funding opportunities
  5. CCS partner prevention research grants

Please see the eligibility and requirements section prior to creating an application.

Deadline dates

As announced

LOI due date: TBD
LOI results: TBD
Full application due date: TBD
Results announcement: TBD
Anticipated start date: TBD

Application guides can be found on the EGrAMS documentation for applicants page.

Program description

CCS-Partner Prevention Research Grants have been created to support investigators who approach research in key prevention and risk reduction areas by working together with the Canadian Cancer Society in such a way that the end result will have high potential to inform and influence policy and practice directions at the Society. A central focus of this program is the requirement that investigators work collaboratively with representative(s) of the Society and clearly describe how the proposed research will address key cancer prevention and/or risk reduction priorities to influence its programs, activities, and/or public policy work. It is also expected that this program will help to build the community and sustainability of the program of research being developed must contain a training component. 

Prevention programs will focus on research that reduces the risk of cancer. The Society recognizes that in order to change the risk profile, prevention research can be accomplished anywhere along the research continuum from identifying factors that affect the risk of developing cancer at an individual or population level to interventions that lead to action for well-established risk factors (i.e. change in policy or practice).

Applications are invited for epidemiological, laboratory-based, social science, policy, health promotion and health services research that are relevant to the CCS and are aimed at addressing important questions related to cancer prevention and risk reduction that will have a clear impact on reducing the incidence of cancer for Canadians.

Priority areas identified by the Society include, but are not limited to:

  • tobacco control
  • occupational and environmental carcinogens (O&E)
  • UV radiation exposure
  • healthy eating and physical activity
  • screening
  • health economics and health systems related to cancer prevention

Examples of projects that may be appropriate for this grant program include, but are not limited to:

  • the translation of research findings into cancer prevention programs or policy work and their application
  • identification of new approaches to address disease burden and risk assessment
  • effecting measurable changes in cancer-protective behaviours, environmental or occupational exposures
  • effecting measurable changes in intermediate end-points
  • improving understanding of the barriers to prevention and/or limitations in prevention research
  • creating evidence-based health policy recommendations relevant to cancer prevention
  • translation of basic research findings from cancer etiology and gene-based studies to interventions for risk reduction and cancer prevention

Scientific focus of the program

This grant program is designed to primarily support research programs that will have an evaluable impact on cancer prevention through the program and policy work of the Canadian Cancer Society.

The research proposal must include:

  • a plan to partner with the Canadian Cancer Society to address the Society’s key cancer prevention and risk reduction priorities
  • a knowledge translation plan to effectively disseminate lessons learned from the research both within and beyond the CCS
  • a training component to help build capacity in cancer prevention research and CCS partnerships within Canada

Canadian Cancer Society Partner

Each application must include partner(s) from the Canadian Cancer Society who will be integrally involved in formulating the research agenda, providing input into the development of the research, disseminating findings, and applying the outcomes of the research within the program and policy work of the Society. Proposed projects must have a clear link with the Society to develop collaborative proposals that will influence the Society’s work and facilitate the transfer of knowledge between the research findings and CCS program delivery and/or policy advocacy work.

Determining the Society staff that should be involved in the work will depend on the nature of the proposal. For example, Society staff could work in the areas of prevention, communications, advocacy or program services.

Examples of Society staff roles include, but are not limited to:

  • providing input into the development of the research and determining the priorities for the research study
  • leveraging evidence-based resources to inform and strengthen the Society’s cancer prevention programs and services
  • developing a collaborative and coordinated framework to increase evidence-based practices
  • developing knowledge user receptor capacity in collaborative cancer prevention research
  • working with researchers to engage with physicians and key policy makers
  • assisting with the development of materials and strategies for knowledge transfer
  • assisting in participant recruitment for focus groups and interviews
  • translating research findings to public health practice and policy

The partnership must expand beyond dissemination of research outcomes.

Investigators may propose additional collaborations with other research institutions and/or partnerships with other agencies and community groups, as appropriate.

Researchers are encouraged to identify potential CCS partners themselves, or for help to form potential CCS-partnerships, please email research@cancer.ca. Please provide a brief description of your project and the envisioned CCS-Partner role to assist us in providing suggestions.

The CCS partnership does not need to be finalized for the Letter of Intent application

Funds available

It is anticipated that this competition will be offered as announced and that up to 2 grants will be awarded each competition.

Budgets available are up to $200,000 per year, to a maximum of $800,000 per grant and requests must be appropriate given the work proposed. The grant term is up to 4 years. Grants are renewable.

Funding will be provided to support the direct costs of research, including supplies, expenses, wages and equipment associated with the proposed work. Indirect costs will not be considered eligible expenses. Equipment requests cannot exceed 25% of requested budget

Peer review

There will be a two stage application and review process. Applicants will be required to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) and only selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application. One or more multidisciplinary peer review committee(s) will be assembled to review the LOIs and full applications. Peer review committee(s) will consist of scientific, policy and practice experts and practitioners as appropriate, depending on the scope of the submitted applications, along with community representatives to provide patient/survivor/care giver perspectives.

LOI review criteria

The LOI’s will be reviewed for relevancy to the grant program and scientific merit. Applicants should note that the LOI review may result in applications being triaged.

Letter of Intent (LOI)

There is a limit of one grant application per Principal/Co-Principal Investigator in a competition. Only one CCS-Partner Prevention Research Grant can be held at a time by a Principal/Co-Principal Investigator.

The LOI submission will require the following:

  1. a responsiveness statement which addresses the appropriateness of the application to this funding opportunity
  2. a scientific abstract
  3. up to 3 pages of figures/tables/charts and associated legends
  4. a summary of the grant (maximum of 4 pages, single-spaced) including the following:
    • the specific research question(s) to be addressed
    • background and scientific rationale
    • research design and methodology
    • the proposed linkage with the Canadian Cancer Society program and policy priorities and a knowledge translation plan
  5. a preliminary budget (annual amounts only) including other funding sources required
  6. the names and CVs of the Principal Investigator/Co-Principal Investigator(s) including the key CCS staff if known.
  7. the names of suggested reviewers/exclusions

Please note that changes to the applicant list after the LOI deadline are permitted, but must be provided to the Society as soon as they are determined.

Full application

Successful LOI applicants will be invited to submit full proposals.

When preparing the full application, the following information will be required. Specific guidelines for the online application are available.

  1. as part of the public (non-scientific) summary, a cancer relevance statement clearly describing the potential of this project to impact cancer control
  2. a scientific abstract (the abstract can be updated from the LOI submission)
  3. a detailed scientific proposal clearly stating the aims of the project including any previous work done in the area, experimental design, methods and analysis. Details of the investigator(s) including which member(s) of the research team will be responsible for which aspect of the project and a rationale for their inclusion in the program are required, as well as a description of the research environment where the work will take place, a clear description of the collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Society and the roles within the program, relevance of the program to cancer prevention and the mission of the Canadian Cancer Society including the evaluable impact the research results will have on the CCS’ efforts to reduce the burden of cancer or the advancement of cancer prevention research, a plan to assess the impact of the program on cancer prevention/risk reduction should be described, a detailed description of the actual products expected to result from the program, a detailed plan for the dissemination of the research findings beyond scientific publication, including a knowledge translation strategy which should include partnerships with program delivery, policy and/or advocacy experts from the Canadian Cancer Society. The proposal will contain no more than 10 pages of single spaced text. In addition, 5 pages of data figures/tables/charts and their associated legends are allowed. 
  4. a letter from the CCS partner
  5. a budget justification related to the supplies, equipment and personnel associated with the research project. This must include the number of personnel required to complete the work and a description of their experience and/or education level and their commitment to the project.

Full application review criteria

The review criteria will include, but not be limited to, five assessment categories: Research Strategy, Investigator(s), Environment, Cancer Relevance, and Integration with the Canadian Cancer Society.  

Research strategy

  • the relevance to the risk reduction and prevention priority areas identified by the Canadian Cancer Society
  • the scientific merit of the research in preventing cancer incidence
  • appropriateness of the proposal to the funding opportunity
  • appropriateness of the term and amount of support requested
Investigator(s)
  • the qualifications and experience of the investigators
Environment
  • quality of the environment in which the work will take place
Cancer relevance
  • potential impact on cancer prevention and risk reduction
  • demonstration that the program will contribute to the body of knowledge around cancer prevention and risk reduction and/or have an evaluable impact on moving the field forward
Integration with the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS Partnership rating scale)
  • the degree to which the proposed research is integrated with the Society including the extent to which the Society is involved and committed to formulating the research agenda, providing input into the development of the research, disseminating findings, and applying the outcomes of the research to the Society’s work, as appropriate

Multiple applications/multiple sources of funding

It is understood that applications may also be made to other agencies to provide support for grants/programs similar to those submitted to the CCS. The onus is on the applicant to indicate the extent (or absence) of overlap. Grantees can accept funds from other sources, up to the CCS grant panel recommended amount.

Applicants are reminded to review the eligibility and requirements section for details on scientific and financial reporting, funder acknowledgement, Canadian Cancer Society policies on open access and tobacco related funding.