PDF version of Application Guidelines available here.

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For Clinical (Trial) Research Professionals (CRPs*) who are guided by one or more aspects of the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and have a background in health sciences, nursing, pharmacy, medical technology, health record management, statistics, data monitoring, education, contracts/legal or other relevant areas.

 

*A CRP may be an individual who is involved in any aspect of conducting clinical trials or related clinical research. Examples are: Clinical research administrator, data manager, clinical research pharmacist, clinical research assistant / associate, clinical research or trial coordinator, clinical trial manager, clinical trial educator, quality assurance specialist or manager, clinical trial regulatory affairs specialist or manager, research nurse, study coordinators, correlatives studies specialist, and research assistants.

 

For Early Career Researchers / Investigators (ECR‡ ) https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/34190.html#r6

 

‡An early career researcher/investigator is a new faculty member within 0-10 years of the date of their first independent research activities OR a transitioning faculty member from clinician teacher to clinician investigator. ECRs have to be on faculty at an academic institution in Canada in order to qualify. ECRs are guided the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and are working in clinical research and clinical trials.

 

This competition is intended for CRPs and ECRs currently employed at CAN-TAP-TALENT affiliated public academic institutions, research centers, research institutes, regional health authorities, not-for-profit organizations, and other publicly funded healthcare institutions in Canada. Employees from and internships with industry and for-profit organizations are not eligible for this competition. All internships must take place at Canadian institutions.

 

An overall yearly allocation of 6 CRP Internship Awards ($15,000 each) and 8 ECR Awards ($20,000) across Canada, up to a total of $250,000.

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Competition timeline: Applications are accepted starting April 8th, 2024 until May 31st, 2024.

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Review Process: An internal CAN-TAP-TALENT review committee will review the submissions.

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Announcements: The results will be announced and a Letter of Offer will be sent to the applicant by June 2024. The start of the programs will be between July 2024 and commence no later than 31 December 2024.

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Duration:

• Option 1, over one year, funding to support secondment salary:

  • Number of hours (ex. 1 day per week, justified in the application) of protected time (time outside of clinical duties) for the applicant to be involved in clinical trial activities, and to receive training, experience and mentorship from faculty within a clinical trial department or group;

• Option 2, over one year, funding to support on-site visit and in-person exchange at a selected public academic institution for a number of days/weeks (justified in the application);

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Funding Date: As early as July 1, 2024 with a start date no later than 31 December 2024. The letter of offer will sign by CAN-TAP-TALENT and the home institution of the Applicant’s supervisor. The full stipend will be transferred to the applicant’s home institution by October 31st, 2024.

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Funding amount for CRPs: Up to $15,000 per CRP, funded by CAN-TAP-TALENT, to be paid to the academic institution / Research Centers / Institutes / regional health authorities employing and supporting the applicants. This internship award may be combined with other awards as an incentive, up to a combined maximum stipend allowed by the institution, partnering co-funders, and the funding conditions of other awards held by the applicant.

 

NOTE: The duration of the award is not fixed as it will depend on the salary, travel costs, and related expenses as described in the submitted budget justification.

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Use of funds: The following are allowable expenses: Protection of Time (i) secondment salary; (ii) travel expenses; (iii) accommodation expenses; and (iv) per diem.

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Partnering Clinical Trial Training Platform: Clinical Trial Training Program (CTTP) CANTRAIN (wecantrain.ca) and CAN-TAP-TALENT (cantaptalent.ca) for Clinical Trials Training Support

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Eligibility requirements: See above*. Open to various groups of health research professionals and early career investigators who are involved in any aspect of conducting clinical trials or related clinical research, in public academic or health care institutions and/or non-for-profit organizations, which research/trials include the analysis of clinical trial samples and/or data analysis. At the time of funding, applicants must be a Canadian resident or permanent resident or hold a valid Canadian work permit. For this competition, applicants from private and for-profit organizations are excluded.

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PLEASE NOTE: The program considers the need for capacity building across Canada and aims to support the full and fair participation of all members of the clinical trial community through consideration of barriers experienced by underrepresented groups, with respect to EDI principles. (https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/52543.html).

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Mandatory requirements: In addition to the time spent on the internship, the successful Applicant will be required to complete part of the CAN-TAP-TALENT/CANTRAIN Clinical Trials Training Program: (i) The Orientation Level and (ii) the Mandatory Regulatory Compliance Level BEFORE the start of the Internship. Alongside the internship (over one year), the Applicant is also to complete the (iii) Common Core Foundation Level and (iv) subsequent levels based on the Applicant’s expertise. Those Levels are composed of knowledge-based learning modules and competency/experiential-based mentorship webinars.

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Intended tangible outcomes and expectations: At the end of the funding period, the successful applicant will have completed:

• Obtained the certified training in (i) Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP), (ii) Health Canada Division 5 and (iii) TCPS-2, as required for mandatory regulatory compliance modules;

• Acquired further knowledge of the regulations and practices around clinical trials, based on the modular curriculum provided through CAN-TAP-TALENT/CANTRAIN and clinical trials programs when applicable, and

• Participated in either individual or group mentoring experiences required by CAN-TAP-TALENT Communities of Practice and/or Mentorship Program;

• Acquired specific expertise from the site the Applicant is visiting;

• A final one-page report for reporting purposes to CIHR.

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APPLICATION CHECKLIST:

The application must include the items listed below that shall be filled up in the portal or uploaded via the portal online. No more than 2 pages in length for each item.

1. Personal statement from the Applicant;

2. SIGNED Letter of support by the Department Head or Direct Supervisor of the Applicant’s home institution. (Requirement: Must be on the Applicant’s home Institution Letterhead)

3. Applicant regular CV or CCV* from https://ccv-cvc.ca/ *Funding Source (select): Common CV *CV Type (select): Full CV​​

4. Description of the proposed internship;

5. SIGNED Letter of invitation/support from the institution leadership that will host the Applicant and be accountable for welcoming the Applicant; NOTE: If you are having any issue identifying a welcoming site, contact CAN-TAP-TALENT (E: info@cantaptalent.ca ) to discuss a list of welcoming sites which have been in operation for at least 3 years and which includes clinical research/trials expertise

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Document Format:

• PDF format (the only authorized format);

• 8 1⁄2 in x 11 in (216 mm x 279 mm), i.e. “Letter” size;

• All margins: Minimum 2 cm;

• Font: Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri (12 points);

• Single spaced;

• Inscribed in the header of each of the above documents:

  • Last name of the Applicant,

  • First name of the Applicant,

  • Name of the Institution from where the Applicant is applying from.

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APPLICATION DETAILS:

1. Personal statement from the Applicant. No more than two (2) pages. An opportunity to complement your CV, to include the following elements:

• Briefly describe how your project and internship is related to your current work as a Clinical Research Professional (CRP) or Early Career Researcher (ECR):

• Briefly describe why the Clinical Trial Training Program (CTTP) you selected is of interest to you and how you expect to benefit from this training experience;

• Describe your current training environment and supervisory support;

• Describe your professional, academic, and extracurricular experiences/achievements and how they will contribute to your training success;

• Outline your career goals and describe how the award would help to support your pursuit of these goals;

• If applicable, reflect on barriers that you yourself as a member of an underrepresented group in science or research have experienced thus far and ways that you have sought to overcome these barriers. Explain how this award will support you to address and overcome barriers relative to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA/IDEA)?

 

2. ​​​SIGNED Letter of support by the Department Head or Direct Supervisor of the Applicant’s home institution. Requirement: This letter should include the elements listed below. No more than two (2) pages.

• In what capacity you know the applicant and how long has the applicant worked at the institution?

• In what capacity the applicant will benefit from this internship/practicum/protection of time?

• Applicant’s performance and experience, strengths/weaknesses;

• How will this experience contribute to the career or individual growth of the applicant;

• Describe the training environment at your institution for the applicant and how your current training environment supports the applicant’s proposed project and personal goals;

• Provide justification of the projected use of funding – define the specifics relate to protected time;

 

3. Applicant Curriculum Vitae (CV) or full academic CCV. Make sure your CV or CCV include:

• Degrees;

• Application_Guidelines_2024-04-04

• All relevant clinical research activities, for example the number of various clinical trials in which you have participated;

• List of publications, presentations, abstracts (poster versus oral presentations at local, provincial, national, international venues), the establishment of dataset(s), intellectual property, commercialization activities/participation in start-ups.

• If a CCV* from https://ccv-cvc.ca/

  • *Funding Source (select): CIHR CV, *CV Type (select): Biosketch

 

NOTE: If you have alternative achievements in addition to traditional academic achievements, please list and describe them (up to 2 additional pages’ space in the submission portal). Visit: Declarations of Research Assessment (DORA; https://sfdora.org/).

 

4. Proposed internship. Requirement: The project description must include the elements listed below. No more than 2 pages in length.

• Enumerate and briefly elaborate your practicum goals/objectives:

• Impact and Expected Outcomes. Elaborate expected results, deliverables and dissemination plan for your proposed project;

• Feasibility and timelines. Demonstrate scientific and technical feasibility of additional skill development during the internship (e.g., recruitment of patients, acquisition of data, biostatistics, access to necessary equipment, etc.). Identify potential limitations and describe mitigation strategies. Describe timelines and milestones. Where the proposed project relies on existing resources (e.g., databases, established research infrastructure, equipment), describe the availability of these resources at the hosting institution where you will conduct the internship;

• Define your role during the internship at the welcoming / host Institution;

 

5. Letter of invitation/support SIGNED by the leadership of the Institution that will host and be accountable for welcoming the Applicant. Examples: Director of the site, Clinical Department or Clinical Trial (Research) Unit (CTU) of the welcoming Institution. The welcoming site must have been in operation for at least 3 years and which includes clinical research / trials expertise. Requirement: The letter must be on the host institution Letterhead and no more than 2 pages in length.

• Provide details about the site, Clinical Department or CTU welcoming the Applicant.

  • What type of research or clinical trials do you conduct;

  • What type of training do you provide with your own personnel;

• This letter must include the name and contact information of the hosting supervisor-mentor;

• The site, Clinical Department or CTU must have a minimum 3 years of active clinical trials’ operations;

 

NOTE: If you have difficulties in identifying a welcoming site, communicate by e-mail (info@cantaptalent.ca) with CAN-TAP-TALENT to discuss a list of welcoming sites which have been in operation for at least 3 years and which includes clinical research/trials expertise.

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A CONFIRMATION OF RECEIPT. A confirmation e-mail will be sent within 72 hours of the application submission. A separate email will be sent upon receipt of both letters of support/letters of reference.

 

If a CONFIRMATION Application_Guidelines_2024-04-04 OF RECEIPT email is NOT received, the onus is on the individual applying to follow up with info@cantaptalent.ca to ensure that the parts were received. We want to ensure that all applications submitted are received; we appreciate your assistance with this process.

 

If you have any questions about the submission process, the application portal, and required documents related to the application for CAN-TAP-TALENT, please contact:

 

Questions to: info@cantaptalent.ca or jasmine.grant@uhn.ca

 

ONLINE submission portal: https://airtable.com/applU5j4gdQXj7bSh/shr4kx7MmyuiqxqGY

 

The applicant can ONLY submit one APPLICATION to one Clinical Trials Training Platform (CTTP)

 

NOTE: Applicants and their host institutions will be required to complete two post-internship reports: (i) One within 30 days of completing the internship and (ii) a survey one year later.