Team Grants: Policy Research for Health System Transformation

1. Purpose

This funding opportunity supports Policy Research for Health System Transformation grants, including retrospective policy evaluations or prospective policy development/implementation, that generate evidence to inform macro-level policies to support high-performing health care and public health systems in Canada with the aim of advancing the Quadruple Aim – improved population health outcomes, better patient and provider experience, and increased value – and health equity (sometimes referred to as the Quintuple Aim). In addition, it will provide support for a supplemental knowledge mobilization synthesis project to coordinate and lead a synthesis of the policy research approaches used by the policy research teams, of the policy issues and of their findings/options, to support learning across all teams.

Policy research is useful both retrospectively to understand the impacts of policy changes and past policy successes, failures, harms, and unintended consequences, and prospectively to inform an improved future with evidence-informed and contextualized policy options and/or implementation. Health policy research may draw upon new and/or existing research and harness a variety of theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, including qualitative research, quantitative research, mixed methods research, a variety of methodologies (e.g., statistical analysis, case studies, key informant interviews, patient-oriented research [POR], polling, survey research, economic evaluation, policy trials, etc.), and comparative research to learn from other approaches and experience.The funding opportunity’s ultimate aim is to provide policymakers timely, accessible, relevant and solution-oriented evidence and policy options to advance the Quadruple Aim goals and health equity, and to support high-performing health care and public health systems in Canada.

2. Objectives

This funding opportunity is expected to :

• Support policy research on how changes and/or different approaches to the financing, funding, organization, governance and/or delivery of health care systems and/or services and public health systems and/or services can impact the Quadruple Aim and health equity;
• Advance the methods and/or measurement approaches for health policy research
  Mobilize diverse methodologies, multiple disciplines and perspectives, and knowledge mobilization approaches to generate evidence that is relevant and useful for policymakers;
• Provide policy makers with evidence-informed policy options and considerations for implementation to support high-performing health care and public health systems that advance the Quadruple Aim and health equity;
• Foster the creation of new or strengthening of existing partnerships and collaborations between researchers, policymakers and knowledge users with lived experience to align research with policy priorities and work together in pursuit of evidence-informed health systems transformation.

3. Research Areas

This funding opportunity will support applications relevant to the objectives and any of the following research areas:

4. Program Eligibility for Quebec applicants

In addition to complying with all CIHR rules for this program, eligible Quebec researchers wishing to apply must comply with  FRQ Common General Rules. Here are few highlights of the eligibility:

A maximum sum of $125,000 is available from the FRQS in the form of co-funding with CIHR, subject to the following conditions:

• The relevant applications are in the CIHR-IHSPR, CIHR-ICR and/or CIHR-IPPH pools
• The Principal Investigator of Quebec (NPA or PA) is based in a eligible Quebec institution/entity and from status 1 or 2 of the Common General Rules.
• The Quebec-based eligible PKU (Principal Knowledge User) participates as a co-candidate and cannot receive funding from FRQS. Refer to RGC statuses 4 a), b) and c) for eligibility details.
• All FRQS funds must remain in the province of Quebec to support the research activities.
• The Principal Investigator in Quebec is required to provide FRQS with a financial report each year, according to the FRQ Common general rules. FRQS will provide additional details at the funding start date.
• The FRQS reserves the right to request any additional or complementary information related to the project granted.
• Basic research ethics training is mandatory for all recipients of an FRQS grant when their part of research project involve human beings. Quebec researchers on the project must therefore successfully complete levels 1 and 3 of MSSS Ethics online training by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. Post-doctorates on the project are also strongly encouraged to complete this training.

5. Documents

ATTENTION: No form or document is to be sent to the FRQS as part of this collaborative program. All additional requests and documents for the program must be submitted to CIHR according to their procedure on ResearchNet portal.

Additional information will be requested for Quebec researchers selected during the FRQS award procedure.

N.B. : Eligibility for the program will be jointly coordinated between the CIHR and the FRQS for all Quebec researchers wishing to apply.