In an effort to keep Ontario’s physicians and the general public more informed about PSI Foundation, we will be providing quarterly updates about our activities and news. This is the first such update, and we hope it is useful in keeping up to date with our activities. We welcome any feedback you may have about these updates.
The second quarter has been a busy one at PSI Foundation, starting with the annual general meeting (AGM) in April to announcing new grants and funding opportunities in June. Read on to find out more about our activities.
Annual General Meeting focused on knowledge translation
This year’s AGM was held on April 26 in Toronto, and it included continuing education and the business meeting. The continuing education portion of the meeting focused on knowledge translation (KT) and included presentations from leaders in the field and former recipients of the PSI Foundation Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship. Attendees also participated in round table discussions related to overcoming barriers to implementing KT in their institutions.
During the business meeting, representatives from PSI’s Board provided updates from the various committees, presented a history of the Foundation and its successes, and updated attendees on plans related to PSI’s 50th anniversary.
Seven new grants approved in June 2019
PSI Foundation is investing a total of $683,000 in seven new grants, which were approved at the June 2019 grants committee meeting.
The new grants, awarded to researchers at institutions in Ottawa and Toronto, represent a range of research types and fields, for example the physical and mental health of children with medical conditions and disabilities, pregnancy and parental leave of women physicians, and immune system response to oncolytic virus infection of colorectal tumours. Congratulations to all of the successful researchers! Read more about the new grants.
The Grants Committee thanks all of the applicants and external reviewers for their time and expertise during this process.
PSI Health Research Grants enhanced
Starting with submissions received as of January 2020, PSI Foundation is raising the amount of funding available for Health Research Grants, from $200,000 over two years to $250,000 over three years. We are very happy to increase the support for our researchers with this enhancement. More information is available here.
Fellowship funding opportunities for 2020 announced
Two of PSI’s annual fellowship programs will soon be accepting applications for 2020.
The Research Trainee Fellowship provides $50,000 over two years to medical doctors enrolled in a PhD or MSc program, or to students enrolled in a combined MD/PhD or MD/MSc program. This fellowship is meant to support MDs who are pursuing research in clinically relevant fields. Applicants must have the support of a mentor and of their institution.
The Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship provides a maximum of $300,000 over two or three years to support a new investigator who is working in KT research, and it is meant to protect at least half of the fellow’s time for such research. Applicants must be within the first five years of their academic appointment, or may be practising physicians either with an academic appointment or working with a supervisor who has an academic appointment.
Researchers or physicians who are interested in applying must work with the research office at their institution, as the institution, not the individual, must submit the application. If you have questions or would like more information about either program, please contact the PSI Foundation office.
PSI Foundation’s 50th anniversary preparations underway
PSI Foundation will be marking our 50th anniversary on June 4, 2020, and we have a variety of activities planned to celebrate this milestone. We will share details over the coming months, but for now, we are pleased to announce two one-time funding opportunities.
The Mental Health Knowledge Translation Fellowship will provide up to $300,000 in funding over two or three years to support a new investigator working in KT specifically related to mental health. For a number of years, mental health research was outside the scope of PSI Foundation’s mandate, but recently it has been included in the primary Health Research Funding program. This new fellowship is specifically earmarked for mental health research. The funding is meant for physicians within the first 10 years of an academic appointment, or for practising physicians with an academic appointment or with a supervisor who has an academic appointment, and it will protect at least 50% of their time to do KT research related to mental health. Please contact the PSI Foundation office with questions or for more information.
In addition, a Mid-Career Clinical Research Award will provide up to $300,000 in funding over three or four years for a clinician-researcher between five and 15 years of their first academic appointment. This award recognizes that this phase of a researcher’s career is particularly challenging, with additional academic roles and responsibilities as well as the ongoing clinical work, and it will protect at least 50% of a recipient’s time for research that aligns with PSI Foundation priorities. Those who are interested in applying for this one-time opportunity should contact the research office at their institution, as applications must be sent by the institution, not the applicant.
Contact
Please contact the PSI Foundation office for information about any of these topics, and follow us on Twitter (@PSIFoundation) for updates.
