DBT-CIHR Call for Applications: Supporting the Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative

Deadline: 18 October 2016

The Department of Biotechnology and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research together invite applications from eligible entities for the Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative, a priority-driven collaborative initiative.

The goal of HeLTI is to generate evidence that will inform national policy and decision-making in India, Canada and other participating countries for the improvement of health and mitigation of the risks of NCDs, with an emphasis on obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes throughout the lifespan.

Thematic Areas

Applications to evaluate interventions along the continuum of care from pre-conception to pregnancy, infancy and childhood must include:

Reduction of prevalence of obesity, adiposity and metabolic markers indicating risk of future cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other NCDs.
Interventions addressing other risk factors for NCDs will be considered in addition to obesity, adiposity and metabolic markers.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

Through the Cohort Leadership Team, the Indian and Canadian investigators will:
- Develop a linked DOHaD intervention-risk cohort composed of a representative sample of the target population in India, including recruitment of women both preconception and during pregnancy, their infants, as well as the fathers;
- Develop and conduct implementation and also evaluate implemented interventions for and with women and men preconception, during pregnancy and for infants during the postnatal period that are designed to substantially reduce the prevalence of NCDs in children and adolescents;
- Conduct evaluation and mechanistic studies that will explain the effect of the selected interventions on outcomes, including economic analyses of interventions;
As part of the international HeLTI initiative, develop international multi-country, multi- disciplinary, cross-site collaborations that will provide a learning platform and training environment for new investigators and/or early career stage researchers, support data interoperability and improve harmonization practices
Generate evidence that will guide policy and other decision-making in the near term through an assessment of retrospective interventions, and identify opportunities for future research and interventions as part of a longer-term strategy for NCD prevention;
Improve health outcomes, particularly related to women and men’s health preconception, during pregnancy, early life and childhood by targeting early exposures and early development, to have a significant impact on long term health outcomes.

Funds Available

The total amount available in India for this funding opportunity is 118,650,000 INR
The maximum amount per Indian grant is 23,730,000 INR per year for up to five (5) years.
This funding may be renewable.
The total amount available in Canada for this funding opportunity is $2,535,000
The maximum amount per Canadian grant is $ 500,000 per year for up to five (5) years. This funding may be renewable
An amount of $35 000 is available from CIHR to Canadian applicants at LOI stage. This grant is provided for activities related to the development of the full application, including the participation of the proposed Cohort Leadership Team to a Strengthening Workshop.

Eligibility Criteria

India-based Applicants
- Principal Applicant with at least 1-2 co-principal applicants must be well established, independent researchers in a faculty position or employed by a university, science council, research institute or a government approved not-for-profit research institution in India and must be Indian citizens.
- For profit institutions and organizations are NOT eligible to apply.
- The Indian team of investigators must have
  - Maternal and/or Child health intervention research skills & experience
  - Track record in recruiting and following cohorts of children with minimal loss to follow up.
  - Expertise in research related to growth, metabolism, obesity and NCDs.
- The Indian team must have access to
  - Field sites (preferentially 2-3 sites in different parts of India) with population in which childhood obesity/metabolic fitness are issues of public health concern
  - Supportive research infrastructure such as field offices & data management facilities.
- Collaboration between teams of investigators at different field sites is encouraged.
- Canada-based Applicants
  - Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding programs apply. The business office of the institution of an eligible Nominated Principal Applicant generally administers CIHR funds.
  - The Nominated Principal Applicant must be an independent researcher registered at a Canadian eligible institution.
  - At least one other team member must be from a different discipline than that of the NPA and must be an independent researcher.
  - At least one other team member must be a knowledge user, preferably a policy maker at the national level.