Pilot Project Development and Funding Process

CANNeCTIN's priorities are to support high-quality, collaborative, multi-centre projects that have the potential to expand nationally/internationally and ultimately secure external funding. CANNeCTIN supports selected pilot projects through both the provision of coordination support from the Population Health Research Institute at no cost to the pilot study investigators, and through the allocation of funding up to a maximum of $100,000 in Year 1 and $50,000 in Year 2 of the award. 

Process for Development of Pilot Projects

Initial Phase - Working Group Discussion and Development

• A 2-4 page Pilot Project Outline Form of the proposed project must be submitted to the most appropriate CANNeCTIN Working Group. Proposals received by the CANNeCTIN Coordinating Centre or Operations Committee will be re-directed to the appropriate Working Group. Outlines may be submitted at any time during the year. It is expected that projects will be reviewed for their fit with CANNeCTIN's goals and objectives, and further developed and refined through collaborative discussions within the Working Group members. At a minimum, outlines are expected to address the following: study rationale, design, number of sites/patients, collaborators, and timelines.

• Strong preference will be given to proposals that include:
  • Multi-centre projects
  • Clear plans to secure additional/matching funding for the pilot project
  • Plans for expansion to a full-scale study if the pilot is successful
  • Opportunities for mentoring junior investigators

Funding Phase - Operations and Steering Committee Review

• CANNeCTIN will review projects for funding and/or PHRI coordination support in 1-2 competitions each year.
• Only projects invited by a Working Group to apply will be considered for funding/support. It is expected that Working Groups will recommend 1-2 pilot projects per round. 
• Invited submissions will be reviewed by the CANNeCTIN Steering Committee. The proposal will be assigned to a primary and a secondary reviewer member of the Steering Committee, neither of whom is a member of the Working Group which has made the recommendation.
• Final support decisions will be made by the CANNeCTIN Operations Committee, in consultation with PHRI, to ensure feasibility and sufficient capacity. It is expected that CANNeCTIN will be able to support about 5-6 new pilot studies each year.

A PDF version of these guidelines is available here.