Format:

• Investigators are invited to submit a 4-page proposal (max 10,000 characters) (hypothesis, research methods, feasibility considerations, anticipated results, budget).
• The proposed project needs to be feasible to be conducted within a 12-month period (a possible extension to 18 months can be considered with justification).
• The proposals will be evaluated by grant review panel
• The top 1-2 ranked applicants will be invited to present their proposal at the annual Summit meeting.
• The final winner(s) of the award will be announced at the Summit reception

Grant review panel:

• The grant panel will consist of clinical, translational, scientists and biostatisticians using a standard grant rubric followed by a panel discussion and ranking.
• Selected leaders in the field will be invited to be part of the grant panel with the intention of escalating the mentoring networking opportunities for the investigators.
• The grant review panel will collate questions where relevant and share with the investigators during QA with the intention of providing feedback, maximizing quality, feasibility and impact of the proposed project. Where time permits, the audience will be invited to pose questions as well.
• Award recipients are expected to provide Progress report at 6 months, and 2. a written report at 1 year. We aim to post the publications on the Leaders’ Summit website. Presentation of findings at a subsequent Leaders’ Summit is strongly encouraged.

Investigator Eligibility:

• At least one early career researcher (resident, fellow, post doc or an early investigator within 3 years of first appointment) is strongly recommended. A designated senior career investigator who will serve as the mentor is also strongly encouraged as part of the research team. In general, the senior investigator is someone with a proven track record who is willing to provide mentorship in terms of research grant preparation and research conduct. Both early career and senior investigator need to have a primary academic affiliation in Canada.
• Early career Principal Investigator is encouraged.
• Multidisciplinary and cross institutional teams are encouraged.