Ministry of Health Research Seed Grant Program

For an application to be considered, the proposal must meet the following minimum requirements:

1. The principal applicant must be a faculty member at UBC Vancouver or UBC Okanagan (see the FAQs for more information).
2. The proposed project must directly address one of the Ministry of Health research questions.

Applications that meet the above minimum eligibility requirements will be evaluated based on the following differentiating criteria:

• Demonstrated research experience and expertise of team members
• Quality, excellence, and rigour of the proposed research
• Feasibility of the proposed research
• Alignment and responsiveness to Ministry of Health questions
• Capacity and preparedness to collaborate with Ministry of Health knowledge users
• Capacity and planning for health research knowledge translation (including the likelihood of generating post-funding outcomes)
• Evidence of equity, diversity, and inclusion with respect to the research design and research team

A review committee convened by UBC Health will evaluate the proposals and recommend proposal selection and prioritization to the Associate Vice-President, Health. Upon approval, the Ministry of Health will review the recommendations and make the final decision.

Population grouping and segmentation includes developing methods to assign each person to a group/segment based on their overall health status. Most groups include sub-categories to differentiate relative needs and distinguish between healthy users of the system (e.g., healthy newborns) and users with higher service needs (e.g., newborns with an extremely low birth weight). However, for mothers in the obstetrics group/segment there are no sub-categories.

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Complex Care Housing (CCH) is intended to serve adults nineteen and older who have significant mental health, substance use, or concurrent mental health and substance use issues, as well as functional needs related to acquired brain injury, chronic illness, or physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities. Due to concurrent health needs, these individuals often experience homelessness, are unstably housed or at risk of homelessness, or are “living” in acute care or transitional bed-based services without a home to go to.

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Sublocade® is a slow-release injectable form of buprenorphine administered monthly that has been shown to be more protective against overdose than other forms of Opioid Agonist Therapy. However, uptake of the medication has been low in correctional settings and following release to community. Contingency management is a type of behavioral therapy that offers rewards or reinforcement for positive behavioral changes. Contingency management has been shown to be highly effective in substance use settings.

1. How do community pharmacists in British Columbia deliver non-pharmacologic nicotine cessation support to individuals who smoke and/or vape?
2. What factors hinder or facilitate their ability to provide this support to those who wish to stop or reduce smoking and/or vaping?
3. How do these factors vary across different client groups, including Indigenous populations, vulnerable populations (e.g. those living with mental health and substance use disorders), and people residing in rural communities?

1. What factors influence the utilization of community pharmacist support for nicotine cessation among people who smoke and/or vape in British Columbia? Specifically, what factors hinder or facilitate:
   • access to pharmacologic (e.g., nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline, bupropion) and non-pharmacologic support (e.g., direct counselling, referral to other services); and
   • adherence to pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic support?
2. How do access and adherence to BC’s Smoking Cessation Program through community pharmacy differ among different populations (i.e. Indigenous clients, vulnerable populations, and those residing in rural communities)?

Who is eligible to apply?
Faculty members who hold a tenure-stream position at UBC, including Professors, Associate Professors, Instructors, Senior Instructors, and Professors of Teaching, are eligible to apply as the primary applicant. Those with term appointments or affiliations with UBC (including Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Instructors, Senior Instructors, Professors of Teaching, Adjunct Professors, Clinical Faculty, Honorary and Partner Faculty, and Research Associates) are also eligible to apply, provided that they have written approval from the appropriate UBC Department Head and Dean. Written approval must be submitted alongside the application. Students and visiting scholars are not eligible to apply.

Do I need to include a reference list with my application?
Consistent with the character limits, extensive referencing is not required for the application. Key references may be cited within the character limits or be included as in-text citations in APA style (i.e., first author last name, publication year). While this is not an expectation or requirement, applicants may submit a reference list by email as a PDF before the submission deadline.

Do I need to complete a Research Project Information Form (RPIF) before I submit my application?
No. This process will begin after the review committee funding recommendations are approved. However, funds will not be distributed until research ethics approval is granted, if required.

Can the funding be used to fund an existing project, or must the research be entirely new?
Funding can support the addition of a new piece of work to an existing study or project, such as adding a new module to a pre-existing planned survey. However, it cannot be used to fund a piece of work that was already funded and/or in progress but contains no new components.

When will the Full Application Form be available?
The Full Application Form will be accessible through the SM Apply portal once applicants are shortlisted. Applicants will then be able to view, complete, and submit the Form. The 2023 Full Application Form can be viewed here. Please note that there may be updates or changes to the 2024 Form.

If invited during the Notice of Intent stage, what specific information are project teams expected to bring to the consultation with the Ministry of Health?
Teams should be prepared to provide a high-level description of the project they are proposing, including highlighting if they suggest any deviations from the topic or scope proposed in the question or set of questions. They should also include any questions for the Ministry and an outline of any key supports they will require from the Ministry to complete the project.

Is the selection process different if I have an existing relationship or collaboration with the Ministry of Health? 
No, all eligible applications will be considered regardless of prior relationships or collaborations with the Ministry of Health. An existing relationship or collaboration does not guarantee project funding. In past competitions, both new and existing collaborations have been funded. Capacity and preparedness to collaborate with Ministry of Health knowledge users will be assessed alongside other criteria during the review process. 

What kind of support will the Ministry of Health provide during the research project?
Typically, the Ministry’s role is to explain how they hope to use the research and, therefore, what aspects of the question(s) they hope it will address. However, additional support may be requested or provided. Some examples include helping to connect researchers with health authority or agency contacts and facilitating connections with other teams and resources doing related work.

What are the expectations of knowledge mobilization activities related to funded projects?
Applicants will be assessed on their team’s capacity and planning for health research knowledge translation, including the likelihood of generating post-funding outcomes. The Ministry and UBC Health are supportive of external knowledge mobilization efforts. Teams can contact UBC Health to coordinate. Internal (Ministry-focused) knowledge mobilization activities may include presenting to the Ministry’s knowledge exchange (a large group of Ministry staff from a variety of areas), presenting to specific groups within the Ministry, or developing resources to help policymakers understand and use the results.

Why does the application portal and application correspondence refer to the UBC Faculty of Medicine?
The application portal for this program (Survey Monkey Apply) is hosted by UBC's Faculty of Medicine (FoM) Digital Solutions, and you may receive automated emails from them. However, this program is administered by UBC Health. All correspondence should be directed to Aoife Tierney (aoife.tierney@ubc.ca). 

Can I view or edit my application after submitting it? 
Once an application (including the initial Notice of Intent) has been submitted in SM Apply, it is locked from further editing. You can view your submission, but won’t be able to make any changes. You can view the submitted version in SM Apply. Please refer to SM Apply’s FAQs for further instructions on the application process. 

Can I add collaborators to complete part of the application process? 
Yes, you can add collaborators in SM Apply to help complete the application process or review the application content. To do this, go to the application form and find the option to invite collaborators. Each collaborator will need to create their own SM Apply account. Only the primary applicant can submit the final application.

Can I view the NoI questions before I begin my application?  
Yes, you can find a word document here which outlines the questions asked on the NoI form. Please note, NoI’s must be submitted through the Survey Monkey Apply portal – word document applications will not be accepted.