ResearchNet - RechercheNet

Table of Contents

• Description
• Objectives
• Eligibility
• Guidelines
• Performance Measurement
• Review Process and Evaluation
• How to Apply
• Contact Information
• Sponsor Description
• Additional Information

Description

The CIHR HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research (CBR) Program is one of five research funding streams of the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative. The CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative is responsible for the research components of the two major Government of Canada initiatives in HIV/AIDS, namely the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada and the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative.

The CIHR HIV/AIDS CBR Program supports the partnered work of Community Leaders and Researchers in knowledge development and capacity-building initiatives of relevance to communities engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS. All opportunities offered through the CBR Program are available in two distinct funding streams: Aboriginal and General.

Community Leaders play an integral role in the research processes to ensure that the research will lead to useful and practical outcomes that will directly benefit the community. For the CIHR HIV/AIDS CBR Program, a Community Leader is defined as an individual who has direct involvement with a community affected by HIV/AIDS, understands the needs of the community and how research can lead to useful practical outcomes for the community, and can facilitate the involvement of the community in the research process. Researchers from academic and other research institutions bring to community groups their research expertise in methodology, scientific rigor and experience in the supervision of future researchers.

The aim of the Catalyst Grant component of the CBR program is to provide seed money, for up to one year, to support HIV/AIDS CBR research activities which represent a first step towards the pursuit of more comprehensive funding opportunities (e.g., operating grants). Please visit the Objectives section for more information.

Community-based research (CBR)

CBR is a collaborative approach to research that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each brings. CBR begins with a research topic of importance to the community with the aim of combining knowledge and action for social change to improve community health and eliminate health disparities. CBR brings researchers together with members of the community to: identify the issues; collect, analyze and interpret the data; and decide how to use the results to inform policy, change practice and improve conditions in the community. In addition to these principles, CBR espouses the same values of methodological rigor and ethical review as other research approaches.

Important Information for Community Organizations

Applications for CIHR funding are evaluated through a competitive process within a set funding envelope; therefore, not all applications received are funded. Visit the Review Process section for more information.

Recognizing that capacity to apply to CIHR HIV/AIDS CBR funding opportunities and engage in community-based research varies across organizations, CIHR supports a number of resources aimed at building capacity for community-based research. Prior to applying to this funding opportunity, CIHR encourages community organizations to find out more about these resources by visiting the Additional Information section.

Potential applicants are also encouraged to contact CIHR with any questions related to this funding opportunity or the CIHR HIV/AIDS CBR program more generally.

Funds Available

CIHR and partner(s) financial contributions for this initiative are subject to availability of funds. Should CIHR or partner(s) funding levels not be available or are decreased due to unforeseen circumstances, CIHR and partner(s) reserve the right to reduce, defer or suspend financial contributions to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.

• The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $264,000, enough to fund approximately eight grants. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate. The maximum amount per grant is $33,000 for up to one year. This funding is non-renewable.
• Of this $264,000:
  • $132,000 is available to fund applications relevant to the General Stream.
  • $132,000 is available to fund applications relevant to the Aboriginal Stream.
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to request an amount appropriate to their needs, up to maximum allowable funding by providing adequate justification.

Partner and Internal Collaborator Participation

CIHR is dedicated to identifying and developing collaborations with other funding organizations and stakeholders to enhance the availability of funding for this strategic initiative, and to create, where appropriate, opportunities for knowledge exchange and translation related to the scope of this particular initiative. Applicants are invited to visit the Partner and Internal Collaborators Description sections to find a list of partners, internal collaborators and their respective mandates and/or strategic interests. The specific research foci and requirements for each partner and internal collaborator are outlined in the “Objectives” section.

The opportunity to add new partners and internal collaborators to this funding opportunity may arise after publication. These partners and internal collaborators may not be listed, however, the principles that govern relevance review and funding decisions will still apply in these cases; see Review Process and Evaluation. Note: Where new partners and internal collaborators are added later in the competition, the partners and internal collaborators will conduct relevance reviews based on their respective mandates on all applications in this competition without reference to peer review results. Applications deemed to be relevant will be funded from the top down as far as the budgets will allow.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:

• supporting partnerships between communities affected by HIV in Canada and researchers to facilitate the conduct of community-based research; and/or
• developing future applications for more comprehensive community-based research grants.

Examples of activities that might be conducted under this Funding Opportunity (but are not restricted to) are:

• Facilitation of dialogue between communities and researchers in order to establish research partnerships;
• Workshops to design a research project and/or develop a proposal for a future CBR operating grant;
• Planning and execution of pilot projects or feasibility studies to generate preliminary data, proof of concept; and/or
• Development and / or validation of new inventions, tools, methodologies, protocols, theoretical models or frameworks.

For more examples, applicants can visit CIHR’s Funding Decisions web site to search for projects previously funded under a CIHR HIV/AIDS CBR Catalyst Grant.

Relevant Research Areas

The HIV/AIDS CBR Program supports partnerships among community organizations, researchers, and decision-makers working in areas such as, but not limited to: housing, mental health, addictions, activity limitations and employment, health services and access to care for vulnerable and hard to reach populations. Research projects involving quantitative and/or qualitative research methods, including epidemiology, intervention research, case studies and interviews, are eligible for funding.

In line with its Strategic Plan, the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative encourages projects that focus on the development and/or implementation of interventions for the prevention of HIV and/or gaps in the care cascade. Similarly, the Initiative is highly interested in encouraging and supporting research that focuses on key populations including:

• men who have sex with men;
• people who use drugs;
• Indigenous people;
• persons currently or previously incarcerated;
• ethno-racial minority communities;
• women and youth at risk; and
• people living with HIV.

To accommodate the overarching goals of the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative and the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada that support a "national and global response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic", applications that propose projects outside of Canada may be considered for funding. However, such applications must clearly demonstrate how the knowledge created will have impact on Canadian communities through such methods as a knowledge transfer plan.

Eligibility

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. Refer to the Individual Eligibility Requirements regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions.

Eligibility to Apply

For your application to be eligible:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant must be one of the following:
   1. An independent researcher
   2. A knowledge user
2. The team (including the NPA) must involve, at least one of each of the following:
   1. An independent researcher
   2. A knowledge user
3. If you are applying to the Aboriginal Stream, at least one knowledge user must be from a First Nations, Métis or Inuit community or organization.

Notes:

• For the purpose of this Funding Opportunity (FO), Community Leaders must identify themselves as a Principal Knowledge User or a Knowledge User, which are equivalents to Principal Applicant and Co-applicant respectively.
• As per the eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding programs, Canadian non-governmental, not-for-profit organizations (including community or charitable organizations) with a research or knowledge translation mandate are eligible to apply.
• Nominated Principal Applicants from organizations that would be administering CIHR funding for the first time must contact the Program Delivery Coordinator (see coordinates at the end of this funding opportunity) well in advance of submission for further details on the Institutional Eligibility Requirements to Administer CIHR Funds. A list of current CIHR Eligible Institutions is available here.

Guidelines

General CIHR Guidelines

This funding opportunity will comply fully with the policies and guidelines as outlined in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the use of Gender and Sex-Based Analysis in applications. CIHR also recognizes the importance of engaging citizens in its funding opportunities. CIHR encourages researchers to involve citizens where appropriate, and to provide in their research proposal a brief description of how they intend to involve them when applicable. Please see CIHR’s Citizen Engagement Framework for more information.

CIHR’s mandate states that our commitment to excellence applies equally to research and knowledge translation, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that the results of research are transformed into policies, practices, procedures, products and services. For more information about incorporating knowledge translation in your proposal, please see Guide to Knowledge Translation Planning at CIHR: Integrated and End-of-Grant Approaches.

Official Languages

CIHR is committed to promotion of and compliance to the applicable parts of the Official Languages Act. As such, CIHR encourages applicants to submit proposals in the Official Language of their choice and commits to ensuring high quality review of applications submitted in either Official Language. In addition, applicants are encouraged to consider the inclusion of Official Languages and Official Language Minority Communities in their research where appropriate. Please see Official Languages at CIHR for more information.

Allowable Costs

Recipients should review the Use of Grant Funds section of the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) Financial Administration Guide for a complete listing and description of allowable costs and activities.

In addition, the following expenditures will be considered eligible for funding received through this funding opportunity:

• Rental of space in non-academic institutions if it is justified as a direct cost of the research project. The cost must cover the rental of space required specifically for the research project, which would not otherwise be available to the institution

CIHR policy on Release Time Allowance

Release time allowance may be requested to facilitate the participation of a knowledge user in the proposed research program. The eligible cost is limited to $15,000 per annum per individual per grant. Persons receiving release time allowances are not considered CIHR employees. Funds for research time allowance(s) must be requested and justified in the budget section of the grant application.

The following conditions must be met for an individual to receive release time allowance, with documentation provided to the institution administering the grant:

• The individual for whom the release time allowance is provided must:
  • be a knowledge-user on the grant whose primary responsibilities do not include an expectation to engage in research (i.e., as part of their regular employment); and
  • have their organization’s approval for the research time on the project that would justify the allowance; and
  • have their organization certify that they are engaged in the activities for which funds are being disbursed.
• Release time allowance requests will not be considered for the following:
  • Individuals with salaried academic research appointments.
  • The cost of teaching time to allow the individual to engage in research.
  • Supplementing or replacing part of the salary of a researcher on sabbatical from their main appointment.

Global Health Research and International Collaborations

As outlined in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide Global Health Research Section and the International Collaborations Section, applicants who are eligible for CIHR funding may apply to CIHR’s funding opportunities for funds to support research to be carried out in, or in direct collaboration with researchers and/or knowledge users based in, other countries. CIHR contributes to, and supports international research projects and international collaborations to address a range of research areas, including but not limited to established priorities in global health research and contributes to the development of health-research capacity both internationally and at home.

Conditions of Funding

Successful applicants funded through this funding opportunity and any other persons working on the project must comply fully with the CIHR Funding Policies. Policies and guidelines cover areas such as Applicant Responsibilities, Official Languages policy, Access to Information and Privacy Acts, and Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support. Successful applicants will be informed of any special financial requirements prior to the release of funds or when they receive CIHR's Authorization for Funding (AFF) document.

In addition to CIHR standard guidelines and requirements, the following special requirements shall apply:

• For development projects focused on testing research methodologies and project feasibility, at least one Principal Applicant on the team (can be the NPA) must meet the definition of an independent researcher;
• If applicable, prior to the release of funding, the research proposal will require ethics review and approval by an REB (Research Ethics Board) if it involves:
  • research involving living human participants; and
  • research involving human biological materials, as well as human embryos, fetuses, fetal tissue, reproductive materials and stem cells. This applies to materials derived from living and deceased individuals.

For more information, please refer to the TCPS 2—2nd edition of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans.

Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

All personal information collected by CIHR about applicants is used to review applications, to recruit reviewers, to administer and monitor grants and awards, to compile statistics, and to promote and support health research in Canada. Consistent with these purposes, applicants should also expect that information collected by CIHR may be shared as described in the Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy of the Federal Research Funding Organizations.

CIHR as a federal entity is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, therefore the requirements of these two statutes will apply to all information located in CIHR’s premises including, without limitation, cost-sharing agreements related to this funding opportunity and all matters pertaining thereto.

While respecting the application of the Privacy Act to federal entities, all signing parties involved in a collaborative agreement will also be bound by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). All personal information (as identified by the PIPEDA) collected, used or disclosed in the course of any commercial activity under collaborative agreements related to the Funding opportunity will be collected, used and disclosed in compliance with the PIPEDA.

Tri-Council Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People

Applicants, whose proposed research will involve Aboriginal People, please consult Ethics of Health Research Involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis People.

Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications

CIHR believes that greater access to research publications and data will promote the ability of researchers and knowledge users in Canada and abroad to use and build on the knowledge needed to address significant health challenges. Open access will promote accessibility to CIHR-funded research and will serve to increase the international visibility of Canadian research. CIHR grant recipients are reminded to adhere with the responsibilities outlined in the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications. Under this policy, grant recipients must ensure that research papers and bio-molecular data generated from CIHR funding are freely accessible online.

Communication Requirements

Funding recipients are required to acknowledge CIHR, its institutes and partners in any communication or publication related to the project. See Communication of Competition Results for details on CIHR’s communication requirements. The contributing internal collaborators/partners will be identified on the Authorization for Funding (AFF) and decision letter.

Performance Measurement

CIHR is committed to collecting and disseminating information on the outputs and impacts of the research it funds. This information is an important part of CIHR accountability within the Federal Government and to Canadians. If successful within this funding opportunity:

• The Nominated Principal Applicant will be required to submit an electronic Final Report to CIHR. This online report will be made available to the Nominated Principal Applicant on ResearchNet at the beginning of the grant funding period and can be filled in as the research progresses.
• The Nominated Principal Applicant will be require to contribute to the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR’s programs, policies and processes by participating in evaluation studies, surveys, workshops, audits and providing data or reports as required for the purpose of collecting information to assess progress and results.
• The Nominated Principal Applicant will be required to encourage their associates, trainees and administration to participate in the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR’s programs, policies and processes as required.

Review Process and Evaluation

Relevance Review Process

The CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative will provide funding for applications that are relevant to (in alignment with) the objectives and research priority areas described in the Objectives section.

Prior to merit review, the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative and the CIHR Institute of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health will have access to full applications and nominative information to conduct relevance review. The applicant must consent to the sharing of nominative information at the time of application to be eligible for funding.

Applications that are not deemed to be relevant to any funding stream (Aboriginal or General) will be withdrawn from the competition. CIHR reserves the right to move an application from one funding stream to another if deemed more appropriate.

The following criteria will be used in conducting the relevance review:

• Alignment of the proposed project with the objectives and relevant research areas this funding opportunity;
• Projects must include HIV/AIDS issues as essential elements of the project and this must be well described in the relevance form and project summary. With respect to diseases or conditions common in people living with HIV/AIDS, the focus of the project must be on the disease/condition within the context of HIV/AIDS. Similarly, projects investigating determinants of health or health systems that influence a wide range of health issues, HIV/AIDS must be the focus of the investigation;
• Impact of the proposed research on Canadian communities is clearly demonstrated;
• The CIHR HIV/AIDS CBR Program will support the partnered work of Community Leaders and Researchers in knowledge development and capacity-building initiatives of relevance to communities engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS. As such, only applications that clearly highlight this partnership element (whether it exists, in development or has the potential for) will be considered; and
• If applying to the Aboriginal Stream there must be a significant focus of the project on Aboriginal populations and a clear demonstration of a relationship with a First Nations, Métis or Inuit community or organization.

Review Committee

A CIHR review committee will evaluate the full applications. The committee may be drawn from one of CIHR’s pre-existing committees or may be created specifically for this funding opportunity. Committee members are selected based on suggestions from many sources including the institute(s)/ branch(es) and partner(s), following the Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy of the Federal Research Funding Organizations.

For information on CIHR’s peer review process in general, see the Understand Peer Review section of CIHR’s website.

Evaluation Criteria

Merit review will be conducted in accordance with CIHR Peer Review Manual for Grant Applications.

To support the strategic objectives of this funding opportunity, the following factors will be considered in addition to the standard set of evaluation criteria:

Potential Impact

Assessment criteria include:

• Extent to which the application responds to the objectives and relevant research areas of the Funding Opportunity;
• The likely significance of the potential partnerships and research for the involved community - Aboriginal and/or non-Aboriginal;
• Demonstration of the anticipated impact of the proposed research on Canadian communities;
• The extent to which the partnership element and involvement of the community as partners (whether it exists, in development or has the potential for) is clearly highlighted;
• The extent of appropriateness and potential impact of the knowledge translation plans for involved and affected communities; and
• The likelihood that the proposed project will result in a future funding application for a more comprehensive HIV/AIDS community-based research project.

Scientific Merit

Assessment criteria include:

• The clarity and originality of proposed project and objectives, relative to relevant prior research;
• The feasibility and appropriateness of the proposed developmental activities (including the research question(s), methods and data analysis if applicable);
• Appropriateness of the team based on their overall experience and skills as well as their specific community-based research experience and skills; track record, relevance of past experience; and
• Likelihood that this team can complete the proposed project and reasonableness of time commitments to the project.

Evaluation Process

Each application will be assigned and reviewed by four merit committee members: two reviewers (one academic and one community leader) and two readers (one academic and one community leader). Both reviewers' role is to present the application to the Merit Review panel. Readers will act as discussants at the review meeting. Potential Impact and Scientific Merit will be given equal weight in the assessment of the application by the Merit Review panel.

Following the initial reviewers' and readers' comments and the discussion of the application by the entire panel, the two reviewers will determine a consensus rating for both Potential Impact and Scientific Merit. The Merit Review panel will then provide individual confidential votes within +/- 0.5 of the consensus ratings. Once the ratings have been determined, the Merit Review panel will review the requested budget and recommend an appropriate budget for the project.

Funding Decision

Upon completion of merit review, the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative will receive the ranking list, ratings and recommendations on funding level and grant term for the applications that fall in the fundable range and have been determined to be relevant to the specific research areas and objectives of the initiative. The list will be used for funding decision-making purposes and will remain anonymous unless applicants have provided written consent to share nominative information.

Applications will be funded from the top down in order of ranking as far as the budget will allow in both the General and Aboriginal funding streams.

Applications that receive a rating below 3.5 will not be funded. Furthermore, only those applications that exceed a rating of 3.5 on both Potential Impact and Scientific Merit will be considered for funding. The mean of the two scores will be calculated for the applications with a rating of 3.5 and above on both criteria to determine the final rating and establish a ranking list.

How to Apply

Important: Please read all instructions to familiarize yourself with the application process before applying. For new applicants or for those wanting a reminder of the main application procedures, an overview of CIHR's application processes can be found under Application Process. Note that these are general instructions only as the specific application instructions for this funding opportunity are located below.

• The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of one step: Application.
• To complete your Application, follow the instructions in the Grants – ResearchNet “Application” Phase Instructions along with any additional instructions found below under “Specific Instructions”.
• Reminder to applicants: Please ensure that your application is complete (includes all required signatures) and is submitted on time to CIHR.

Submission Requirements

• Your Application must be submitted using ResearchNet. Scan and upload the signed signature pages including the routing slip in the Print/Upload Signature Pages task in ResearchNet prior to submitting your application.

Specific Instructions

Task: Identify Participants

• Please note that all participants – including collaborators - are required to be identified in ResearchNet, including the applicant role that they will have. The applicant role selected will determine which CV is required (note that all participants, with the exception of collaborators, must submit a CV):

  • If you are an Independent researcher based in academic or affiliated institutions and have identified yourself as either a:

    • Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) independent researcher;
    • Principal Applicant (PA); or
    • Co-Applicant.

    you must complete the CIHR Academic CV.

  • If you are a Community Leader and have identified yourself as either a:

    • Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) Knowledge User;
    • Principal Knowledge User; or
    • Knowledge User.

    you must complete the CIHR Knowledge User CV.

Task: Enter Proposal Information

• Under Certification Requirements in the Details subtask, "Human Subjects" should be selected for all research applications involving humans. For what type of research will necessitate Research Ethics Board review, please consult the TCPS 2—2nd edition of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans;

• The Research Proposal (maximum of five pages) must describe how the grant will address the objectives described under "Objectives and Relevant Research Areas" most notably the responsiveness to the principles of CBR as defined in that section;

  The section can also include information on community involvement and partnership such as:

  • A clear description of the community and community-based organization involved in the project; and
  • Extent, nature and cultural relevance of community involvement in the identification of the project focus, implementation and knowledge translation activities.

• It is recommended to address comments on your application from a previous competition, you may do so by selecting “response to previous reviews” in the drop down menu under the “attachments” subtask. Maximum two pages; and

• Figures, tables and references can be uploaded in the tab "Research Proposal Appendix".

Task: Enter Budget Information

• You must attach a "Financial Assistance Requested Details" document in which you provide a full justification for all budget items relative to the proposed project including any release time requested;
• For release time requests, you must include a letter from the recipient’s organization certifying that requirements stated under the section “allowable costs” are met.

Task: Attach Other Application Materials

• Signed letters of general support from the community are accepted and encouraged;
• Signed collaboration letters should clearly demonstrate the community involvement at specific stages of the project such as the identification of the research question, the development and/or the implementation of the project;
• If applicable, ethics certification can be appended if available at the time of submitting the application;
• A maximum of 5 publications relevant to the application can be attached.

Task: Download Supplemental Application Information

• Under the Supplemental Application Information task, you must upload the CBR Principles Summary and select "CBR Principles Summary" as the document type. This CBR Principles summary must demonstrate in a maximum of one page, the level of partnership with relevant community stakeholders as well as a clear description of community involvement in the identification of the research question, development, implementation and possible knowledge translation activities of the project.

Task: Apply to Priority Announcements/Funding Pools

• In this task, under the "Priority Announcement/Funding Pool Title", please select the appropriate title from the drop down list. Under the "Relevant Research Area", please select one (1) stream: General or Aboriginal.
  • If you are applying to the Aboriginal Stream, at least one knowledge user must be from a First Nations, Métis or Inuit community or organization

Contact Information

For all inquiries please contact:

Telephone: 613-954-1968
Toll Free: 1-888-603-4178
Email: support@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Sponsor Description

Note: Additional partners/collaborators, including partners/collaborators from industry and the private sector are expected to join this funding initiative over the coming year.

Internal Collaborators

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)is the Government of Canada’s health research investment agency. CIHR’s mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened health care system for Canadians. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 13,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

HIV/AIDS Research Initiative
Under the leadership of the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity, the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative is responsible for the management and oversight of the research components of two major Government of Canada initiatives in HIV/AIDS, namely the: Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada and the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative. These Initiatives provide funding to support researchers and trainees through the five streams of the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative, including the HIV/AIDS CBR Program.

CIHR - Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (IAPH)
The Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (IAPH) invests in research to improve and promote the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada. The Institute's pursuit of research excellence is enhanced by respect for community research priorities and Indigenous knowledge, values and cultures.

Additional Information

1. Universities Without Walls: eLearning for HIV Research (Updated: 2016-05-09)
   The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR), and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN), have partnered to create the "Universities Without Walls: eLearning for HIV Research". This interactive hub hosts a series of educational modules, with videos and curriculum materials, that work to support emerging community based research teams. Covered topics include: developing partnerships; ethics review; working with peer researchers; and grant writing. To learn more, visit Universities Without Walls: eLearning for HIV Research. Consult the CIHR HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research Program - A Guide for Applicants.

2. In order to build capacity within the CBR community, CIHR funds two Collaborative Centres of HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research (one in the Aboriginal stream and one in the General stream).

   The objectives of the CBR Collaborative Centres are to:

   • Support, evolve and expand the collaborative work between existing HIV/AIDS national structures with regional and/or provincial HIV/AIDS Community Based Organizations and researchers in order to foster the national coordination of HIV/AIDS Community Based Research efforts.
   • Provide infrastructure support to position HIV/AIDS community organizations and academic teams to develop strategic research programs that succeed in securing research funding through other opportunities; and
   • Promote the creation, and its translation, of new knowledge that is relevant to communities and to the goals of the Federal Initiative and advance the uptake of research and evidence into action so that it may positively impact the response of community-based organizations to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

   For more information on the Aboriginal HIV and AIDS Community Based Research Collaborative Centre (AHA Centre), please contact Marni Amirault, marnia@caan.ca and/or Sherri Pooyak, sherrip@caan.ca.

   For more information on the REACH Collaborative Centre of HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research – General Stream, please contact Sonia Gaudry, sgaudry@ohtn.on.ca.