Snyder Institute Visiting Scientist Grants

Goal

The primary goal of the Visiting Scientist Grant is to assist Snyder Institute members in hosting project-based visits by senior PDFs or early to mid-career faculty from less developed regions at the Snyder Institute. Visiting Scientists will acquire skills that will help with their research program, career advancement and capacity building upon return to their home region. The grant is intended to facilitate researchers in gaining an experiential advantage that will lead to external research grant and funding opportunities. The secondary goal is to build research collaborations between the Snyder Institute and research programs from less-developed regions. Applications should outline a clear path linking the visiting scientist experience with a specific project and subsequent external funding source.

A Visiting Scientist Grant can be spent on (1) travel, (2) accommodations, and (3) core facility training fees (if appropriate). Research reagents and equipment costs are not eligible. Funding cannot be used to cover the costs associated with Snyder Members visiting less-developed regions.

  • Within two months of the visit, the international scientist would provide a short testimonial as to the value of their time at the Snyder Institute (used for promotional activities for the Snyder Institute).
  • Within one year of the conclusion of the grant, awardees are expected to have applied for at least one source of external funding employing the data and or experience gained via the Visiting Scientist Grant.
  • Recipients are not eligible to receive a second Visiting Scientist Grant.

Eligibility

  • The individual residing in a low- or middle-income country is considered the ‘Principal Applicant’.
  • The applicant must reside in a low- or middle-income country as defined by the WHO (https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/middle-income-countries).
  • Applicants must be a full-time PDF, Assistant Professor or Associate Professor (or equivalent) at a recognized college, university or research institution in their home country.
  • Applicant must identify and pair with a full member of the Snyder Institute with an active research program and demonstrated funds to support the cost of the proposed research.

General Information

  • The grant is targeted at providing an opportunity for early and mid-career scientists in low and middle-income countries to gain an experiential advantage via a short-term visit to the Snyder Institute.
  • Visits can coincide with a sabbatical by either the primary applicant or the Snyder member.
  • Funding is to be spent on travel and living expenses and cannot be used for salary support (see use of funds below).
  • A plan for external funding applications, should an application receive funding, is a requirement of the application.
  • Awards will be adjudicated by an Ad Hoc working group of the Snyder Operations Committee.
  • The maximum value of the grant is $≤10,000.
  • Additional space (office or laboratory) will not be provided by the Snyder Institute.
  • Duration of the award is up to four (4) months. Any unspent funds remaining after four (4) months return automatically to the Snyder Institute. If delays are experienced, extension requests will be granted with formal documentation of an interruption to research duties for up to an additional six (6) months. Extension requests must be submitted no later than three months before the award end date.
  • An individual may not submit, as the principal applicant, more than one application per intake.
  • Principal applicants may receive only one (1) Visiting Scientist Grant.
  • Snyder Institute Members may not pair with more than one individual per intake and can serve as co-applicant on only one (1) active Visiting Scientist Grant at a time.
  • Snyder members can receive subsequent Visiting Scientist Grants with different Principal Applicants upon completion of a prior grant.

Conditions

At the conclusion of the funding period, applicants must submit an Outcomes Report to the Snyder Operations Committee that includes the following information:

  • Expenditures incurred
  • The current status of the project, including details regarding external funding applications submitted, their status, any funding received, and the next steps in the program of work.
  • Any additional information on outputs and impacts associated with the funding, including publications, presentations, funding applications, honours/recognition, trainees involved, partnerships established or strengthened, etc.

Snyder members who paired with a successful applicant who has not submitted an Annual Outcomes Report will not be eligible to pair with another applicant in a subsequent round of funding.

Use of Funds

Expense eligibility is generally governed by institutional policy and procedure (i.e. the Travel and Expense Reimbursement Handbook) and program aims.

Examples of eligible costs include:

  • Airline Tickets
  • Short-term Rental Properties
  • Subsistence/Living Allowance (up to $300/week)
  • Fees paid for Core Facility Training (i.e. microscope or flow cytometry training).

Examples of ineligible costs include:

  • Travel expenses related to research or fieldwork are not eligible
  • Principal investigator fees or remuneration
  • Research personnel, including research assistants, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, project managers, lab managers, technicians, etc.
  • Grant writing support
  • Third-party consulting fees
  • Travel for dissemination or conference activities
  • Entertainment
  • Hospitality expenses, including alcohol
  • Subcontract costs
  • Network meeting expenses including travel, meals and accommodation.
  • Research equipment, including computers
  • Data collection
  • Reagents, materials, and supplies

Evaluation

Applications will be reviewed and adjudicated by an internal review committee established by the Snyder Operations Research Portfolio Lead. This committee will then report their decisions to the Snyder Operations and Snyder Executive Committees, followed by formal notification of Awardees.

Review Criteria

The review committee will consider:

  1. The extent to which the proposal will benefit the Principal Applicant
  2. The quality of the Principal Applicant based on the information provided.
  3. How the project will benefit from the visit, including how it will provide a better understanding of disease and identify potential therapeutic intervention strategies.
  4. The extent to which the proposed area of work is compelling and how impactful downstream funding application(s) will be.
  5. The extent to which the proposed work is a fit for the investigators and the other work that they do.
  6. The extent to which the investigators are presenting a winning research context (i.e. presence of mentorship, strong collaborators, knowledge translation partnerships that will help advance the program).

The evaluation process will be undertaken in a formative manner. In cases where applications are not selected for funding, the internal review committee will provide clear direction as to how resubmissions may be improved upon, and research team(s) restructured such that their chances of success are greater in future competitions.

Other Considerations

The following additional aspects (in order of importance) will be considered in the review process:

  • Whether applications include matching funds and/or are leveraged with other contributions, including in-kind contributions;
  • Whether applications lead to external grant submissions to the tri-agencies.

While all eligible faculty members are encouraged to apply, applications from early career researchers may be ranked higher in relation to mid-career and senior scholars. New applicants to the Program may also be ranked higher than those applicants who have received funding in the past.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Applicants must clearly state their commitment to EDI in their existing research teams, including among students, postdoctoral fellows, co-PIs, co-applicants and/or collaborators, as applicable. They must explain what actions they have taken, the outcomes expected, and the assessment planned for each of the following three key areas:

  • team composition and recruitment processes;
  • training and development opportunities; and inclusion.

Actions taken are expected to remove barriers and provide opportunities for the meaningful integration of individuals from all equity-seeking groups including, but not limited to, women, racialized minorities, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and persons from LGBTQ2+ communities.

Applicants are strongly advised to consult resources and strategic guidance available through the Offices of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Indigenous Engagement and their faculties and departments.

Application items

  1. Description of the general area of collaboration, including a project hypothesis and aims. The project description should emphasize the overriding project rather than specific experimental or methodological approaches (not to exceed 1 page).
  2. How the grant will benefit the Principal Applicant (not to exceed ½ page).
  3. Specific knowledge transfer (assay, skill, technology) (not to exceed ½ page).
  4. A description of how the grant activities will enhance the chances for success of future external funding requests (not to exceed ½ page);
  5. Plan for future collaborative research (not to exceed ½ page);
  6. Budget and budget justification, including leveraged contributions if applicable (1 page maximum);
  7. EDI statement (½ page maximum).
  8. Curriculum Vitae of the applicants (any format) and a team biosketch describing the profile and project role of each team member (i.e. the Principal Applicant and the named Snyder Partner) (1/2 page maximum). 

Please assemble your application items in the order listed here. Application items must be typed single-spaced, Times New Roman font size 11 or equivalent. Curriculum vitae may be any format, and there is no restriction on career period. A single, digitally generated and text-searchable PDF attachment with all items included in order is required.

Submission Process

Applications will be submitted in PDF format as a single document to snyderadmin@ucalgary.ca. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

Send Application