Operating Grant Application Form & Information

i) Our Peer Review Process for Adjudicating Applications

After the applicants submit their written application, the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation incorporates a direct review system of requiring applicants to present their projects in person to a panel of MMSF Board members. Panel members present at the review include those from the lay community as well as those with scientific expertise. Applicants are given the opportunity to demonstrate the command of their subject by verbal and visual presentation, to clear up misconceptions, to agree to required adjustments to their project design or budget, and to gain assurance that their project has been well understood.

ii) Mentorship Requirements

The MMSF strongly encourages grant writing mentorship in the belief that it will improve the quality of your application and it will help to create a positive research relationship for new investigators. Having your MMSF Application for Funds reviewed by a mentor or colleague prior to submission is mandatory. Please allow adequate time for the mentor to participate in the MMSF application process.

What is mentoring? Mentoring is most often defined as a professional relationship in which an experienced person (the mentor) assists another (the mentoree) in developing specific skills and knowledge that will enhance the less-experienced person's professional and personal growth. Mentorship is a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The mentor may be older or younger but should have a certain area of expertise. It is a learning and development partnership between someone with vast experience and someone who wants to learn. MMSF's intention for the mentoring process is that the mentor should be an expert in the research area, successful in grant funding and generous regarding time allocation to the grant review process. The mentor should help the mentoree to express his/her approach in a way that will answer reviewers' queries as to focus, scientific feasibility and interpretability of results. The mentor can also assist in the identification of and the means to address the common problems seen in grants from new investigators (too broad/lack of focus; lack of clarity between the projects to be funded by the current grant and others held by the PI; lack of a clear statement linking hypotheses, projects, deliverables and intended interpretation). MMSF's request for formal or structured mentoring takes mentoring to the next level and expands its usefulness and learning value. Additionally, multiple mentors can be helpful because having more than one mentor will widen the knowledge of the person being mentored, as different mentors may have different strengths.

What are the benefits of mentoring? Mentoring benefits research program planning and research program development, grant application submissions and the development of career/research goals for the mentoree. At the grant submission stage, mentors enhance grant success for the mentoree through anticipating reviewers' queries, addressing the feasibility of the approach/research plan in the new investigator's lab and using the page limit well through good focus and communication skills. By enlisting mentors at the research project stage, new investigators can speed more quickly over the bumps and cut through unnecessary work. Mentors can assist in explaining and navigating day to day tasks and eliminating unnecessary roadblocks. Mentors can help the mentoree to streamline processes and to get things done more quickly, efficiently and effectively.

What is a mentor? A person who helps to guide the mentee’s career, through support, feedback, providing perspective and advice as needed. A mentor can assist in the building of networks and the avoidance of problems.

Qualities of a good mentor. Relevant work experience, role model for career success and especially at writing grants, enthusiasm, being a good listener, patience, a long-term perspective, honesty and commitment to spend time as a mentor.

How to identify and work with a mentor. Connect with an established high-quality Individual who the mentee can identify with, regarding career path development (basic scientist / clinician).

• Establish and set short and long-term goals (grants, papers, students, PD fellows, meeting etc.)
• Decide the frequency of meetings bi-monthly, yearly informally over coffee, beer, lunch etc.
• Approval of Selected Mentor by Department Head.
• Inform Department Head of mentor identified.
• Establish realistic goals and expectations annually for performance review.
• Keep track of personal success and failures and revisit to ensure plan is on track.
• Informal meetings of mentor, mentee and Department Head to discuss career progression, development of research program.
• Correct path with appropriate remediation, as required.

On page 14 of your application form, list your mentor(s) or colleague(s).

iii) Grant Writing

Grant writing is a learned skill that develops over time. Mentors may provide guidance and feedback when it comes to preparing your application submission to granting agencies. Also, attending a class or course in grant writing may be useful prior to submitting your application to a granting agency.

iv) Plagiarism

Plagiarism of any material in the preparation of the Application for Funds to the MMSF will result in disqualification of the application and follow up with University authorities. Applicants are encouraged to learn about and voluntarily use software designed to screen for plagiarism and offered by their institution, such as (iThenticate) offered through the U of M.

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As a new Principal Investigator (PI), writing your first grant application(s) can be a daunting task. The assistance of mentors and internal reviews is most beneficial to aid you in submitting a quality grant application. CIHR has a publication “Guidebook for New Principal Investigators” which is designed to aid new PIs in preparing grant applications and more. The MMSF highly recommends this publication to all new PIs.

The deadline for submissions of a written application for funding from MMSF is August 15th ⁸ for funding in the subsequent year. No application will be considered after the annual allocation of funds until the following year's competition.

Effective January 1, 2021 all applications must be completed on the MMSF application form #1.21 (see link below to obtain this form). Applications that do not conform to these instructions will not be accepted. Previous versions of the MMSF Application for Funds will be disqualified and are not eligible for entrance into the current competition for funds.

Ideally, applications WILL NOT EXCEED 40 PAGES OF TEXT, SINGLE SPACED, IN TOTAL, of regular 8" x 11" paper. All sections of the application form must be completed. If a section does not apply, please state "Not Applicable" in the particular section. All questions on completion of an application may be directed to the MMSF Administrative Assistant. ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED ON THE MMSF APPLICATION FORM. APPLICATIONS WHICH DO NOT CONFORM TO THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Do not Submit a curriculum vitae of the applicant or collaborators.

By email, the applicants are to submit the original word document along with a complete PDF application submission package.

The PDF copy is to include all signatures, complete application form, and all supplementary documents required for the submission. If the applicant does not have accesses to the software to combine the additional material(s) into one PDF, they may submit separate PDF’s which will be combined by MMSF. The application is to be submitted to our Administrative Assistant^9.

⁸ When August 15th falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline for submissions extends to the next business day.

⁹ The application will not be considered eligible for entry into the current competition unless the original word document, and complete PDF application package are on file at the Foundation by the closing date. The file name of the word and PDF documents submitted must be the principal investigator name as entered on the original word document copy of the application. Signatures are not required on the word document copy only. The PDF copy must be submitted at the same time as the original word document.

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