Canadian Funding Opportunity: ME Network Catalyst Grant

Andy

Andy

Retired committee member
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), is a poorly understood, complex and debilitating disorder that severely impacts the lives of an estimated 800,000 to 2.5 million Americans, and approximately 560,000 Canadians. The underlying etiology and pathophysiology of ME are unknown and there is no diagnostic test for the disease. Consequently, there is currently no gold standard for case definition of ME.

The CHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA), in partnership with the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH) and the Institute of Infection and Immunity (III), and with the collaboration of the Institute of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), will support a Network that will generate new knowledge to improve diagnosis and treatment of ME disease in Canada. The network will foster innovative research, build capacity, and be both a catalyst and a forum for discussing ideas, sharing best practices and consulting on challenges. Research will include efforts to define the cause(s) of the condition and test new and existing treatments for ME.

The Network is expected to be:

  • national in scope — incorporating multiple research groups and researchers
  • collaborative — partnering with stakeholders (not-for-profit organizations, associations, industry, provinces, etc.) and facilitating interactions between stakeholders and the scientific community (clinicians, decision makers, industry, patients, and other knowledge-users outside of the academic community)
  • inclusive, multidisciplinary and multi-thematic
  • committed to scientific excellence
The successful Network is encouraged to coordinate with existing initiatives in the field, to forge links with the wider community (including practitioners, policy makers and service users) and include additional partners, such as commercial or industrial representatives. More specifically, the successful Network is encouraged to coordinate with the three US-based Collaborative Research Centers (CRC) and the Data Management Coordinating Center (DMCC) funded in September 2017 by the National Institutes of Health.

In addition to funding a new research network in ME, supplementary funding may be awarded to the network for studying vascular instability and/or sleep disturbances experienced by people who live with ME (see “How to Apply” for details).

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 $1,775,000.
  • Of this:
    • $1,400,000 is available from IMHA and III for a new research network in ME, enough to fund one (1) network grant. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate .The maximum amount for the grant is $280,000 per year for up to five (5) years.
    • $375,000 is available as supplementary funding from ICRH for the inclusion of a project addressing vascular instability and/or sleep disturbances experienced by people with ME. The maximum amount of supplementary funding is $75,000 per year for up to five (5) years.
Click to expand...
https://www.researchnet-recherchene...nsor=CIHR-11&type=EXACT&resultCount=25&next=1
 
Estimate of 560 000 Canadians from a population of 32 million, yet UK ME/CFS estimates, from a population double in size, is between 200-600 000. We have great confusion on numbers I think ?

Are Canadian dollars equivalent to US because if so that’s around £1.5m, which like the Australian funds exceeds UK (comparing by population size), which is falling behind now. It Might be small but there are small efforts underway from USA, Canada, Australia and Norway now and I have not seen much from Canada before?

In the UK We aren’t doing any lobbying on funding and I think that it Is astonishing the mrc, who sat in on every CMRC meeting including MEGA updates from 2013, have been allowed two years nearly to decide yay or nay to funding it, not that MEGA is actually wanted above a general funding call, if patients were actually asked.
 
Cinders66 said:
In the UK We aren’t doing any lobbying on funding and I think that it Is astonishing the mrc, who sat in on every CMRC meeting including MEGA updates from 2013, have been allowed two years nearly to decide yay or nay to funding it, not that MEGA is actually wanted above a general funding call, if patients were actually asked.
Click to expand...
I believe it's safe to assume that MEGA is a dead duck now.

I am aware of a new large request for funding that has been made to the MRC, it looks a solid proposal but gaining funding can be a lottery at the best of times, let alone anything for ME.
 
Andy said:
I believe it's safe to assume that MEGA is a dead duck now.

I am aware of a new large request for funding that has been made to the MRC, it looks a solid proposal but gaining funding can be a lottery at the best of times, let alone anything for ME.
Click to expand...

Do you think? I saw at some recent minutes Dr Charles Shepherd made mention of still waiting to hear , maybe it was for the other project. I think that its unacceptable how charities just let MRC do nothing in U.K. No doubt if there is funding for the Oxford researchers it will be announced on the eve of millions missing, which is supposed to be about research funding in the UK. I actually would have thought it in their interests to at least be able to point to doing sonething to Deflect from the fact they aren’t doing anything near enough, a fig leaf suited them in the recent past rather than brazen nakedness.
 
Cinders66 said:
Estimate of 560 000 Canadians from a population of 32 million, yet UK ME/CFS estimates, from a population double in size, is between 200-600 000. We have great confusion on numbers I think ?
Click to expand...

No doubt any estimates any where are going to be sketchy for ME, although Canada also has the highest MS rates if that means any thing.

Dolphin said:
Well done and thanks to all those who lobbied who presumably helped to bring this about.
Click to expand...

Indeed, a group of us have been preparing for this funding opportunity since December when we met with the government in Montreal.

We should receive the reviewers' decision in October-ish. Fingers crossed.
 
Cinders66 said:
Are Canadian dollars equivalent to US because if so that’s around £1.5m,
Click to expand...

It’s about 1.3 million USD. I think it’s a start, I’d rather have that amount than zero. And maybe once they’ve built teams and started doing the work for a while they’ll want to keep it going and ask for more funding.

One can dream.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom