Call for Proposals

2024 AgeTech Advance: Healthy Aging Research Program (HARP)

 

Anticipated Timeline

Award Value and Term
  • Program Launch: May 30, 2024
  • Application Deadline: July 19, 2024
  • Anticipated Notice of Decision: September 2024
  • Funding Start Date: September 30, 2024
 Up to $175,000 depending on matching funding and available program funds

18-month award terms with no possibility for extension. AGE-WELL project funds must be expended in full by March 31, 2026.  

NOTICES/UPDATES

Notices/Updates: 

  • 2024-06-10: The application Budget Template spreadsheet and Word version of the application module are now posted to this webpage under Supporting Materials.
  • 2024-06-14: The application module in the Forum research portal is now live. Instructions for accessing the module in Forum are included under How to Apply on this webpage.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

As AGE-WELL completes its 10-year mandate as a Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE), the network is advancing Canada’s aging innovation ecosystem through three interconnected pillars – capacity building (EPIC-AT – funded through CIHR Health Research Training Platform, technology adoption (envisAGE – funded through the Strategic Innovation Fund Steam 5) and research (funded through the Strategic Science Fund) —no one pillar alone is sufficient. The 2024 AgeTech Advance: Healthy Aging Research Program supports the critical research pillar of the ecosystem, focusing on technology-enabled solutions that support healthy aging.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), healthy aging is not solely about longevity, it is about creating the environments and opportunities that enable individuals to pursue what they value throughout their lives. Everybody can experience healthy aging. Being free of disease or infirmity is not a requirement for healthy aging, as many older adults have one or more health conditions that, when well controlled, have little influence on their wellbeing”. Technology plays a crucial role in facilitating healthy aging by providing innovative solutions that empower individuals to manage their health proactively and maintain their well-being, and that contribute to safer, more accessible, or more connected communities.

The 2024 AgeTech Advance: Healthy Aging Research Program (HARP) will support innovative projects that:

  • Advance the development of novel technology-enabled solutions, or validate existing technologies in new environments, that enhance older adults’ lives and support healthy aging;
  • Support a better understanding of the development, implementation, and adoption of AgeTech such as co-creation approaches with older adults or caregivers, ethics and technology, barriers to AgeTech adoption etc. that may strengthen pathways to impact for Canadian AgeTech innovations, and;
  • Include and meet the needs of populations at risk and equity-deserving groups of older adults and care partners.

We strongly encourage submissions from underrepresented groups, including First Nations, Inuit and Metis Peoples of Canada, persons living with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups, and members of LGBTQ2+ communities.

 

This program seeks to fund mature projects with established protocols that are able to meet their objectives and deliverables within 18 months.  It is expected that projects will have the required team members, partners, and stakeholders in place by September 30, 2024.

 

Challenge Areas

AGE-WELL’s research and knowledge mobilization programs and activities are organized around (8) eight Challenge Areas.  Projects funded through the 2024 AgeTech Advance: Healthy Aging Research Program (HARP) must align to at least one of the following: 

1.     Supportive Homes & Communities

2.     Health Care & Health Service Delivery

3.     Autonomy & Independence

4.     Cognitive Health & Dementia

 

 5.     Mobility & Transportation

6.     Healthy Lifestyles & Wellness

7.     Staying Connected

8.     Financial Wellness & Employment

 

While these Challenge Areas cover a broad spectrum of needs, we recognize that there may be emerging challenges not explicitly listed here that are increasingly important. Applicants with innovative solutions addressing other challenge areas are encouraged to apply and must demonstrate how their proposed research contributes to advancing technology-enabled improvements to the well-being and independence of older adults.

FUNDING AND AWARD DURATION

Funding Available: Up to $175,000 per project, depending on project scope, matching funding, and available program funding.

Matching Funding Requirement: A minimum of 50% of total eligible project costs must be provided by the applicant or its partners as cash or in-kind contributions (e.g. to receive the maximum funding amount for this award, total eligible project costs would be at least $262,500). Matching cash or in-kind funds must be from non-federal sources, such as industry, academic, *provincial, or the community. International partners are encouraged, however AGE-WELL funds must remain in Canada. Please refer to the definition of matching funds in the Application Guide.

Award Term: 18 months, with no possibility for extension. AGE-WELL project funds must be expended in full by March 31, 2026.

*Applicants are encouraged to check available matching opportunities with provincial health research and innovation funders. Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) has expressed interest in providing a portion of the matching funding requirement, as long as funds permit, for successful applicants based in Saskatchewan. Email Karen Tilsley at ktilsley@shrf.ca

WHO CAN APPLY

The Nominated Principal Investigator must be an independent researcher affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution and/or its affiliated institutions (including hospitals, research institutes and other non-profit organizations with a mandate for health research and/or knowledge translation) at the time of funding.

Projects must involve an Early Career Researcher (ECR) as a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI). ECRs are highly encouraged to serve as the Nominated PI. An ECR is a researcher within five years of the date of their first independent research-related appointment. Given that career progress for an ECR is particularly vulnerable to normal life circumstances, the eligibility window may be adjusted. Please refer to the Application Guide for further information.

Additional requirements:

  1. The Nominated Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator(s) must hold substantive roles in Canada for the duration of the requested grant term.
  2. Co-Applicants can be independent researchers, knowledge users, or trainees.
  3. The Ultimate Recipient (institution paid) is required to execute an Ultimate Recipient Agreement or equivalent with AGE-WELL to enable the transfer of funding.

An individual cannot submit more than one application to this competition as a Nominated Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator but can be named as a co-applicant on more than one project.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

  1. Maturity of Project: This program seeks to fund mature projects with established protocols that are able to meet their objectives and deliverables within 18 months. Applications must include a strong plan indicating ability to deliver on proposed objectives within 18 months with no extension requests. This funding program will prioritize projects with a demonstrated track record of progress rather than supporting early-stage or pilot projects. Evidence of previous outcomes and outputs (e.g., pilot data, publications, prototypes, patents) will be important
  2. Ethics Approval:  Proof of prior ethics approval and if necessary a timeline to process amendments for the proposed research will be required with the application.
    • If your proposed project for AGE-WELL funding is part of an ongoing program of research that has already received ethics approval, you must verify that the proposed activities fall within the scope of the existing approval.
    • If your proposed project for AGE-WELL funding introduces new activities or elements must confirm that they extend the scope of an existing ethics approval and provide an estimate of the time required to secure an amendment.
  3. Stage of Technology Development (where applicable): Projects focused on developing novel technologies must be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) stages 3 to 6.
  4. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: application and team development must include the following:
    • Applications must clearly demonstrate how the project integrates Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) principles in its design and execution, including how sex and gender have been considered throughout the project.  Applicants are encouraged to review the following resources when considering how to integrate EDI in their research: Best practices in equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice and design
    • For applications involving Indigenous populations (including First Nations, Inuit and Métis) the research team must include at least one member who self-identifies as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) or demonstrates a track record of meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples.
  5. Inclusion of older adults and caregivers: AGE-WELL supported projects are expected to engage older adults and/or caregivers in all aspects of the research, including co-creation methods. Teams are expected to have engaged stakeholders in developmental work preceding this application and will be required to demonstrate continued engagement for the duration of the funding term.
  6. Development of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP): HQP are required to be integrated as a part of the research team and their roles in the project should be made explicit. HQP affiliated with the proposed project will have access to AGE-WELL’s EPIC training program. HQP supported through project funds will be required to participate in AGE-WELL’s EPIC training program.
  7. Partnerships: Teams are expected to have the appropriate partnerships in place to ensure project goals and objectives are met. Teams will be asked to identify partners involved in the project and their role in the Application Form. Partner contributions may also be a source of cash or in-kind contributions to the project. Where partner contributions are to be counted towards the required matching funding for this call, both cash and in-kind amounts must be included in the budget template. Please refer to the Application Guide for instructions on calculating in-kind contributions and information about supporting documents required for matching funding.
  8. National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships: The Government of Canada has charged federally funded organizations such as AGE-WELL with helping to safeguard the integrity of research against risks to national and economic security, including the theft and misappropriation of research and the unauthorized transfer of ideas, research outcomes and intellectual property. In the case where an application involves one or more partner organization from the private sector, including when they participate alongside other partner organizations from the public and/or not-for-profit sectors, the Nominated Principal Investigator must complete the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships’ risk assessment form and submit it as part of the application. Please refer to The National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships for more information.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications will be accepted through AGE-WELL’s Forum Research Portal. 

The application module is now available in the Forum Research Portal. Applicants who are not already AGE-WELL Network Investigators must first register to access Forum. All current/prior AGE-WELL Network Investigators have Forum accounts will be able to access the application module through the ‘My Applications’ tab in Forum.

Please review the Forum Registration/Application Module Instructions.

We strongly recommend working on the application in a Word document and transferring to Forum as a final step. This also supports multiple project team members to work on the application. The Word version of the application form is available under Supporting Materials.

SUPPORTING MATERIALS

Contact Information

For general inquiries about this funding opportunity, please contact the AGE-WELL Network Management Office:
Email: applications@agewell-nce.ca