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Evaluation Process
Evaluation Criteria
Merit Review Panel Membership
Inquiries and Further Information

Evaluation Process
All applications are reviewed by a Merit Review Panel comprising senior researchers who bring together a breadth of knowledge and/or experience across a wide spectrum of health-related research. Panel members are external to the province yet familiar with the BC research environment, and have experience in program-based adjudication panels of a similar nature.
  • A primary and secondary reviewer is assigned to each application.
  • In order to maintain the integrity of the peer review process, the identity of the reviewers assigned to individual applications is kept anonymous, however the membership of the panel will be posted on the MSHFR website after the panel is confirmed.
  • The panel will rank all applications and recommend those that should receive awards.
  • To ensure consistency, panel members will use a common scale and apply the same convention in assigning ratings. The scale and descriptors are those used by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, that is, with scores ranging from 0 - 4.9.
  • Information contained in applications, written reviews and evaluation committee discussions are confidential and are subject to the BC Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
  • All MSFHR reviewers are required to observe the MSFHR Policy on Conflict of Interest (PDF) and Guidelines on Conflict of Interest (PDF).
  • All applicants will receive a confidential report, including the comments provided by the primary and secondary reviewers, as well as a summary of the panel's discussion and the application's final score.
  • Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the review process within three months of the competition deadline.
  • The number of applications funded may vary from one competition to another and depend on the quality of the applications received and the available program funds.
  • There is no appeal process.
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Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

Research Focus
  • The Team's research focus is innovative and relevant to British Columbians.
  • There is consistency between the Team's proposed research direction and the research plans of its host institution.
Team Members
  • The Team brings together sufficient expertise relevant to the proposed research direction.
  • The commitments to the Team of the Leader, QHRs and AHRs are clear and appropriate.
Planning Activities
  • The proposed planning activities will significantly advance the Team's consolidation and/or research directions.
  • The proposed activities can be achieved within the funding period.
Expected Outcomes
  • The expected outcomes are clearly linked to the planning activities and the funding requested.
  • The expected outcomes are useful indicators of the Team's progress during the funding period.
Funding Requested
  • The items requested are appropriate and sufficiently justified.
  • The Team has clearly described the mechanism(s) by which it will be accountable for using MSFHR funds.
Overall Potential
  • The Team has the potential to become an integrated and productive research group and contribute to BC's research community.
Grantsmanship
  • The applicant has fulfilled the requirements specified in the Guidelines for Applications.
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Merit Review Panel Membership
Meeting: January 21 and 22, 2008

Dr. Neil MacKinnon (Chair)
Associate Professor and Associate Director for Research; Faculty of Health Profession, College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University

Dr. David Buckeridge (Scientific Officer)
Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University
Canada Research Chair in Public Health Informatics

Dr. Barb Campbell
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of Prince Edward Island
Director, The Webster Centre for Teaching & Learning

Dr. Dean Chapman
Professor, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Canada Research Chair in X-ray Imaging

Dr. Troy Harkness
Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan

Dr. Elizabeth Irving
Associate Professor, School of Optometry, Faculty of Science University of Waterloo
Canada Research Chair in Vision Science

Dr. Richard Kinkead
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Laval
Canada Research Chair in Respiratory Neurobiology

Dr. Colleen Loomis
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Laurier
Associate Director Research of the Laurier Centre for Community Service Learning

Dr. Joy MacDermid
Associate Professor, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University
Co-director of the Clinical Research Lab within the Hand and Upper Limb Centre (HULC)

Dr. Barbara Paterson
Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Chronic Illness
University of New Brunswick

Dr. Daryl Pullman
Professor, Medical Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University

Dr. Salman Qureshi
Assistant Professor, McGill Centre for the Study of Host Resistance, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University
Canada Research Chair in Host Resistance to Fungal Pathogens

Dr. Richard Riopelle
Chair, Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute & Hospital

Dr. Anne Sales
Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta

Dr. Patricia Wielandt
Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta

Dr. Jackson Wu
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary

Dr. Nancy Young
Associate Professor, School of Human Kinetics, Laurentian University
Interim Director, School of Rural & Northern Health, Laurentian University
Canada Research Chair in Rural and Northern Children's Health

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Inquiries and Further Information
For further assistance, please contact the following:

For inquiries and help with MSFHR ApplyNet online applications or the Common CV, contact the MSFHR Help Desk:
E-mail the Help Desk
Local phone: 604.714.6609
Toll-free phone: 1.866.673.4722 (ask for the MSFHR Help Desk)

For inquiries and information about the Team Planning Award and Team Planning Guidelines:
E-mail the Infrastructure Program
Andrea McLean, Program Coordinator, Infrastructure, 604.714.6605
Dr. Angela Todd, Senior Director, Infrastructure, 604.714.5371

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Last updated January 16, 2008
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