Community Engagement & Knowledge Mobilization Grant
The Community Engagement & Knowledge Mobilization Grant supports the community engagement activities of an existing or planned larger research project. This grant provides the funding necessary to engage community partners to identify research priorities, co-design research projects, and develop knowledge mobilization initiatives within the field of child health research. Researchers, scientists, and trainees who are members of the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children and affiliated with the University of Toronto are eligible to apply.
Community partners are individuals or groups who are ‘interest holders’ in the outcomes of the research. This includes, but is not limited to, Indigenous and First Nations leaders and communities, people with lived experiences relevant to the project’s focus, families, community organizations, non-profits, and health system leaders. These partners play an important role in ensuring the research addresses important community-relevant issues and needs.
The goal of the grant is to facilitate collaborative research that addresses the needs of communities and advances community knowledge in child health research in Canada.
Funding through this grant can support the following activities:
- Identifying research priorities and planning co-designed projects: Collaborating with community partners to determine key areas of research and plan projects together.
- Advancing pilot projects: Testing research ideas and their potential impact with community partners.
- Knowledge mobilization: Developing and sharing tools, resources, and events to facilitate knowledge between researchers and community partners.
Eligibility
Principal Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Hold a faculty level appointment at the University of Toronto and be eligible to hold grants.
- Principal Applicants and all team members must first register as Leong Centre members in order to qualify for funding.
- More than one application can be submitted by the same applicant; however, priority will be given to funding as many distinct applicants as possible.
- Awards will be provided at the discretion of the selection committee, and based on the grant criteria and nature of the project submissions.
Funding
Applicants can request funding of up to $10,000 per award. Funds must be spent within 12 months of being awarded. If a project requires a larger budget, the Centre may consider requests for up to $20,000, provided there is a clear justification. There are no restrictions on combining this award with other funding sources to cover additional expenses.
- Deadline to apply: Friday February 7, 2025 - 12pm (noon) ET
- Notification of funding decisions: Successful applicants will be notified of decisions by the end of March 2025.
Completed application packages must be submitted by the deadline. Please note that late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Application Process
To apply for the grant, all applications must be submitted by Friday, February 7, 2025. Applicants must complete the application form and submit it along with the required documentation to leong.centre@sickkids.ca. The summary section should outline the project’s rationale, objectives, engagement plan, impact, and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Notice of receipt will be sent upon submission. If you do not receive confirmation within a few days, please reach out to ensure your application was received.
Required documents include:
- Principal Applicant CV – A five-page CV including education, awards, employment, prior funding, and publications.
- Budget – A detailed budget using the provided budget template, including funding sources, cost breakdowns, and how funds will support engagement and mobilization efforts. If requesting more than $10,000, please justify the additional funds.
- Optional Letter(s) of Support – Attach letters of support from community partners confirming their participation, role, and any in-kind contributions to the proposed engagement activities.
Examples of eligible expenses include:
- Research products (e.g., reports, infographics, pamphlets, videos, social media campaigns) and associated production costs
- Honorariums for community partners (e.g. CHILD-BRIGHT, Solutions for Kids in Pain, CIHR-Institute of Musculoskeletal Health & Arthritis, Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research)
- Events (e.g., rentals, food)
- Accommodation requirements and accessibility needs (e.g., support personnel, sign language interpretation in videos and live presentations, audio/visual aids in videos and live presentations)
- Workshop costs
- Transportation costs (see the SickKids travel policy parameters)
The following items are considered ineligible expenses:
- Honoraria for non-community partners (e.g., investigators, trainees, staff)
- Salaries
- Equipment purchases (e.g., computers, software)
- Alcohol
- Open access fees for research publications
Adjudication Process & Notification
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee that consists of researchers and trainee members of the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children. The selection committee will review and rank the applications with all supporting documentation and recommend recipients to the Centre’s leadership for final approval, and will be scored according to the following award criteria:
- Diverse expertise and experience of the project team across multiple disciplines
- Appropriateness of methods and level of engagement in the project
- Commitment to fostering two-way relationships with community partners in the project
- Potential impact of engagement on the proposed research project
- Feasibility
- Relevance to the vision of the Centre
Reporting Requirements
If awarded, applicants will be required to submit a final impact report within 60 days of the funding period’s end. A template for the report will be sent to you at the 10-month mark following the award notification. Applicants must acknowledge the Centre in all research outputs (e.g., presentations, publications), with specific acknowledgment instructions provided in the award letter.
Please note that the Centre’s community engagement consultation services will not be available to support this grant. However, successful applicants will have access to consultation sessions after the award is granted to address any questions or concerns related to project scope or budget. These sessions will support the adjustment of community engagement activities and budgets to ensure the maximum impact of the funded project.
Questions
For any questions about the Community Engagement & Knowledge Mobilization Grant, please send an email to leong.centre@sickkids.ca.