Royal College/Associated Medical Services CanMEDS Research Grant

Announcing the call for applications to the Royal College / AMS CanMEDS grant competition. In partnership with the AMS, we aim to fund projects that leverage the 2015 CanMEDS framework to advance the fields of residency education, continuing professional development and other health system-related areas of focus in Canada (e.g. health workforce planning).

This grant of up to $25,000 supports research and/or implementation of projects that advance competency-based training and assessment for specialists, as defined by CanMEDS.

An amount equivalent to 75 per cent of the grant will be disbursed upon project commencement, and 25 per cent upon project completion and receipt of a final report. The final report must be sent to the Program Coordinator, Research Grants and Awards, Research and Evaluation Unit, Royal College.

Objective

To support research and/or implementation of projects that advance specialty medical education as realized through the intrinsic CanMEDS roles, in order to realize the mission of social accountability in the training and continuing professional development of specialists.

Eligibility

Applicants must be involved in teaching and/or medical education research in Canada. Applications may be individual or joint, involving one or more departments, disciplines, or faculties of medicine. It is not necessary to be a Fellow of the Royal College or a physician; however, a Fellow of the Royal College must contribute meaningfully to the project.

Individuals who currently hold funding from the Royal College (as a Principal Applicant) are not eligible to receive funding in this competition. He/she may still supervise a trainee or student, and can be a co-investigator on proposals submitted by other PIs. Please note an application is considered closed only when the Education Research Grants Committee has approved final submission documents and financial items have been resolved.

Eligible projects may include faculty development and/or medical education research that advance the promotion and refinement of specialist training based in the CanMEDS roles, with a particular interest in how these roles can promote equity, diversity and inclusion.

Applications that include research must meet contemporary standards of educational research, which include the relevance of the research question, the appropriateness of the research design, ethical review of the submission, accountability for funds received, and the ability to complete the project during the funding period.

Submission

Applications must be submitted by completing the official grant form by the application deadline (no exceptions) on or before March 21, 2024 before 11:59pm (applicant’s local time). Attachments sent by email will not be accepted and are ineligible to be attached to the application.

What to include in your application

  • Provide a clear explanation of the named Fellow’s role and contributions to the project
  • Project Abstract describing the rationale, objectives, study design, methods, analysis and outcomes. (300-word maximum)
  • AMS Project Description (3,400 word maximum), this should include:
    • Objectives, literature and theoretical/conceptual foundations, methodology, and significance to postgraduate specialty medical education or continuing professional development;
    • Applicability to CanMEDS (Provide a clear explanation of the project’s applicability to CanMEDS);
    • Summary of the study design including the process for ethics approval, as applicable;
    • Details on data collection, analysis, proposed project schedule and anticipated outcomes/impacts;
    • Planned dissemination of research findings

Please include all of the documents below and refer to the following guidelines.

Please download and complete the Grant Budget template. Once completed, please attach the document. Use of the Royal College Budget Template is mandatory.

  • Reference list
  • Budget justification
  • Letter(s) of support, from your division, department or faculty representative
  • Abbreviated curricula vitae detailing principal and co-investigators’ education, teaching and administrative positions held in the last five years, publications, grants received, and any additional pertinent training (maximum 4 pages each CV. Any curricula vitae that exceeds the 4 pages will be truncated).
  • Copy of research instruments (if available).
  • Letter of approval from Ethics Board or letter of submission for ethical approval (if applicable).

How to create a PDF with Acrobat:

  • Open Acrobat and choose Tools. Select Create PDF.
  • Select the file type you want to create a PDF from: single file, multiple files.
  • Click "Create" or "Next" depending on the file type.
  • Follow the prompts to convert to PDF and save to your desired location.

Create a PDF from an Existing Word Document:

  • With your Word document open, click the “File” menu on the Ribbon.
  • On the sidebar that opens, click the “Save As” command.
  • Now, all you have to do is give your file a name, select “PDF” from the dropdown menu, and then click the “Save” button.

Selection

The Royal College Education Research Grants Committee and a cadre of expert scholars and researchers assess proposals and identify successful applicants.

Selection is based on the application’s scientific merit and its relevance to the grant’s objective regarding CanMEDS, as well as the clarity of the proposal and the strength of the research team.

Number

One or more grants will be awarded each year. Only one grant per year per principal investigator will be awarded.

Duration

Grants are up to a maximum 24 months' duration.

Dissemination

The publication of research findings is expected. The financial support of "The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada" and "Associated Medical Services, Inc." must be acknowledged in all publications resulting from this grant. Successful applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their findings as a workshop, paper or poster to the Royal College Annual Conference.

Submission deadline
11:59 p.m. (local time) March 21, 2024. Late applications will not be considered.

Contact us
Program Coordinator, Research and Evaluation Unit
Email: researchgrants@royalcollege.ca

Budget guidelines
Application form
Budget template (.xlsx download)
FAQ
Past recipients