The Alberta Paraplegic Foundation is providing Provincial Clinical Implementation Grants for collaborative, province–wide basic science and health research teams working in the area of spinal cord injury (SCI) in Alberta. The purpose of the SCI Provincial Clinical Implementation Grant is to provide limited short–term support of clinical implementation of evidence–based treatments and best practices into SCI care provincially. The Provincial Clinical Implementation Grants will serve to bring together Alberta clinicians and researchers building upon existing strengths within the province. Proposals submitted to this program should represent unique or novel ideas with potential to improve SCI patient care and research/knowledge translation capacity among SCI clinicians and researchers in Alberta.

Funded teams will receive project funding from The Alberta Paraplegic Foundation, via the Alberta SCI Research Support Fund. A maximum of two projects will be funded at up to $20,000 CAD per project over a one to two year (12-24 month) term.

Applications are intended to include investigation of primary spinal cord injury (i.e. SCI; spinal cord dysfunction resulting from a single diagnosis or etiology) of traumatic and non-traumatic origin.  In this target population, SCI is defined as damage to the spinal cord that causes changes in its function, either temporary or permanent. These changes translate into loss of motor, sensory, or autonomic function in parts of the body served by the spinal cord below the level of the lesion. Injuries can occur at any level of the spinal cord and can be classified as complete injury, a total loss of sensation and muscle function, or incomplete, meaning some nervous signals are able to travel past the injured area of the cord. Depending on the location and severity of damage along the spinal cord, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain, numbness to paralysis and even devastating neurologic deficits and disability.

The deadline for applications is March 20, 2017. For more details on the competition, please view the Request for Proposals and Application Form.

Applications can be submitted to rida.chan@ahs.ca

Note: funding is also available to facilitate Alberta trainees’ participation in unique learning opportunities intended to build spinal cord injury scientific and research capacity. A maximum of $1,500 per award with a maximum total of $7,500 per funding cycle. Contact Chester Ho for more information.

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