Eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must:
  • have demonstrated excellence as an independent investigator
  • be on faculty at a Canadian university, with preference for junior faculty (<5 years) but not excluding established investigators
  • be a CSEM member in good standing
  • not have won the award within the last 3 years
• The proposed research project must:
  • represent a new, previously unfunded research project focused on thyroid disease with an impact on patient care
  • be done at an accredited Canadian institution

Application procedure:

Complete the 2025 online submission form and submit supporting documents:

• lay summary of project (max. 1 page) specifically describing the implications of the research project for patients with thyroid disorders
• CV of nominee (complete CV or CIHR-type CV)
• three-page summary of proposed research project including background and purpose, objectives and hypothesis, research design, expectations and possible pitfalls
• research references (in addition to the three-page summary)
• budget outlining the use of the funds, including other funding that is being sought
• proof of ethics approval (or submission to ethics board), where applicable

Deadline: April 30, 2025. No late applications will be considered.

Evaluation criteria:

Project proposals will be evaluated by the CSEM Awards committee which includes senior endocrinologists and researchers and a TFC representative.

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• project relevance: potential significance and impact on thyroid patient care
• feasibility: sound approaches and methods, appropriateness of timelines and plans, etc.
• expertise and resources: appropriate expertise and resources to support the project

Reporting requirements:

The recipient is required to provide after 12 months:

• a brief summary of the project and what has been accomplished to date
• an implementation plan which outlines next steps or actions
• results or outcomes of the project including abstracts, publications and all communications related to the project

Additionally, upon completion of the project, the recipient is required to give a presentation on the project for the Thyroid Foundation of Canada at their request. The recipient is also encouraged to submit an abstract to the Diabetes Canada/CSEM Annual Professional Conference.

Restrictions:

• The Thyroid Foundation of Canada precludes the use of the grant funds for any research involving animal models.
• Grants are payable to the recipient’s institution.
• Grant funds may be used for research staff or student salary support, as well as an operating grant.
• The grant is intended to support research. Grant funds must contribute towards the direct costs of the research for which the funds were awarded. CSEM and TFC are not-for-profit organizations and do not allow overhead costs to be deducted from the grant funds; indirect or overhead costs associated with managing the research must be borne by the receiving institution.

Past recipients of the Thyroid Foundation of Canada Research Award:

• 2024: Anna Sawka
• 2023: Sana Ghaznavi
• 2022: Paul Stewardson
• 2021: Ralf Paschke