Funding Opportunity

[ PDF (933 KB) |  Help ]

CIHR launched its Café Scientifique program as an outreach initiative that would provide answers to questions of popular interest to the general public. As a result, over 140 CIHR Café Scientifiques events have been funded to provide educational and informal discussions regarding popular health topics. CIHR Cafés are typically held in bars or cafés, and involve a panel of experts who specialize in the topic at-hand. The primary point of these events is accessibility: to be a member of the audience, you don't have to have a science degree. You need to be interested in learning things, and posing questions.

Through its Café Scientifique program, CIHR organizes its own Café events but also establishes partnerships with non-profit organizations, universities, research centres, science centres and museums across Canada. If successful, these Café Scientifique partners can expect to receive $3,000 in funding so that they can host their own Café. Please note: these funds can be used to host more than one Café.

In order to be funded, representatives of the institution must meet the following criteria:

• the subject must be a health research-related issue of interest to the general public;
• a brief description of the Café must be provided along with an explanation of the importance of the topic itself;
• the name and description of the institution that will be hosting the event (to whom the payment will be made) must be made clear;
• all Cafés must be respectful of CIHR's guidelines, which have been developed for both participants and organizers;
• through relevant experience, the organizers must show how they will be able to meet the Café's goals (including a realistic budget forecast and communications plan);
• there must be at least two CIHR-funded expert researchers on the panel of experts;
• CIHR support must be appropriately recognized through use of promotional material prior to and at the event itself;
• after the event is over, the organizer must be willing to evaluate the success and demerits of the Café through use of a CIHR survey;
• a point of contact for all communication purposes must be highlighted (with the inclusion of a phone number, fax number and e-mail coordinates);
• a person who has signing authority to claim CIHR-funding must be identified;
• tentative date, time and location for the Café must be made clear (the event has to take place prior to June 30, 2010).

For more information, please read the complete evaluation criteria table below.

Those who are interested in applying for the funding must send five hardcopies to CIHR by June 26, 2009.

The address is as follows:

Peter Maitland
c/o Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
9th Floor, 160 Elgin St.
Address Locator 4809A
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0W9

All submissions will be evaluated by a CIHR-appointed jury and decisions will be announced at the beginning of September 2009.

For further information, please contact Peter Maitland, Public Outreach Officer and Writer, at peter.maitland@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

CIHR Café Scientifique Program Evaluation Criteria