The Bone and Joint Institute (BJI) Strategic Fund Program is an open (no submission deadline) program providing flexibility to support timely strategic research progress.
Funds of $5,000 to $20,000 will be awarded for meritorious proposals (contingent on funds availability at the time of the request). The proposed project must be up to 12 months in length. Any unspent funds will be returned at the end of the granting period. Grants are non-renewable. No extensions will be granted.
The awards are intended to provide transdisciplinary teams timely support to advance BJI strategic priorities and targeted research themes. BJI Research themes are currently centered on/but not limited to infection control in orthopaedics, biomaterials for MSK, wearables for rehabilitation, phenotyping common spine disorders and arthritis in vulnerable populations (see current strategic plan here).
APPLICABILITY: Various types of projects/funding requests will be considered such as – matching funding requests, planning or structure grants, grant writing support for a major competition, timely pilot or proof of concept work, and knowledge translation/dissemination grants. All proposals must clearly outline how the requested strategic funding will lead to transformative scientific advances; improved health/quality of life; policy development; clinical and business applications; and/or commercialization.
The Notice of Intent (NOI) is required to help determine the appropriateness of the proposed project for the BJI Strategic Fund Program and to avoid any unnecessary work by the research teams and BJI Executive Committee. NOIs must be sent by email directly to Christopher Forgaard at cforgaar@uwo.ca. Once assessed by the BJI Executive Committee, your team will be advised in writing about their decision and next steps: proceed to full application, redirect to another funding mechanism, or outside the current scope of BJI programing.
Your NOI should include a brief statement about the purpose of the project, alignment with a BJI strategic priorities, the proposed team, and expected impact (maximum 1800 characters including spaces ~ about half page).
A full proposal is required to provide details about the proposed research idea/project and to convince the BJI Executive Committee that the funds requested would greatly contribute to moving the strategic idea forward and that no other funding mechanism is available for the ask.
New collaborations are welcome, and teams are strongly encouraged to consider equity, diversity and inclusion such as engaging community/external partners or stakeholders, trainees and/or early career investigators. Demonstrated commitment to BJI strategic priorities by participating in events or other BJI programs (e.g., Showcase Series, Think Tank Series, Working Groups) will be considered an asset. Each team requires a PI that will be responsible for administrative aspects of the grant, such as correspondence, finances, ethics approvals, etc. The PI must be a BJI faculty member that holds an academic appointment and is eligible to hold a Western Research account. PIs can only hold one Strategic Fund Program Award at any given time. They may be listed as a non-PI team member on other applications. BJI Executive Committee members are eligible, but must declare the conflict and exclude themselves from the adjudication process for their application.
Full proposals will be reviewed by the BJI Executive Committee. The Committee will consult with content experts as needed. See Guidelines (PDF) and Worksheet (Word) for more information and detailed instructions.
