Eligibility & Evaluation Criteria
In all types of applications,
highest priority will be given to projects where matching funds are
provided by the applicant's home institution. This enables the
Foundation to provide assistance to more projects and at least
partially ensures that the home institution is tangibly supportive of
the applicant.
The Review Committee will consider the general criteria that reflect Molly Towell's objectives. These include;
- Originality and validity of the hypotheses and/or methodological approach to the research question
- The scientific strength and feasibility in terms of the project design and methodology
- The academic strength and research potential of the Principal Investigator or Fellowship candidate
- The adequacy of the educational/training/mentoring milieu and research facilities of the proposed site of the research project
- The appropriateness of the budget requested
Please read the following information carefully regarding more specific criteria for the two types of awards.
Operating Support for Basic or Clinical Research Projects
The Foundation will consider
applications to fund original research that has high potential to
enhance understanding of fetal growth and development and to promote
optimal neonatal health. The goal of this program is to assist
young clinician or scientist investigators to pursue original research
as they start their academic careers. The operating funds are available
only to new investigators with formal faculty appointments at a
Canadian university who are within 5 years of their first academic
appointment. Individuals with established funding portfolios are not
eligible. Indirect or institutional costs are ineligible.
The following research is
ineligible: clinical trials and RCTs, retrospective and cross-sectional
surveys and chart or record reviews, database explorations of all
types, population epidemiology, economic studies, health services
research, opinion/preference surveys, anthropological studies, and any
application where the applicant is not the principal investigator.
In general, the upper limit for support of research is $20,000 for one year. Funding for a second year is possible pending a report at the end of the first year demonstrating satisfactory progress.
Molly Towell Fellowship Program
The goal of this program is to
encourage residents and scientists in Canada to acquire post-doctoral
research training and experience that will prepare them to continue
with a major research focus in their academic careers. Fellowship funds
must be used solely for research training, and not for clinical
subspecialty training, though it may be associated with the latter.
Applicants must possess either: a) a Ph.D. or equivalent degree; or an
M.D. or equivalent degree and have completed an accredited residency
program. Strong consideration will be given to the originality and
novelty of the proposed research and academic credentials of the
candidate. Other important factors are the quality of the mentor and
the mentoring milieu, including appropriate facilities and the
potential for intellectual stimulation and experience in teaching.
Given applications of equal scientific strength and originality, higher
priority will be given to applicants who have a commitment from their
home institution for their initial academic appointment and who obtain
their research training at a centre different from their home
institution.
If the plan is to combine the
Molly Towell fellowship with funds from other sources, the specific
details of these plans must be provided with the application. Such
proposals will be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, in
general, the Molly Towell Fellowship will not be used for "top-up" of
another major award.
Eligible research must have
high potential to enhance understanding of fetal growth and development
and to promote optimal neonatal health. The following research is
ineligible: clinical trials and RCTs, retrospective and cross-sectional
surveys and chart or record reviews, database explorations of all
types, population epidemiology, economic studies, health services
research, opinion/preference surveys, and anthropological studies.
In general, the upper limit for support of a Fellowship is $30,000 for one year. Funding for a second year is possible pending a report at the end of the first year demonstrating satisfactory progress.
