The Faculty of Medicine AI Seed Funding Program is a Faculty of Medicine initiative that was assembled in response to the 2018 Faculty of Medicine Action Plan and subsequent Strategic Plans, which identified Medical AI as an emerging area of strategic priority. The first round of this program was launched in 2020 to great success and interest from our research community. Building on that success, the AI Knowledge Translation Fund was created with the generous support of Joseph and Amy Ip to secure financial support for this important program.

• Applicants will be encouraged to consult resources such as the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, the Ottawa Methods Centre at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, the Centre for Individualized Health at the Bruyère Research Institute or the Data Science Centre at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute to obtain reasonable, feasible cost estimates of proposed knowledge translation projects.

2.1. Aim of the Program:

• To support new and on-going research and training initiatives aimed at enhancing the Faculty’s capacity and momentum in the development and application of AI in health and medicine.
• Both application-focused and methodology-focused proposals are within the scope of this call.

2.2. Applicant Eligibility:

• The principal investigator must hold a primary appointment in the Faculty of Medicine.
• Proposed work should take a maximum of one year and may start as early as January 1 the year following the Notice of Decision.

3.1. Administration:

• Financial Administration of the AI Seeding Funding Program: Finance, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa.
• The program will consider applications for projects to be completed over a maximum of one year requesting up to $10,000.
•  At the end of the grant period, any unspent funds will revert back to the AI Knowledge Translation Fund while any over expenditure will be the responsibility of the researcher(s).

3.2. Funds:

• Funds can be used to support knowledge translation, workshops, data collection, operating expenses, travel, and salary support for trainees, postdoctoral fellows, and staff.
• Matching funds are not required but would be considered an asset.

4.1.  Portal: 

• Applicants will apply via the AI Seed Funding Program Submission Portal on the University of Ottawa SurveyMonkey Apply Site. Have the following information ready, when submitting:
  • Primary Department and/or Research Institute
  • Title of Project
  • Executive Summary (words: 100 [EN] / 120 [FR]); copy and paste from Proposal document)
  • Research Priority Area(s) (checkboxes)

4.2. Documents & Instructions:

4.3. IDEAS: Post-Submission Self-Identification Survey

• All applicants must complete the confidential self-identification survey to be eligible for the grant. There are “prefer-not-to-answer” options available throughout.
• After the submission due date, all applicants will receive a tracking number to complete the survey.
• The tracking number will be used to determine if the self-identification survey has been completed and will not directly link the information to an applicant.
• Only a program administrator (in the Research Office, FoM) will have access to self-identification data.
• Data will remain masked (via a tracking number) to only indicate whether the individual broadly belongs to any equity-deserving group or not.
• Refer to review process below, where prioritization of underrepresented groups is described.

4.4 Projects focusing on current and emerging areas of strategic priority will be favoured, including:

• Brain and Mind (FoM strength)
• Infection, Immunity and Inflammation (FoM strength)
• Cardiovascular and Vascular Biology (FoM strength)
• Epidemiology, Public Health, Innovative Med Ed, Practice-Changing Research (FoM strength)
• Clinical and Translational Research (Cross-cutting initiative)
• Systems Biology, Genetics and Mechanisms of Disease (Cross-cutting initiative)
• Regenerative Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics (Cross-cutting initiative)
• AI (Emerging priorities) 

5.1. Scoring:

• Each application will be assessed and scored by peer reviewers based on the following criteria. Scores range from 0 to 5 for each item, where 5 = Outstanding and 0 = Not Addressed.

5.2. Evaluation Criteria

• Proposal Quality (score weighted at 3x)
  • Overall excellence and clarity of the proposal
  • Feasibility and likelihood of success within the project timeframe
  • Research track record of the investigator(s)
• Innovation (score weighted at 2x)
  • The AI research issue and research approach is clearly described
  • Proposed activities are original and feasible within the local, national, and/or international context
• Leveraging/Feasibility (score weighted at 2x)
  • The project builds on existing expertise, resources, and infrastructure
  • Existing infrastructure can be used to conduct the proposed activities
• Knowledge Translation and/or End-User Engagement (score weighted at 1x)
  • The project includes plans, tools, and/or methods to support knowledge translation—defined as a dynamic and iterative process that includes synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically-sound application of knowledge to improve the health—and/or end-user engagement as appropriate based on the stage of research
• Capacity Building (score weighted at 1x)
  • The project fits with strategic priorities of the Faculty of Medicine and University of Ottawa and will build capacity/momentum for AI in health and medicine
• IDEAS and SGBA+ (score weighted at 1x)
  • Integration of IDEAS and SGBA+ principles in project design, team composition, and/or knowledge translation strategies

5.3. Evaluation Processes:

• Those awarded must be above the fundable threshold, i.e., the minimum score identified by the Review Committee.
• Should there be a tie (at one decimal place), this will be addressed by looking at the average rank among the reviewers. Should a tie persist, then the following will be applied to break ties:
  • Priority will be given to applications who demonstrate exemplary integration of IDEAS and SGBA+ principles.
  • Second priority will be given to projects aligned with FoM areas of strategic priority described above.

5.4. Review Team:

• Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis, by a peer review panel chaired by the Director, Medical AI.
• Reviewers will include non-applicant Faculty of Medicine researchers where each proposal is reviewed in triplicate.
• Previous applicants may be recruited as reviewers.
• Reviewer feedback will not be provided to the applicants. Applicants will be instructed to reach out to their Vice Chair - Research, departmental Research Director, or the Vice Dean - Research.

5.5 Decisions: 

• Decisions approved by the FoM are final. There are no appeal processes.

• A scientific and financial report must be sent to the Faculty of Medicine at the end of the funding period to demonstrate effective use of the research funds and the impact of the project (a template will be sent by the Research Office at the end of the grant period). The results will be shared with the donor.