Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which category applies to off-site researchers who collaborate with researchers at CFRI?
2. What are the expectations of a member who has less than 30% (12 hours/week) protected research time?
3. I’m a hospital-based ‘periodic’ clinical researcher. Why I should apply?
4. Is it possible to be a member of another research institution in addition to being a member of the CFRI?
5. Which research support services and infrastructure may I access as a shared member?
6. Which cluster do I align with?
7. Is there a limit to the number of secondary cluster affiliations I can choose?
8. How should I indicate my preference for affiliation percentage splits on the form?
9. Does CFRI have any guidelines to help faculty decide which cluster best fits them? In case of possible multiple affiliations, which should be the primary and secondary affiliation(s)?
10. Do I need to submit my full university curriculum vitae (CV) or can I submit the CIHR Common CV?
11. How will my application be processed?
12. How are membership applications reviewed? What are my options if my application is rejected?
13. How is the research cluster’s operating budget determined?
14. Will my cluster alignment limit my access to CFRI core facilities and research support services?
15. Who heads my research cluster?

1. Which category applies to off-site researchers who collaborate with researchers at CFRI?

Off-site research collaborators are eligible for membership in Category 4, Affiliate Investigator. If you refer to the Membership Criteria document you will note eligibility in this category is as follows:

• Individuals who hold primary appointments at other research institutes, universities/campuses, hospitals and/or agencies may be members in this category.
• Any collaborator(s) who regularly undertakes research activities associated with CFRI and its Clusters are encouraged to apply for Affiliate Investigator designation. The purpose of this regulation is to ensure that all individuals involved in research activities at the CFRI have official status with the organization.
• Category 4 has a one (1)-year term. Affiliate Investigators must renew their affiliation at the end of the one-year term to maintain the Category 4 designation with CFRI.
  

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2. What are the expectations of a member that has less than 30% (12 hours/week) of protected research time?

Individuals with less than 30% (12 hours/week) of protected research time fall into the Clinical Investigator category. The responsibilities of individuals in this category include:

• Be fiscally responsible for the support of their research activities
• Maintain affiliations with a CFRI research cluster and participate in the cluster’s research activities. The level of participation should be determined with the Cluster Head.
  
• Actively participate in the collective activities of the CFRI (i.e., committees, mentoring groups, etc.). The level of participation will be determined with the Cluster Head.
  
• Adhere to CFRI, university & hospital policies governing the conduct of research and professional practice.

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3. I’m a hospital-based ‘periodic’ clinical researcher. Why I should apply?

As an individual undertaking clinical research on a ‘periodic’ basis, you would fall under the Clinical Investigator category. Some of the benefits accorded to members include access to and assistance from the Research & Technology Development Office, the Clinical Research Support Unit and Financial Services which provides support with budget and contract negotiations for clinical trials.

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4. Is it possible to be a member of another research institution in addition to being a member of the CFRI?

Yes, it is possible to maintain membership in both the CFRI and another research institution; however, only members in Category 1, 2, and 3 are eligible for shared membership. In choosing this option for shared membership, the individual will be splitting their percentage of alignment between the respective research institutions (e.g., 50% alignment with CFRI and 50% alignment with a partner research institution). The resulting percentage of alignment with CFRI will determine the proportion of research support services and infrastructure to which a shared member would be eligible, and to which amount the CFRI is permitted to claim of the ‘credits’ attributed to the shared member’s research activities.

Refer to Membership Criteria for further information on member eligibility, responsibilities, and benefits, and to Membership Application Guidelines for details on the impact of shared membership and for application requirements.

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5. Which research support services and infrastructure may I access as a shared member?

An individual partially aligned with CFRI is eligible to access the CFRI’s research support services and infrastructure based on their percentage alignment with the CFRI, e.g., 40% alignment with CFRI translates into 40% access to research resources and services; or in the case of priority access, a 100%-aligned member would have priority over a 40%-aligned shared member.

Shared membership criteria that will affect Category 1, 2, and 3 members are summarized as follows:

• Research/office space will be allocated based on the proportion of attributed research funding, which is impacted by the member’s percentage alignment with the CFRI.
• Shared members will not be eligible to hold CFRI Investigator Awards.
• Students and fellows of shared Category 1 and 2 members may apply for and receive awards from the CFRI Trainee Awards Program (Studentships, Fellowships, Travel and Methodology Grants) based on their percentage alignment with CFRI, provided the partner research institution commits to the balance of the award as per the member’s alignment with the partner institute.
• Access to CFRI Core Services (RES, Finance, HR, IT, Ops, Comms, RTDO, CRSU) will be determined on a priority basis as defined by the aligned percentage with CFRI. Full (100% aligned) CFRI members have priority access to these services.

Refer to Membership Application Guidelines for a detailed outline of the benefits and implications of shared membership.

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6. Which cluster do I align with?

The decision as to which research cluster(s) an individual is affiliated with is up to that individual, with confirmation by the Cluster Head.

>> CFRI's research clusters

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7. Is there a limit to the number of secondary cluster affiliations I can choose?

In theory there are no limits to the number of secondary Cluster affiliations you can chose, but they should be meaningful and justifiable to the respective Cluster Heads.

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8. How should I indicate my preference for affiliation percentage splits on the form?

Your decision about your cluster affiliations should be based on how your research aligns with the identified research cluster(s) and the percentage of time you would commit to those chosen areas.

Please indicate your decision by ticking the appropriate box in the primary affiliation column and listing the percentage of time you would commit to that cluster. Then indicate any secondary affiliation(s) in the secondary affiliation column and list the percentage of time for each cluster.

>> CFRI's research clusters

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9. Does CFRI have any guidelines to help faculty decide which cluster best fits them? In case of possible multiple affiliations, which should be the primary and secondary affiliation(s)?

No there are no written guidelines addressing this issue. We suggest that you determine which cluster your research best aligns with. If you are uncertain about where you should be aligned we would encourage you to review the cluster descriptions.

If further clarity is required, you should meet with the Cluster Head(s) to discuss how your research fits within their cluster. A listing of the Cluster Heads can be found on page 3 of the Membership Application Guidelines.

>> Membership forms & documents

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10. Do I need to submit my full university curriculum vitae (CV) or can I submit the CIHR Common CV?

We accept both. If you plan to submit your university CV, please submit the complete CV, not the abbreviated version. If you plan to submit the CIHR Common CV, please ensure it is up to date, including the most significant contributions section and the publications list.

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11. How will my application be processed?

Once you have obtained the signatures of the relevant Cluster Head(s), academic Department Chair, and if applicable, Partner Research Institution Leader, you submit the application to CFRI Research Services. It will only be returned to you if there is a problem, such as missing information.

>> How to apply
>> Membership forms & documents

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12. How are membership applications reviewed? What are my options if my application is rejected?

It is unlikely that any applications will be rejected as this is an inclusive process involving the applicant, the research Cluster Head(s), the academic Department Chairs, and if applicable, Partner Research Institution Leaders. Should a question arise about the suitability of the applicant to a particular cluster, the applicant has the opportunity to make their case about how their research interests fit with the given cluster.

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13. How is the research cluster’s operating budget determined?

Research cluster operating budgets are calculated using a formula that provides a base amount per member plus a percentage of the member’s peer-reviewed funding.

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14. Will my cluster alignment limit my access to CFRI core facilities and research support services?

No. The research community accesses core facilities and research support services based on existing guidelines and procedures.

>>Core Facilities

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15. Who heads my research cluster?

Leadership for the research clusters is included in the CFRI Overview.

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Last updated: 02/03/2012