| In 1999, in support of the need to build nursing research capacity in Canada, the federal government created the Nursing Research Fund (NRF). This $25 million investment over 10 years is administered by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF). While the primary mandate of the fund is to support research addressing policy, leadership and organization of nursing services, a component of the fund—the Nursing Care Partnership Program (NCP)—is directed to support clinical nursing research.
In January 2003, CHSRF granted CNF a five-year renewable award of $2.5 million for the administration of the partnership.
Over five years (2003-2007), CNF has committed approximately $2.2 million to approved nursing care research projects and leveraged $4.6 million, for a total investment of $6.9 million.
In a 2004 analysis carried out by Dr. Dorothy Forbes, president of the Canadian Association for Nursing Research, NCP already emerges as an important funder of nursing research in Canada.
In January 2008, CHSRF granted CNF a two-year award of $ 1.07 million for the continued administration of the partnership.
NCP defines research on nursing care issues as research that is practice-based or that will provide the groundwork for future practice-based studies. Through NCP, CNF is committed to funding research that meets the needs of the public and is relevant to practitioners and health care services decision-makers.
What NCP Funds
The goals for NCP are to support research on nursing care issues and build nursing research capacity by funding research on nursing care issues.
To this end, NCP only funds research on nursing care issues. NCP defines nursing care research or clinical nursing research as research that is practice-based or that will provide the groundwork for future practice-based studies.
NCP does not fund health system research (e.g. nursing recruitment, retention, management, organization, leadership and the issues emerging from health-system restructuring). However, there is often a fine line between health system research and nursing care research. For NCP to contribute funding, the panel must be comfortable that there is a potential impact on nursing practice, whether direct or indirect.
Research funded by NCP must be relevant to decision-makers – people who control health care resources and/or influence clinical practice.
Proposal budgets should reflect only costs directly related to research (e.g., laboratory materials and supplies, hiring research/technical assistants and related travel). The purchase of equipment, up to a maximum of 50% of the value of the first year's budget, is permitted. Stipends for research trainees (e.g., graduate students, post-doctoral fellows) are allowed. Funds may not be used as salary for the grantees or for indirect costs of research (e.g., library, heat and light, office furniture, overhead, administrative charges and fees). NCP does not fund the costs of program delivery, incremental or otherwise.
Research must address at least some of the NCP priorities:
- Making the program truly national. For example, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and/or Canada’s north are high priority areas in 2005.
- Supporting research that takes place in "clinical" settings—where nurses provide care—including non-acute settings, e.g. in the community.
- Supporting research that involves novice researchers.
- Supporting research teams that are interdisciplinary.
- Moving towards larger grants.
Quality monitoring/improvement projects are not funded by NCP.
Program evaluations are funded by NCP if the study involves the creation of broadly applicable new knowledge for nursing practice.
NCP does not fund personnel awards.
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