News

The Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program (CDTRP), in partnership with Astellas Pharma Canada, Inc. (Astellas), the Alberta Transplant Innovation Fund (ATIF), The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Cystic Fibrosis Canada, the Big Gifts for Little Lives Fund, the Addison Fund and the UHN Multi-Organ Transplant Program, would like to encourage you to apply for the 2018 CDTRP Research Innovation Grant competition.

Now in its 5th year, this competition provides funding to seed new and innovative pilot projects in the hematopoietic cell transplant, solid organ transplant and critical care / donation fields that will be integrated and supported by the national research structure of the CDTRP.

“This grant competition has had a transformative impact on Canadian transplant investigators, and is an invaluable component of our national research program,” said Dr. Lori West, Scientific Director of the CDTRP.  “Our partner-driven collaborations allow investigators from across Canada to integrate their research into the CDTRP structure, enabling them to leverage the full resources of the network to translate their research into clinical practice.  We are very grateful for the ongoing support from all our partners who help the CDTRP achieve its goal of addressing the critical gaps and barriers to effective organ transplantation for Canadians.”
Seventeen grants of $30,000 each will be available to fund peer-reviewed pilot projects at the national and regional level in 2018. For the first time in the competition, the CDTRP is working with partners who bring funding to support specific targeted research areas within the scope of the competition, so please pay special attention to the partner requirements in the terms of reference.

The primary area of focus for this competition is to support new peer-reviewed pilot research projects that align with CDTRP’s One-Transplant-For-Life vision, which is to fulfill every donor opportunity and turn transplant into a cure. These projects must be new stand-alone studies that align with one of the 5 Themes of the CDTRP that will be used to generate preliminary data to support further investigation. The 5 CDTRP Themes are:

• Create a culture of donation
• Inform universal practices for donation
• Engineer and allocate a better graft
• Tailor an optimal immune system for each patient
• Restore long-term health

"The Kidney Foundation of Canada is a proud partner of CDTRP", said Elizabeth Myles, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. "By funding innovative research in organ donation and transplantation through this network, we hope to identify impactful solutions for people requiring life-saving transplants and to have transplantation become a predictable and sustainable cure."

"Astellas has always demonstrated a strong commitment to the Canadian Transplant community," said Fran Paradiso-Hardy, Executive Director and Sub-Region Head of Medical Affairs, Americas at Astellas Pharma. "Through this continued collaboration, we are building on our pledge to strive to enhance the survival and quality of life of Canadians who receive organ transplants."

The deadline for applications to the CDTRP Research Innovation Grant Competition is February 13, 2019.  For more information about the application process, including eligibility criteria, please visit www.cntrp.ca/research-grant-competitions