The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has released the Catalyst Grant intended to catalyze and support research efforts of Canadian researchers to use data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) to better understand how biological, medical, psychological, social, lifestyle and/or economic aspects of people's lives have an impact on both maintaining health and the development of disease and disability as people age.

Support for the 2023 Catalyst Grant: Analysis of CLSA Data is provided by the CIHR Institute of Aging, Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH), Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA), in partnership with the Quebec Network for Research on Aging (RQRV).

The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $785,000, enough to fund approximately 11 grants.

This funding opportunity will support projects relevant to its objectives under a general pool in addition to projects from several other research areas:

1. General Pool (3 grants up to $70,000 each over one year) – Funding provided by the Institute of Aging (IA) for projects on any research topic.
2. IA Early Career Researcher (1 grant up to 70,000 over one year) – Funding provided by IA for projects on any research topic led by an Early Career Researcher.
3. CLSA Indigenous-identified data (1 grant up to 70,000 over one year) – Funding provided by IA for projects involving the use of CLSA Indigenous-identified data.
4. IPPH Mandate (4 grants up to 70,000 over one year) – Funding provided by IPPH for projects related to its mandate.
5. IPPH Mandate Early Career Researcher (1 grant up to 70,000 over one year) – Funding provided by IPPH for projects related to its mandate led by an Early Career Researcher.
6. IMHA Mandate (1 grant up to 70,000 over one year) – Funding provided by IMHA for projects related to its mandate.
7. RQRV Top up – $15,000 is available as a top-up funding from the RQRV to the highest ranked and fundable application from an active RQRV member based in the Province of Quebec and is relevant with the theme of cell to societal aspects of aging.

Researchers interested in applying should visit ResearchNet for more information on eligibility, how to apply and the relevant research areas and data resources available. If needed, researchers can download the CLSA Data Access Support Letter to include with their application.

The CLSA expects to have new data available for analysis in this competition including:  Baseline environmental data, Follow-up 1 cognition normative data and Follow-up 2 physical assessment data. To review the current list of available data, visit: www.clsa-elcv.ca/data-availability.

Building upon a consultation process with Indigenous researchers that began in 2019, the CLSA has revised its data access process for the use of Indigenous-identified data and has made changes to how these projects are assessed. Prospective applicants should review a recent webinar and resources on considerations for access/use of Indigenous-identified data to learn more about the CLSA's expectations and guidelines for requests to access and use this data.

The registration deadline for the Catalyst Grant: Analysis of CLSA Data is September 19, 2023. The full application deadline is October 19, 2023. Funding is expected to begin March 2024.

For more information on how to access CLSA Data, please review the CLSA Data Access Application Process.