Anesthesia Education & Innovation Grant

Principal Investigator/Co-Principal Investigator

The grant is open to all anesthesia faculty appointed to the University of Toronto.

Faculty of any academic rank (lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor) can apply as principal or co-principal investigator. Faculty must:

• Hold a primary faculty appointment with the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine as a full-time Temerty Faculty of Medicine clinical member.
• Receive their department chief’s written support to pursue this application (a brief email is sufficient). Funded projects should align with program or division priorities.
• Applicants cannot hold the same grant concurrently.

Note: Part-time/Adjunct faculty may only participate as collaborators.

Collaborator

Any individual (including residents and fellows) contributing to the project team's work may be included as a collaborator.

Proposals should aim to:

• Develop new and effective teaching methods and strategies that enhance the learning experience and outcomes of anesthesia trainees.
• Promote evidence-based practices in anesthesia education, which expose trainees to the most current and relevant knowledge in the field.
• Encourage the integration of novel teaching strategies into the existing curriculum, which helps to improve the overall education and training programs continually.
• Recognize the use of technology and other resources to enhance teaching and learning, which can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of education and training.
• Recognize the ability to evaluate and measure the impact of proposed teaching methods on trainee learning and performance, which helps to ensure that the education and training programs are continually improving.
• Support the professional growth and development of faculty members in the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, who, in turn, serve as role models and leaders in anesthesia education.
• Promote innovation and excellence in anesthesia education and help to ensure that the anesthesia trainees are well-prepared and competent to practice in the field, which improves patient outcomes.

There will be a maximum grant of up to $6000 per project, and it will not be renewable.

Interested candidates should submit a completed application form along with the following materials:

• A description of the innovative teaching methods and knowledge translation initiatives that the candidate is proposing, methods of implementation, and evaluation metrics of success.
• A letter of support from the hospital site department chief
• Budget request (up to a maximum of $6000)
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae

Successful applicants will be expected to provide the following deliverables:

• Interim and final reports are to be provided.
• Give an oral or poster presentation at the department’s annual Shields Research Day.

Please note the following conditions:

• Recipients must complete their projects within two years of the date of grant. Distributed funds may be used for educational development supplies but cannot be used for conference travel, faculty income, or salaries.
• Recipients can receive the grant without Research Ethics Board (REB) approval or exemption. However, money will only be given once the REB application is approved or exempted.

The Education Grant Committee will review all applications and select the grant recipient(s) based on merit and alignment with the terms of the grant.

The committee is not obligated to allocate all funds available.

Below are resources for incorporating EDI considerations into your project:

Addressing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Your Research
Funding Application – Research Teams and the Training of
Highly Qualified Personnel from the Office of the Vice-president, Research and Innovation, University of Toronto

NSERC Guide for Applicants: Considering equity, diversity
and inclusion in your application