For Researchers

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Funding Research. Advancing Nutrition.

CFDR is pleased to announce our 2024 grant competition. We provide grants for innovative research projects in Nutrition and Dietetics that enhance dietetic practice, and ultimately, improve the nutritional health of all Canadians. Successful applicants for CFDR-funded  grants valued  between $10,000 and $20,000  have up to two years to complete the project once CFDR funding has been received.

CFDR is seeking a diversity of skills, knowledge, background, and viewpoints. We strongly encourage applications from underrepresented groups, such as First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, racialized persons, and those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+. Preferences will be given to project submissions that reflect a collaborative approach to research.

The Funding Process

Timeline for the 2024 CFDR Grant Competition

September 15th, 2023
Grant Competition Opens
October 31st. 2023
Letter of Intent (LOI) Submission Deadline (NOW CLOSED)
November 1st - December 15th 2023
LOI Reviewed by SRC Based on Scoring as per Criteria
December 15th, 2023
Succesful LOIs Invited to Develop Full Proposals
March 4th, 2024
Full Proposals Due
March - May 2024
SRC Reviews Proposals and Scores and Rank Proposals Based as Per Criteria
May, 2024
Successful Grant Recipients Notified and Announced

2024 CFDR Research Priorities

Priority research directions for the 2024 CFDR grants are outlined in the five category descriptions below. CFDR is seeking a diversity of skills, knowledge, background, and viewpoints.

1. Critically (Re)Thinking Dietetic Practice

This focuses on creating new methods and/or advancing existing ones within dietetics. Social, economic, and technological changes offer new opportunities to meet health needs. New roles emerge with novel services, in new environments, in new management structures, with non-traditional partners and with new resource development. Evaluation of new models and approaches may lead to improved access, security, cost-effectiveness, and satisfaction of nutrition services. This could also include how dietitians work together with other health care professionals (and clients), how new interventions are designed, and how effectiveness of dietetic practice is assessed.

There is also a need to understand existing and emerging professional practice issues through examining current education theory (teaching and learning) and practices (screening, assessment, planning interventions, implementation, evaluation, monitoring) and to create new knowledge. Focus areas relevant to practice include practicum training, integration of technology and systems, health human resources, social justice, diversity, and outcomes measures and evaluation.

1. Critically (Re)Thinking Dietetic Practice

This focuses on creating new methods and/or advancing existing ones within dietetics. Social, economic, and technological changes offer new opportunities to meet health needs. New roles emerge with novel services, in new environments, in new management structures, with non-traditional partners and with new resource development. Evaluation of new models and approaches may lead to improved access, security, cost-effectiveness, and satisfaction of nutrition services. This could also include how dietitians work together with other health care professionals (and clients), how new interventions are designed, and how effectiveness of dietetic practice is assessed.

There is also a need to understand existing and emerging professional practice issues through examining current education theory (teaching and learning) and practices (screening, assessment, planning interventions, implementation, evaluation, monitoring) and to create new knowledge. Focus areas relevant to practice include practicum training, integration of technology and systems, health human resources, social justice, diversity, and outcomes measures and evaluation.

2. Identify Determinants of Food Choice

Choices regarding food are complex and are influenced by many factors including culture, geography, age, gender, lifestyle, income, education, belief, practice, and availability. Research provides further understanding of these factors and benefits the design and delivery of a wide range of nutrition services and products for specific consumer groups.

3. Accelerate Cultural Safety, Diversity, and Health Equity in Practice

Cultural safety is an outcome based on respectful engagement that recognizes and strives to address power imbalances inherent in the healthcare system. It results in an environment free of racism and discrimination, where people feel safe when receiving healthcare. Diversity refers to the variety of unique dimensions, qualities, and characteristics that an individual possesses, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. Research on new roles for dietitians may also include diversity in the profession and working with diverse clients. Nutritional vulnerability may arise for social, economic, cultural, or biological reasons that impair utilization of nutrients or limit access to nutritionally adequate food and nutrition services. An improved understanding of individuals at risk of nutritional vulnerability, their nutritional needs and identifying and adopting best practices are needed to address these issues in an equitable manner. Research focusing on underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous populations and racialized communities, are strongly encouraged. Community research may include the evaluation of policies, programs, practices, and tools to improve knowledge, attitudes, access, equity and/or behaviour as well as the development of indicators of community health status and health promotion indicators of change.

4. Transform Food Environments

Food environments refer to the aspects of the social and physical environment that affect the types of food available, the accessibility of food (food security, food sustainability, food sovereignty, food literacy), and the nutrition information that people are exposed to, including agriculture and food marketing. This includes contexts such as: institutional (healthcare, educational, carceral, daycare, long term care); community-based (food distribution, gardens, kitchens); recreational (sports activities, entertainment sites, camps); business and commercial (hospitality, restaurants, catering, food and beverage industry including therapeutic products). Food service systems and health services research may look at the evaluation of services delivered.

5. Evaluate Effectiveness of Clinical Interventions

Clinical research may include evaluation of feeding methods, special diets, or education/counseling approaches on such outcomes as nutrient intake, biochemical, anthropometric or functional measures of health. There is also a need to develop and validate outcome measures/indicators for future intervention studies.

Eligibility

  • The principal investigator and/or a co-principal investigator must be:
    • A member of the dietetic profession (registered dietitian) as identified by membership in a Canadian dietetics regulatory body 
    • A member of Dietitians of Canada
    • Affiliated with at least one institution or organization that will act as a Sponsor(s) on behalf of the grant applications.
  • The Sponsor(s) must be:
    • Registered with Revenue Canada as conducting charitable activities.
    • Either a health agency (e.g., university, hospital, provincial and municipal government department or public health unit), community group, association, or non-profit organization. 
  • A member of the research team must be practicing dietetics. If funding is approved, regulatory college and DC membership must be maintained for the entire period of the research.

  • Applicants must not have current or outstanding CFDR funded projects and reports at the time the grant funding is released from CFDR.

Research Grant Application Forms

The Scientific Review Committee assesses the applications on scientific merit and relevance to dietetic practice. Applications considered to be fundable are ranked; full, partial or conditional support may be recommended. The recommendations of the Scientific Review Committee and decisions of CFDR are final. Applicants will be informed of the final decision by spring 2024. An announcement will be made to the DC membership and corporate supporters at the 2024 Dietitians of Canada Annual General Meeting.

About Research Grants

Program Policy

It is the priority of CFDR to support research that is of direct relevance to the nutritional wellbeing of populations within Canada. Learn more about the policies that help shape our grant program and structure our research funding.

Letter of Intent

The first step in applying for a CFDR Research Grant is the submission of a Letter of Intent package. Find out all submission information and begin the process
here.

Full Proposal Submission Guide

The second step in applying for a CFDR Research Grant is the [invited] submission of a full proposal. Use this submission guide to ensure your proposal meets the requirements of the program.

Reporting Guide

All approved grant researchers must submit research reports. Learn about the timeline for these reports and all other relevant requirements below.

Research Resources

Do you want to have your research project results published in a recognized professional publication? Look at the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, the official peer reviewed publication of the Dietitians of Canada. The journal considers manuscripts for publication that focus on applied food and nutrition research and other contributions to best practices in dietetics. Manuscripts may be submitted in English or French.

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