Policies + Procedures
  UBC INTERNAL REVIEW PROCESS
  To assist UBC researchers become more successful in CIHR grant competitions, the UBC Health Research Resource Office (HeRRO) offers a rigorous Internal Review process.

This service is available to all UBC researchers submitting an application to CIHR's open operating grant competition and selected CIHR strategic RFA competitions.

Internal Review is mandatory for researchers in the UBC Faculty of Medicine who have been appointed to the Assistant or Clinical Assistant Professor level within the past five years (or who are currently Research Associates or Fellows expecting to take up positions at the Assistant or Clinical Assistant Professor levels) and who do not currently hold peer-reviewed operating funds from a major provincial or federal granting agency. All other researchers are strongly encouraged to participate.

Internal Review is coordinated through HeRRO. All forms, deadlines and list of the strategic RFA's eligible for Internal Review can be found on the HeRRO website.

Summary of Internal Review Process:
  1. Submit completed Internal Review Application package: Form IR-A and copy of Summary of Research Proposal (p.9 of the Research Module).

  2. You will be matched to at least one experienced Internal Reviewer based on the information in your submitted application package (Internal Reviewers are experienced UBC health researchers who have been or currently are members of CIHR peer-review committees, or have served on peer-review committees of other major granting agencies, such as MSFHR, HSF, NCIC, NSERC).

  3. Submit Research Proposal (p.12 of the Research Module) according to schedule of deadlines. *If this is a re-application, please include your CIHR reviewers and Scientific Officer's comments with your submission for Internal Review.

  4. Your Research Proposal goes to at least 1 Internal Reviewer by the scheduled deadline.

  5. Your Research Proposal is reviewed and comments provided by the scheduled deadline.

  6. You can then make any necessary revisions to the Research Proposal prior to CIHR's scheduled competition deadline.

  7. CIHR announces results of competition in late June and late January.
The applicant is responsible for:
  • Considering revisions arising from the review and making the necessary changes;

  • Obtaining the appropriate approval signatures on the application; and

  • Submitting the grant application to CIHR.
If you go through the Internal Review process and do not receive CIHR funding, UBC Faulty researchers are eligible to apply for Interim Funding. This funding is not intended to substitute for external research funding, but rather to provide for limited, short-term funding to an investigator who has applied to, but failed to receive, CIHR funding due to budget limitations.

Investigators should send a written request for Interim Funding to the Knowledge Cycle Office, and include a copy of their CIHR application, the Scientific Officer's comments, and comments from the HeRRO Internal Reviewer.