Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging (BHCIA) Research Initiative | The knowledge synthesis and mobilization grants

The Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging (BHCIA) Research Initiative will study the brain as it ages and help identify and reduce the risks of cognitive impairment in aging, in the hopes of improving the care and services for people who have trouble remembering, thinking clearly, learning new things, or making decisions that affect their everyday life. The BHCIA Research Initiative will also support research that aims to improve the wellbeing of the caregivers of people living with cognitive impairment and dementia.

Description

CIHR is launching this funding opportunity (FO) to support the development of knowledge syntheses, using an equity, diversity and inclusion lens, to assess the current state of knowledge and evidence base, and identify strengths and gaps in research areas related to the promotion of brain health and risk reduction for age-related cognitive impairment. This will include a specific focus on knowledge mobilization practices throughout the research process to increase the usefulness and uptake of findings to relevant stakeholders, including partners and knowledge users, as well as the creation of culturally appropriate, equitable and inclusive targeted knowledge mobilization (KM) products.

There are currently no disease-modifying therapeutics that delay the onset of cognitive impairment and dementia or that alter the disease course. In the absence of these treatments, pro-active interventions that reduce the risk of disease onset or delay its progression could have a profound effect on prevalence and severity of these disorders, with an enormous impact on public health.

In addition, higher rates of dementia for Indigenous Peoples compared to non-Indigenous Peoples have been reported1. Recognizing that First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples lived/living experiences vary, relatively little is known about the distinctions-based impacts that dementia has in Indigenous populations and/or how to provide culturally appropriate care of those impacted.

Research Areas

This FO will support projects relevant to the objectives and any of the following research areas that include, but are not limited to:

• Protective and modifiable risk factors and the role of cognitive reserve in promoting brain health in aging, including factors that contribute across the life course.
• Mechanisms of resilience or cognitive reserve (see Additional Information) that can underlie healthy brain aging and/or mitigate risk for cognitive impairment.
• Risk reduction in factors that contribute to the development of cognitive impairment: modifiable risk factors and interventions that can delay the onset or slow disease progression. These can include common risk factors with metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, rare diseases, other co-morbidities, sleep disturbances or inflammaging.
• Differing pathophysiology underlying cognitive health, for example individuals with positive β-amyloid and/or tau biomarkers, but normal cognition, or individuals that revert from mild cognitive impairment to normal or near-normal cognitive function.
• Genetic and epigenetic risks factors underlying neurodegeneration and cognitive decline.

In addition, within this FO, there are eight (8) specific funding pools dedicated to funding projects relevant to:

• Lifestyle Approaches to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases of aging (LAR): Focusing on specific lifestyle approaches to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases of aging.
• Indigenous Health Research (IHR): Focusing on either:
  • Intersection of increased health risk factors for dementia in Indigenous Peoples with responses to risk reduction paradigms; or,
  • Indigenous caregiving knowledge and applications for cognitive and mental health in aging.
• Historically Excluded Populations (HEP): Focusing on historically excluded populations, including but not limited to: those marginalized by gender, people who experience racism, people with disabilities, members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities and those at the intersection of multiple communities (refer to Additional Information for details).
• Sex and Gender Differences (SGD): Focusing on sex and gender differences including the intersection of multiple identity factors.
• Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI): Focusing on protective and/or modifiable risk factors related to vascular cognitive impairment.
• Dementia Genetic Factors (DGF): Focusing on rare forms of dementia linked to genetic factors.
• Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections (STBBI): Focusing on better understanding cognitive impairment in people with STBBI including HIV/AIDS. Applications focused on Key Populations identified in the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative: Strategic Plan (2022-2027) are encouraged.
• Caregivers and Care Providers and Aging with Neurodiversity (CAN): Focusing on either:
  • Caregiving as a social determinant of healthy brain aging;
  • Effects of caregiving on brain and mental health in preservation of autonomy, aging in place, and/or in long-term care;
  • Short and long-term health risks and benefits for caregivers of people with age-related dementia;
  • Novel caregiver-focused approaches and interventions that enable aging in place for people with and without pre-existing disabilities;
  • Defining the determinants of healthy brain aging for neurodivergent people; or,
  • Healthcare, community-based and/or caregiver interventions for cognitive and mental health for neurodivergent people, including prevention, diagnosis and risk management.

Knowledge syntheses may integrate results from qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research.

Role and Contributions of Applicant Partners: CIHR recognizes that a broad range of partners may be relevant to this opportunity and it is expected that applicant(s) describe the role of all applicant partners and how/if they will contribute to research and research related activities. Any consideration of risk and/or conflict of interest should also be explained, as appropriate.

Funds Available

CIHR and partner(s) financial contributions for this initiative are subject to availability of funds. Should CIHR or partner(s) funding levels not be available or are decreased due to unforeseen circumstances, CIHR and partner(s) reserve the right to reduce, defer or suspend financial contributions to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.

• The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $2.0M, enough to fund approximately twenty (20) grants. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate. The maximum amount per grant is $100,000 per year, for one (1) year.
• Of this $2.0M:
  • $600,000 is available in any relevant research area to fund up to six (6) projects;
  • $300,000 is available from the Lifestyle Approaches to reduce risk pool to fund up to three (3) projects;
  • $200,000 is available from the Indigenous Health Research pool to fund up to two (2) projects;
  • $200,000 is available from the Historically Excluded Populations pool to fund up to two (2) projects;
  • $200,000 is available from Vascular Cognitive Impairment pool to fund up to two (2) projects;
  • $ 200,000 is available from the Caregivers and Care Providers and Aging with Neurodiversity pool to fund up to two (2) projects;
  • $100,000 is available from the Sex and Gender Differences pool to fund one (1) project;
  • $100,000 is available from the Dementia Genetic Factors pool to fund one (1) project; and,
  • $100,000 is available from the Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections (STBBI) pool to fund one (1) project.

For more information on the appropriate use of funds, refer to Allowable Costs.

Objectives

The goals of this funding opportunity are to summarize current evidence-based knowledge in Canada, to identify areas of research strengths and gaps and to mobilize this knowledge for dissemination to relevant stakeholders.

The objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

• Generate knowledge syntheses that will identify evidence-gaps and build evidence-based knowledge related to the promotion of brain health and reduction of risk for age-related cognitive impairment;
• Mobilize knowledge on the current state of science that is relevant, equitable and accessible (i.e., that identifies the current state of knowledge and gaps and is communicated effectively); and,
• Strengthen research excellence and ensure maximum research impact through consideration of diverse biological and/or socio-cultural identity factors in research design, including diverse, equitable and inclusive research methods, such as those based in Indigenous ways of knowing.

The specific objectives of the knowledge mobilization component are to:

• Enhance a common understanding between stakeholders on promotion of brain health and risk reduction for age-related cognitive impairment;
• Generate accessible KM products for dissemination that are tailored to relevant stakeholders based on the knowledge synthesis and includes equity, diversity and inclusion and Indigenous rights considerations, as appropriate;
• Foster collaboration and partnerships between stakeholders; and,
• Increase usefulness and relevant uptake of evidence/knowledge by stakeholders, including partners and knowledge users.

Knowledge Mobilization

Applications must include a plan for KM activities and products showcasing the main research results and will provide details on considerations such as EDI and Indigenous Rights within the KM approach, as applicable. Meaningful engagement with knowledge users (including people with lived/living experience [PWLE]), should inform approaches to KM and KM products to ensure culturally safe engagement and KM product development, as well as relevance of findings to end users.

Successful grantees will be expected to participate in a virtual CIHR-led KM Forum at the end of the grant that will bring together researchers, funding partners, knowledge users (including policy and decision makers) and any other key stakeholders, to share learnings from knowledge syntheses to support a dynamic learning health system on the promotion of brain health and reduction of risk for age-related cognitive impairment in aging.

KM Products

Successful grantees are expected to develop the following KM products based on their knowledge synthesis:

• An evidence summary of 1-2 pages within 9 months of funding; and,
• A minimum of one (1) knowledge product by the end of the grant term (e.g., infographics, toolkits, videos, policy briefs) that are tailored to their primary audience(s). Culturally safe and appropriate materials, as well as inclusion of Indigenous communities and other historically excluded groups should be considered within the KM plan and products, as applicable. The use of plain language and a format that is accessible to the target audience is encouraged.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

This FO will promote and embrace equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in research design and practices (e.g., knowledge synthesis approaches), as appropriate, and in the research environment, including the composition of the research team, consistent with CIHR's position on EDI available in the Tri-Agency Statement on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Refer to Additional Information for more details.

Indigenous Peoples Rights

CIHR recognizes that First Nations, Métis and Inuit are rights-holding as First Peoples of Canada and may not consider themselves to be part of equity-seeking groups (e.g., women, racialized minorities, persons with disabilities and members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities). This FO supports rights and distinctions-based approaches to Indigenous self-determination in research to reflect this position and to strengthen Indigenous health and well-being, such as data management principles. CIHR's commitment to supporting Indigenous self-determination in health research is available in the CIHR Strategic Plan 2021–2031 and the Action Plan: Building a healthier future for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

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