POSTGRADUATE INNOVATION FUND

1.0

Background

The Department of Medicine (DOM) at the University of Toronto has set an education Strategic Goal to increase scholarship in education. It is widely accepted that postgraduate program accreditation standards are rising. New theories, technologies and innovations relevant to postgraduate medical education are encouraging Program Directors and Residency Program Committees to take a leadership role in advancing program design and operation. For the past two years, the DOM has offered a funding source specifically targeted to residency program innovation: the Postgraduate Innovation Fund.

2.0

The PostGraduate Innovation Fund (PGIF)

The Department's PGIF fund for Program Directors has been developed to encourage and enable Program Directors and Residency Program Committees to demonstrate leadership and innovation in their respective programs. A total of $20,000 will be made available each year to support innovation in DOM residency programs.

Application Deadline: January 31, 2012

See section 6.0 and 7.0 for application details.

3.0

Eligibly Criteria

3.1

Applications for the PGIF MUST come from Program Directors (or a member of the Residency Program Committee with written support from the Program Director).

3.2

Applications must be for initiatives that meet all of the following criteria:

3.2.1	The initiative is a clear departure from what is currently done in the program.
3.2.2	The initiative must help the program meet an accreditation standard or address a documented program deficiency in an innovative way.
3.2.3	The initiative must be based on at least ONE of: a) peer-reviewed evidence of effectiveness, b) established best practices, c) established theoretical foundation, or d) previous work done by the applicants demonstrating likelihood of effectiveness.
3.2.4	There must be a clear plan to assess the outcome of the initiative.
3.2.5	There must be a clear plan to disseminate the results of the initiative in a forum that benefits programs throughout the DOM and postgraduate medicine in Canada. This need not necessarily be through a formal peer-reviewed venue.

4.0

Selection Criteria

4.1

Decisions for funding will be made by a committee comprised of the Director of Postgraduate Education, an education researcher (preferable within the DOM), and one other member of the DOM Education Executive Committee.

4.2

Criteria for selection will include:

4.2.1	Academic rigour of the proposal, including justification as described in section 3.2.3 above.
4.2.2	Feasibility.
4.2.3	Potential impact to the program and postgraduate medicine.

4.3

Preference will be given to:

4.3.1	Proposals for which there is no other obvious source of funding.
4.3.2	Programs who have not secured funding through the PGIF in the most recent two years.
4.3.3	Programs with a dissemination plan that includes peer-reviewed venues (which usually mandates appropriate Research Ethics Board approval).
4.3.4	Initiatives that have committed matching funds or in kind support (including from Division Funds).
4.3.5	Initiatives that will be completed within one year.

5.0

PGIF Award

5.1	Awards will be made annually in amounts of at least $3,000. As many initiatives as possible will be funded. The maximum annual amount available for all initiatives is $20,000.

6.0

Application Process and Requirements

6.1

Applications must be submitted by the deadline.

6.2

Applications must consist of:

6.2.1	A two-page protocol summary including: a description of the initiative, statement of need, background rationale, potential impact on the program, and dissemination plan.
6.2.2	A timeline.
6.2.3	A budget, including identification of any matching or in kind support.

7.0

Examples of Initiatives

7.1	Examples of eligible initiatives include: developing new assessment methods, new program resources such as web-based modules, simulation cases, examination materials, research in program design, pilot tests, and quality assurance initiatives. (See list of previous funded innovations.)
7.2	Examples of ineligible initiatives include: equipment not tied to a specific innovation, normal program operating expenses, expenses tied to program growth.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

Applications must be received by January 31, 2012. Applications can be mailed or emailed to Dr. Jeannette Goguen as follows:

Mail
Dr. Jeannette Goguen
Director, Postgraduate Education
Department of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
3-805, R. Fraser Elliott Building
190 Elizabeth Street
Toronto, ON M5G 2C4

Email

Subject line: PG Innovation Fund Submission

Email to Dr. Jeannette Goguen c/o Sheila Wilder

Last updated:10/5/2011 2:11:42 PM