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Pandemic Response and Resiliency Awards – Call for applications

 

The Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium (EPIC) is an integrated network of researchers, trainees and partners working to confront infectious disease challenges. We unite members across the University of Toronto and its hospital partners to accelerate cross-disciplinary work in the understanding of infection and development of new countermeasures against pathogens. A key pillar of EPIC’s work is training the next generation of infectious disease research leaders that will help stop future pandemics and reduce the societal burden of infectious diseases. 

Working in the field of infectious disease requires the ability to be nimble and adapt to new challenges, including unforeseen outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic and recent global mpox outbreak were significant events that led to rapid shifts in priorities for infectious disease research. In the face of these challenges, the Toronto research community came together through large collaborative efforts which led to the generation of timely and impactful research findings that informed the public health response in Canada and around the world. These efforts were critically supported by the efforts of graduate students, many of whom showed exemplary leadership and adaptability, with some going so far as to refocus their research efforts or take on public outreach roles to support and engage with communities.  

The EPIC Pandemic Response and Resiliency Awards (PRRA) celebrate graduate students who showed great adaptability, perseverance and initiative in taking on more during their graduate training than otherwise would have been required. The awardees will have demonstrated significant contributions to outbreak, pandemic, or community-based research, and/or community engagement, and demonstrated qualities that will position them to be leaders in confronting future pandemics. These competitive awards support excellent students supervised by faculty from across EPIC’s partner research institutes (the Hospital for Sick Children, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Unity Health Toronto, University Health Network and University of Toronto). Applicants for these merit-based awards will be evaluated using the submitted application package. 

EPIC is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.  

Eligibility
  • Registered as a full-time graduate student in a PhD program at the University of Toronto for the duration of the award (July 2024 – July 2025)  
  • Has not previously received an EPIC Doctoral Award 
  • Demonstrated a high degree of adaptability, resilience and initiative in their research project or community/public engagement in response to an infectious disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic  
  • Supervised by a faculty member with a primary affiliation at the University of Toronto or one of EPIC’s partner hospitals (the Hospital for Sick Children, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Unity Health Toronto and/or University Health Network) 
Value and Duration

Award recipients will receive a one-time award of $2,000 and ‘Backpack’ support of $3,000 for research- and professional development-related travel. The $2,000 one-time award will be paid directly to successful applicants, whereas the $3,000 ‘Backpack’ funding will be paid to their supervisor to use for eligible expenses. This award should count towards the recipient’s eligibility for a top-up as per their graduate unit’s stipend policies.

The ‘Backpack’ funding term will extend from July 2024 to July 2025 and funding must be used before the awardee’s defense. All unspent funds will be returned to EPIC at the end of the award duration. Eligible expenses include: 

  1. National/international conferences: Relevant to the trainee’s training, professional and/or career goals for scientific and non-scientific development. Backpack funding should be used to facilitate attendance at conferences that the awardee would otherwise not have the opportunity to attend.
  2. Training courses: Relevant to the trainee’s training, professional and/or career goals for scientific and non-scientific development.
  3. Inter-laboratory exchanges: Trainees can visit a laboratory outside their home city in order to learn new techniques/methodology or develop career connections. National or international travel is permitted.

What’s covered by the ‘Backpack’: Applicable expenses up to a maximum of $3,000 CAD will be eligible, including transportation, accommodation, registration fees and meals.  Alcohol and entertainment are NOT eligible expenses.  Travel funds can be used to fund more than one trip, but combined eligible expenses supported will not exceed a maximum of $3,000 CAD. EPIC ‘Backpack’ funds can be used to supplement other travel support.  

Awardees will become members of EPIC and, as such, will have priority access to EPIC workshops, networking events and training courses. Awardees will be eligible for future EPIC funding including Future Leaders Prizes but cannot apply for an EPIC Researcher Mobility Award to fund the same travel outlined for use of their EPIC PRRA ‘Backpack’ funding. 

EPIC anticipates supporting 10 Pandemic Response and Resiliency Awards this year. 

Awardee Responsibilities

Awardees will be expected to participate in EPIC’s networking and educational activities, present their research at various EPIC research events and submit a final report detailing award outcomes and expenses related to the backpack funding. Awardees will also be highlighted on EPIC’s various communication channels including, but not limited to, website, social media, and newsletter. Awardees are required to acknowledge EPIC’s support in publications, presentations, and communications resulting from their project. 

Selection Criteria

Proposals submitted to the EPIC PRRA competition will be evaluated using the following criteria: 

  • Undertaking new research and/or public-facing activities in response to an outbreak/pandemic 
  • Where relevant, impactful contribution to outbreak/pandemic-related research 
  • Where relevant, significant engagement with community groups or with community-based communications regarding the pandemic or infectious disease related information 
  • Clear and directed plan to utilize the “Backpack” funding to support research or professional development goals of the applicant and a brief description on the value-add of this opportunity 
  • Strong and consistent academic record throughout graduate studies 

Applicants will be asked to complete our demographic survey. While this survey is required, there is an option to select “Prefer not to answer” for all questions.

Application materials

For any questions or concerns, please email epic@utoronto.ca with “Pandemic Response and Resiliency Awards” in the subject line.

Please complete the online application form with relevant details about yourself, your supervisor(s) and your course of study. The form also includes questions to upload your supporting documents (candidate statement, “Backpack” proposal, EDI statement, etc…) as outlined in the tabs to the right.

Note that your application will not be considered complete until we have received a completed supervisor form. More details about how to download and submit the supervisor form can be found under the “Supervisor form” tab.

Applicants are required to upload a PDF containing the following information through the online application form.

Candidate statement (maximum 500 words, references not included in the word limit): Describe your project and/or public and community outreach activities, including details of how you went above and beyond the requirements of graduate training in response to an infectious disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic. Please address one or more of the following questions: 

  • How did you show leadership and adaptability during/beyond an infectious disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic?  
  • How did your work adapt to contribute to COVID-19, mpox or other outbreak-related research? 
  • What public outreach and/or community engagement role did you take on during/beyond the pandemic and recent infectious disease outbreaks? 
  • If applicable, how did you contribute to efforts to combat mis/disinformation in response to an infectious disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic? 
  • What prior skills/knowledge from your training aided in your efforts and what new skills did you acquire during this time? 

‘Backpack’ proposal (maximum 250 words): Describe how you would use the ‘Backpack’ funding to support your research and/or professional development goals with a brief description of the value-add of this opportunity. Provide timelines for use of the funds.  

EDI statement (maximum 250 words): Describe how your research, public outreach and/or community engagement efforts addressed Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and if you achieved any EDI-related outcomes in your work. What learnings did you take away from these experiences during the outbreak/epidemic/pandemic and how will they inform your future research, outreach and/or community engagement efforts? 

Submit as a PDF with the following naming convention: PRRA_[Last name][First name][Student number]_proposal. 

Applicants are required to upload a PDF version of their CV (Canadian Common CV style preferred) and transcript through the online application form. An unofficial transcript is fine.

Submit as a PDF using the online application form with the following naming convention: PRRA_[Last name][First name][Student number]_[CV/transcript].

Download the supervisor form for your supervisor and co-supervisor(s) to complete. Please note that only one supervisor form is required for each applicant.

Within the supervisor form, please comment on the applicant’s leadership, adaptability, and contributions to science and/or the public understanding of science in response to an infectious disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic. This can include research output, fostering collaborative efforts within the scientific community and building public and/or community engagement. Specifically, provide insight on whether this was outside the scope of their intended graduate training and how the applicant balanced these additional challenges in the context of their graduate program. 

Demographic Survey

Both the applicant and the supervisor will be asked to complete our demographic survey. While this survey is required, there is an option to select “Prefer not to answer” for all questions.

Important dates

Call for applications: April 3, 2024

Deadline to submit all application forms and supporting materials: May 3, 2024, 11:59 pm (ET)

Anticipated review period: May/June 2024

Anticipated Notice of Award: June 2024

Funding start date: July 2024