The program provides funding of up to $30,000 per applicant, for one year, to enable eligible investigators to explore new initiatives in the area of diabetes research. 

This funding is not to be used as bridging or emergency funding, nor is it intended as funding for ongoing studies. 

The application must include an explanation as to how this project constitutes a completely new initiative in diabetes research for the applicant(s) and is not just an extension of or related to ongoing research efforts.

• The principal applicant must hold a full-time faculty appointment (more than 50% of total salary) with the University of Toronto.
• The principal applicant must also be a registered member* of the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre at the time of application submission.  (*Faculty who are new to the field of diabetes research and are not members of the BBDC can request free membership by contacting the Centre prior to submitting an application.  For more information about BBDC membership please view the Membership section of this web site.)

The following individuals would qualify for grant support:

1. New faculty members who have not yet obtained their own independent funding.
2. Established investigators in non-diabetes related fields who are entering into new pilot and/or feasibility studies related to diabetes. 
3. Established investigators in an area related to diabetes research who are proposing new pilot and/or feasibility diabetes-related studies that are completely unrelated to current lines of research.  Applicants must be exploring a completely new research direction entirely unrelated to their current or past research. 

Up to $30,000 will be awarded to successful applicants.

One year funding period normally commencing July 1, 2011 (but no later than September 1, 2011).

Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Pilot and feasibility nature of the study
• Relevance to diabetes
• Scientific merit
• A minor component of the evaluation will be based on other factors that the reviewers consider relevant to this competition

Submit a completed application form to the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre by the deadline date. 

Download the 2011/2012 Pilot and Feasibility Grant application form (PDF)

5 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

All applicants will be notified of the funding decisions in May 2011.  Funding decisions will also be posted on the BBDC’s web site.

• Applicants are required to inform the BBDC of any related support currently held or requested from other funding sources, and to what extent, if any, such support overlaps with the submitted BBDC grant request.  Should the application for the same project be successful with the BBDC as well as an external granting agency, the applicant must accept funding from the external agency.
• Funds will not be released to successful applicants until all the approvals for ethical considerations have been obtained by the institution’s Research Ethics Review Board and forwarded to the BBDC.
• Funds will be made available to successful applicants after July 1, 2011.  The project must commence and funds must be transferred to award recipients no later than September 1, 2011.  Failure to initiate project and transfer funds by September 1 will result in funding withdrawal.
• Where appropriate, the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre’s support must be acknowledged in all publications and presentations that arise from this funding.  Failure to acknowledge the BBDC’s support in relevant publications and presentations will result in future ineligibility for BBDC funding programs.

Successful applicants are required to provide the BBDC with a financial statement and detailed written report within three (3) months of the end of the funding period. The report must include the following:

1. A description of the project and results to date.
2. Whether or not any publications were generated as a result of this funding.
3. If so, was the BBDC's support acknowledged in the publications?
4. A copy of all manuscripts published and submitted must be attached to the written report.
5. Did the BBDC's support lead to any new grants/funding for this project?
6. If so, from which agencies/sources was funding received?
7. A detailed financial statement must be forwarded to the BBDC directly from the institution's finance department itemizing all expenses and showing the final balance.

Failure to provide either the written report or financial statement will result in future ineligibility for BBDC funding programs.

Contact the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre:
Phone: (416) 978-4656     Fax: (416) 978-4108
E-mail: diabetes.bbdc@utoronto.ca