PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE AGRICULTURAL RURAL ECOSYSTEM (PHARE) TRAINING PROGRAM Postdoctoral, Ph.D. and Master s Support

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1 PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE AGRICULTURAL RURAL ECOSYSTEM (PHARE) TRAINING PROGRAM Postdoctoral, Ph.D. and Master s Support General Description This Canadian Institutes of Health Research Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research (CIHR STIHR) funded graduate training program has drawn skills from across Canada to respond to changing demographics and technology and address the health challenges facing persons living in rural Canada as they seek a healthy, safe and sustainable lifestyle. The health of rural people and the environment encompasses a wide range of disciplines. These include, but are not confined to epidemiology, hydrology, immunology and microbiology, molecular biology, agricultural sciences, engineering, occupational health and hygiene, toxicology, cellular biology, health policy, health law, political science, population health, and other related disciplines. As a result of intensification of agricultural production and profound changes in rural demographics and health service opportunities in Canada and globally, we are faced with health and safety issues, and community health challenges not considered a decade ago. The world will continue to shrink while interdependency among the peoples of the world continues to grow. There are strong interdependencies between the agricultural and economic system on one hand and the environmental and ecological system on the other hand. Developing a critical mass of Canadian and international trained researchers with a strong training background in research, ethics, knowledge translation and the strengths of interdisciplinary research will assist in supporting the challenges ahead. The PHARE program has provided scholarship support to graduate students at the Master s, PhD and Postdoctoral level. It has been a virtual program, accessible through any eligible Canadian University. Candidates have been required to be accepted to or enrolled in a graduate program in a Canadian university. The trainee has needed to have a research program and a supervisor with a focus related to the PHARE objectives with research questions pertaining to one of four theme areas: (1) What we eat and drink, (2) What we breathe, (3) How we live, or (4) How we work. Public Health and the Agricultural Rural Ecosystem Objective and Aims The overall objectives of the PHARE program have included: 1. To significantly expand our knowledge base. 2. To increase research capacity 3. To expand knowledge translation and knowledge exchange

2 The objectives of PHARE have been accomplished through the following interdependent aims: i) building community ii) building skills iii) building substantive knowledge; iv) facilitating research and research practices v) increasing the capacity/development of new mentors, scientists and educators in the Canadian and global health research community in areas related to public, agricultural, rural and ecosystem health vi) fostering a transdisciplinary approach to this work. The Analytic Framework Holistic Approach to Health and Safety in Agriculture in Canada Workers Intensive Agriculture Production General Public Improved health for workers and general public Health Surveillance Accredited Health Programs Knowledge Translation Safer production methods Real World (In Vivo) Simulated World (In Vitro) Investigations: Knowledge Exchange Cross-sectional Shift change Exposure assessment Identification of mechanisms Basic and Applied Research Engineering Controls Protective Devices Vaccine Development Themes Applicants devoted their research activities to one or more of the following interrelated themes. THEME 1: What we breathe. Genetic and environmental determinants of lung dysfunction. The focus of this theme has been to build for the future on our collective platform of effects, mechanisms, and control of exposures to agricultural workers as a result of intensive animal, grain and other production and exposures to the community at large to inhaled biological materials such as dusts, microbes, antigens and bacterial products such as endotoxin. THEME 2: What we eat and drink. Determinants of infections. The emphasis of this theme has been on the risk to public health as a result of infections transmitted to people due to food safety issues and water contamination. It has also explored the potential development of vaccines to reduce colonization in animals, and thus infections in humans. 2

3 THEME 3: How we work. Occupational health issues. This theme has sought to build tomorrow s research and training programs involving determinants of health effects resulting from injury events, noise, vibration, crop protection and enhancement agents and other exposures related to the work environment. THEME 4: How we live. Health services and social issues. This theme has sought to build a line of integrated research with an emphasis on vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children and new workers. It has covered the aspects of health services, including mental health, related to agricultural and rural communities. PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE AGRICULTURAL RURAL ECOSYSTEM (PHARE) TRAINING PROGRAM Guidelines: Postdoctoral Fellowship Support Eligibility The CIHR-funded Strategic Training Program, Public Health and the Agricultural Rural Ecosystem (PHARE) and its supporting partners provided Postdoctoral Fellowship Support to applicants undertaking research at an eligible Canadian university, provided their program and project and the program of their supervisor was relevant to PHARE. A candidate had to hold, or be completing a PhD, M.D., D.V.M or other similar level degree. For individuals that did not hold a health professional degree, the support took effect only after the recipient had completed all requirements of the PhD program, including the oral examination. All applicants were highly encouraged to have their PhD thesis deposited before submitting an application to PHARE. Candidates with more than five years of post-phd research training by the competition deadline were not eligible to apply for this support. Any interruption in a candidate s post-phd research training was taken into account in determining eligibility. Individuals wishing to undertake post-phd research training in the same research environment (e.g., same department, supervisor or co-supervisor) in which they received their PhD were considered ineligible for this award. The yearly deadline for receipt of applications was May 31. Stipends Successful applicants received a maximum of $37,500 per annum plus a maximum yearly research allowance of $2,500, for a maximum of one year. Awards could start on September 1 following PHARE s offer but had to be taken up within six months after the original award date. The support could be terminated at any time by the appointee, the institution, PHARE or CIHR. The onus was on the awardee to notify PHARE immediately of any change in status. 3

4 Immigration Foreign candidates coming to Canada to take up an award were personally responsible for obtaining an entry visa into Canada from a Canadian embassy. Foreign candidates coming to Canada also needed to provide evidence of a recent TOEFL (or equivalent) exam and score. Applications A complete application consisted of the following: 1. Curriculum Vitae (CV) - PHARE CV Module and CV attachments [publications, abstracts and presentations, proofs of submissions to journals, acceptance for papers] 2. Application Form and the following documents: a. Letter of support from supervisor o A description of the support in terms of research, grant writing and publication o A description of the space, facilities and personnel support which would be available to the candidate o A description of the candidate s skills and abilities, research project relevancy to PHARE, and rational for applicant to receive a PHARE Scholarship b. CIHR CV from Supervisor and CV attachments [publications, significant contributions, contributions, activities, etc.]. NSERC and SSHRC CVs with attachments were also acceptable. c. Other documents [TOEFL] 3. Three Review Assessments consisting of a Candidate Rating Form and an Explanation of Ratings o each assessment was in a sealed envelope with the reviewer s signature across the seal o supervisors could not provide an assessment. Co-supervisor s were eligible to provide an assessment. 4. Original Transcripts for all university study taken from undergraduate to graduate. PHARE accepted a stamp-approved transcript copy certified conform to the original provided that both sides (university grading system required) of each transcript copy were sent and that the documents were legible and readable with no information on the front or back being masked by the stamp. A high quality colour scanned copy was required. Items 1, 2, 2a, 2b, 2c were submitted online. Items 3 and 4 were submitted by mail (or ) to the PHARE Program. 4

5 PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE AGRICULTURAL RURAL ECOSYSTEM (PHARE) TRAINING PROGRAM Guidelines: Ph.D. and Master s Support Eligibility The CIHR-funded Strategic Training Program, Public Health and the Agricultural Rural Ecosystem (PHARE) has provided support for Ph.D. and Master s students undertaking research at an eligible Canadian university and devoting minimally.75 time to their studies. The program and research project of the student and the program of their supervisor had to be relevant to PHARE. To be considered eligible to apply for Master s support, a candidate was required to be registered full-time in the second year of a Master s program. To be considered eligible to apply for Ph.D. support, a candidate was required to be registered fulltime in a program. Priority for funding was given to students in the first three years of their PhD program. The yearly deadline for receipt of applications was May 31. Graduate students could work up to only 12 hours per week outside of their graduate program. Working 17 hours or.05 FTE as an employee, despite being enrolled full time as a graduate student, an individual was not eligible for a PHARE award. Stipends Successful Ph.D. applicants received a maximum of $21,000 per annum for one to three years. Successful Master s students received a maximum of $18,000 per annum for a maximum of one year. Awards could start September 1 following PHARE s offer and had to be taken up within six months after the original award date. The support could be terminated at any time by the appointee, the institution, PHARE or CIHR. The onus has been on the awardee to notify PHARE immediately of any change in status. Immigration Foreign candidates coming to Canada to take up an award have been personally responsible for obtaining an entry visa into Canada from a Canadian embassy. Foreign candidates coming to Canada also needed to provide evidence of a recent TOEFL (or equivalent) exam and score. Applications A completed application consisted of the following: 1. Curriculum Vitae (CV) PHARE CV Module and CV attachments [publications, abstracts and presentations, proofs of submissions to journals or acceptance for papers, etc.] 5

6 2. Application Form and the following documents: a. Letter of support from supervisor o A description of the support in terms of research, grant writing and publication o A description of the space, facilities and personnel support which will be available to the candidate o A description of the candidate s skills and abilities, research project relevancy to PHARE, and rational for applicant to receive a PHARE Scholarship. b. CIHR CV from Supervisor and CV attachments [publications, significant contributions, contributions, activities, etc.]. NSERC and SSHRC CVs with attachments were also acceptable. c. Other documents [letter of admission to a graduate college, TOEFL] 3. Three Review Assessments consisting of a Candidate Rating Form and an Explanation of Ratings o each assessment had to be in a sealed envelope with the reviewer s signature across the seal o supervisors could not provide an assessment. Co-supervisor s were eligible to provide an assessment. 4. Original Transcripts for all university study taken from undergraduate to graduate. PHARE accepted a stamp-approved transcript copy certified conform to the original provided that both sides (university grading system required) of each transcript copy were sent and that the documents were legible and readable with no information on the front or back being masked by the stamp. A high quality colour scanned copy was required. Items 1, 2, 2a, 2b, 2c were submitted online. Items 3 and 4 were submitted by mail (or ) to the PHARE Program. PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE AGRICULTURAL RURAL ECOSYSTEM (PHARE) TRAINING PROGRAM Guidelines: All Supported Trainees If funded as a trainee of the PHARE Training program individuals have been generally known as a CIHR Strategic Training Fellow in PHARE. Recipients of the PHARE graduate training scholarship have been required: (1) to acknowledge PHARE, CIHR, Institutes and Partners in written communication of research results produced from their project. (2) to participate actively in a web based interdisciplinary seminar (September to April) which has been offered monthly during the period of their PHARE scholarship; 6

7 (3) to take the 3 credit unit PHARE online class, AGMED offered annually each January to April, based out of the Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture (CCHSA), University of Saskatchewan; (4) to make a presentation at the Annual PHARE conference each year of their funding. Registration, airfare, meals and accommodation have been covered by the PHARE program. (5) to provide a written annual report to PHARE each May which has been included in the annual report to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). (6) to show evidence of the application for other funding in their annual report. (7) to follow the curriculum as outlined by their host institution s departmental guidelines. Upon completion of the PHARE Graduate Training Program (PHARE class, a pass grade at the end of each year of seminar, written annual report, and abstract submission/attendance at the annual conference) and their departmental requirements, PHARE trainees could be provided with a certificate of training in Public Health and the Agricultural Rural Ecosystem. It has been the trainee s responsibility to supply PHARE with proof of their graduation from their program to receive this certificate. For further information on the PHARE program please see the Progress Report at 7