Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for Health and Life Science Research on International Space Station

3.1 Eligible Recipients

Eligible recipients (beneficiaries) for contributions are:

• Canadian post-secondary institutions, defined as a Canadian university or college (including CEGEPs in Quebec) that has provincial accreditation to grant degrees, diplomas, certificates or other recognized qualifications;
• Not-for-profit organizations established and operating in Canada that have research included in their institutional mandate, and that have a standing Research Ethics Board (REB)/ Animal Care Committee (when required), or that delegate this responsibility to another institution's recognized board/committee.

3.2 Eligible Projects

Projects eligible for funding under this AO are those wherein eligible recipients submit projects for which a Canadian researcher is the Principal Investigator (PI) in a new research project. There is no limit on the number of proposals presented per investigator.

Eligible projects are innovative space life science studies to be conducted on the ISS using human subjects or non-human research models, including plants to address nutrient composition related to crew dietary needs. The list of available ISS biological research facilities can be found using the Space Station Research Explorer web site. Facilities identified as ‘Retired' will not be considered. The availability of these facilities will need to be confirmed before the project can be funded. Projects based on previous ISS investigations, which include expanded scientific objectives, are also eligible. If successful in the review process, they may be chosen for the first wave of implementation on the ISS. Selected recipients will be required to sign a collaboration agreement with the CSA.

All development phases necessary for a project are eligible. Any logical breakdown or combination of these phases can constitute a funded project. However, breaking down a project into numerous phases to obtain more than the maximum contribution is not allowed. Furthermore, even if the maximum funding for one project is not reached, the completion of a funded phase does not automatically guarantee funding of the remaining phases. Details of eligible costs of the projects financed under this AO are listed in Section 6.2.

3.3 Alignment with CSA priorities

To be eligible, projects supported under this AO must be aligned with CSA priority outcomes as stated in the 2024–25 Departmental plan. In accordance to its mandate, the activities selected must generate new knowledge and insight into the risks of human space flight to keep astronauts healthy in space (Space Strategy for Canada, 2019). Health risks targeted by CSA and associated with human space flights (i.e., future long-duration human spaceflight missions) have been identified and are listed in Table 1.

In addition to fundamental research on health risks of spaceflight, the CSA encourages proposals aiming to develop and test countermeasures to mitigate these risks. Furthermore, the following specific needs for health and medical support of spaceflight crews are relevant to this AO:

• Additional methods to monitor disorders related to sleep and fatigue;
• Methods to monitor crewmembers in an integrated fashion, linking cognition, mood, exercise etc.;
• Methods to monitor mental health during extended space missions;
• Approaches to better predict physiological changes in space with an impact on health or performance;
• Further understanding of the variation among crewmembers regarding the adaptation to space and readaptation to a gravitational environment after prolonged exposure to microgravity;
• Interaction of nutritional and energy status and physiological systems;
• Non-pharmacological approaches to musculoskeletal pain and injury management;
• Understanding post-flight recovery of physiological systems and optimizing reconditioning strategies.
• Research into non-cancer and cancer health risks due to space radiation exposures
• Research/development on individualized radiation protection measures based on individual radiation sensitivities.

In addition to the risks listed in the table above, the CSA will also evaluate if the proposal would contribute to advancing the understanding of similar health issues on Earth, could contribute to improving health and health care for all Canadians, or translate to applications on Earth, with specific emphasis on scientific advances that directly impact the delivery of health care to remote and isolated communities in Canada.

3.4 Links to the Class Grants and Contributions Program Objectives

To be eligible, projects supported under this AO must contribute to the achievement of at least one of the following objectives:

• To support the development of science and technology relevant to the priorities of the CSA;
• To foster the continuing development of a critical mass of researchers and HQPs in Canada in areas relevant to the priorities of the CSA;
• To support information gathering, studies and research related to space.

4.1 Required Documentation

A structure for the detailed project description is included in Appendix 1. Applicants are strongly encouraged to follow this structure.

Applicants are required to submit a full proposal prepared in French or in English, which shall include:

• A completed original application form (Word, 105 KB) signed by the duly authorized representative and the PI of the proposed project as stipulated in section 3.2;
• A copy of the document(s) confirming the legal name of the applicant (must be confirmed by the organization's Office of Research);
• Letters from other funding contributors confirming their contributions, if applicable;
• Declaration on Confidentiality, Access to Information Act and Privacy Act form signed by the duly authorized representative (refer to the Applicant Declaration on Confidentiality, Access to Information Act and Privacy Act section included in the application form); and
• For organizations in Quebec, M-30 Supporting Documentation form completed and signed by the duly authorized representative (refer to the M-30 form for organizations in Quebec included in the application form).
• For not-for-profit organizations, an original or certified copy of their certificate of constitution, letters patent, or other constitutive documents. Non-original or uncertified copies are accepted for the purposes of the application, but the original documents will be required at the time of the signing of the agreement.
• For Canadian Co-Is involved in an international study, a letter from the international PI is required, confirming that the proposed work by the Canadian Co-Is will enhance the study;
• Letter of support from Co-Is confirming their intent to participate to the study, including information on the potential source of funds, if applicable;
• The applicant will ensure that ethical certification requirements are met throughout the study. A letter signed by the chairperson of the local Research Ethics Board (REB) regarding approval of the experimental protocol using human subjects will be required to that effect or Animal Care Committee (when required). Ethics approval letters for any subsequent protocol amendments must also be forwarded to the CSA;
• A Data Management Plan shall be provided with the proposal that addresses:
  • Type(s) of data products;
  • Short-term data preservation approach;
  • Long-term data preservation/archiving approach;
  • Format(s) for data and metadata;
  • Sharing and reuse of the data, when applicable;
  • Roles and responsibilities for data management within the team.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the application complies with all relevant Canadian legislation and bylaws (federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal).

Before the investigation transitions to the operational phase, recipients will be required to submit to the CSA evidence of approval from institutional and space agency REB, if relevant.

The electronically uploaded application must be prepared as a single PDF-formatted file containing all the above requested documents with all security features disabled. You are required to order the document with the application form and proposal first. The proposal and supporting documents must be included in the file as searchable PDF-formatted documents (PDF/A-1a or PDF/A-2a formats preferred). If there are any accessibility issues with the submitted PDF file, all consequences will reside with the applicant.

The applicant must keep one hard copy of all the original documents above. The CSA may require applicants who successfully passed the evaluation stage described in Section 5 of the AO to send a hard copy of their complete application with the original documents.

Process for electronic submission:

• The applicant must complete an account creation request at the Electronic Proposal Portal. Upon receipt, the CSA will send an email with instructions on how to connect to the CSA secure filer system to allow you to upload documents securely. Note that Chrome is the browser of choice for submissions. Supported browsers are Google Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer with some restrictions.
• Allow up to seventy-two (72) hours for the CSA to send an email confirming the account creation as well as instructions (user guide) on how to access the platform. It is strongly recommended that the account creation request be submitted no later than October 16, 2024. If technical issues cannot be resolved, applicants must submit their application by mail. Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload their complete application well before the submission deadline;
• Using the temporary password assigned by the CSA, login to the secured portal to upload protected documents;
• Refer to the user guide for instructions on how to securely upload documents.
• Applications must be submitted (successfully uploaded) by applicants no later than 2:00 PM (EDT), October 25, 2024;
• Incomplete or late applications shall not be considered. A late application has an electronic timestamp on the CSA system after the deadline above.

Process for application sent by mail:

The applicant is encouraged to submit their application electronically following the instructions provided in Section 4.1 of the AO. However, if the applicant is unable to submit their application electronically, please communicate with santespatiale-spacehealth@asc-csa.gc.ca no later than October 11, 2024 2:00 PM (EDT) to obtain instructions on how to submit a paper application by mail.

For application sent by mail, one original paper copy of the full proposal, with a completed original application form (Word, 105 KB) signed by the duly authorized representative is required. In addition, one (1) copy of the application (identical to the signed paper copy) in a PDF file (on a USB flash drive) is required. If there is any discrepancy between the hard and the soft version, the hard copy takes precedence.

Applications by mail must be received at the CSA no later than October 25, 2024 at 2:00 PM (EDT). Applications sent by email will not be accepted. Incomplete applications may not be considered. The CSA is not responsible for any delays under any circumstances and will refuse applications that are received after the stipulated deadline.

Questions and answers related to this AO will be posted on the CSA website in the Frequently Asked Questions (Section 9).

Important information:

• Proposals must be received at the CSA no later than October 25, 2024 at 2:00 PM (EDT).
• Applications sent by email will not be accepted.
• Incomplete applications may not be considered.

Questions and answers related to this AO will be posted on the CSA website in the Frequently Asked Questions (Section 9).

4.2 Service Standards

Applicants will be notified in writing of decisions regarding their application. Selected applications will be announced on the CSA website. The CSA has set the following service standards for processing times, acknowledgement of receipt, funding decisions and payment procedures.

Acknowledgement: The CSA's goal is to acknowledge receipt of proposals within two (2) weeks of receiving the completed application package.

Decision: The CSA's goal is to respond to the proposal within 46 weeks of the AO's closing date and to send a contribution agreement for signature within 16 weeks after formal approval of the proposal.

Payment: The CSA's goal is to issue payment within six weeks of the successful fulfillment of the requirements outlined in the contribution agreement.

Compliance with these service standards is a shared responsibility. Applicants must submit all required documentation in a timely fashion. Service standards may vary by Announcement of Opportunity.

5.1 Evaluation Process

Applications will first be evaluated for eligibility. Only applications that have passed the eligibility assessment described in (Section 5.2) will be given further consideration.

Once the eligibility is confirmed, full proposals will then undergo a programmatic evaluation (Section 5.3) based on criteria such as benefits to Canada, project feasibility, resources, results and impacts as well as risk and risk mitigation measures. This step will be followed by a scientific merit review based on the peer-review criteria (Section 5.4). The scientific merit review will be conducted by a panel of scientific or technical experts. The number and diversity of experts required will be determined by the response to this research announcement and by the variety of disciplines represented in the proposals. The scientific merit review panel will assign a score from 0 to 100 or a designation of "not recommended for further consideration" based upon the intrinsic scientific merit of the proposal. Before a final decision is made, the CSA's Program Manager responsible for this AO may seek input and advice from other organizations, including (but not limited to) federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal government agencies and organizations. This score will reflect the consensus of the panel. Proposals that receive a score in the scientific merit review that is lower than 70/100 will not be further evaluated.

Following a successful scientific review, proposals will undergo a flight feasibility review as described in Section 5.5 to determine if their implementation on the ISS is possible. A team of CSA engineers and scientists experienced in the development, integration, and operation of space flight experiments will conduct this review. For this reason, experimental requirements and procedures should be clearly and succinctly explained. Applicants should include all needed equipment for pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight data collection. The NASA Space Station Research Explorer can be consulted with regards to equipment that may be available (except facilities that are indicated as ‘retired').

This assessment will be based on criteria listed in Table 4 and will rate the feasibility as Low, Intermediate or High. This step will influence the final list of selected proposals. To best fit Canadian ISS resources, some proposals which passed the programmatic and scientific review may not be considered based on the feasibility evaluation. It should also be noted that some proposals with lower feasibility but with high impact from a scientific merit may still be considered.

The final score for each proposal will be based on the score for program alignment (50%) and science merit (50%). Funding agreements will be offered to the applicants in the rank order of the proposals while allowing considerations to maximize the use of available funding. The number of projects funded under this AO will depend on funding and resource availability.

5.2 Eligibility assessment

Eligibility of proposals will be based on these aspects:

• Represents an eligible recipient as defined in Section 3.1;
• Represents an eligible project as defined in Sections 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4;

An evaluation committee will screen applications according to the eligibility criteria described in Table 5 in Appendix 2.

5.3 Programmatic evaluation

Submissions will be evaluated using the graded criteria listed in Table 2. A detailed description of these criteria can be found in Appendix 3.

5.4 Scientific Merit evaluation

The eligible projects will then undergo a scientific merit peer-review that will be conducted based on the criteria in Table 3. To be considered eligible for funding, the total score obtained for these graded criteria must be at least 70/100.

The scientific merit review will be conducted by a panel of scientific experts according to the language ladder listed in Table 3 and a detailed description of each criterion can be found in Appendix 4. For any given criterion, a score within the associated range will be assigned by each reviewer. The scientific merit review panel will assign a score from 0 to 100 or a designation "not recommended for further consideration" based on the intrinsic scientific merit of the proposal. Passing proposals must receive at least a minimal score for each criterion and obtain a total score of at least 70, which is higher than the sum of all the minimal scores. The peer-review panel will also provide comments to the CSA on the proposed budget.

Sex and gender differences, as well as differences due to other intersecting identity factors exist in space-related health risks, making these issues an important component of this AO. Therefore, the CSA strongly encourages applicants to consider biological sex as a biological variable and gender as a socio-cultural factor into their research designs, methods, analysis, and/or dissemination of findings, when appropriate.

5.5 Technical Feasibility assessment

A technical feasibility review will be conducted for each flight experiment proposal that receives a scientific merit score greater than 70%. A team of engineers and scientists experienced in the development, integration and operation of space flight experiments will conduct this review, using criteria listed in Table 4 and described in detail in Appendix 5. The criteria take into consideration that certain experimental procedures, while not impossible to perform, are difficult to implement during ISS operations. Table 4 provides criteria that could be used to justify the assessment, as an example. Results of the technical feasibility assessment may affect the rank of proposals in the final list, or even exclude some proposals due to the lack of resources required or the impossibility to implement the investigation.

6.1 Available Funding and Duration

The maximum funding amount given in contribution for each project will be $1,206,000 for new Canadian projects over a maximum period of six (6) years.

The number of projects funded under this AO will depend on funding availability.

The CSA reserves the right to reject any proposals or reduce the amount of the contributions at its entire discretion.

Approved proposals will be eligible for a total amount of Canadian government assistance (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) of up to 100% of total project costs.

To determine the amount of funding to be allocated, consideration will be given to the availability of CSA funds, the total cost of the project, and the other confirmed sources of funds provided by other stakeholders and the applicant.

Applicants must identify all sources of funding in their applications and confirm this information in a funding agreement if the project is selected for funding. Upon completion of a project, the recipient must also disclose all sources of funding.

6.2 Eligible Costs

Eligible costs are direct expenses associated with the delivery of the approved project and that are required to achieve the expected results of the project.

For this AO, recipients will not be responsible for costs of integration, launch, and operation of their study on the ISS. However, the recipients will be responsible for supplying extensive documentation to support the development, integration, and operation of their study. Typically, a minimum of 0.5 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) is required for this.

Note that for this CSA AO your proposal cannot include as eligible any costs related to non-Canadian-based Co-Is or non-Canadian-based PIs or their work within the proposal. These costs should be submitted to the appropriate national agency for funding.

Expenses will be covered subject to the applicant signing a funding agreement, in the form of a contribution, with the CSA.

The eligible costs for contributions under this AO are the following:

• Access fees;
• Accommodation and meals allowances;
• Acquisition, development and printing of materials;
• Acquisition or rental of equipment;
• Consultant services;
• Data acquisition;
• Data management;
• Laboratory analysis services;
• Licenses and permits fees;
• Material and supplies;
• Overhead (administrative) costs (not to exceed 20% of eligible costs for Canadian universities and 15% for other eligible recipients);
• Participation fees at conferences, committees and events;
• PST, HST and GST net of any rebate to which the recipient is entitled to and the reimbursement of any taxes for goods and services acquired in a foreign country net of any rebate or reimbursement received in the foreign country;
• Publication and communication services;
• Salaries and benefits;
• Translation services; and
• Travel.

7.1 Payments

The CSA and each of the successful applicants (the recipients) will sign a funding agreement which is a condition for any payment made by the CSA with respect to the approved project.

Payments for contribution agreements will be made in accordance with the process and the reporting requirements described in the signed funding agreement. Upon notice of a successful application, the CSA will have no liability until a funding agreement is signed by both parties. Only eligible costs incurred after the funding agreement is signed and indicated in the agreement will be reimbursed.

Contribution agreements will have the following structure:

1. Year 1: Development of requirements. A comprehensive science requirement assessment will be done, during the first year of the project, by the CSA and possibly, if deemed useful by the CSA, such review may involve ISS partners. At the conclusion of Year 1, the CSA will decide on proceeding to Years 2 to 6. The CSA may decide to stop the project at this stage, for reasons of feasibility, lack of resources, or for example lack of Co-I funding by an international partner, or changes in programmatic direction. The CSA may also decide to limit subsequent funding to a shorter operational period.
2. Years 2 to 6: Integration and Operations. During years 2 to 6 the CSA will integrate the activity into ISS planning, and then operate the study on the ISS.

7.2 Audit

The recipient of a funding agreement shall keep proper records of all documentation related to the funded project, for the duration of the project and for six (6) years after the completion date of the project, in the event of an audit. This documentation shall be available upon request.

7.3 Conflict of Interest

In the funding agreement, the recipient will certify that any former public office holder or public servant it employs complies with the provisions of the relevant Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Former Public Office Holders and the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector respectively.

7.4 Intellectual Property

All intellectual property developed by the recipient during the project shall vest in the recipient. When applicable, the funding agreement will include a provision granting to the CSA a non-exclusive, irrevocable, world-wide, free and royalty-free licence in perpetuity to use or sub-licence the use of any such intellectual property contained in recipient's reports for non-commercial governmental purposes.

7.5 Organizations in Quebec

An organization in Quebec whose operations are partially or fully funded by the province of Quebec may be subject to the Act Respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif, L.R.Q., Chapter M-30.

Under Sections 3.11 and 3.12 of this Act, certain entities/organizations, as defined in this Act, such as municipal bodies, school bodies, or public agencies, must obtain an authorization by the Secrétariat du Québec aux affaires canadiennes (SQRC), as indicated by the Act, before signing any funding agreement with the Government of Canada, its departments or agencies, or a federal public agency.

Consequently, any entity that is subject to this Act is responsible for obtaining such authorization before signing any funding agreement with the Government of Canada.

Quebec applicants must complete, sign and include the M-30 Supporting Documentation Form with their application.

7.6 Performance Measurement

The CSA will ask the recipients to report on an annual basis on certain aspects of their projects such as:

• Knowledge Creation
  • Knowledge production (including publications)
  • Presentations
  • Intellectual property (including patents)
• Capacity Building
  • Project's research team (including HQPs supported)
• Collaboration
  • Partners' contributions
  • Partnerships
  • Multidisciplinarity

As a courtesy, the CSA would like to receive a copy of publications arising from the work, and to be informed in advance of significant press releases or media interest resulting from the work.

7.7 Open Access Publications

If publications result from the project, the CSA wishes to promote the dissemination of findings that result from the projects it funds as quickly and to the greatest number of people as possible. Improved access to scientific results not only allows scientists to use a broader range of resources and knowledge, but also improves research collaboration and coordination, strengthens citizen engagement, and supports the economy.

The CSA therefore promotes the use of open access publication and archiving by recipients to facilitate the widest dissemination of findings that results from its funded projects. Thus, recipients are invited to publish, in a timely manner, their articles by using at least one (1) of the following methods:

1. Accessible online repository (institutional or disciplinary) so that the publication is freely accessible.
2. Journal offering open access to articles.

It should be noted that these two (2) methods are not mutually exclusive and that recipients are encouraged to use both.

Finally, the CSA wishes to receive, as a courtesy, a copy of the publications (if not freely accessible) or the hyperlink (if freely accessible) and its digital object identifier (DOI). These will be used to improve accessibility by including them in the CSA publications directory.

1.1 Alignment with the priorities of the CSA and its Space Health & Life Sciences Program

Description: This criterion evaluates whether the proposed research objectives are aligned with the priorities of the CSA and its HLS program. Do the research objectives directly address health risks associated with human space flights or needs for health and medical support (CSA priorities in section 3.3)?

Minimum score required = 15

1.2 Benefits on Earth

Description: This criterion evaluates whether the proposal demonstrates that the proposed research may contribute to the advancement of understanding of similar health issues or applications on Earth, or that could contribute to improving health care for Canadians. Provide a clear explanation of how specifically this research can bring benefits on Earth (i.e., which specific population, how it will benefit that population, etc.).

Minimum score required = 10

1.3 HQP development

Description: This criterion evaluates how the project will foster the development of HQPs, through recruitment of qualified students/postdoctoral fellows/trainees and provide them with an integrated and meaningful role in the project research team. The proposal must include a clear description of both the role and responsibilities of students/HQPs, and a plan for their development.

Minimum score required = 1

1.4 Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)

Description: The research project must meaningfully engage members of underrepresented groups within the research team as students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and partners. Underrepresented groups include, but are not limited to, the four (4) designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, members of visible minorities, and persons with disabilities). Applicants can consult the Employment equity website for definitions of each group.

This criterion evaluates whether the proposal describes the specific means that will be taken to foster recruitment and engagement of members from these underrepresented groups within the research team. It also evaluates the different means proposed by the investigators or the research team to conduct outreach activities with underrepresented groups (i.e., member of advisory committees and boards, participation in conferences/colloquiums, workshops, and public dialogues), inside or outside of the research laboratories or universities/institutions. Referencing the university policy is not considered a sufficient demonstration.

Minimum score required = 1

2. Project Feasibility, Resources, and Risk Assessment

3. Science dissemination plan

Description: This criterion evaluates the science dissemination plan describing how results from the investigations will be disseminated (i.e., conferences, publications, etc.). Per Section 7.7, applicants are encouraged to use open access publications and archiving in order to facilitate dissemination of results from the investigation.

Minimum score required = 1

Science quality

Research approach

Research team

All investigations

Human research

Non-human research