PRiME Fellowship FAQ
What constitutes a new collaboration?
Answer: We strongly encourage collaborations between groups that have not previously worked together, however, applications will be considered in cases where the PIs have worked together before but the project is new, with no significant results obtained.
Will PRiME fund collaborations between different investigators in the same faculty or department?
Answer: Yes, PRiME funds research projects that are multidisciplinary in nature. While inter-faculty collaborations are an evident representation of this, the multidisciplinary nature of the project itself will dictate the fulfillment of this criteria.
What if a collaborator is not a PRiME member? Can they still participate in the fellowship competition?
Answer: All participating faculty must be members of PRiME. We are open to adding new members to our community, so if your intended collaborator conducts research in diagnostic and therapeutic development or disease biology, please email us at prime.initiative@utoronto.ca.
Do project proposals need to be independent of the two supporting PI’s CIHR grants?
Answer: Proposed projects can not be funded by existing grants to either of the supervising faculty members.
I have a collaborator at one of the UofT affiliated hospitals. Can they become a member of PRiME so I can partner with them for the PRiME Fellowship application?
Answer: The PRiME Fellowship is for collaborating faculty between PRiME investigators at the University of Toronto. We expect to launch a new program in the future that will support collaborations between PRiME investigators and the UofT affiliated hospitals.
Can Fellowship funds be used for consumables and other project expenses?
Answer: Each PRiME Fellowship award provides up to $45,000 (PDF) or $35,000 (GS) per year in salary support for one year, from September 1 to August 31. Funds cannot be used for travel, consumables, or other expenditures.
Can I hold other awards if awarded a PRiME Fellowship?
Answer: No, applicants can not hold a PRiME Fellowship award at the same time as any other external funding award. Applicants holding an external award at the time of application must openly declare this and indicate the end date of the existing award. Fellows who accept another award during the term of the PRiME fellowship must immediately advise the committee of this and return the remaining award funds to PRiME.
What happens if I finish my PhD/get a new position while holding the PRiME Fellowship? Can it be transferred?
Answer: Fellows who leave their positions for full-time employment or other educational opportunities during the award will no longer be eligible for the award and any remaining award funds will be returned to PRiME effective on their end date.
Can I defer the start of my PRiME award?
Answer: PRiME awards can be deferred for a maximum of 3 months with approval of the Fellowship committee.
How is the criteria of “less than 4 years of postdoctoral experience at the time of application” calculated? Is the 4 years of completed time calculated at the application due date (May 31) or the time of presentation from shortlisted candidates (July) or the time of award (Sept 1)?
Answer: As long as you have less than 4 years of PDF experience at the time of Fellowships Award (September 1), you are eligible to apply.
Can more than one collaborator be included on the proposed project for a PRiME Fellowship?
Answer: Yes, more than one collaborator can be included.
My lab currently has a PRiME Fellowship award. Does this make me ineligible to apply?
Answer: PRiME Fellowships only provide funding for one year, so the current fellowship being held in your lab will end by September. As such, a new application can be submitted from your lab, as long as the project is new, and has a co-supervisor within PRiME. Note each PI can only support one application per competition (as either PI or co-supervisor).