Brain Canada and Brain Changes Initiative (BCI) launch Innovation Grants for Research Impact in Traumatic Brain Injury

MONTREAL, Aug. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It is estimated that approximately 165,000 people per year are affected by a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Canada. With the knowledge that stakeholder-informed research has the greatest potential for impact, Brain Canada undertook an extensive consultation process to understand the breadth of the needs of diverse stakeholders related to TBI and identify the top priorities that should be addressed first.

Brain Canada, in collaboration with Brain Changes Initiative (BCI) has now launched the Innovation Grants for Research Impact in Traumatic Brain Injury funding opportunity to generate creative, novel and practical evidence-based solutions that address stakeholder-identified and prioritized needs, listed below, to improve the trajectory of recovery for individuals after brain injury.

• Full assessment and customized treatment plan informed by the areas of brain that were damaged and severity 
  • Goal: Create a comprehensive assessment tool and treatment planning template for trained frontline workers to inventory and rate all patient symptoms to inform a realistic treatment plan (with or without diagnosis).
• Less emphasis on structural characteristics and more on functional ability during assessments 
  • Goal: Ensure functional deficits are identified for concussion/mTBI so they can be treated; make fMRI more widely available by ensuring quality testing occurs in less time.
• Reduced waiting lists/immediate access to outpatient brain injury services and treatment facilities 
  • Goal: Prove the cost effectiveness of balancing the proportion of funding allocated to outpatient community services (as opposed to acute care) as evidence for provincial decision-makers to change funding model.
• Transfer of information from emergency departments to family physicians so brain injury is not missed 
  • Goals: More effective communication between emergency departments and family physicians for items to follow up on relating to the patient; prove the importance and cost-effectiveness of ensuring all patients have a family physician for follow up.
• Ongoing education (CMEs) for doctors about new research and therapies for brain injury 
  • Goal: To increase physician awareness and motivation a) about their need to take this training, and b) that it is available and how to access it.
• Accurate prognostication (to know expected outcomes) to inform decision-making by doctors, families, and insurance payees 
  • Goal: Make the assessment of existing prognostic factors systematic and standardized by consolidating what we already know.
• Reduced bureaucracy, paperwork, unnecessary delays, and barriers across systems (health, financial, insurance, legal, etc.) 
  • Goal: Create transparency of the paperwork needed for the patient's recovery; seeking, gathering, completing, organizing and submitting and communicating about documentation.
• Minimize occurrence of incorrect assumptions that can prevent detection of brain injury, especially for Indigenous Peoples 
  • Goal:?Understand the patient journey (process) from beginning to end to determine where and how brain injury in Indigenous patients is missed.
• Increased detection, treatment, and prevention for special populations (e.g., people in situations of abuse, people experiencing homelessness) 
  • Goal: Collect data using a simple screening tool for flagging possible brain injury in hospitals and other relevant contexts, as well as socio-economic data.

An overall funding envelope of $1.4M will be available for this program to support three to four grants over two years.?This funding opportunity is open to interdisciplinary research teams of two or more members and must include a minimum of two independent investigators.

Evidence clearly shows that increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in research environments enhances excellence, innovation, and creativity. Brain Canada and Brain Changes Initiative are committed to excellence through equity, and we encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply to our funding opportunities, which will promote the expression of diverse perspectives, approaches, and experiences, including those of underrepresented groups.

Click here to view the Request for Applications.

The registration form deadline is September 27, 2023 at 5 p.m. EST, and the deadline for receipt of full applications is January 25, 2024 at 5 p.m. EST.

This program has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) Brain Canada Foundation, and Brain Changes Initiative (BCI).

About Brain Canada

Brain Canada plays a unique and invaluable role as a national convenor of those who support and advance brain research. A greater understanding of how the brain works contributes to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of disorders of the brain, ultimately improving the health outcomes of people in Canada and around the world. Visit Braincanada.ca @BrainCanada

About Brain Changes Initiative (BCI)

Brain Changes Initiative (BCI) is a not-for-profit organization that funds ground-breaking research to improve the standard of care for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) recovery. BCI also provides awareness, advocacy and support for Traumatic Brain Injury survivors; they carry out knowledge translation, education, events and programs centred around nonpharmacological approaches to healing the brain. https://www.brainchanges.org/

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