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Purpose of this policy

This document sets clear, humane expectations for participation in the NextGen IACC Scholars Program. Research rarely follows a fixed schedule, and illness, disability, caregiving, data-access delays, analytic complications, and other circumstances may require plans and deadlines to change. The program will respond flexibly when trainees communicate their needs. At the same time, the program has a time-limited mentorship period and a responsibility to use its funding fairly and meaningfully.

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Related application: NextGen IACC Scholars Program — Trainee Application

Guiding principles

• Research plans are living plans. Benchmarks and deadlines will be reviewed and renegotiated throughout the program as the project develops.
• Communication matters more than perfect adherence to an original timeline. A delay, changed research question, null result, illness, or need for accommodation is not itself a performance failure.
• Accessibility is an ongoing responsibility. Trainees may request reasonable adjustments at any point without being penalized for doing so.
• Continuation decisions will be based on engagement and reasonable progress, not positive findings, publication success, or confirmation of an initial hypothesis.
• Mentorship is time-limited. The program cannot guarantee replacement one-on-one sessions or require mentors to provide additional sessions after the program period ends.
• Funding must be stewarded fairly. Sustained nonparticipation without communication may result in suspension or discontinuation of the unpaid portion of the award after the remediation process below.

Program period and funding

The program is planned as a twelve-month research and mentorship experience. Each scholar will receive CA$15,000, normally paid in two installments:

1. First installment — CA$7,500: paid after enrollment, institutional arrangements, and data-access requirements are confirmed.
2. Second installment — CA$7,500: paid after the six-month progress review, contingent on satisfactory participation and reasonable progress.

Consistent with CIHR and Tri-Agency financial-administration principles, which treat grant funding as support for direct research costs unless a funding opportunity explicitly permits indirect costs, indirect costs and institutional overhead are not eligible expenses under the NextGen IACC Scholars Program. The CA$15,000 award is restricted to trainee stipend or salary support and approved direct trainee costs and may not be reduced to recover institutional overhead. Any required institutional arrangement must preserve the full value of the trainee award.

Continuation is normally expected. The six-month review is intended to identify support needs, revise the work plan, and confirm that the scholar remains actively engaged. It is not a competition among current scholars and does not depend on obtaining a particular scientific result.

Any payment arrangement remains subject to the grant agreement and the policies of the administering and participating institutions. Funds already properly paid for a completed period of participation will not ordinarily be reclaimed solely because a scholar later withdraws. No payment is guaranteed for a future period after withdrawal or discontinuation.

Trainee responsibilities

Participation and communication

• Participate in scheduled program activities, including one-on-one mentorship, project-development meetings, and relevant group instruction.
• Give reasonable advance notice when unable to attend, whenever circumstances permit.