Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation announces up to CAD $2.4 million in funding available to support collaborative innovations in the field of aging and brain health

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - February 16, 2017) - The Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CC-ABHI) announced today the launch of its Researcher-Clinician Partnership Program (RCP²). This program is uniquely designed to greatly enhance the effectiveness of connecting point-of-care clinicians in the senior care sector with university-based researchers to collaboratively design, test and validate innovative products, services or health practices in aging and brain health in a real-world care setting. In total, up to CAD $2.4 million in funding will be available.

RCP² is seeking applicants with innovations that aim to find solutions for the following care priorities, of which the first three are aimed at older adults with dementia:

1. Reduce unnecessary emergency department visits.
2. Prevent falls or mitigate injury due to falls.
3. Provide better management of complex health conditions at home.
4. Improve brain health or cognitive fitness in older adults.

"The Government of Canada is proud to support the Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation and its programs. These programs encourage partnerships to bring innovative new ideas and creative solutions in brain health and cognitive fitness to Canadians. Their work to improve the quality of life for those living with dementia, and for their caregivers, is a priority for our government," says the Honourable Jane Philpott, Canada's Minister of Health.

"The collaborations being created through the Researcher-Clinician Partnership Program will help accelerate creative solutions in aging and brain health, and we are proud to support this initiative. Our government remains committed to finding new ways to continue to improve the quality of life for seniors in Ontario, and fostering innovative developments in brain health is an important part of that commitment," says the Honourable Reza Moridi, Ontario's Minister of Research, Innovation and Science.

"The Researcher-Clinician Partnership Program will provide a significant opportunity for health professionals who are working collaboratively to secure the support needed to test, refine and validate their innovative solutions with the aging population in a real-world setting," says Dr. William Reichman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Baycrest Health Sciences, which leads CC-ABHI.

Health professionals applying for the program must be part of a team that includes at least one researcher and one clinician. Teams may also include additional clinicians, researchers, educators, industry partners and end-users located worldwide. Applicants must demonstrate that their product, service or health practice is at an advanced stage of development as defined in the Call for Innovations. Teams must demonstrate that the proposed solution has the potential to be scaled across multiple organizations in North America and is ready for pilot testing and evaluation.

CC-ABHI will support project costs that are directly associated with the trial of an innovative solution, to a maximum of CAD $600,000 per project. CC-ABHI's funding will be provided directly to the host institution employing the principal Investigators of the qualifying projects. All projects must be completed within a 12 to 18 month period.

Eligible applicants must submit an Expression of Interest by 5 p.m. EST on March 30, 2017. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to complete a full application form, which must be submitted by 5 p.m. EST on May 25, 2017. The complete eligibility requirements, selection criteria and additional information about the program are available on the CC-ABHI website.

Funding for the Researcher-Clinician Partnership Program is provided by the Government of Canada through the Public Health Agency of Canada, by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, and by the Baycrest Foundation.

The Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CC-ABHI) is a solution accelerator for the aging and brain health sector, providing funding and support to innovators for the development, testing, and dissemination of new ideas and technologies that address unmet brain health and seniors' care needs. Established in 2015, it is the result of the largest investment in brain health and aging in Canadian history. CC-ABHI is a unique collaboration of health care, science, industry, not-for-profit and government partners whose aim is to help improve quality of life for the world's aging population, allowing older adults to age safely in the setting of their choice while maintaining their cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being. For more information on CC-ABHI, please visit: www.ccabhi.com.

About Baycrest Health Sciences

Baycrest Health Sciences is a global leader in geriatric residential living, healthcare, research, innovation and education, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides excellent care for older adults combined with an extensive clinical training program for the next generation of healthcare professionals and one of the world's top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, the Rotman Research Institute. Baycrest is home to the federally and provincially-funded Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, a solution accelerator focused on driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector, and is the developer of Cogniciti -- a free online memory assessment for Canadians 40+ who are concerned about their memory. Through its dedicated centres, the organization offers unmatched global knowledge exchange and commercialization capacity. Founded in 1918 as the Jewish Home for Aged, Baycrest continues to embrace the long-standing tradition of all great Jewish healthcare institutions to improve the well-being of people in their local communities and around the globe. For more information please visit: www.baycrest.org.

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