The KRESCENT 2.0 Health Research Training Platform Application Process: Program Report

The Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training Program (KRESCENT) was launched in 2005 to enhance kidney research capacity in Canada and foster knowledge translation across the 4 pillars of health research. This program report describes the pan-Canadian KRESCENT 2.0 Health Research Training Platform (HRTP) application process that was awarded a 5-year grant through the pilot Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) HRTP program, ensuring continuation of this capacity-building program in Canada.

Grant application documents including meeting minutes, break out group summaries and recommendations, and Gantt timeline charts. Other resources included websites and journal articles.

All application-related documents were reviewed. Clarification of process and timelines was provided through interviews with the Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) Dr R. Todd Alexander, Principal Applicants (PAs) Drs Adeera Levin and Sunny Hartwig, Project Manager (PM) Dr Jenn Klein, members of the Patient Community Advisory Network (PCAN), and the Kidney Foundation of Canada Program (KFoC) Manager Ms. Julie Wysocki via in-person and virtual meetings as well as email correspondence.

The KRESCENT 2.0 HRTP application represents a 6-month pan-Canadian effort spearheaded by the NPA and a pan-Canadian team of PAs spanning multiple jurisdictions, disciplines, and sectors. Early engagement of stakeholders in the Canadian kidney research community, outstanding PM administrative support from the onset of the application process were identified as pivotal for the success of the application. Other essential factors for success included graphic design assistance to effectively communicate key and complex concepts, appointment of an EDI champion, engagement with a diverse group of collaborators, and strategic collaboration with other HRTP grant applicants to navigate the ambiguities of the pilot HRTP call. Indispensable, scrupulous final review of the complete application package was generously provided by Dr Robert Quinn (University of Alberta) prior to final grant submission to CIHR.

Unlike other funded HRTP applicants, KRESCENT is an established kidney training platform for a small cohort of trainees. Our results may not generalize well to HRTPs with large group cohorts or newly established HRTPs.

This program report may provide valuable guidance for other groups seeking to successfully navigate the CIHR HRTP application process.