The Myth of the Programmatic Research Grant

Abstract

I have chosen to examine the mythical Programmatic Research Grant, which I refer to as mythical, not because we do not have research programs -I think we do - but because, to my knowledge, one has yet to be awarded to nursing in Canada, despite a competition created especially for this purpose. The three most common types of research grants are career awards, designed to relieve the researcher from teaching responsibilities by paying the researcher's salary, thus giving the researcher time to conduct research; equipment grants that enable the researcher to purchase equipment to conduct research; and operating grants that provide for the costs of personnel to assist with the research and for supplies needed for day-to-day work. A grant must not be confused with a contract: contracts are awarded for the proposal exactly as presented and often prepared to meet the agencies specifications. Research grants are more flexible, and changes may be made by the investigator provided the funding agency and the ethical review committees are notified.