Epilepsy Canada Research Program

The association is very proud of the high quality of young researchers and the research projects it sponsors, thanks to a very rigorous grant review committee process carried out by individuals from the medical and scientific communities across Canada.

This peer review process helps ensure that we are making the best possible use of research dollars by investing in the most promising epilepsy research.

Research Fellowships are intended to develop expertise in clinical or basic sciences epilepsy research and improve the quality of care for epilepsy patients in Canada. Each year, funds are available to young Canadian researchers with an M.D. or Ph.D. degree.

Summer student bursaries intended for third and fourth year undergraduates earning a B.Sc., graduate students in psychology, sociology, biochemistry, and medical students. The purpose of this bursary is to encourage individuals to pursue careers in epilepsy, in research or practice settings.

esearchers who use animals in their research - any vertebrates and certain invertebrates, in particular, cephalopods (octopi and squid) - must adhere to the policies and guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) as published in the two-volume CCAC Guide to the Care and Use of Experimental Animals and in the guidelines and policies as published regularly on the CCAC web site at www.ccac.ca. which can also be obtained from the Director of Animal Care at the institution or from:

Institutions must hold a Good Animal Practice (GAP) certificate. This will certify compliance with the CCAC guidelines for the provision of adequate facilities to house and care for animals and to maintain local animal care committees for review of experimental protocols and control of animal experimentation. Failure to comply with the guidelines could ultimately lead to the freezing of Epilepsy Canada funds at the institution.

Applicants must obtain certification from the animal care committee at the institution that the experimental procedures proposed have been approved and that the care and treatment of animals is in accordance with the principles outlined in the CCAC guide.

The signature of the institutional authorities on the grant application signifies that the institution agrees to release funds to researchers only after an institutional Animal Care Committee (ACC) has approved the research. If the activities involving animals will only take place in a future fiscal year and the methodology still needs to be determined, funds may be released, on a pro-rated basis, for activities up to the start of the work involving animals, at which time the review of the protocol must be completed before further funds can be released. The research must maintain ACC approval for the duration of the project.

If, during the course of a grant, the research changes enough to require certification, Epilepsy Canada must be promptly informed and the appropriate certification must be obtained within the institution.