QEII Foundation Translating Research into Care (TRIC) Healthcare Improvement Research Program
The QEII Foundation Translating Research Into Care (TRIC) program is an implementation science-based funding competition designed to accelerate the translation of research into healthcare practice. TRIC supports projects that aim to improve patient care and system performance by implementing, adapting, or testing evidence-informed interventions in real-world settings.
Anticipated Competition Timeline
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Expression of Interest (EOI) form available |
September 12, 2025 |
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EOI deadline |
October 10, 2025 at 4:00PM |
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Invitation to Submit Full Application |
November 14, 2025 |
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Implementation Science and Patient Engagement Workshop with MSSU |
TBD |
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Full Application Deadline |
December 19, 2025 at 4:00PM |
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Dissemination of Competition Results |
February, 2026 |
Competition details, including funding priorities and evaluation criteria, are subject to change prior to the EOI stage opening on September 12, 2025.
Funding Categories
Two levels of funding support are available:
- Category 1: up to $100,000 over 1-2 years
- Category 2: up to $50,000 over 1-2 years
Applicants are encouraged to apply to the funding category that best aligns with the scope of their project.
Competition Objectives
Projects supported by TRIC should aim to address one or more of the following:
- Improve patient-reported outcomes
- Enhance safety in healthcare delivery
- Reduce unnecessary use of healthcare services, tests, or interventions
- Improve access for underserved populations
- Identify and reduce low-value or wasteful care
- Align with the Nova Scotia Action for Health plan:
- Solution One: Become a Magnet for Health Providers
- Solution Two: Provide the Care Nova Scotians Need and Deserve
- Solution Three: Cultivate Excellence on The Frontlines
- Solution Four: Build in Accountability at Every Level
- Solution Five: Be Responsive and Resilient
- Solution Six: Address the Factors Affecting Health and Well-Being
In the Expression of Interest (EOI) form, applicants will be asked to select the objectives their project addresses and provide a brief justification for each selected objective.
QEII Foundation TRIC awards must be held in a Nova Scotia Health Authority research account.
Please note that funding awarded via internal programs (such as NSH-RF or QE2 TRIC) must not be used for indirect costs.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet all of the following conditions to proceed with an EOI:
- Scientific Lead (Co-PI): Must be affiliated with NSH as an employee or Scientific Affiliate. Casual employees are ineligible to serve as Scientific Co-PI/award holder.
- Casual employee: An employee appointed to work on a non-regular, as-needed (i.e., no guaranteed hours) basis, depending on funding and assigned a contracted timeline.
- Administrative Lead (Co-PI): Must possess:
- Signing authority for the relevant NSH departmental or unit budget;
- Authority to approve and support the implementation of a health care improvement plan; and
- Authority to sustain a successfully implemented plan.
- Healthcare Impact: The project must be designed to improve healthcare at the QEII or across Nova Scotia Health.
- Patient Engagement: Projects must include a patient engagement component in which patients and/or families with lived experience contribute their perspectives to guide the project from planning through implementation.
- Implementation-Science Orientation: Projects must reflect CIHR’s definition of implementation science:
- “The scientific study of the methods and strategies used to implement evidence-informed interventions into routine health care in clinical, organizational, or policy contexts.”
These criteria will be confirmed through an eligibility form before applicants proceed to the EOI form.
Key Considerations for a Strong TRIC Application:
Applicants should consider the following questions about implementation and sustainability to strengthen their proposal:
- Does your TRIC research application demonstrate a clear cost-benefit analysis and/or return on investment to NS Health, if funded?
- Will this research change practice?
- Will this practice change have an impact on the health system and/or patient care?
- Is there solid evidence for this practice change in the literature?
- Is this practice change supported by the Administrative Co-PI?
- Is the impact of this project likely to be sustainable over the long term?
Application Process
NS Health utilizes Submittable, an online submission portal, for internal funding applications. When the competition is launched, the TRIC EOI form can be accessed via the following link: TRIC 2025 Expression of Interest Form.
Applications may be completed on the online submission platform by multiple individuals in real time. If you will be drafting your proposal collaboratively, simply follow the online instructions.
We will not accept uploaded standalone application forms through the online portal.
Only select applicants will be invited to submit full applications based on the EOI stage.
EOI Review Process
Submitted EOIs will be reviewed by a panel of interested parties internal to Nova Scotia Health. Reviewers will assess each submission with an emphasis on the components of the brief project description, including clarity of purpose, strength of evidence, feasibility of the implementation approach, appropriateness of methods, and anticipated impact and sustainability. Each component will be scored, forming a cumulative score that will be used to rank submissions.
The brief project description is a concise overview of the project (maximum 500-words) that includes the following components:
1. Purpose & Aim – What healthcare challenge or practice gap does your project address, and what is its primary goal?
2. Evidence & Rationale – What evidence or knowledge gap supports the need for this project? If this is earlier-stage work, explain how it will generate knowledge or data that positions the project for future implementation.
3. Implementation Approach – Briefly describe strategies for adoption, anticipated barriers/facilitators, and stakeholder engagement (including patient engagement). If proposing earlier-stage work, describe how the project will lay the groundwork for implementation (e.g., feasibility testing, stakeholder input, pilot evaluation).
4. Methods & Evaluation – What approach will you use to achieve objectives and assess outcomes? Include implementation outcomes where appropriate, or preparatory outcomes (e.g., feasibility, usability, readiness) if earlier-stage.
5. Impact & Sustainability – How will your project advance patient care or system performance? Describe the potential for sustained impact and, if applicable, how the work could be scaled or inform broader practice and policy beyond the funding period. Ensure the impact you describe relates directly to each of the TRIC objectives selected.
Please note that submissions that do not directly address each of the above components may be triaged from consideration.
This ranking process is designed to identify proposals with the strongest alignment to institutional priorities and the greatest potential to advance to a high-quality full application.
Priority may be given to supporting projects led early-career researchers and applicants based outside of Central Zone.
