ScienceUpFirst Grant Application Records (2020-2025)

• Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Request Number: A-2024-0034
• Records Requested: The ScienceUpFirst initiative was cofounded in 2020 by law professor Timothy Caulfield and Senator Stan Kutcher. In 2022, CIHR awarded Timothy Caulfield and Marianne Mader $1.5 Million for a 1-year project entitled “ScienceUpFirst” under program competition “Operating Grant: Science Up First.” The following year, 2023, they were awarded an additional $1.5 Million for a 1-year project under program competition “Science Up First: Together Against Misinformation.” In 2020, Timothy Caulfield was awarded $305,366 for a 2-year project titled: “Coronavirus Outbreak: Mapping and Countering Misinformation.” Provide all documents and communications in the awarding of all these funds addressing the following issues, from January 1, 2020 to February 17, 2025:
  • Was there an open competition for each of these projects?
  • If so, how were these competitions announced and what was the timeline from the announcement to the awarding of the funds?
  • How many applications were received for each of these grants?
  • What was the criteria used to select the winner?
  • How did CIHR or other associated agency determine, or what considerations went into the determination of, the amount of funds needed for each project?
  • What were the deliverables and how did the agencies assess value for money?
  • What was the breakdown of costs and deliverables?
  • How were the deliverables used by the government? For example, did the project(s) identify potential sources of misinformation? If so, did the government act on, or does the government plan to act on, that information? What specific actions were taken, or plan to be taken, with the information?
  • How did the agencies evaluate the expertise of the applicants?
  • What was the process for evaluating potential conflicts of interest of the successful applicant?
  • Did CIHR consider there to be a possible conflict of interest in awarding such large sums of money to a newly established organization cofounded by a senator?
  • How was the determination made of what constitutes "misinformation" for these projects?
  • Was there a process in place for the public to provide feedback or participate in the exchange of information?
• Date Released: June 23, 2025
• Notes: -

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