two people posing in a library, smiling at the camera.
  • icon house

    Department

    • Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME)

  • icon book

    Accreditation

    • Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

  • icon graduate

    Expected duration

    • 2-4 years

Program details

With flexible options, you can take Clinician Investigator Program research training during or immediately after a Royal College of Physician and Surgeons of Canada clinical residency program. The program requires a minimum of 24 months of protected research time and includes enrollment in a graduate degree program (graduate stream), or in a postdoctoral fellowship program, if the trainee already has a research-based graduate degree (postdoctoral stream).

Academic curriculum

The entire CIP curriculum is comprised of one orientation event and one academic week (five full days) plus one to three academic half-days per year.

CIP is an accredited postgraduate medical education program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and all curriculum sessions are designed to address all of the CanMEDs goals and objectives relating to becoming a clinician investigator.

The program is a minimum of 24 months of active research (minimum 80 per cent protected research time) but can often span up to four years, depending on the type of research project and graduate degree.

Areas of research

Eligible areas of research include all four Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) pillars:

  • biomedical
  • clinical
  • population health
  • health services research

Also captured is research in related areas such as economics, education, e-health, engineering or ethics.

Enhance your training

Many institutions are now including the completion of a graduate degree as an application requirement for all faculty positions. CIP includes the completion of a Masters or PhD, while being fully funded at postgraduate year (PGY) level.

And there are many other benefits to consider:

  • Hands-on learning to develop and execute a self-directed research project
  • 24+ months of mentored research training with a focus on the integration of clinical and research responsibilities
  • Protected research time (during which the trainee must dedicate a minimum of 80 per cent of their time to research)
  • Completion of a research-based graduate degree program
  • Enhanced academic curriculum to prepare for a career as a clinician investigator
  • Progress monitoring and evaluations
  • Full salary (at PGY level)
  • Team environment working alongside other trainees working toward a similar career/goal
  • The opportunity to work with leaders in the research field of interest
  • National brand of a RCPSC-accredited residency program
  • Support from the faculty CIP committee
  • The opportunity to develop contacts and network within a specific clinical research field
  • The opportunity to create a more competitive body of work for application to faculty positions

Trainee support and funding

Support

Building a great support committee and designing a research project can take time. It is highly recommended that you start planning your time in CIP as early as possible. The CIP Director is happy to help trainees develop their plans. We encourage you to involve CIP and your clinical department faculty throughout the planning process.

Funding

Accepted trainees are guaranteed funding for the full 24 month program at appropriate PGY level through the use of PGME Flex Spots and other funding awards and partnerships. However, CIP trainees are required to apply for external salary awards for their second year. This improves the trainee's resume and, if successful, frees up the Flex Spot funding so that it can be used to sponsor more future CIP trainees.

Some surgery specialties offer one year of funding to complete a research-based Masters degree. This program may be combined with CIP to fund one of the two years provided this is arranged ahead of time and the trainee is enrolled in CIP prior to starting the Master of Surgery year.

  • Two people reviewing an xray mounted on a light board.

Admission and application requirements

Deadlines

Trainees Start date Application deadline
Visa sponsored  July 1, 2022 August 31, 2021
All others  July 1, 2022 November 1, 2021

Late applications may be considered but must be accompanied by a letter of support from the trainee’s clinical department head requesting an exception for the trainee.

The Residency Program Committee reviews all applications and approves those who are selected for entry.

Conditional acceptance into the program can occur before acceptance into a graduate studies program, however, proof of enrollment will be required prior to final acceptance.

Trainees are also only conditionally accepted until full funding has been confirmed for their first two years in the program.

We thank all applicants for their interest in our program, however only those accepted will be formally contacted. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email.

How to apply

In addition to the required documents detailed below, your application to the Clinician Investigator Program must include:

A completed CIP Application Form and Checklist (PDF)

A completed CIP Registration Form (PDF)

Required documents

Required documents include:

  • Curriculum vitae
  • Statement of your career plans, including those relating to practicing as a clinician scientist (one page)
  • Project description including timeline, specifying your roles within the overall research project (three pages)
  • Names of at least three research advisory committee members, at least one of whom must be a clinician scientist in your specialty
  • Your supervisor’s curriculum vitae
  • Letter from your supervisor(s) indicating the role(s) and responsibilities that they will have in your mentorship or training

For PhD applicants only:

  • Letter from your clinical department head and research supervisor describing availability of funding for years three and four
  • Letter of support from your current clinical program director (if required)
  • If you will not have completed your primary clinical residency prior to the commencement of CIP, please attach a letter of support from your RCPSC specialty/subspecialty program director verifying:
    • Your status and year of training in your postgraduate medical education program
    • Endorsement of your registration in CIP
    • Your research potential, interest, and ability to complete the program
  • Your expected completion date of clinical training
  • Copies of your publications (for post-doctoral stream applicants only)
  • Two letters of reference emailed directly to the CIP office

Please ask referees to personalize their letters to speak to your potential as a researcher, your commitment to your degree program, your proposed project, the proposed learning environment, and your commitment to a career as a physician-scientist.

The letter should also contain a statement that the applicant has not and will not see a copy of the letter.

Required certifications

You must submit certificates for the following courses to the CIP office within six months of your program start date:

TCPS 2: CORE (Course on Research Ethics)

The online tutorial is an introduction to the second edition of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2).

It consists of eight modules focusing on the guidance in TCPS 2 that is applicable to all research regardless of discipline or methodology.

Visit the TCPS 2: CORE (Course on Research Ethics)webpage to register.
If you have already completed this tutorial but do not have a copy of your certificate, you should be able to log on and print another copy through the TCPS2 portal.

UM Research Integrity Online Course

This highly interactive course gives participants the opportunity to learn the principles and professional responsibilities of what doing good research implies.

You will be exposed to practical advice on how to deal with the challenging situations in which they may find themselves doing research within their own area of expertise, along with the latest standards, codes and policies in the responsible conduct of research both locally and on a global basis.

For information on how to register for this course, visit the Research Integrity Online Course webpage.

Please email your application and registration forms, along with all requested supporting documents, to cip@umanitoba.ca

All other inquiries can be directed to:

Shayne Taback
Program director
Clinician Investigator Program
Phone: 204-789-3618
shayne.taback@umanitoba.ca

Tashanna Gabbidon
Program administrator
Clinician Investigator Program
Phone: 204-789-3498
cip@umanitoba.ca

Explore the University of Manitoba

We attract people from around the world who share our ideals and vision for positive change. We believe in embracing challenges and taking action. Our students, researchers and alumni bring their unique voices to learning and discovery, shaping new ways of doing things and contributing to important conversations in topics that matter most, from human rights to global health to climate change. We are where imagination and action collide.

Contact us

Director, Clinician Investigator Program
Dr. Shayne Taback
Max Rady College of Medicine
University of Manitoba (Bannatyne campus)
Room 510 - 715 McDermot Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 3P4

204-789-3618