Funding

1. General Information

a. Purpose. This request for proposal (RFP) is to contract for knowledge translation (KT) services to be provided to the Praxis Spinal Cord Institute (Praxis).

b. Who May Respond. Researchers, consultants or organizations with knowledge translation expertise in Canada. Expertise in spinal cord injury (SCI) and/or experience with implementation science would be considered an asset.

Praxis encourages proposals from under-represented groups including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people who are part of 2SLGBTQI+ communities, religious minority groups and racialized people, neurodiverse individuals, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

c. Instructions on Proposal Submission:

i. Closing Submission Date. Proposals must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm PT on Monday November 25, 2024.

ii. Enquiries. Inquiries concerning this RFP should be directed to: Dr. Vanessa Noonan Email: vnoonan@praxisinstitute.org

 

iii. Instructions to Offerors. Your proposal should be addressed as follows:
Dr. Vanessa Noonan
Director of Research and Best Practice Implementation
Email: vnoonan@praxisinstitute.org

 

iv. Conditions of Proposal. All costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal responding to this RFP will be the responsibility of the Offeror and will not be reimbursed by Praxis.

 

v. Right to Reject. Praxis reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received in response to this RFP.

 

vi. Notification of Award. It is expected that a decision selecting the successful candidate will be made within one week of the closing date for the receipt of proposals. Upon conclusion of final negotiations with the successful candidate, all Offerors submitting proposals in response to this RFP will be informed, in writing of the decision.

vii. Term of Engagement. The engagement will be from December 16, 2024 through March 31, 2025.

d. Description of Our Organization:

Praxis is a not-for-profit organization that leads global collaboration in SCI research, innovation and care. We accelerate the translation of discoveries and best practices into improved treatments for people with SCI. Our vision is a world without paralysis after SCI.

Driven by the priorities of people with SCI, the three distinct areas of focus for Praxis are:

• Mobilize translational research and best practice implementation;


• Incorporate active involvement of PLEX of SCI across research and innovation programs;


• Accelerate SCI innovation into adoption.

From our home in Vancouver, Canada we facilitate an international network of people with SCI and world-class experts who work together to identify, prioritize and solve the most urgent challenges. To achieve this, we take a multi-disciplinary, adaptable approach to maximize our impact. This enables us to move the most promising ideas out of the laboratory, into both standards of care for people with SCI. We also work to get new technologies from idea, to development, and ultimately available to improve the lives of those living with SCI. See Praxis website for more information.

2. SCOPE OF SERVICES. The Offeror shall be readily available to perform the following knowledge translation services, as requested by the Dr. Vanessa Noonan:

a. After reviewing the Praxis Research & Care Program KT Plans and projects as well as meeting with the Praxis team, update the plans to disseminate and support the uptake implementation of new evidence within the next 1-2 years and also inform future Praxis planning. This activity will require connecting with the other Praxis programs and teams on projects and activities (e.g. Marketing & Communications Team, Persons with Lived Experience Program, the Information Services Team).

Key components of these plans include reviewing and/or developing:

• Key messaging for the Research & Care program and projects;


• A general framework or strategy for sharing messages/information across multiple networks and audiences to ensure they align with key messaging;


• Strategies and processes within the Research & Care program to ensure that internal teams are educated on the program-level KT plan and key messaging, and that relevant project information is being effectively shared within Praxis and with partners locally, nationally and internationally.

b. Upon approval of the plan, meet with the Research & Care and the Marketing & Communications team to action the outlined activities outlined up until March 31, 2025.

Examples include overseeing and/or developing:

• Approximately 10 stories covering projects in the Research & Care Program;


• Knowledge sharing webinars or targeted presentations to administrators/advisory boards;


• Reports or other materials (e.g., video clips, 1-page infographics, information cards, animations, audio clips, etc.) for sharing knowledge across multiple audiences;


• Content for Praxis website designed to share information about the Research & Care program;


• A strategy for engaging partners (e.g., persons with lived experience, clinicians, researches, administrators etc.) to develop and disseminate KT products such as the Canadian SCI Registry (RHSCIR) etc.

c. Provide KT training to the Research & Care team (and other teams within Praxis as required) as well as support the Project & Knowledge Translation Specialist Lead with KT mentoring and project activities as required.

The budget to complete this phase is a maximum of $30,000. Note: any recommended external resources or training will be paid for separately.

Key Deliverables/Milestones	Target Completion Date
Review and update the KT Plans for the Research & Care Program	Jan 17, 2025
Ongoing execution of KT activities outlined in the KT Plan for the Research & Care Program.	Mar 31, 2025
Ongoing KT training the Research & Care team and support the Project & Knowledge Translation Specialist Lead with KT mentoring and project activities as required.	Mar 31, 2025

Offeror shall be prepared to submit detailed billing statements for all services billed at an hourly rate, if any, broken down into time increments of no more than a quarter hour. Offeror shall also include summaries of work performed and time spent on services performed, as discussed below.

3. PROPOSAL CONTENTS. The Offeror, in its proposal, shall, as a minimum, include the following:

a. Experience: The Offeror should describe its KT expertise including both project planning and training, preferably in sectors similar to Praxis.

b. Organization Information: If the Offeror is an organization, it should describe its organization type, size, structure, areas of practice, and office location(s), the resumes of staff likely to be assigned to the project, and, if applicable, shall attach a certificate of good standing.

c. Individual Information: If the Offeror is an individual, they should include a resume which describes their education and employment to date.

d. Staff Background Checks and Qualifications: The Offeror should describe the background checks and qualifications of staff to be assigned to the project. Descriptions should include:

i. Education, employment, and background check of each staff;

ii. Overall supervision to be exercised; and

iii. Prior experience of the individual staff with respect to the required experience listed above.
Only include resumes of staff likely to be assigned to the project. Background, position in the
organization, years and types of experience, and continuing professional education will be
considered

e. Structure: The Offeror should describe the structure to deliver the scope of work. Descriptions should include format for delivering the scope of work, and, if relevant, the allocation of responsibilities and the overall supervision to be exercised.

f. Cost: The Offeror’s proposed price should not exceed $30,000 CAD and include information on the billing rates of each staff who is expected to work on this project and charges for expenses, if any, such as travel, research, and copies. Also include a monthly flat fee as part of the price that would be charged to advise on routine matters that could be handled over the telephone or otherwise without extensive research or other work. The Offeror should also include any in-kind value in the proposal, as applicable. Praxis reserves the right to negotiate with the Offeror on the structure of the billing and/or retainer fee.

g. Availability: The Offeror should clearly state their availability to deliver the services in-person and online, and any potential restrictions.

h. References: Provide three references (names, contact persons, telephone numbers and emails), preferably clients similar to Praxis.

i. Confidentiality and conflict of interest. The Offeror must ensure the confidentiality of information obtained as a result of their involvement with this project is maintained. The successful Offeror will be required to comply with Praxis’ Confidentiality Agreement and Conflict of Interest policies.

j. Independence. The Offeror must provide a statement confirming their independence from Praxis

4. PROPOSAL EVALUATION

a. Submission of Proposals. All proposals shall be submitted to vnoonan@praxisinstitute.org by Nov 25, 2024 at 11:59 pm PST.

b. Evaluation Procedure and Criteria. A review committee will review proposals and may request an interview or meeting with some qualified Offerors prior to final selection. Proposals will be reviewed in accordance with the following criteria:

1. Proposed approach to scope of work;


2. Background check and level of experience of the individual(s) identified to work on this matter;


3. The Offeror’s experience with similar clients and KT services;


4. Response from references;


5. Cost;


6. Value in Kind;


7. Interviews, if conducted; and


8. Other

Proposed approach to scope of work	25%
Experience with similar clients and type of service matters	25%
Qualifications	20%
Cost and Availability	20%
Communication style and clarity in interview	5%
Response from references	5%

Through submission of this Proposal, I/we agree to all of the terms and conditions of this RFP. No person, firm or corporation other than the undersigned has any interest in this Proposal. Offerors must complete and submit all of the Form of Proposal and supply all of the information requested by the Appendix – Business Information and Requirements. Proposals that do not include the information requested in the Appendix, or do not have sufficient information to be readily understood and evaluated may be rejected without further notice.

Note: Information provided must be responsive to the question. Please review all questions carefully.

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→ Download this full RFP

About Praxis

Praxis Spinal Cord Institute is a Canadian-based not-for-profit organization that leads global collaboration in spinal cord injury (SCI) research, innovation and care. We accelerate the translation of discoveries and best practices into improved treatments for people with SCI. Our strategic objectives include supporting work that leads to promising neurorestorative treatments and evidence-based care that are identified as priorities by Canadians living with SCI.

The term “neurorestorative treatments” is used broadly by Praxis to include early acute management to protect the spinal cord (e.g. pharmacologic therapies, surgical management) and/or facilitate repair at any time following injury (e.g. neuromodulation, rehabilitation training such as activity-based therapy [ABT]), with the goal to restore an individual’s function after SCI (e.g. walking, grasping and reaching, blood pressure, respiratory function, bowel, bladder and/or sexual function etc.) and reduce the impact of secondary complications (e.g. pressure injuries).

Background

Praxis has funded separate projects examining biomarkers (e.g. cerebrospinal fluid and serum, imaging) and neurorestorative treatments (e.g. spinal stimulation pilots, functional electrical stimulation pilots, ABT) at acute and rehabilitation SCI hospitals that are part of the National Canadian SCI Registry (RHSCIR) with the goal to improve assessment of impairment, advance development of promising treatment for SCI, and maximize function for people living with SCI.

However, given the low incidence and heterogeneity of SCI, more robust studies integrated with precision health approaches, artificial intelligence (AI), or other innovative technologies are needed to advance existing and emerging neurorestorative treatments. Integration with these new technologies will enable the development and testing of novel restorative therapies and algorithms for SCI to better define which patient population would be the best candidates for (and most likely to benefit from) specific treatments.

Description of the RFA

The objective of this RFA is to fund a team planning grant to catalyze and translate clinical research on neurorestorative treatments harnessing the potential of precision health approaches, AI, or other innovative technologies. The goal of the RFA is to increase access to neurorestorative treatments to improve function (neurological, physical, emotional), reduce secondary complications, and increase quality of life for individuals living with SCI.

Output/deliverable of this RFA:

• An application with a competitive proposal for a major external funding agency (e.g. Canadian Institutes of Health Research, U.S. Department of Defense, Craig H. Neilsen Foundation).

Funded grants will have a term ending no later than March 31, 2026 and with a maximum amount of $50,000 CAD each. At least two grants are expected to be awarded with the following requirements and subject to peer-review.

• Conducting a pilot study directly relevant to the preparation and writing of a competitive proposal and/or executing a strategy to engage other national and international SCI collaborators on developing a competitive proposal for submission to an external funding agency.


• Including one (e.g. neuromodulation) or a combination of neurorestorative treatments (e.g. nerve transfer and rehabilitation training).


• Integrating use of precision health approaches, AI, or other innovative technologies.


• Utilizing evidence-based measures and SCI data sets is encouraged, such as:
  
  
  
  • biomarkers, ranging from molecular biomarkers found in body fluids/tissues (e.g. neurochemical) to motion-based biomarkers (e.g. quantified activity) in body systems impacted by SCI;
  
  
  • nationally implemented outcome measures including the Standing and Walking Assessment Tool (SWAT), Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM), and the International Standards for Neurological Classification of SCI (ISNCSCI or “ASIA exam”);
  
  
  • SCI data sets such as the International SCI Data Sets and the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) SCI Common Data Elements.
  
  
  
  


• It is highly encouraged to engage partners in multiple provinces/territories and internationally, as well as engage individuals/partners from equity-deserving groups.


• The team must include: researchers, clinicians, and persons with lived experience (PLEX) (may also include SCI community organizations, industry, or other partners as appropriate).


• Applicants are strongly recommended to identify matched funding from other sources or in-kind resources.


• Applicants are encouraged to utilize and leverage international and national SCI resources, either for the proposed work in this Praxis RFA and/or for the proposal to be submitted to an external funding agency. Examples of resources include:
  
  
  
  • Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) Guiding Principles to support meaningful engagement of partners throughout the project
  
  
  • North American SCI Consortium (NASCIC) to request input or involvement from PLEX
  
  
  • International SCI Biobank (ISCIB)
  
  
  • ISNCSCI Algorithm to score the ISNCSCI or “ASIA exam”
  
  
  • Clinical data collected on participants with SCI (e.g. National Canadian SCI Registry [RHSCIR])
  
  
  • Data platforms (e.g. Praxis Connect data capture platform, the National Imaging Repository) to store data. Email rhscir@praxisinstitute.org for more information
  
  
  • Open Data Commons for Spinal Cord Injury (ODC-SCI) to share and publish data
    Note: If leveraging Praxis’ resources for the current Praxis RFA, it is recommended to contact Praxis (funding@praxisinstitute.org) as soon as possible to learn more and a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the RFA closing date to confirm resources and include confirmation as part of your application.