Projects
Small Steps, Big Idea
The Small Steps, Big Idea Projects Committee provides financial support for physician-led projects through annual funding from the Specialist Services Committee: a partnership between Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health. Funded projects provide opportunities to build relationships and effective communication across the physician community.
Projects must address at least one of our priorities:
- Physician wellness
- Physician engagement
- Improvement of patient and provider’s experience of care
- Indigenous health
- Planetary health
- Equity, diversity and inclusion
Small Steps, Big Idea funding provides $1,000 to $5,000 to selected applicants to develop their projects. Funding can be used for sessional payments, meals, venue costs, and speaker or consultant fees.
Proposals are reviewed after scheduled intake deadlines of January 31, March 31, May 31, July 31, September 30, and November 30 each year. Applicants will be informed of decisions approximately three weeks after these dates.
If you have an idea for a project, first submit a letter of intent by completing this Google form. The form consists of seven questions and should take less than 15 minutes to complete. If you have questions, please contact us at projects@vpsa.ca.
Steps for implementing your idea:
Funding
Maximum funding available: $5,000 for a period of 12 months.
Aligning with the provincial Facility Engagement Funding Principles, funding can be used for the following:
- Physicians’ time to work on the project and participate in project activities (planning, implementation, and evaluation).
- Non-physician medical staff/allied health staff time outside their working time (paid the standard sessional rate as decided by Doctors of BC).
- Preparatory and actual meeting time.
- Identifying stakeholders.
- Hiring expertise where required (i.e., data analysis, administrative assistance, etc.).
- Catering costs.
The funding cannot be used for the following:
- Compensation of clinicians, health authority employees or contractors in the delivery of direct and indirect patient care.
- Gift cards.
- Paying physicians’ sessionals and expenses for required CME-accredited clinical training.
- Purchase of clinical equipment and/or other capital items.
- Meeting attendance that is presently required as part of maintaining privileges.
- Transportation or parking (except for expenses incurred by the project’s patient and family representatives).
- Physician research projects that are typically funded by research grants.
- Physicians in formal health authority leadership roles can only submit claims for Facility Engagement activities if they are not already being paid for that work under their alternative payment arrangement, health authority contract, or by another party.