Funding + Award Opportunities

WHRI Internal Funding Opportunities

Closed – Deadline: Letter of Intent due September 5, 2025; Full Application due October 8, 2025.

The Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI), in partnership with the BC Women ‘s Hospital + Health Centre Foundation, is pleased to announce the inaugural WHRI Leveling Up: Women’s and Newborn Health Research Action Grant competition to support previously pilot-tested women’s and newborn’s health research projects involving a) screening or diagnostic tools; or b) treatment interventions.

More information.

Closed – Deadline: Letter of Intent due September 5, 2025; Full Application due October 8, 2025.

The Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI), in partnership with the BC Women ‘s Hospital + Health Centre Foundation, is pleased to announce a Catalyst Grant competition for the advancement of knowledge in women’s health.

More information.

Open – Spring deadline is May 29, 2026 (5 grants), for travel between January 1, 2026 and June 30, 2026

Fall deadline is November 27, 2026 (5 grants), for travel between July 1, 2026 and Dec 31, 2026.

The WHRI has created a Trainee Travel Grant intended to support full-time research trainees for travel to national or international meetings. There are 10 grants available each year, valued at up to $1000 each. These grants will be offered twice a year (in May and November), with 5 grants offered at each timepoint.

More information

OPEN – Deadline: May 22, 2026

In 2020, the WHRI launched the Graduate and Fellowship Research Award in Women’s Health, a funding opportunity specific to our trainee community. This award is intended to provide salary support to WHRI-affiliated graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are engaged in women’s and/or newborn health research and who do not currently hold major competitive salary awards.

More information

OPEN – Deadline: May 22, 2026

Thanks to an annual endowment by Dr. Monica K. Li and family to the BC Women’s Health Foundation, the WHRI has established the Dr. Monica K. Li and Family Undergraduate Medical Student Research Award in Women’s Health, a funding opportunity specific to our undergraduate medical student trainee community. This award is intended to provide support to WHRI-affiliated undergraduate medical students who identify as a woman from racial/ethnic minority groups to pursue research in women’s and/or newborn health.

More information

Closed – The 2024 CW DHR Accelerator Grant closed on December 6, 2024. 

This grant is intended to support digital health innovations that will benefit women, children and families. This funding opportunity aims to accelerate digital health solutions towards clinical or community implementation by supporting researchers to develop prototype solutions, test feasibility in the operational context, assemble the required partnerships and teams, develop clinical and/or operational evidence, and create a plan for sustainment and scale-up.

Learn more: Important dates and Proposals

OPEN – Deadline: February 12, 2026.

The WHRI Graduate Student Achievement Award seeks to recognize excellence amongst graduate students who are near completion or have completed their research project.

More information

The 2023 competition closed on September 1, 2023.

The Sue Harris Family Practice Research Grant supports research that contributes to women’s (cis and trans-inclusive) health within the discipline of family practice. The funding is intended to support new researchers (family practice residents and/or practitioners) to develop and carry out a pilot research project.

  • Family Practice physician or resident
  • To support family practice research related to women’s health

More information.

 

Rolling – for Recipients of the Sue Harris Grant only.

  • Family physician who is a new investigator and who has completed a research study and wishes to have it published in a peer reviewed journal

AND/OR

  • A past winner of the Sue Harris Family Practice Research Grant requesting funding to support the publication of findings from that project.

Call for applications

Open – Application deadline: May 1, 2026

Perinatal Research IMaging Evaluation (PRIME) Centre Research Award competition is available to researchers using PRIME Centre facilities in their work, supporting advances in women’s, fetal and neonatal health. For 2026, one award will be given at $30,000. 

More information

Upcoming Funding opportunities FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Deadline

Funder & Link

Brief Description

May 1, 2026

SSHRC Connection Grants

To support events & outreach activities geared toward

short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization initiatives.

Connection Grants are expected to respond to the objectives

of the Research Partnerships program. Events: $10-$25K

over 1 year; Outreach activities: $10-$50k over 1 year.

May 20, 2026

CIHR Team Grant: Beyond Treatment –

Advancing Cancer Survivorship

To unite interdisciplinary research teams to advance the

understanding of the risks & development of late &

long-term toxicities associated with cancer treatments,

as well as strategies to improve survivorship care

post-treatment. $400K/year for 5 years (total $2M/grant;

9 awards available). Registration due Feb 24, 2026.

May 25, 2026

Health Research BC Impact Pathways: Engage Award

Provides small-scale, short-term funding for activities that

bring together researchers & research users.

Up to $5K total. Funding starts Aug 1, 2026 & must

be spent by Nov 30, 2026.

May 31, 2026

2S/LGBTQ+ Health Hub Fellowship Program

A total of $10K will be provided in recognition for participation

in all activities & components.

Student trainee: registered graduate student or student in a

registered healthcare provider program,

Community or Professional staff trainee: employed in a

government, health organization, or community-based

organization.

20 trainees will be funded this year.

June 3, 2026

CIHR Planning & Dissemination Grants

To provide support for planning &/or dissemination activities

(either virtual or in-person) under the mandate of specific

CIHR Institutes or Initiatives. Research areas include sex,

gender &/or intersectionality considerations;

Indigenous Peoples' health; & knowledge mobilization

science; & more. 1 year grants ranging from $10-$50K (74

available). These grants are allocated using a partial lottery.

June 3, 2026

CIHR-ICRH Reimagine Acute Care

(Registration)

Part of the Reimagine Acute Care initiative, focused on areas

under ICRH's mandate: the heart; brain (stroke); lung; blood

& blood vessels; sleep & critical care. Applications must focus

on improving the care continuum by connecting pre-acute

acute and post-acute care phases. Funding pools include

"cross disease" & "AI and Computer Science" $200K for

1 year (23 awards available). Full application deadline

July 23, 2026.

June 10, 2026

Canada Research Training Awards Suite –

Research Travel Supplements (CRTAS-RTS)

Provide additional funding to active master's & doctoral

award holders to help offset the costs of undertaking research

travel within or outside Canada for a defined period. The

maximum amount per award is $9K 2-6 months.

June 16, 2026

CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity, & Independence

(REDI) Early Career Transition Award 2025

To advance scientific excellence & foster diversity

in Canada’s research ecosystem. Two-phase program to

support trainees from underrepresented groups aiming to

launch an independent research career in Canada.

$90K/year for up to 3 years (Phase 1) & $120K/year for up

to 4 years (Phase 2). 50 awards available. 15 Funding pools

including Sex, Gender & Health.

June 16, 2026

CIHR Team Grant: Healthy Youth

To support youth-engaged research teams to generate

evidence for at least 2 of the 6 priorities of 

Canada's Youth Policy with the ultimate goal of

improving youth health & well-being.

$300K/year for up to 5 years (total $1.5M/grant; 7 grants

available). Registration required by April 28 2026.

June 17, 2026

Genome BC Sector Innovation Program (Intake SIP9)

To support genomics research that advances women's health

& wellbeing across the life course, with a focus on:

·      Female-specific conditions

·      Conditions with higher burden in women

·      Conditions with under-researched sex & gender impacts

$300-460K for a period of 12-24 months

(total $4.2M available).

June 22, 2026

Collaboration for Health Research in

Northern BC Project Grant Program

For research teams (3 or more) led in partnership

by at least 1 individual each from UNBC, Northern Health

(NH), & PHSA. For research addressing a health challenge in

northern BC. The focus of this call is:

1. Create connections across NH Service Networks & PHSA

Health Improvement Networks to enhance planning & delivery

of services.

2. Strengthen human health resource planning & workforce

development. The need to grow, retain & support the health

& wellness of a skilled workforce.

Total $45K for a 24-month period.

July 23, 2026

CIHR-ICRH Reimagine Acute Care

Part of the Reimagine Acute Care initiative, focused on areas

under ICRH's mandate: the heart; brain (stroke); lung; blood

& blood vessels; sleep & critical care. Applications must focus

on improving the care continuum by connecting pre-acute

acute and post-acute care phases. Funding pools include

"cross disease" & "AI and Computer Science" $200K for

1 year (23 awards available). Registration due June 3, 2026.

July 23, 2026

Team Grant - GACD 2026: NCD Multi Sectors

(Implementation Science to Tackle Non-Communicable

Diseases: Maximizing Collaboration & Coordination

Beyond Healthcare Systems)

(Stage 1)

This funding opportunity is part of the 11th call for

applications of the Global Alliance for Chronic

Diseases (GACD) to fund implementation research focused

on strategies leveraging opportunities with & beyond the

healthcare system to tackle chronic non-communicable

diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries or

underserved populations, including Indigenous populations

in high-income countries. $200K/year for up to 5 years

(total $1M/grant; 3 available).

August 4, 2026

SSHRC Connection Grants

To support events & outreach activities geared toward

short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization initiatives.

Connection Grants are expected to respond to the objectives

of the Research Partnerships program. Events: $10-$25K

over 1 year; Outreach activities: $10-$50k over 1 year.

September 2, 2026

CIHR Operating Grant: Data Analysis Using Existing

CDN Databases and Cohorts 2026 (Registration)

To support projects that use data from existing Canadian-

based cohorts, databases, cohort catalogues, & data

platforms, to advance knowledge in human development,

child &/or youth health with the goal to improve patient,

population, & system outcomes. $75K/year for up to 1 year

(15 grants available). Full application due

September 22, 2026.

September 15, 2026

CIHR-IHDCYH Operating Grant: ECRs in Human Development,

Child and Youth Health (Registration)

To build research capacity, generate new knowledge, &

support knowledge mobilization in human development,

child & youth health by funding operating grants to early career researchers. $50K/year for up to 3 years

($150K/grant total; 13 available). Full application due

October 20, 2026.

September 22, 2026

CIHR Operating Grant: Data Analysis Using Existing

CDN Databases and Cohorts 2026

To support projects that use data from existing Canadian-

based cohorts, databases, cohort catalogues, & data

platforms, to advance knowledge in human development,

child &/or youth health with the goal to improve patient,

population, & system outcomes. $75K/year for up to 1 year

(15 grants available). Registration due September 2, 2026.

September 2026 (TBA)

Notice of Upcoming CIHR Operating Grant: Evaluating

community-based programs & social innovations that

support aging in the community (TBA)

To support evaluations of established community-based

programs &/or social innovations, to generate co-created &

actionable evidence to strengthen community health systems and enhance the health and overall well-being of older

persons living in the community. $150K/year for up 2 years

(total of $300K/grant; 11 available).

Fall 2026 (TBA)

CIHR Fellowship: Canada Postdoctoral Research

Award (CPRA) Program

Provides support for highly qualified applicants in all areas of health research at the postdoctoral

degree stage to add to their experience by engaging in

health research either in Canada or abroad. $70K/year

for 2 years.

Fall 2026 (TBA)

CIHR Project Grants (TBA)

The Project Grant program is designed to capture ideas

with the greatest potential for important advances in

fundamental or applied health-related knowledge, health

care, health systems, and/or health outcomes by supporting

projects of research proposed & conducted by individual

researchers or groups of researchers in all areas of health.

The best ideas may stem from new, incremental, innovative,

&/or high-risk lines of inquiry or knowledge translation

approaches. Registration due early-mid August; Full

application due early-mid September.

October 20, 2026

CIHR-IHDCYH Operating Grant: ECRs in Human Development,

Child and Youth Health

To build research capacity, generate new knowledge, &

support knowledge mobilization in human development,

child & youth health by funding operating grants to early career researchers. $50K/year for up to 3 years

($150K/grant total; 13 available). Registration due

September 15, 2026.

October 29, 2026

SSHRC Partnership Engage Grants

To support new & existing formal partnerships over

4-7 years to advance research, research training or

knowledge mobilization in the social sciences & humanities.

Stage 1: up to $30K - these funds help applicants prepare

the Stage 2 application. Stage 2 (by invitation only):

up to $2.5 million.

November 2, 2026

SSHRC Connection Grants

To support events & outreach activities geared toward

short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization initiatives.

Connection Grants are expected to respond to the objectives

of the Research Partnerships program. Events: $10-$25K

over 1 year; Outreach activities: $10-$50k over 1 year.

Rolling

AthenaDAO Women's Health Research Funding

AthenaDAO is a decentralized collective that supports

translational women’s health research & drug discovery.

Funding ranges from $50-150K for 1-2 years

(terms negotiated for each project).

Rolling

Health Research BC Industry-based program

The Health Research BC-Mitacs industry-based program

supports graduate students & postdocs to gain experience

working within BC’s life sciences sector.

Masters/PhD: Up to $90K for up to 24 months;

Postdoc: Up to 129K for up to 24 months.

Rolling

CANTRAIN Clinical Research Internships

Six awards of up to $10K each are available to support

BC-based individuals to intern at a Canadian-based clinical

trials unit. Internships can be in the form of in-person, virtual

or hybrid engagements. Funding may be used for protected

time or travel expenses related to in-person engagements.

UpcomING Information Webinars for Applicants
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