Other CIHR Grants (e.g., Catalyst, Planning and Dissemination, Training)

CIHR grants, other than Project Grant, identify a specific topic or health challenge for researchers to address.

These strategic (i.e., targeted) grants are launched by CIHR’s 13 Institutes and, to some extent, by CIHR’s priority-driven initiatives. They are sponsored by any of the following (in full or combination):

  • One or more Institute;
  • The Roadmap Accelerator Fund (an internal CIHR fund);
  • External non-government organizations (e.g., Kidney Foundation of Canada); and/or
  • Federal and provincial government agencies/departments (e.g., Public Health Agency of Canada).

The Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) is an exception; it launches and funds its own competitions relatively independently of other CIHR initiatives.

Each month, multiple strategic grants are launched through ResearchNet and award amounts can range from a few thousand to millions of dollars. Strategic grants are sometimes launched quickly in response to a national or international crisis, while other grants are planned well in advance as large multi-year initiatives and still others recur on an annual basis. In addition to the Operating Grants and Team Grants program categories supported by Sharon Marsh and Flora To-Miles, respectively, other typical strategic grant competitions include Catalyst Grants, Planning and Dissemination Grants and the Health Research Training Platform.

  • Catalyst Grants provide 'seed' money to kickstart a new research initiative. Each Catalyst competition focuses on a different research area, with few recurring competitions. They are typically worth $100,000 for a one-year period.
  • Planning and Dissemination Grants (listed in ResearchNet’s “Other” category) support pre-project planning or knowledge dissemination activities. They are typically worth $10-25k, and usually run twice per year (Spring and Fall).
  • The Health Research Training Platform supports the development of interdisciplinary, inter-jurisdictional, and intersectoral research training and mentoring platforms to build capacity in established or emerging areas. These awards typically range from $400k-$1M/year for a six-year period.

See Other Grant Opportunities in ResearchNet

Application Process

All CIHR strategic competitions use the PI submission process (note: this is different from the Institutional E-approval process used for the Project Grant competition). Be sure to confirm the ORS deadlines and procedures relevant to your campus, as well as your Faculty and/or Department/School, as necessary:

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Support & Resources

SPARC support for these grants currently includes CWL-protected resources and sample grants.

Consultations

Individual consultations are available to all researchers and recommended for new faculty. They offer tailored advice to help applicants prepare their application. 

Contact Us

Online Resources and Sample Grants

Check out our comprehensive sample grant library and additional resources curated specifically for UBC researchers. CWL is required to view.

Resources Sample Grant Library

External Resources

CIHR often schedules competition-specific webinars. Please check the CIHR webinar page (see both the ‘archived webinars’ and ‘upcoming webinars’ tabs) if you are interested in applying to a competition. If you have missed the webinar you can request the slides from the CIHR helpdesk.

Contacts

Christy McTait
SPARC support
Manager of Research Development, Health
604.827.5615
christy.mctait@ubc.ca

Dr. Kelly McNagny
Advocacy and advice
UBC's Health Research Advisor (CIHR)
604.822.7824 
kelly@brc.ubc.ca

CIHR Contact Centre
Program technical support
613.954.1968
support@cihr-irsc.gc.ca


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