Trainee Funding Opportunities
Through dedicated funding streams, MIRA and the Lebarge Centre for Mobility in Aging support trainees who pursue aging research at McMaster University. We also partner with leading research organizations to provide additional specialized funding.
Current and Upcoming Opportunities
The funding streams below are currently open for applications.
MIRA has partnered with the EPIC-AT Health Research Training Platform, a national training platform that will prepare graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers to be future leaders in digital health solutions for older adults with complex health needs. McMaster trainees at the Master’s, PhD and Postdoctoral level are eligible to apply for MIRA/EPIC-AT co-funded awards. Applicants should review the EPIC-AT application package and apply via the AGE-WELL Application Portal. For application questions please contact training@agewell-nce.ca.
More information: Application Package Age-well application portal: Apply hereDeadline
- May 3, 2024
Funding Available
- Up to two co-funded awards of $16,000 each
Graduate Student Professional Development Awards are for students working with MIRA researchers to present their work at an academic conference (virtual or in-person), attend a training program (virtual or in-person), complete an online course at a different institution or participate in research activities in another location. Professional development awards are tenable for up to one year after the application deadline. MIRA will also accept submissions for professional development activities that occurred up to three months prior to the application deadline. Students are asked to advise MIRA by email (mirafund@mcmaster.ca) of cancellations or changes related to MIRA-supported professional development activities.
Deadline
- September 15, 2024, 4 p.m. ET
Funding Available
- Up to $500 per award
Past Opportunities
Many of MIRA funding opportunites are open yearly and will be offered again.
The McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) will fund up to six summer student Fellowships (one per Faculty) valued at $2,000 each for undergraduate students working with MIRA researchers between May and August 2024.
Download the call apply onlineDeadline
- April 4, 2024, 4 p.m. ET
Funding Available
- Up to six awards of up to $2000
Applicants entering year one of a master’s program and year one or two of a PhD program are invited to submit a research proposal focusing on interdisciplinary, impact-driven approaches in the study of aging to the MIRA Graduate Scholarship Program. See call for proposals for full details; all applications must be submitted via the online application.
All applicants will be considered for the MIRA Scholarship in Aging Research. In addition, MIRA has partnered with several of McMaster’s research centres and institutes to further expand our collective impact and build capacity among McMaster trainees. Applications that focus on aging and the mandate of any of the co-funding partners below may be considered for co-funded scholarships. Applicants are encouraged to review the mandates and areas of focus for each of the co-funding partners below and indicate their interest in having their application considered for specific co-funded awards via their online application.
Download the call Download Evaluation Rubric Apply onlineApplication deadline
January 22, 2024, 4 p.m. ET
Funding available
- Master’s, $15,000 over one year
- PhD, $18,000 over one year
- MIRA | sMAP PhD Scholarships, $36,000 over two years
Fall 2023 MIRA Funding Webinar
December 8, 2023, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET
Register for the WebinarOur funding partners
Labarge Centre for Mobility in Aging (LCMA)
Funded by a generous gift from Suzanne Labarge, the LCMA supports interdisciplinary collaboration in aging research on the broad topic of mobility in aging, which may include: understanding and defining mobility in aging; maintaining and restoring mobility in aging; and environmental facilitators and barriers that influence mobility in aging. Applicants may be considered for funding through the LCMA if their research proposal focuses on aging and mobility, where mobility is defined to include physical and community aspects of mobility, execution of daily activities and participation in society.
Smart Mobility for Aging Populations (sMAP)
Applicants are invited to submit a research proposal aligned with the goals and research priorities of the McMaster sMAP program. The candidate’s research must focus on interdisciplinary, impact-driven approaches to aging, mobility and the development and application of smart technologies, including the following priority research areas: hardware-software co-design, multi-modal data analytics, hybrid modelling to improve mobility or care; understanding the trajectory of mobility status in health and disease from function to impairment; and development of solutions for continuous monitoring, assessing and/or maintaining and restoring of mobility. If successful, sMAP scholarship recipients are expected to complete the required training modules in for sMAP program (more details can be found here).
McMaster Digital Transformation Research Centre (MDTRC)
The MDTRC is designed as a knowledge hub to engage in three primary mandates focused on digital transformation: collaborative multidisciplinary research, outreach to academic and non-academic partners, training and education, as well as the development of custom training and educational content. MDTRC is committed to understanding the digital revolution that is transforming every aspect of our personal, social, and professional lives. Leveraging behavioural and neurophysiological techniques, the timely and important cutting-edge research initiatives at MDTRC will lead to a fundamental shift in understanding of the ever[1]evolving digital revolution and its challenges and opportunities, with far reaching implications for managerial practice across sectors and society at large.
Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health (FIRH)
The intent of the FIRH is to provide optimal patient care through clinical practice, translational research, and the training of health care professionals. Clinical, research and educational activities are integrated and largely collaborative within the FIRH. Research is wide-ranging, from basic studies of animal models of lung disease (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fibrosis) to clinical trials and epidemiological studies. Specialized facilities have been established at the FIRH, such as the Sputum Research Laboratory and the Aerosol Research Laboratory. Scientists at the FIRH are performing studies of bone marrow progenitor cells, airway peptide challenges, electrophysiological studies of airway smooth muscle cells, chronic allergen challenges, preclinical models of lung injury and repair, and more.
Micheal G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care (IPRC)
The IPRC seeks to fund research and initiatives that will ultimately improve the quality of life for those living with chronic pain. One area of concern is the development of persistent pain after surgery, which is particularly common after cardiac, breast cancer and orthopedic surgery. The IPRC explores causes of chronic post-surgical pain, developing new strategies for its prevention and innovative care for patients. The Institute was made possible as a result of the DeGroote family gift.
Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR)
Since its inception in 2007 through an unprecedented gift from Hamilton businessman Michael G. DeGroote, the IIDR is committed to delivering new knowledge and solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in infectious disease. Collaborative research spans the lab and the clinic, and a variety of disciplines ranging from medicine and biochemistry to mathematics, anthropology, and engineering. The breadth of research initiatives at the IIDR is large, reflecting the complexity of global challenges in infectious disease research and clinical practice. Further, the IIDR continually advances its research objectives to align with the evolving infectious disease landscape. Such initiatives include: microbial and antimicrobial research; vaccines and antivirals; host-pathogen interaction research; diagnostics; and research into new technologies
MIRA and the LCMA invite highly qualified postdoctoral researchers to apply to the MIRA & Labarge Postdoctoral Fellowship competition. Applicants may apply to one or both streams; the MIRA Postdoctoral Fellowships in Aging Research support interdisciplinary, impact-driven approaches to the study of optimal aging, and the Labarge Postdoctoral Fellowship in Mobility in Aging supports research focusing understanding, maintaining and restoring mobility in aging. The research projects supported by these fellowships should aim to develop the capacity of future leaders in aging research and generate evidence that contributes to the well-being of older adults.
Up to three MIRA Postdoctoral Fellowships in Aging Research and one Labarge Postdoctoral Fellowship in Mobility in Aging are available. Each fellowship is valued at $100,000 ($50,000 salary for two years), plus a $6,000 allowance for research expenses and professional development. It is expected that the supervisor will provide the funding required to cover the fellow’s benefits in accordance with McMaster’s benefit rates.
The applicant and principal supervisor are expected to involve at least two other researchers from two different Faculties (outside of the principal supervisor’s Faculty) as mentors in the development of an interdisciplinary research plan. The proposal should clearly indicate how the supervisor and two mentors will contribute to the development and execution of the interdisciplinary project and how this interdisciplinary approach will bring value to the study. Applications will be evaluated based on alignment with MIRA’s mandate; quality, novelty and academic merit of the research proposal; incorporation of stakeholders or end-users and the strength and leadership capacity of the candidate (see evaluation rubric).
Deadline
- May 17, 2023
Funding Available
- Up to four fellowships of $100,000 over two years, plus $6,000 for research expenses
EPIC-AT Fellowships will support trainees exploring digital health solutions for older adults with complex health needs, and provide experience in transdisciplinary working, stakeholder engagement and co-creation, the research-policy dynamic and the innovation and implementation process. More information and a full call will be provided.
Deadline
- Launch Date: April 3
- Application Deadline: May 12, 2023
Funding Available
- $16,000 for all trainee levels
Have a Question?
We are happy to answer questions from current and prospective McMaster trainees as well as faculty members about our opportunities for trainee funding.
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