Research Grants

​Research ​grants

​Please direct inquiries on all MIRA funding opportunities to mirafund@mcmaster.ca

We are pleased to announce the MIRASpring Funding Cycle, a consolidated series of funding calls designed to support researchers in aligning research goals & maximizing collaboration.

Click here for a recording of our 2023 funding webinar

MIRA Catalyst Grant in the Biology of Aging

Application deadline: June 1, 2023
Funding available: Up to $40,000 to support one award

This grant is intended to stimulate new collaborations and allow McMaster researchers to collect preliminary data to support future proposals for full-scale studies investigating the aging-related molecular and cellular mechanisms that are candidate risk factors and drivers of common chronic conditions and diseases associated with age. Projects may investigate how the aging process represents a major risk factor for the development of numerous chronic diseases and conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, many cancers, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, reproductive aging, and frailty, and/or the biological pillars —inflammation, adaptation to stress, epigenetics, metabolism, macromolecular damage, proteostasis, and stem cells and regeneration — that may represent the potential drivers of the aging process. This grant will support a geroscience approach:the incorporation of basic aging biology, chronic disease and clinical research, and projects must incorporate researchers from at least three different McMaster Faculties. 

For more information, see the call and application form. 

MIRA External Grant Application Development Fund

Funding available: Two awards per year, up to $5,000 each
Deadline: Rolling

MIRA will support teams of researchers who wish to apply to major external, interdisciplinary funding opportunities to further develop research projects in aging. Eligible funding opportunities include complex, interdisciplinary funding calls such as CIHR Health Research Training Platform; New Frontiers for Research Fund Transformation stream; and NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience program.

MIRA researchers may request up to $5,000 to support the hiring of staff, such as a research assistant, to assist with grant writing and submission. To request this type of support, please email a letter of intent to MIRA Research Manager Audrey Patocs (patocsae@mcmaster.ca) copying mirafund@mcmaster.ca with the following information:

1) funding opportunity information, including grant name and link, application deadline, and value of funds requested;

2) names of principal and co-investigators,

3) a brief summary of work completed to date and of the proposed research for which the applicant(s) wish to secure funding.

Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA): call for proposals

Funding available: MIRA can support access fees ($3,000) for up to 10 CLSA data applications

Deadline: See CLSA website for next data application deadline

MIRA members are eligible for support in accessing CLSA data, a national database tracking 50,000 Canadians aged 45 to 85 over a period of 20 years. Data access applications are accepted three times per year. Researchers should notify ​MIRA at ​​mirafund@mcmaster.ca prior to applying for CLSA data access to be considered for funding. MIRA funds will be allocated only to projects that do not have any other funding for this purpose.

MIRA/LCMA matching funding for external, competitive funding calls

Deadline: ​Rolling
Funding available: Matching funds up to $100,000

In order to improve the positioning of McMaster’s researchers in external funding competitions, MIRA and the Labarge Centre for Mobility in Aging have allocated funding that may be used to match or leverage external funds. This process is intended to be used for requests related to externally funded, peer-reviewed grant competitions that require a matching component.

For more details, click here

Past funding opportunities (Research grants)

MIRA Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships (USRF)

Application deadline: April 7, 2023, 4 p.m. ET
Funding available: Six awards (one per Faculty) of $2,000

Undergraduate students, in collaboration with MIRA faculty members, are invited to submit research proposals for the 2023 MIRA Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship program. Student projects may be full- or part-time over the course of summer 2023. The supervisor may support the fellowship through in-kind or cash support that will enhance the student’s training experience and students may hold additional funding while holding a MIRA USRF. To be eligible, students must be registered for courses in the fall semester of 2023. External candidates who have a MIRA supervisor may be given consideration, however, McMaster candidates will be given priority. Trainees submitting proposals to work with MIRA-funded researchers or projects must include details on how their proposed work will complement the existing MIRA-funded project. 

To apply, see the MIRA USRF application form. 

HAC Catalyst Funding Program in Healthy Aging   

Application deadline: February 24, 2023
Funding available: At least 16 awards of $50,000 — may increase if additional funding partners participate 

Healthy Aging Canada (HAC) is a new collaborative initiative of AGE-WELL and the Canadian Frailty Network (CFN). The 2023 Catalyst Funding Program in Healthy Aging aims to identify and support emerging research in technology-enabled healthy aging, foster networking and collaboration, and build capacity in aging innovation research in Canada. Projects should address one of AGE-WELL’s challenge areas and apply a multidisciplinary, stakeholder-engaged approach to research. It is expected that small-scale projects funded through this call will provide a foundation for future larger research projects or funding applications.  

MIRA LCMA Co-funding
To enhance the position of McMaster applicants, MIRA’s Labarge Centre for Mobility in Aging (LCMA) will co-fund up to two applications led by McMaster researchers. LCMA funds may support interdisciplinary projects focusing on mobility in aging; LCMA-HAC co-funded awards will have a maximum value of $50,000. 

All applicants must submit directly through the AGE-WELL portal; McMaster applicants wishing to be considered for LCMA co-funding should reach out to mirafund@mcmaster.ca in advance of submission to share a draft proposal and ensure alignment with LCMA objectives. 

Click here for detailed information about this funding call including, eligibility, special funding streams, priorities and application expectations. 

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MIRA INTERDISCIPLINARY FELLOWSHIP GRANT

Funding available: One grant of $50,000 (for one year salary), plus $3,000 for research expenses

The MIRA Interdisciplinary Fellowship Grant invites teams of researchers to propose a project that will attract a highly qualified postdoctoral fellow who will conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research focused on aging. The fellowships are valued at $50,000 salary for one year, plus $3,000 for research expenses. The supervisory team must contribute at least $10,000 in cash for the fellow’s benefits, and are encouraged to demonstrate leveraging of additional funds, assets and in-kind support for the proposed project.

Interdisciplinary research teams are invited to submit proposals for research that will promote new research collaborations in aging. The primary applicant will act as the recruited fellow’s primary supervisor. The interdisciplinary proposal must include at least two co-applicants from McMaster Faculties outside of the primary applicant’s Faculty, who will act as mentors to the fellow and research collaborators. Applicant teams may also include knowledge users or mentors from industry, the public sector, non-profit or community, health care, or others whose perspective will enrich the prospective fellow’s research experience and the project’s impact.

Successful applicants will be awarded funds to hire one postdoctoral fellow to support the proposed project. Teams will have one year after award notification to recruit an appropriate fellow. MIRA can assist with recruiting a Fellow by sharing the posting across its communications platforms and with partners.

For more information, see the full call and application form.

MIRA IPRC Catalyst Grant in Aging and Pain

Application deadline: November 15, 2022, 4 p.m. ET
Funding available: One grant of up to $60,000

MIRA and the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care (IPRC) will co-fund one catalyst grant supporting a project that stimulates new collaborations and allows the collection of preliminary data on research that considers pain and aging as central themes. Interdisciplinary teams, involving researchers from at least three different McMaster Faculties, are invited to submit proposals that have clear potential benefits for older adults. A matching contribution of at least $10,000 (minimum $5,000 cash, up to $5,000 may be in-kind) is required.

For more information, please see our call for proposals
Download the application form

MIRA & GLOBAL NEXUS CATALYST GRANT IN THE BIOLOGY OF AGING - Special Call: Aging Populations and Infectious Threats

Application deadline: ​November 1, 2022
Funding available: Up to $50,000 to support one award  

The MIRA & Global Nexus Catalyst Grant in the Biology of Aging ​- Special Call: Aging Populations and Infectious Threats offers the opportunity to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research focused on aging and infectious threats. This grant is intended to stimulate new collaborations and allow McMaster researchers to investigate the aging-related molecular and cellular mechanisms that predispose older adults to increased risks associated with infectious disease and collect preliminary data to support proposals for future full-scale studies.

The aging process represents a major risk factor for the development of numerous chronic diseases and conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, many cancers, respiratory and cardiovascular disease, arthritis, reproductive aging, and frailty, among others. Growing evidence in animal models indicates that interventions at the level of the biological mechanisms of aging could lead to the very early prevention of many diseases and conditions associated with aging, and that several biological pillars -- inflammation, adaptation to stress, epigenetics, metabolism, macromolecular damage, proteostasis, and stem cells and regeneration -- may represent the potential drivers of the aging process. Within this framework, there are special challenges involved in attending to the needs of an aging population in the face of looming infectious threats such as Ebola, Zika, dengue, SARS-COV-2, influenza, and antimicrobial resistance.

For more information, see the full call and application form.

Labarge Catalyst Grant in Mobility in Aging

Deadline: June 30, 2022, 4 p.m. ET
Funding available: Up to six awards of $40,000 (one per Faculty)
Submission process: Email application package directly to mirafund@mcmaster.ca

Labarge Catalyst Grants in Mobility in Aging offer the opportunity to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research focused on mobility in aging. Mobility is broadly defined to include physical, social and community aspects; proposals may consider intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to mobility, execution of daily activities and participation in society. These grants are intended to stimulate new collaborations and allow researchers to conduct feasibility/pilot studies, scaling of interventions and/or collect preliminary data to support future proposals for full-scale studies. A minimum matching contribution of $5,000 (up to $2,500 may be in kind) is required.

2022 Labarge Catalyst Grant in Mobility in Aging — call for proposals and application form

Questions about ​any of these funding opportunities may be submitted to mirafund@mcmaster.ca