Funding Opportunities

OI deadline: May 13, 2025
Application deadline: June 26, 2025
Funding available: The maximum award per application for early career investigators is $125,000 annually for up to three years ($375,000 total), with an additional 3 years of support from the Host Institution of an equal value.

The Stars Career Development award was created to help firmly establish the career of early career investigators. This salary and research funding represents a three (3) year commitment by Arthritis Society Canada, together with an additional three (3) year commitment by the applicant’s Host Institution. The program provides funding to support research programs aligned with Arthritis Society Canada’s 2020-2027 Research Strategy. Arthritis Society Canada will be accepting applications relevant to five research priority areas: arthritis pain, OA, IA, childhood, and work.

LOI deadline: May 14, 2025
Application deadline: June 27, 2025
Funding available: The maximum grant per application is $50,000 annually for up to two years ($100,000 total). These grants are non-renewable.

The goal of the Ignite Innovation Grant program is to support the development and testing of transformative, paradigm-shifting, concepts and approaches to address critical barriers to progress in arthritis research, challenge our understanding of arthritis and its management, and generate novel approaches to confront the challenges we face in defeating arthritis and delivering the best evidence-informed care possible. The program intends to foster novel, high-potential projects and ideas that could be expanded in the future through additional funding sources (i.e., successful operating grants, industry partnership programs, cross discipline funding opportunities, etc.).

Successfully funded Ignite Innovation projects are based on “high risk” ideas that have a strong potential for “high reward”. The scope of high-risk projects could include proposals that focus on novel or untested tool development, cellular pathways, behavioural or psychosocial methodologies, research to address or ameliorate social or structural inequities, novel methods for delivering evidenced-based treatment or self-care interventions, unconventional devices, or techniques/procedures (including measures) and/or have potential for unique translation. As projects are at an early stage of development, a high level of risk is expected and not all projects will yield anticipated results. High reward is defined as the potential to create a significant and real change or impact. Applicants must explain the anticipated change or impact that is likely to result and to whom or what will be affected by the change, and its significance. To support the novelty of the project, a thorough evaluation of the literature should be included. Applicants will be required to describe why the project is novel, as it relates to the latest methods, concepts, information, and techniques.

This program encourages bold attempts to test novel hypotheses and/or generate new knowledge and/or improvements related to prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and support; therefore, while projects must be feasible and doable by the applicant(s), preliminary data is not necessary.

Applications are encouraged from all areas and disciplines of arthritis research, as well as from investigators in other disciplines whose ideas are relevant to the field of arthritis research. Diverse partnerships that advance and accelerate the application of the research are encouraged. These may include transdisciplinary research approaches and/or partnerships with industry, policy makers, consumers, health care providers and others. Note that the next logical step or incremental advancement on published data is not considered innovative and should not be submitted to this competition.

LOI deadline: May 15, 2025
Application deadline: September 25, 2025
Funding available: See funding call

Cross-Disciplinary Fellowships (CDF) are for applicants who hold a doctoral degree from a non-biological discipline (e.g. physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering or computer sciences) and who have not worked in the life sciences before.

Long-Term Fellowships (LTF) support interdisciplinary projects for frontier, potentially transformative research in the life sciences.

LOI deadline: May 15, 2025
Application deadline: September 25, 2025
Funding available: Min. of $241,848 over three years

Supports interdisciplinary projects for frontier, potentially transformative research in the life sciences.

Application deadline: May 28, 2025
Funding available: UP TO $2 MILLION AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT COLLABORATIVE BRAIN RESEARCH PROJECTS

Supports interprovincial biopharmaceutical research and development on brain disorders, driving collaboration to develop tools and therapies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Nomination deadline: May 30, 2025
Award: $300,000

Celebrates individuals driving innovation in medical research and practice, advancing health and healing in Canada.

Please contact Chantall Van Raay for nominee and nominator inquiries.

LOI deadline: May 30, 2025
Application deadline: August 12, 2025
Funding available: Up to $300,000; with anticipated funding ranges to be $150,000 to $300,000 depending on the project scope.

The Alzheimer’s Association aims to support innovative, high-risk, collaborative team science opportunities that investigate and focus on outstanding questions related to the biological underpinnings of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including the vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID).

The Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia – Understanding Mechanisms of Dysfunction (VCID-UMD) Grant Program solicits projects that aim to address some of the key challenges in research today as related to vascular dysfunction biology and contributions to AD/ADRD.

LOI deadline: June 2, 2025
Application deadline: August 18, 2025
Funding available: Up to $600,000 US over two years

Drug Targets
The 2026 ADDF-Harrington Scholar RFP places high priority on targets related to emerging therapeutic areas for dementia, particularly:

• Proteostasis (including autophagy, lysosomal biogenesis, proteasomal degradation, post-translational modification associated with proteostasis, protein folding/misfolding, ER stress, extracellular clearance)
• Senescence (including cells that have halted division, shifted towards a secretory phenotype, altered morphology and epigenetics, and decreased apoptosis)

Other novel targets are encouraged. These include, but are not limited to:

• Epigenetics
• Vascular pathology
• Neuroprotection
• Synaptic activity and neurotransmitters
• Inflammation
• Mitochondrial health
• Antioxidant defense
• Metabolic function and brain energy
• Brain insulin resistance
• ApoE
• Glymphatic clearance
• Postnatal neurogenesis
• Other aging targets

Therapeutic targets with a clear marker of target engagement, either established or in development will be considered of high priority.

The ADDF-Harrington Scholar Program does not support anti-amyloid approaches (e.g. Abeta vaccines, beta- or gamma-secretase inhibitors) or cholinesterase inhibitors. Approaches targeting tau will be considered if it is clearly demonstrated how they are distinct from those already in clinical development.

Stage of Discovery
The ADDF-Harrington Scholar Program supports research ranging from the hit-to-lead optimization stage through investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies. A lead structural series must already be identified at the time of application.

Applicants are asked to provide hit validation data, including dose-response curves, analog structure-activity relationship (SAR) results, and comparison data against known molecules with a similar mechanism or mode of action.

When animal model data are reported, detailed study design including rationale for choice of animal model, power analysis to determine number of animals, balanced investigation of sexes or rationale for studying only one sex, and PK data supporting choice of dosing regimen should be described.

The ADDF-Harrington Scholar Program does not support target discovery, assay development, or high throughput screening campaigns.

LOI deadline: June 2, 2025
Funding available: Up to $300,000 over a maximum of 30 months

The Proof-of-Principle 2025 program supports high-impact, scalable projects that use microbiome-based interventions to modulate the microbiome, enhance therapeutic responses, or improve health outcomes.

Eligible projects will be in one of the three priority areas:

Intervention: Developing novel therapeutic microbiome-based interventions for treating disease or improving health outcomes in a population.
Modulation: Improving patient responses to already existing treatments or therapies by modulating the microbiome.
Mechanism: Causally determining how the microbiome relates to a disease to identify new therapeutic targets.

Please refer to the Program Details for a full description.

LOI deadline: June 9, 2025
Application deadline: October 25, 2025
Funding available: Up to $400,000 over two years OR up to $400,000 over three years

This Fellowship is intended to provide salary support for a mid-career physician researcher in Ontario who has demonstrated the ability to successfully complete high-impact knowledge translation research. The Fellowship funds, dedicated to salary support, must protect at least 50% of the Fellow’s time to conduct such research.

Application deadline: June 19, 2025
Funding available: Up to $15,000 for an application relevant to the mandate of the Institute of Aging specifically focusing on aging and/or older persons.

An opportunity is also available within the CIHR Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF) Pool to support planning grants aimed at engaging diverse and multi-disciplinary researchers in the area of UPF research.

Application deadline: June 19, 2025
Funding available: Six grants of up to $25,000 for in-person meetings, and up to $10,000 for virtual meetings.

The CIHR Institute of Aging will provide funding for applications that are relevant to the strategic directions outlined in the CIHR-IA’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan: “Reframing Aging Empowering Older Adults“. Up to 6 grants will be awarded to applications relevant to the CIHR Institute of Aging (IA) specifically focusing on aging and/or older persons.

The HSI Fellowship provides highly qualified doctoral trainees and postdoctoral researchers in health services and policy research (or related fields) with the opportunity to develop embedded research projects/programs that address the most pressing problems faced by health system organizations and to support evidence-informed decision-making. Central to this program is participation in a national cohort, co-mentorship from research and system leaders, and professional development aligned to the HSPR Refreshed Enriched Core Competency Framework.

We are primarily, but not exclusively, interested in activities that build connections between basic and early biomedical scientific approaches and ecological, environmental, geological, geographic, and planetary-scale thinking, as well as with population-focused fields, including epidemiology and public health, demography, economics, and urban planning. Also of interest is work piloting new approaches or interactions aimed at reducing the impact of health-centered activities, such as developing more sustainable systems for healthcare, care delivery, and biomedical research.

Another area of interest is preparation for the impacts of extreme weather and other crises that can lead to large-scale disruptions, immediately affecting human health and the delivery of healthcare. Public outreach, climate communication, and education efforts focused on the intersection of climate and health are also appropriate for this call. This program supports work conceived through many kinds of creative thinking. Successful applicants include academic scientists, physicians, and public health experts, community organizations, science outreach centers, non-biomedical academic departments, and more.

Application deadline: September 1, 2025
Funding available: a stipend of $74,000 for the first year, $76,000 for the second year, and $78,000 for the third year. An allowance of $5,000 per year is allotted to the host institution for use at the sponsor’s discretion

The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Immuno-Informatics Postdoctoral Fellowship Program aims to support qualified young scientists at academic research institutions around the world who wish to receive dual training in immunology and data science. The fellowships will support both computational biologists who seek to strengthen their knowledge of immunology and cancer immunologists who seek training in computational biology, data science, and/or genomics under the mentorship of world-renowned scientists in these disciplines. We will also consider applicants from diverse PhD fields who will train at the interface of cancer immunology and computational biology. The program is designed to train and equip the next generation of scientists with the knowledge and practical tools to pursue novel research ideas bridging immunology and computational biology.

Application deadline: September 1, 2025
Funding available: a stipend of $74,000 for the first year, $76,000 for the second year, and $78,000 for the third year. An allowance of $5,000 per year is allotted to the host institution for use at the sponsor’s discretion

The CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports qualified young scientists at leading universities and research centers around the world who wish to receive training in fundamental immunology or cancer immunology.

Application deadline: September 1, 2025
Funding available: a stipend of $74,000 for the first year, $76,000 for the second year, and $78,000 for the third year. An allowance of $5,000 per year is allotted to the host institution for use at the sponsor’s discretion

The CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship to Promote Racial Diversity supports qualified young scientists from underrepresented minorities at leading universities and research centers around the world who wish to receive training in fundamental immunology and cancer immunology. Fellows train under the guidance of a world-renowned immunologist, who sponsors the fellow and prepares him or her for a productive and successful career in cancer immunology. The program will provide additional support for mentoring and career advancement to these individuals, as we work to build a more racially diverse and inclusive community of scientists working in immuno-oncology.

We invite applications from candidates who identify as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, or American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander. CRI also recognizes that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting; individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged populations and from other racial or ethnic groups that can be demonstrated convincingly to be underrepresented by the grantee institution are encouraged to apply. Both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens are eligible.

CRI seeks hypothesis-driven, mechanistic studies in both immunology and tumor immunology that aim to directly impact our understanding of the immune system’s role in cancer..

Application deadline: October 1, 2025
Funding available: $6,000 plus host institution contribution

Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) are meant to nurture your interest and fully develop your potential for a research career in health, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences or humanities. These awards are also meant to encourage you to undertake graduate studies by providing research work experience that complements your studies in an academic setting.

Application deadline: January 2026
Funding available: Up to $750,000 over three years

This opportunity supports research that will generate actionable evidence to build resilient and equitable public health systems and support robust decision-making. Research should address either or both of the following:

The role of the community sector in strengthening the building blocks of public health systems.

The building blocks of the public health systems: public health governance, finance, and workforce arrangements; policies and service delivery models; data, information systems and technologies.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: No stipulations

Applications must focus on one of the following areas: Rheumatology, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Hematology-Oncology, Urology, Women’s Health, Migraine, Movement Disorders, Ophthalmology, Virology, Psychiatry.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: No stipulations

Allergan Inc. considers Grants and/or Donations requests from institutions or charities, provided they are restricted to the enhancement of patient care, genuine clinical research and/or genuine charitable causes

Application deadline: Rolling pre-submission inquiry
Funding available: $1,000,000

To support the advancement of and opportunities for Real-World Data platforms, the Alzheimer’s Association is launching a peer-reviewed funding program to augment and accelerate global initiatives aimed at developing, expanding and aligning Real-World Data platforms’ infrastructure, data and impact.

Application deadline: Rolling pre-submission inquiry
Funding available: $1,000,000

The World Wide FINGERS (WW-FINGERS) Network launched in 2017 as the first global network of multidomain lifestyle intervention trials for dementia risk reduction and ultimately prevention. Studies that participate in the WW-FINGERS network aim to apply, test and optimize the FINGER-like model to reduce risk across the spectrum of cognitive decline in different geographical, cultural and economic settings in individuals at greater risk as they age.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: See call

The call is open to all biomarker categories that will advance drug development for Alzheimer’s and related dementias. The expected context of use, which defines a biomarker’s intended use clinically as a diagnostic or in drug development, should be described in the application. These categories, as defined by the FDA, include diagnostic, monitoring, predictive, prognostic, pharmacodynamic/response, safety, and susceptibility/risk biomarkers. Additionally, the applicant should articulate where in the path to commercialization the study falls and what is the proposed plan forward.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Up to 5,000

These grants of up to $5,000 cover costs associated with accessing and working with large data sources, which are necessary to carry out data-intensive research and application. The purpose of these grants is to foster research by mitigating the high cost of access to many data sets. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until two grants have been funded in a given academic year.

Funding available: $5,000

These grants of up to $5,000 cover costs associated with accessing and working with large data sources, which are necessary to carry out data-intensive research and application.

The goals of the program are to support projects that emphasize the development of statistical methodology, and to foster research by mitigating the high cost of access to many data sets.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Funding is available for at least two grants each fiscal year (May to April). Additional projects may also be funded subject to the availability of funds.

Funding available: Up to $250,000 over 12 months.

Application deadline is rolling: This opportunity supports McMaster and Mohawk College employees/students in MRI and CT research.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Awarded funds will vary based on project need.

The trial should plan to test specific interventions or pathways of care for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of heart and circulatory diseases. Interventions include drugs, surgery, devices, psychological, physical and educational interventions. The trial should address an unmet clinical need of importance to people affected by, or at risk of, cardiovascular disease. Its results should have the potential to change clinical practice. There should be a clear need for a multinational trial to answer the clinical question.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: GlycoNet has set aside $750,000 for Strategic Initiatives in 2024 – 2025. Proposals may request up to $150,000 in funding. It is anticipated that projects will be completed within 12 months.

This is a rolling competition. This Request for Proposals seeks to fund partner-led projects that address research needs of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or agri-food industry.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Variable

Eligibility for research grants is limited to faculty, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from accredited higher education institutions and eligible nonprofit research institutions in approved countries. Review program FAQs to learn more.

Funding available: Funding for the SOPHIE program is available from April 2024 – March 2028 with applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Firms can access up to a maximum of $100,000 in non-dilutive funding from FedDev Ontario through the SOPHIE program. Firms must provide a matching contribution of 1.25x the FedDev amount. This combined funding can be used to support Commercialization Project activities. For firms leveraging the maximum FedDev contribution, this means up to $260,000 is available to spend on project activities.

SOPHIE is a program funded through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), in partnership with Innovation Factory and the Synapse Consortium. Ontario-based life science innovators launch collaborative projects while leveraging the facilities, expertise and infrastructure of world-class academic and clinical institutions in Hamilton, including McMaster University, Mohawk College, Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. Successful applicants can access up to $100,000 in non-dilutive grant funding to support their commercialization project with an academic or clinical partner.

Funding available: Up to $2,500 for national travel and up to $3,500 for international travel

This travel award is for the first author of an accepted abstract to a peer-reviewed conference.

Funding available: Up to $100,000 US over one year + opportunity for additional funding

Application deadline rolling until December 2025: Supports research to treat, prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Variable

Max Bell Foundation makes grants to support projects that are designed to inform public policy. We do so across four program areas: Education; Environment; Health & Wellness; and Civic Engagement and Democratic Institutions.

Funding available: $1,000

Webinar date: January 23, 2025 at 12 p.m. ET
Click here to register for the webinar

The Office of Community Engagement offers grants of up to $1000 to support new or budding community-campus partnerships aligned with McMaster University’s Community Engagement Strategy. These grants are available to McMaster faculty, staff, students, and their community partners.

Priority will be given to proposals involving community-campus partnerships that pursue mutual benefit and align with the goals of McMaster’s Community Engagement Strategic Plan. The first consideration deadline is Feb 14th, after which applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all funds are exhausted.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: $30,000 – $60,000 in matching funding to support postdoctoral internships with partner organizations

Application deadline: Rolling – 16 weeks prior to planned departure
Funding available: $6,000

Supports trainees’ participation in a research exchange program.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: $20,000 to $1,000,000 per year for one to five years

NSERC Alliance grants encourage university researchers to collaborate with partner organizations, which can be from the private, public or not-for-profit sectors. Funding may support research and development projects that seek to respond to a research challenge in the natural sciences or engineering while working with external partners who are able to accelerate scale-up, application, impact, or commercialization. NSERC is now accepting Option 1 applications requiring at least 50 percent matching cash contributions from partner organizations, and Option 2, involves non-profit partners and requesting 90 to 100 percent funding support from NSERC.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Up to $250,000 for a maximum of three years (maximum $100,000 in any one year).

The Clinical Research grant is open to post M.D. physicians looking to conduct research which is of direct relevance to patient care.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Up to $250,000 for a maximum of three years (maximum $100,000 in any one year)

Funding is available for support of research designed to assess the post M.D. educational environment such as curricula, methods, and teaching resources.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Up to $250,000 for a maximum of three years (maximum $100,000 in any one year)

The Health Systems research grant funds projects of a special nature within the healthcare system, such as preventative medicine, care of the elderly, communications within the system, underserviced regions, and ways of enhancing the effectiveness of medical practice will be considered under this category. 

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Up to $300,000 for a maximum of three years (maximum $100,000 in any one year)

The New Investigator funding stream is open to Clinical Fellows or physicians within six years of their first academic appointment . (Note: PSI has adjusted this eligibility requirement in recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Up to $30,000 for a maximum of 2 years is available

Resident Research Grants are concise health research projects, which have been largely developed by the Resident. The majority of the work involved in completing the research must be done by the resident who will be referred to as the Principal Investigator of the project. The project must be supervised by a physician with an academic appointment.

To be eligible to apply for a Resident Research Grant, the Resident must have post graduate year status as per the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. 

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Up to $250,000 for a maximum of three years (maximum $100,000 in any one year)

To assist physicians practicing in a community setting to undertake a review of their practice patterns which would enhance effectiveness of practice and patient care in their own clinic, hospital, or region.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: See call

This fellowship is directed at physicians in Ontario, particularly those residing outside of the teaching centres, who wish to take a period of training to bring a needed clinical skill or knowledge to the community or to undertake training in research methodology.

The fellowship provides course fees, if any, transportation, room, and board costs. Funds are not provided to replace income lost while undertaking a training program and the program is not designed to assist physicians taking refresher courses.

Applications will be considered for support of physicians who have undertaken training courses that commenced up to three months prior to the time the application is considered.

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Up to $10,000

This opportunity supports meetings, conferences, workshops, and other efforts to bring people together in the realms of clinical work, patient care, biomedical science, research, service, advocacy, community, and education for prostate cancer.  

Application deadline: Rolling
Funding available: Up to $10,000

This opportunity provides funding for small clinical research projects and pilot grants designed to support larger studies. Grants must focus on clinical prostate cancer research, including drugs, diagnostics, therapeutics, screening, regulation, and outcomes or policy.