Medical Research

Projects may align with either of the following Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) pillars:

CIHR PILLAR 1 – BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

Projects that advance the biological mechanisms of disease and demonstrate strong potential for future clinical translation.

CIHR PILLAR 2 – CLINICAL RESEARCH

Projects that evaluate therapeutics, diagnostics, medical technologies, clinical interventions, or other approaches intended to improve pediatric health outcomes.

Competitive applications will demonstrate:

• exceptional scientific or clinical merit;

• rigorous and appropriate methodology;

• innovation beyond existing knowledge or practice;

• a clear pathway toward clinical translation or future therapeutic application; and

• the potential for meaningful impact on pediatric prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or long-term outcomes.

Research may include, but is not limited to, the following areas.

DISEASE-FOCUSED RESEARCH

• rare diseases;

• pediatric neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders;

• childhood mental health disorders;

• trauma-related pediatric conditions;

• pediatric chronic diseases and complex comorbidities.

THERAPEUTIC AND DIAGNOSTIC INNOVATION

• precision medicine;

• genomics;

• novel therapeutics and biologics;

• biomarkers;

• artificial intelligence with direct clinical application;

• advanced diagnostics;

• medical technologies intended to improve pediatric care.

EMERGING PEDIATRIC HEALTH CHALLENGES

• prenatal substance exposure and its effects on child health and development;

• early-life interventions with the potential to improve lifelong health outcomes;

• other emerging pediatric conditions where research has the potential to significantly improve clinical care.

Competitive proposals should demonstrate a clear pathway toward clinical translation, therapeutic application, or future clinical relevance. Interdisciplinary collaboration and meaningful patient or caregiver engagement will be considered strengths where appropriate to the nature and stage of the research.

This funding opportunity is intended to prioritize transformative biomedical and clinical pediatric research.

The following types of projects are generally outside the scope of this funding opportunity unless directly connected to a novel therapeutic, diagnostic, or medical intervention central to the research design:

• health systems redesign or service delivery optimization;

• population health or epidemiological studies;

• social policy or social determinants research without a primary medical research component;

• program implementation or quality improvement initiatives;

• educational or awareness campaigns;

• research conducted outside of Canada;

• prenatal or maternal health research without a primary pediatric prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or long-term outcomes focus;

• research focused primarily on service access, navigation, or coordination models; and

• observational studies lacking a strong translational, therapeutic, or diagnostic focus.

This funding opportunity is intended to support pediatric medical research focused on children from the prenatal period through age 18, including prenatal research where the primary focus is the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or long-term outcomes of pediatric conditions.

Particular consideration may be given to projects with the potential to improve outcomes for children experiencing significant barriers to health and care, including barriers related to poverty, trauma, disability, chronic illness, rare disease, geographic isolation, or other circumstances associated with poorer health outcomes.

Principal Investigators (PIs) must be affiliated with a Qualified Donee in Canada, as recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency. This includes post-secondary institutions, certain research hospitals, and other charitable organizations.

Applicants are encouraged to establish focused and meaningful collaborations that strengthen the scientific, clinical, or translational potential of the proposed research.

Collaborators may include academic institutions, research hospitals, clinical programs, patient or caregiver advisors, nonprofit organizations with relevant research, clinical, patient engagement, or translational expertise, or private-sector partners where their involvement is directly relevant to the research design, clinical pathway, translational potential, or anticipated impact of the project.

Partnerships should be purposeful, proportionate to the scope and stage of the research, and clearly connected to the successful execution or future application of the project. Applications should describe the role and contribution of each partner or collaborator.

Collaborations that enhance scientific rigour, clinical applicability, patient or caregiver engagement, translational potential, or pathways toward therapeutic, diagnostic, or real-world clinical impact may be viewed favourably.

Where relevant to the proposed research, partnerships or collaborations with Alberta-based organizations may be considered an asset, but are not required.

Applications will be assessed based on factors that may include:

• scientific and clinical merit;

• novelty and innovation;

• translational or therapeutic potential;

• feasibility and methodological rigour;

• strength of the research team and, where applicable, relevant partnerships or collaborations;

• potential to improve pediatric prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or long-term outcomes;

• potential to improve health outcomes, access to effective treatment, or quality of life for children and families facing significant barriers or inequities; and

• potential for meaningful clinical or real-world impact.

Grant requests must be between $500,000 and $3 million, depending on the nature and scope of the project. One to five grants may be made through this funding opportunity.

Funding may be provided for a period of one to five years.

In addition to direct research costs, eligible expenses may include:

• overhead or indirect costs of up to 15% of the grant amount;

• salary support for trainees, research staff, clinical personnel, physician or clinician time, and other project personnel where the time is directly required to carry out the proposed research and is not already covered by institutional salary, clinical billings, or other funding sources;

• travel necessary for project execution;

• reasonable costs related to clinical translation, dissemination, or stakeholder engagement; and

• publishing and conference-related costs directly tied to the proposed research.