Health Research Training Platform Pilot

CIHR launched the Health Research Training Platform (HRTP) Pilot Funding Opportunity in early 2021. As presented in the CIHR Strategic Action Plan on Training, CIHR recognizes the need to support the development of research leaders of tomorrow by equipping trainees and early career researchers (ECRs) with the experiences and skills needed to lead high-impact, interdisciplinary health research careers in a rapidly evolving research landscape.

Through the HRTP Pilot, trainees and ECRs have access to interdisciplinary, inter-jurisdictional, and intersectoral training environments (i.e., “platforms”) where they benefit from high-caliber mentors and gain the skills required for academic and non-academic careers. At the same time, the researchers serving as mentors have opportunity to access up to $2.4M over six years to advance their fields of research by training and mentoring the next generation of researchers in their field.

Through the funded platforms, trainees and ECRs receive comprehensive training from academic, non-academic, and knowledge-user mentors from a variety of disciplines, ultimately providing trainees with a broad-based foundation that can serve as a springboard to independent careers within and outside of academia. In addition to providing training for ECRs, this pilot competition generate opportunities for ECRs to be active participants in the development of training platforms by requiring at least one ECR applicant and at least two ECR mentors per platform.

CIHR will take stock of lessons learned from the HRTP Pilot funding opportunity to continue to improve its career development and training support offerings to the health research community – including how best to support Nominated Principal Applicants (NPAs) in the crucial role they serve as mentors to the next generation of health researchers. Future iterations of this competition are not confirmed at this time.

Funding pools for this opportunity include:

• AI, Public Health and Equity
• Boys, Men and Masculinities
• Digital Health Solutions for Seniors with Complex Health Needs
• Drug Safety and Effectiveness
• Girls and Women's Health and Wellness
• Human Development, Child and Youth Health
• Improving Health Outcomes through Better Models of Care for Multimorbidity
• Integrating Mental Health Services within Primary and Community Care
• Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes
• Stigma Reduction and Life Course Mental Wellness for LGBTQ/2S Populations
• Vascular Cognitive Impairment

This funding opportunity is led by CIHR’s Science Policy branch unit and supported by:

• Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network (DSEN)
• CIHR Institute of Aging
• CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health
• CIHR Institute of Gender and Health
• CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research
• CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health
• CIHR Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health
• CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addition
• CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes
• CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health

CIHR is grateful for the participation of external partners, including BC Women's Health Foundation, Egale Canada, Mitacs, and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

For more details on this opportunity including the funds available and the eligibility criteria, please visit Health Research Training Platform (HRTP) Pilot Funding Opportunity.

Date modified:

2022-11-02