Partnering with Michael Smith Health Research BC

Interested in supporting health research with us?

We partner with other health research funders, non-profit organizations and companies to support BC health research talent, build research capacity and improve the health of British Columbians.

Partnering with us means optimizing your research dollars to advance research priorities that are important to you.

Contact partnerships@healthresearchbc.ca to discuss partnership possibilities.

Co-funding a Michael Smith Health Research BC award

We invite your organization to partner with us to co-fund research that advances new treatments and cures in your research priority areas.

We match partner contributions on funded awards dollar for dollar, effectively doubling the value of your research investment and increasing the overall number of awards granted to BC researchers.

Benefits of partnership

  • Excellence

    Find and support outstanding researchers in your field in BC through our robust peer-review process. Plus, we take care of all the award administration.

  • Connections

    Build relationships with the best and brightest researchers in your field and help them understand research challenges in your area. Connect your stakeholders and donors to the research they support.

  • Leverage

    Double the value of your available research funding — your health research dollars will go further with 100% of your contribution going towards co-funding an award.

  • Flexibility

    We identify researchers who align with your needs and priorities and then you decide whether to co-fund an applicant.

“Partnering with Michael Smith Health Research BC helps us move research forward at an exponential pace. Health Research BC does a great job of bringing organizations and researchers together, and using their peer-review process helps us ensure we are funding the best researchers in the fields that are important to us.”

Dick Vollet, President & CEO, St. Paul’s Foundation
Scholar and Research Trainee Partner

“This funding helps us focus on driving our projects forward and producing research, while connecting us to other trainees and building our professional networks. Being co-funded helps connect us to organizations that are directly in our area of study, forging key partnerships that help bridge the gap between fundamental discovery and translatable research outcomes.”

Dr. Dustin King, 2017 Research Trainee
Co-funded by Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation

“Having an HP-I award has given me the flexibility and stability to launch my own independent research program. I can now dedicate time away from my clinical responsibilities to conduct research on the use of wearable tools to monitor and rehabilitate patients with musculoskeletal injuries.”

Dr. Christopher Napier, 2020 HP-I recipient
Co-funded by Plantiga

Partnership opportunities

We offer partner organizations the opportunity to co-fund researchers being considered for the following Michael Smith Health Research BC awards.

If your organization is interested in partnering with us on one of our other funding programs, please reach out to our partnerships team for more information.

Scholar awards support early-career health researchers in starting and developing new programs of research in BC. With 75% of their time protected for research, recipients are able to train students and post-doctoral researchers, as well as attract additional funding. By co-funding Scholar awards, partners help build research capacity in their priority areas, and support new discoveries and evidence to improve health care.

Co-funding a Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar

  • Years since first academic appointment

    <5

  • Salary amount (per year)

    $90,000

  • Anticipated funding start date

    July

  • Partner contribution (per year)

    $45,000

  • Length of financial commitment*

    5 years

* Health Research BC and partner contributions are subject to availability of funds and annual budgetary approvals by both Health Research BC and the partner organization beyond year one of the award.

Learn more

Research Trainee awards enable health researchers at the post-doctoral level to launch successful careers in research, biotech, health policy and more. In co-funding Research Trainee awards, partners help develop research talent and build health research capacity in their priority areas.

Co-funding a Michael Smith Health Research BC Research Trainee

  • Stipend amount (per year)

    $45,000*

  • Research and travel allowance

    $4,500

  • Anticipated funding start date

    September

  • Partner contribution (per year)

    $24,750

  • Length of financial commitment

    up to 3 years

* Applies to post PhD up to five years after degree awarded, or a health professional without a PhD up to 10 years after degree awarded.

Learn more

Health Professional Investigator (HP-I) awards assist licensed health professionals in linking their practical knowledge with important research questions. By co-funding HP-I awards, partners help advance patient outcomes by supporting the connection of research evidence and patient care.

Co-funding a Health Professional-Investigator

  • Years since first academic appointment

    N/A

  • Salary amount (per year)

    $90,000

  • Anticipated funding start date

    January

  • Partner contribution (per year)

    $45,000

  • Length of financial commitment

    5 years

Learn more

Our Convening & Collaborating (C2) and Reach Programs provide funding to support teams of health researchers and research users.

C2 awardees co-develop research that can have a direct impact on patients and the public in BC, helping to ensure the research’s relevancy.

Reach awardees disseminate research evidence to those who can directly use it to impact health and care in BC.

By co-funding a C2 award, partners can help promote meaningful collaboration in their area of research interest, and support the development of research that can directly impact their stakeholders.

By co-funding on a Reach award, partners can help research teams reach patients and other stakeholders in their area of research interest, and support the effective uptake of important research outputs.

Co-funding a Michael Smith Health Research BC C2 or Reach team

  • Anticipated funding start date

    October

  • Award amount

    Up to $15,000

  • Length of financial commitment

    18 months

  • Partner contribution

    Up to $7,500

Team composition: Teams must include a researcher co-lead based in BC, a research user co-lead, and at least one research or health professional trainee. Research users might include patients, caregivers, health practitioners, government policy makers, health charities or the public.

Learn more

More information

Contact our partnerships team at any time throughout the year to discuss how partnering with Health Research BC can help you grow research in your priority area.

All inquiries

partnerships@healthresearchbc.ca