Scholar and Health Professional-Investigator Programs: 2024 competitions now open

Michael Smith Health Research BC’s Scholar and Health Professional-Investigator (HP-I) awards provide funding to support BC’s health researchers in advancing science and improving the health of British Columbians. Applications are now open for our 2024 competitions.

Through supporting outstanding health researchers, we help enable discovery-based research and the translation of that research to new treatments, cures, practices, and solutions that improve the health of British Columbians.

Program details

The Scholar awards supports early career health researchers, helping them form their own research teams and develop world-leading research programs. The award provides salary support, allowing award recipients to dedicate 75 percent of their time to health research activities.

The HP-I Program supports health professionals actively involved in patient care to build their health research programs, train the next generation of scientists, and make significant contributions to their field. The competition invites a broad range of health professionals to apply. Previous recipients include psychologists, nurses, physicians, physical therapists and pharmacists.

Both programs provide a maximum of $90,000 per year for up to five years.

All competition details, eligibility requirements, and information on how to apply can be found on our website. Applicants are encouraged to register for and attend the applicant information webinar on November 1.

Learn more about the 2024 Health Research BC Scholar competition.

Learn more about the 2024 Health Research BC HP-I competition.

Previous Health Research BC Scholars specialize in many areas of health such as youth mental health, optimal vaccine use and cancer metastasis. Dr. Amanda Slaunwhite’s 2022 Scholar award is providing foundational support to her research program including engaging with people with lived experience of overdose, substance use and incarceration. “The support of Health Research BC has been very important to building and growing my research program in BC,” says Amanda.

Previous HP-I awardees are tackling health challenges across BC such as delivering virtual mental health support to people with diabetes in remote settings, improving screening tools for surgical patients to reduce strokes, and improving organ supply for patients waiting for a transplant. A 2022 HP-I award is enabling Dr. Anna McGuire and her team to develop and implement novel treatment pathways from bench to bedside for British Columbians with lung cancer. “The award has been instrumental not only to advance the collaborative Thoracic Surgical research program, but also directly contribute to the fight for cure against this life-threatening disease in British Columbia,” says Anna.

2024 key dates

• Webinar: November 1, 2:00 p.m. PT
• Letter of intent deadline: November 21, 2023, 4:30 p.m. PT
• Full application deadline (applicant): January 22, 2024, 4:30 p.m. PT
• Full application deadline (host institution): January 29, 2024, 4:30 p.m. PT
• Anticipated notice of funding decision: June 2024
• Anticipated start of funding: July 01, 2024

Partnership opportunities

Strong partnerships are integral to fostering world-class health research in BC. We partner to recruit, support and retain diverse academic, life sciences, health system and community-based research talent.

Our co-funding partners contribute to building health research in BC, help funded researchers secure national and international funding, and provide valuable connections between researchers, partner organizations and patient groups in their field.

Organizations seeking opportunities to co-fund researchers in these competitions include those working in dementia, heart and lung conditions and Parkinson’s disease.

Learn more about Health Research BC partnership opportunities.

Stay up to date

Stay tuned for details of the 2024 Research Trainee competition opening in November.
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If you have questions about any of our 2024 funding competitions or programs, we encourage you to reach out to us via our help desk.