Health Research BC-Mitacs Health System Focused Opportunity

The Michael Smith Health Research BC-Mitacs health system focused funding opportunity supports graduate students and postdoctoral fellows across British Columbia to gain experience working with BC’s health system.  

Through our partnership with Mitacs, Health Research BC is reducing the financial barrier for participating health organizations and municipalities to host health system focused placements through the Mitacs Accelerate (for master’s and PhD students) and Elevate (postdoctoral fellows) programs.  

The Accelerate and Elevate programs enable trainees to apply their research knowledge and expertise to address pressing health and health system focused challenges by contributing to a research project with a BC-based health organization (health authority, hospital, care facility or community-based health organization) or municipality focused on improving health. Elevate has an additional professional development curriculum that prepares postdoctoral fellows for success as leaders in research and industry.

The funding opportunity provides multiple benefits to trainees, academic supervisors and health organizations/municipalities:

  • – Trainees apply research skills in a non-academic environment and gain work experience with BC’s health system, build their CV with peer-reviewed research, broaden their professional network and earn a stipend.
  • – Academic supervisors build flexible research partnerships with health organizations and local municipalities and secure funding for trainees.
  • – Health organizations and municipalities grow their capacity for research by embedding the generation and use of evidence at a reduced cost by tapping into the expertise of highly skilled research talent to drive innovative solutions that tackle priority health and health system challenges.

The partnership fosters connections between BC’s academic sector and health system to provide high-quality opportunities for early career health researchers. We are building research talent that bridges the gap between academic and health system skillsets.

For full funding opportunity details, including eligibility, award terms and application process, refer to Mitacs health system focused funding details.

  • This competition is

    OPEN

  • Important Dates

  • Applications open

    August 1, 2024

  • Letter of intent (LOI) submission period
    (Submitted to Health Research BC; LOIs accepted on a rolling basis)

    August 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025

  • Full application deadline
    (Submitted to Mitacs)

    July 31, 2025

  • Notice of funding decision

    Approximately two months after full application submission

  • Anticipated start of funding

    September 1, 2024 – September 1, 2025

  • Award Term

    8-24 months

  • Award Amount

    Accelerate: Up to $90,000 per 24-month term | Elevate: Up to $129,000 per 24-month term

Jump to:

Program details Eligibility How to apply Application resource

Program details

  • The academic supervisor and/or trainee will co-develop a research project with a health organization (health authority, hospital, care facility or community-based health organization) or municipality to address a pressing health or health system focused challenge and/or advance opportunities.
  • Trainees divide their placement time between their academic institutions and the health organization/municipality partner.
  • Accelerate program for master’s and PhD students 
    • Placements are 8-24 months
    • Maximum funding for one placement is $90,000 per 24-month term
    • Maximum health organization/municipality investment is $22,500 per 24-month term
  • Elevate program for postdoctoral fellows 
    • Placements are 12-24 months
    • Maximum funding for one placement is $129,000 per 24-month term 
    • Maximum health organization/municipality investment is $30,000 per 24-month term
  • For additional information, refer to Mitacs health system focused funding details. 

Eligibility

Trainees and/or their academic supervisors 

  • This opportunity is open to current full-time and part-time students in master’s or PhD programs and postdoctoral fellows. Trainees must be based at a BC university or research institute.
  • Applicants must be legally permitted to reside and work in Canada by the funding start date. There are no citizenship requirements for this opportunity.
  • Applications from persons with disabilities or members of minority groups underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged.
  • Trainees may be required to travel to participate in this opportunity.

Health organizations and municipalities 

  • This opportunity is intended to support BC-based health organizations (e.g. health authorities, hospitals, care facilities, community-based health organizations) and municipalities focused on improving human health.
  • Health Research BC is committed to co-funding placements across the province and may prioritize some applications to support regional diversity. Two placements (8-24 months each) will be accepted per health organization/municipality. Additional placements may be considered should funds remain.
  • Health organizations/municipalities must provide each trainee with a dedicated mentor and provide a description of the training environment.
  • Health organizations/municipalities are required to provide 25% of the total funding amount, along with space and relevant materials required to fulfill the placement.  

Mitacs may be available to facilitate connections between interested trainees, academic supervisors and health organization/municipality partners. Health Research BC is also available to help answer questions, particularly around eligibility of health organization and municipality partners.

For additional eligibility criteria, refer to Mitacs health system focused funding details. 

How to apply

Applying for the Health Research BC-Mitacs health system focused funding opportunity is a two-stage process:

Stage 1: Letter of intent submitted to Health Research BC between August 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025
Stage 2: Full application submitted to Mitacs by July 31, 2025

Applications for both stages are reviewed as they are received, and funding decisions are made on a rolling basis.

There are eight placements available in each of the Accelerate and Elevate programs. The application period may close earlier if all placements are filled before the stated deadlines.

Placements start between September 1, 2024 and September 1, 2025.

Applications are coordinated through Health Research BC's ApplyNet, our online grants management system that allows users to manage their award lifecycle, from application submission to post-award monitoring.

Log in to ApplyNet:

Applynet
View ApplyNet quick start guides

Application resource

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Contact

For questions about this opportunity or application process, please contact:

Marc Saunders
Partnerships Lead
Michael Smith Health Research BC
msaunders@healthresearchbc.ca

For questions about Mitacs funding processes, please contact the Mitacs advisor for your institution.