2025 Research Trainee competition: call for applications

14 November 2024

Promotional image for the 2025 Research Trainee competition. The image features previous recipients of the award.

Previous Research Trainee awardees: Mai-Lei Kinshella (UBC), Aki Gormezano (UVic), Sarah Robinson (SFU).

Michael Smith Health Research BC’s 2025 Research Trainee competition is now open to applications.

The Research Trainee program supports health researchers in the training phase of their careers to contribute to the success of BC’s health research landscape. The award provides post-doctoral fellows or health professional researchers with salary support for dedicated research activities.

Providing salary support allows researchers to focus on conducting high-quality, innovative research. By supporting early-career researchers in this way, Health Research BC helps build research talent. This allows researchers to tackle current and future health challenges.

All competition details, eligibility requirements, and information on how to apply can be found on the Research Trainee program webpage.

Applicants are encouraged to register and attend the applicant information webinar on November 19 at 10 a.m.

Did you know most Health Research BC Research Trainees credit their award with helping them progress in their career, conduct research, and apply for external funding?

New for 2025

Applicants are no longer required to be within six years of completing their PhD or 11 years of completing their health professional degree. These changes streamline the application form and help reduce barriers in our application process.

2025 competition key dates

Applicant information webinar (register): November 19, 2024, 10 a.m. PT
Letter of intent deadline: December 12, 2024, 4:30 p.m. PT
Full application deadline (applicants): February 13, 2025, 4:30 p.m. PT
Full application deadline (host institution): February 20, 2025, 4:30 p.m. PT
Anticipated notice of funding decision: July 2025
Anticipated start of funding: September 1, 2025

Learn more about the 2025 Research Trainee competition and read the guidelines.

Partnership opportunities

Organizations seeking opportunities to co-fund researchers in this competition include those working in celiac, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. Applicants can learn more and view a full list of potential partners by visiting partnership opportunities on our website. 

We partner with organizations to recruit, support and retain diverse academic, life sciences, health system and community-based research talent. Our partnerships increase research capacity and facilitate connections that extend across academia, clinical settings, and patient groups.

If you have questions about the competition, please reach out to us via our help desk.