2025 in review: Celebrating impact, embracing opportunities

Everything we do is about turning research into real benefits for people across the province. As 2025 draws to a close, we celebrate another year of advancing new discoveries, better care, smarter policies, and a stronger health system.

Looking ahead to 2026, we will build on this work in an evolving landscape. New challenges demand new approaches, and we’re ready to meet them. We’re building on our strengths, working more collaboratively, and moving faster to translate research into real impact.

 

2025 highlights

Building and retaining talent

A strong health research system depends on a workforce that’s diverse, adaptable, and ready to meet BC’s needs. As career paths evolve, we’re taking action to bridge gaps and expand opportunities.

• Over 130 outstanding scientists and health professionals were supported through Michael Smith Health Research BC talent activities. This crucial support helps launch and sustain independent research careers in BC. Award recipients include:
  • 35 Research Trainees, 15 Scholars, 11 Health Professional-Investigators
  • 73 researchers co-funded through partnership activities
• We introduced our first Indigenous health research peer review panel for the 2025 Scholar and Health Professional-Investigator programs. We are grateful to the Indigenous scholars, advisors, community partners, consultants, and panel members whose guidance helped ensure a culturally safe funding process.
• We partnered with the BC Network Environment on Indigenous Health Research to co-fund Indigenous researchers at the Master’s, doctoral, and post-doctoral levels. In addition, Indigenous research personnel will be co-funded to create a supportive environment for Indigenous-led health research in BC.
• We launched the inaugural Biodevice Innovation Fellowship in partnership with UBC’s School of Biomedical Engineering and the Conconi Family Foundation. For early-career researchers in biomedical engineering and health innovation, the opportunity supports the invention of new tools to help doctors and patients.
• Health Research BC alumni attracted more than $73 million through Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant competitions this year (Fall / Spring). By investing in talent, we support success in national and international competitions, bringing additional funds to BC.

Advancing clinical trials

BC has a well-established clinical trials ecosystem, driven by substantial investment, strategic partnerships, and a commitment to innovation. We continue to build on these strengths and enhance BC’s global competitiveness.

• At the request of government, Clinical Trials British Columbia, part of Health Research BC, is taking the lead role in coordinating a provincial approach to advancing clinical trials and building BC’s competitiveness. This responds to the findings of a recent situational analysis of BC’s clinical trials ecosystem. Health Research BC is also advancing the report’s findings by convening a time-bound provincial working group representing academia, the health system, health research organizations, government, and life sciences.
• Health Research BC partnered with Providence Health Care to open BC’s first healthy volunteer clinical trial unit at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in September. The eight-bed unit supports efforts to keep innovation in BC by building capacity for early-stage trials. Clinical Trials British Columbia is supporting the new unit in multiple ways, including regulatory compliance consultation, training, and digital platforms to support the quality and efficiency of trials based at the new unit.
• Five BC-based researchers became 2025–26 IMPaCT Fellows, part of a national training initiative to strengthen Canada’s capacity in maternal and paediatric clinical trials. We are co-funding their fellowships through a partnership with the Increasing Capacity for Maternal and Paediatric Clinical Trials (IMPaCT) training platform, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
• We continued to support the joint Ministry of Health/Health Authority Research Approvals Processes Project this year. The initiative is standardizing and coordinating research approvals for multi-site research studies.

 

Translating evidence to action

We support efforts to ensure research drives improvements in health and care.

• The Advancing the Use of Evidence in Seniors’ Home and Community Care Program launched this year. The program will support research teams to implement promising approaches in seniors’ care in the health system and evaluate the outcomes.
• We announced four BC-based recipients of a new Research-on-Research joint initiative award, with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and CIHR. The research supported by this initiative aims to enhance the value and impact of research in Canada by improving funding processes and influencing research practices.
• We completed our series of KT Connects webinars focused on open science, in partnership with Arthritis Research Canada. Through eight webinars and discussions with 10 speakers, we explored how open science brings greater transparency, inclusivity, and responsiveness to the research process.

 

Partnering for impact

We partner with public sector, not-for-profit, and for-profit organizations interested in advancing research for better health.

• Through a partnership with Mitacs, we are reducing the financial barrier for small and medium-sized life sciences companies to hire talented interns. To date, the partnership has supported internships for more than 50 emerging researchers at more than 30 life sciences companies. The program creates new career pathways for researchers and increases the competitiveness of BC’s life sciences sector.
• Together with nine partner organizations, we co-funded 12 partnered talent awards through our suite of 2025 funding programs. This includes seven partnered Research Trainee awards, three partnered Scholar awards, and two partnered Health Professional-Investigator awards.
• We partnered with Genome BC and federal and industry co-funders to advance research that will respond more effectively to public health emergencies. Four projects advanced by Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub will address critical gaps and strengthen BC’s biomedical innovation ecosystem.
• We partnered with Mental Health Research Canada and Mitacs to co-fund the 2025 Indigenous Mental Health Studentship. The studentship demonstrates our commitment to supporting Indigenous-led research grounded in community priorities.

 

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