COVID-19 Funding

COVID-19 Research Response Fund

With $2 million in funding support from the Province of BC, and additional funding from Health Research BC and partners, this fund was designed to address immediate and emerging issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and provide necessary evidence for decision-makers to support a comprehensive and coordinated response, especially with respect to strategies for avoiding or mitigating subsequent waves of transmission. Read the funding call.

This opportunity is now closed.

Research Continuity Fund

We are working hard to provide programs and activities to retain and support BC’s talent base and provide funding stability and continuity for BC researchers at this time. To support Health Research BC-funded researchers whose work has been disrupted or changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we designed this fund to provide up to six months of salary support for researchers who do not have support after their award ends.

Additionally, we are providing other supports that align with federal funder policies, for example, the reimbursement of caregiver expenses for peer reviewers of Health Research BC competitions.

Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Research Initiative in BC

As research funders, Health Research BC, Genome BC and the BCCDC Foundation joined forces to support BC-based research that addresses, and implements solutions for, knowledge gaps around COVID-19 vaccination.

BC researchers who are able to rapidly address knowledge gaps and urgently implement evidence were invited to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) that answer priority questions aligned with the work of the BC COVID-19 Strategic Advisory Committee (SRAC).

This opportunity is now closed.

Child, Youth & Family Mental Health Impact Grant

A partnership between Health Research BC, Mental Health Research Canada, and BC’s Ministry of Children and Family Development, the Child, Youth & Family Mental Health Impact Grant provides funding for one research team to investigate the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on families and caregivers of children and youth with special needs.

This opportunity is now closed.

COVID-19 rapid response funding

Health Research BC has historically played a key role in providing urgent health research funding when emergencies arise and BC needs critical health research data. To support the provincial response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Research BC funded four urgent research projects at the request of Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

This opportunity is now closed.

Strategic Research Advisory Committee

Strategic Research Advisory Committee (SRAC) serves as a bridge between the Provincial Health Officer, government decision-makers and the BC health research community with regard to COVID-19 research. Health Research BC provided strategic support and served as secretariat to the committee. Learn more.