Role of the BC NEIHR in the funding ecosystem
The British Columbia Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (BC NEIHR) is an Indigenous-led research network funded by the CIHR Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health and hosted within the Centre for Collaborative Action on Indigenous Health Governance at Simon Fraser University. Working with core partners such as the First Nations Health Authority, Métis Nation British Columbia and the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, the network supports a provincial, Indigenous-led health research agenda.
BC NEIHR’s primary role is to create a supportive environment where Indigenous communities, collectives and organizations (ICCOs), Indigenous students and academics can lead health and wellness research grounded in their own values, knowledge systems and priorities. A central part of this role is the administration of multiple grant and scholarship programs.
Funding programs and target audiences
The network offers a portfolio of funding opportunities designed for different actors in the Indigenous health research ecosystem in British Columbia:
- ICCO Research Development Grants (RDGs) provide one‑year non‑renewable grants to support ICCO‑led activities such as community outreach, relationship building, priority setting, partnership development and preparation of applications to CIHR or other funders.
- ICCO Knowledge Sharing and Mobilization Grants (KSM) fund completed ICCO‑led research projects to share findings in culturally and contextually relevant ways.
- Indigenous Graduate Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships support First Nations, Métis and Inuit Master’s, Doctoral and Postdoctoral trainees in BC institutions to build research skills and partnerships with ICCOs.
- Graduate Thesis Fellowships help Indigenous doctoral candidates in their final year cover tuition while completing their thesis or dissertation.
- Research Experience Awards provide short‑term support for Indigenous undergraduate and graduate students to gain additional wellness‑related research experience in partnership with an ICCO.
- Pilot Project Grants for Early Career Indigenous Researchers supply seed funds to Indigenous early career faculty to develop and implement pilot projects in partnership with BC ICCOs or focused on Indigenous health and wellness.
Detailed calls for applications, deadlines, eligibility criteria, and downloadable application forms are provided for these programs, and funding recipients are profiled on the site, demonstrating an active and ongoing granting function.
General approach and guiding principles
The BC NEIHR grounds its funding structures and decision‑making in principles of self‑determination, Indigenous knowledge, wholistic population health and wellness, decolonizing methodologies, Indigenous research ethics, equity, transparency and cultural safety. Its population of focus includes on‑ and off‑reserve First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in British Columbia, with beneficiaries spanning ICCOs, Indigenous graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers.
Beyond direct financial support, the network offers training modules, ethical research frameworks, cultural safety resources and knowledge exchange activities such as publications, podcasts and gatherings. These complementary supports are intended to strengthen capacity to design, conduct and share Indigenous‑led health research in ways that respect community protocols and data sovereignty.
Partnerships, governance and impact
The BC NEIHR Governing Council includes representatives and Elders from its core community‑based partners, who act as the decision‑making body for the network. Additional partners and sponsors contribute in‑kind and cash support to scholarships and ICCO grants, mentor Indigenous trainees and participate in peer review committees for funding competitions.
Through its combination of grants, scholarships, fellowships and capacity‑building initiatives, the BC NEIHR plays a key role in Indigenizing the health research funding environment in BC, helping Indigenous communities and scholars access resources to advance health and wellness priorities defined by Indigenous peoples themselves.
