Role of the Canadian Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Foundation in the funding ecosystem
The Canadian Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Foundation (CAAIF) is a national, non-profit foundation created in 1995 to improve the lives of Canadians affected by allergy, asthma and immunologic diseases. It does so primarily by investing in high-quality Canadian research and in the training of the next generation of clinicians and scientists working in these fields.
CAAIF operates as a dedicated grantmaker. Each year, it runs multiple competitive funding calls that provide research grants, fellowships and graduate student awards. These programs target a wide spectrum of topics including asthma, food allergy, hereditary angioedema, atopic dermatitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, primary immunodeficiency, upper airway allergic diseases, and broader immune dysregulation. Funding is directed to basic science projects, clinical and translational research, as well as allied health and knowledge mobilization initiatives that can rapidly impact patient care.
Types of funding and target communities
CAAIF’s portfolio includes graduate student awards in asthma and related conditions, project-based research grants, postdoctoral and MD research fellowships, and allied health operating grants and fellowships. Amounts and durations vary by competition, with examples on the site ranging from smaller allied health grants to larger research grants and multi-year fellowships. Many awards are delivered in partnership with organizations such as Asthma Canada, the Canadian Lung Association, Immunodeficiency Canada, and disease-specific industry or philanthropic partners, which broadens both the resource base and the impact.
Calls for applications typically specify clear objectives (for example, advancing understanding of asthma mechanisms, improving quality of life for patients with food allergy, or developing new diagnostic tools for primary immunodeficiency), deadlines, and eligibility criteria, with online submission managed through external competition platforms or partner organizations. Recipient pages for multiple years showcase funded investigators across Canada, demonstrating a strong focus on capacity building and early-career support.
General evaluation approach and impact
While detailed peer-review processes are not exhaustively described, the emphasis on “high-quality Canadian research”, excellence, patient orientation and capacity building indicates that awards are adjudicated on scientific merit, relevance to patient needs and potential for innovation. Many funded projects explore novel biological mechanisms, new therapeutic strategies or tools that can translate into better prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Over its history, CAAIF reports having invested more than five million dollars in Canadian allergy, asthma and immunology research. By consistently offering multiple annual programs across sectors and career stages, the foundation plays a central role in sustaining Canada’s research ecosystem in these specialties, complementing federal and provincial research councils and helping maintain Canadian leadership in this domain.
Mission and governance values
CAAIF’s mission is to fund Canadian research that can better prevent and treat allergy, asthma and immunologic diseases. Its published values include compassion, patient orientation, excellence, capacity building, integrity, and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. These principles guide how funds are raised, allocated and monitored, and how partnerships are formed with other health charities, professional associations and industry.