Grant and Funding Programs Offered by PSI Foundation (PSI)

PSI Foundation is a physician-sponsored granting foundation based in Ontario, created by the province’s physicians in 1970. Its mission is to improve the health of people, families and communities through interdisciplinary, inclusive and impactful research and education. The Foundation manages an endowed fund and distributes grants primarily to hospitals, medical schools and other registered charities in Ontario to support clinician-led research, knowledge translation and continuing medical education that emphasize patient care.

PSI Foundation structures its portfolio around several families of programs. Operating grants in health research support clinical research directly relevant to patient care, medical education research at the post‑M.D. level, health systems research, resident research projects, and practice‑based studies led by community physicians. These programs are primarily open to post‑M.D. physicians with appointments at eligible Ontario institutions.

Salary support is offered through dedicated fellowships and awards. The PSI Research Trainee Award funds clinically relevant research training for highly qualified candidates, such as M.D./Ph.D. trainees and clinician investigator program participants. The PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship and the PSI Mid‑Career Knowledge Translation Fellowship provide protected time for new and mid‑career investigators in Ontario to carry out high‑impact knowledge translation research.

Educational support is provided through an Educational Fellowship for Practising Physicians, aimed particularly at physicians outside major teaching centres who wish to acquire new clinical skills or training in research methods. This fellowship can cover course fees, travel and living costs associated with the approved training.

Under its Granting Policy, PSI Foundation may award grants only to organizations that are registered charities under the Federal Income Tax Act, such as hospitals and medical schools. Eligible sponsoring institutions must be located in Ontario, have an independent research ethics board (or appropriate external REB arrangements), and be eligible to hold Canadian Institutes of Health Research grants. PSI devotes its funds to charitable endeavours in the health field solely within Ontario, focusing on education of practising physicians and health research that emphasizes patient care.

PSI operates a structured application and review process, with most grants submitted through an online grants management system. Many programs accept applications on a continuous basis, and decisions are typically rendered within a defined timeframe, often about six months. Applications are externally peer‑reviewed by subject‑matter experts, and final decisions are made by the PSI Grants Committee in line with the Foundation’s mission and funding criteria. Grant recipient guidelines set out reporting, acknowledgement and use‑of‑funds requirements, and the Funded Research section showcases projects supported across different categories and years, underlining PSI Foundation’s sustained impact on Ontario’s clinical and health systems research landscape.