How much funding can be received?

The AI-Better Health Program by Alberta Innovates provides up to $800,000 in funding per project over three years to support the application of artificial intelligence for improving health outcomes in Alberta. Eligible activities include addressing technical challenges, understanding ethical and legal requirements, increasing health system efficiency, and supporting informed decision-making at the point of care.

grant_single_labels|projects

This grant supports projects that leverage artificial intelligence to improve healthcare access, efficiency, and outcomes in Alberta. The eligible activities focus on the development and application of AI technologies across various healthcare platforms.

Medical image and non-image data analysis and integration.
Computational drug and biomarker discovery, interactions, and utility.
Development of diagnostics, prognostic, and therapeutic recommendations.
Patient data processing and leveraging EMR data.
Automated data assembly, digitization, interrogation, and report generation.
Clinical care management and monitoring using AI technologies.
Addressing technical and non-technical factors for AI adoption in healthcare.
Analyzing AI's impact on care pathways, policy, and reimbursement mechanisms.
Integration and analysis of social determinants of health with AI applications.
Promoting equity, diversity, and inclusive applications of AI for better health.
Facilitating dataset access and linkages across different health organizations.
Ensuring data quality, privacy, security, and governance in AI projects.
Balancing privacy values with the benefits and risks of data re-identification.
Enhancing health care planning and decision making with AI insights.
Addressing risks such as unintended biases and challenges in algorithm generalization.

grant_single_labels|admissibility

The AI-Better Health Program requires applicants to meet specific criteria related to their organizational structure and provincial presence.

The applicant must exist as a corporate person, with up-to-date corporate filings for for-profit and non-profit organizations.
The applicant must be authorized to undertake the proposed project and execute a grant with Alberta Innovates on standard terms.
The applicant must not be prohibited from receiving Alberta Innovates funding due to past bad debt or not being in good financial standing with Alberta Innovates or its subsidiaries.
The applicant must be incorporated in Alberta and/or incorporated in another jurisdiction and extra-provincially registered in Alberta for for-profits and non-profits.
If applicable, an applicant must be a General Partnership, Limited Partnership, or Limited Liability Partnership and registered in Alberta for for-profits and non-profits.
To qualify as a small or medium enterprise (SME), the company must have fewer than 500 full-time employees and less than $50,000,000 in annual gross revenue.
The company must be Alberta-based with a significant physical and corporate operational presence in Alberta, appropriate Alberta ownership, and the intent that operational benefits will primarily flow within Alberta.

grant_eligibility_criteria|who_can_apply

The AI-Better Health Program is open to Alberta-based applicants, including post-secondary institutions, for-profit organizations (specifically SMEs), government entities, and not-for-profit organizations. All applicants must incorporate key opinion leaders across healthcare and government for collaborative research projects that tackle critical issues related to enabling better health through artificial intelligence. Projects must align with at least one of the eligible themes such as Data, Development, Efficiency, or Point-of-Care, ensuring involvement from relevant stakeholders to address ethical, policy, and regulatory considerations. Furthermore, applicants must have a significant presence in Alberta, complete with corporate operational ties to the province.

grant_eligibility_criteria|eligible_expenses

The grant covers specific expenses directly related to the implementation and success of AI projects aimed at enabling better health.

Personnel salaries and benefits for roles directly contributing to the project.
Purchase or lease of equipment and supplies necessary for the project.
Contracted services, including consulting fees directly related to the project.
Travel expenses directly related to project activities, including meetings and collaborative engagements.
Indirect costs, capped at a specific percentage of project costs as outlined by Alberta Innovates.
Other direct costs essential for the project, such as data access fees and software licenses.

grant_eligibility_criteria|zone

This grant is available to companies that are based in Alberta, ensuring that they have a significant presence and operational footprint within the province. This regional focus is designed to boost Alberta's economy through local innovations and developments.

Companies based in Alberta, Canada.

grant_single_labels|criteria

The evaluation and selection of projects for the AI-Better Health grant evaluate the merit, socioeconomic benefits, and impact on health and well-being of Albertans.

Merit of the project proposal and its fit with the AI-Better Health Program objectives and intended outcomes.
Potential socioeconomic benefits and relevance to Alberta's health system.
Impact on the health and well-being of Albertans, including efficiency gains and improved patient outcomes.
Includes dedicated milestones and key deliverables to track progress.
Engagement with end-users and incorporation of ethical, privacy, and regulatory compliance.

grant_single_labels|register

Step 1: Preliminary Engagement
Contact the program representative to ensure your project's alignment with program goals. Reach out to Ryan Mercer, Director, Clinical Research Innovation, via email or phone.
Clarify any doubts about project eligibility and alignment with program priorities.
Step 2: Registration on Portal
Register on the Alberta Innovates application portal, SmartSimple, to initiate the application process.
Step 3: Full Proposal Preparation
Review the Program Guide thoroughly to understand requirements and expectations.
Prepare the full proposal, ensuring alignment with eligible program theme areas.
Include necessary documentation such as letters of support, project description, budget, and other requirements as specified in the program guidelines.
Step 4: Proposal Submission
Log into the SmartSimple portal and access the Full Proposal form under the Funding Opportunities tab.
Complete and submit the Full Proposal through the SmartSimple portal before the application deadline.
Step 5: Confirmation and Follow-Up
Receive confirmation of submission after successful upload of your proposal.
Keep track of evaluation timelines and await notification from Alberta Innovates regarding the outcome of your application.

grant_single_labels|otherInfo

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

The AI-Better Health Program requires participation in a developmental evaluation process for all funded projects.
Funded projects must share ongoing results and learnings with an expert advisory panel and other program awardees.
Annual meetings will be held for AI-Health Program awardees to share findings and learnings.
The Agreement will specify details regarding reporting on progress to milestones and budgets during the term of the project.
Performance metrics may be monitored for up to five years after project completion to evaluate the project's benefits to Alberta.

grant_single_labels|contact

Ryan.Mercer@albertainnovates.ca

780-991-0297

Apply to this program

Advancing Health Through AI in Alberta

The AI-Better Health grant initiative by Alberta Innovates aims to strengthen the healthcare landscape in Alberta by facilitating the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) innovations. It offers substantial financial support to projects that directly address the critical healthcare challenges through AI applications.

In-Depth Look at the AI-Better Health Program

The "Enabling Better Health through Artificial Intelligence (AI-Better Health)" program represents a strategic effort by Alberta Innovates to integrate AI technologies within the health sector, transforming Alberta into a leading hub for AI-driven health solutions. Amidst the rapid digital transformation affecting global economies and societies, Alberta is leveraging its resources to advance the use of AI in health, recognizing the profound potential these technologies offer in enhancing healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

This program, managed under the Health Platforms group of Alberta Innovates, seeks to tackle persistent gaps in healthcare innovation which often result in prolonged timelines for practical application. By focusing on both technological and human factors, AI-Better Health addresses critical issues such as data quality, model accuracy, infrastructure development, and regulatory compliance. The program underscores the importance of ethical AI deployment, factoring in policy, privacy, and legal considerations, as it strives to mitigate the common barriers that hinder technology adoption in healthcare.

Targeting the international leadership in AI, the program provides grants of up to $800,000 over three years for projects that align with its theme areas: Data, Development, Efficiency, and Point-of-Care. These themes encapsulate a broad range of potential AI applications, from improving data handling and model training to enhancing system efficiency and supporting decision-making at the point of care. Each successful project is expected to contribute to the overarching goals of improved patient trust, system efficiency, and the advancement of Alberta's AI technology sphere, thereby driving significant impacts on health outcomes and economic resilience in the region.

Applicants are encouraged to bring together key opinion leaders and stakeholders from across healthcare and government sectors to ensure a collaborative approach in tackling the challenges presented by AI integration. They must also clearly outline their data use and justify the project's alignment with Alberta Innovates' strategic priorities. The selection process is competitive, with proposals evaluated on merit, prospective socio-economic benefits, and their contribution to the health and well-being of Albertans.

Ultimately, the AI-Better Health initiative isn't just about funding projects; it's about creating an ecosystem that supports ongoing learning and adaptation. Projects supported by this grant are required to participate in developmental evaluations and share outcomes with peer awardees and advisory panels, fostering an environment of continuous improvement and collective knowledge growth. This spirit of collaboration is intended to optimize the deployment of AI technologies, ensuring they are responsibly integrated into the healthcare system for maximum benefit.

Alberta Innovates' efforts through the AI-Better Health program highlight the transformative potential of digital technologies in healthcare. By addressing both the enablers and barriers to AI adoption, it strategically positions Alberta as a leader in utilizing AI to enhance health services and outcomes. The program not only champions innovation but ensures that such innovation contributes positively and sustainably to the lives of Albertans, driving forward not just technological progress, but meaningful societal impact as well.