Canadian Institutes of Health Research — Project Grant : Fall 2025 and Spring 2026

• The total funding envelope for the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 Project Grant competitions is $824 million.
• $20.6 million is dedicated to large grants, defined as the top 2% largest total grant amounts requested; applications requesting more than this envelope will be withdrawn.
• $19 million (4.6% of the total budget) is reserved for projects with an Indigenous health research focus.
• Portions of the budget will be set aside to ensure proportional funding for applications submitted by early career researchers, female applicants, applicants submitting applications in French, racialized applicants, and applicants who self-identify as persons with a disability; unallocated funds are returned to the general grant competition.

• The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) must be an independent researcher or a knowledge user affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution or its affiliated institutions (including hospitals, research institutes, or other non-profit organizations with a mandate for health research and/or knowledge translation) at the time of funding; alternatively, the NPA may be an individual or organization affiliated with an Indigenous non-governmental organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge translation mandate.
• The NPA must have their substantive role in Canada for the duration of the grant term.
• The institution administering the funds must be authorized to manage CIHR funds.
• All applicants must successfully complete and provide proof of sex- and gender-based analysis training (SGBA+) relevant to their research project.
• No more than two applications per competition can be submitted by the same Nominated Principal Applicant or organization.

Who is eligible?

• Canadian postsecondary institutions and their affiliated institutions (including hospitals, research institutes, and other non-profit organizations with a mandate for health research or knowledge translation)
• Indigenous non-governmental organizations in Canada with a research and/or knowledge translation mandate

Who is not eligible

• Companies or organizations whose mandate does not cover health research or the application of knowledge in the field of health.
• Non-Canadian organizations that do not have adequate affiliation in Canada for the entire duration of the project.
• Organizations that are not authorized to administer CIHR funds at the time of signing the funding agreement.
• Individuals or companies wishing to submit more than two applications as a designated principal applicant during the same competition.
• Companies whose main activity consists of bundling projects solely for the purpose of long-term support and requesting an amount exceeding the limit set for large grants.

Eligible expenses

• Expenses related to knowledge translation, networking, commercialization (including patent costs specific to intellectual property), and community-based research, as justified in the research proposal.
• Costs respecting the culture and traditions of Indigenous peoples needed for meaningful research, including community mobilization and engagement, culturally relevant promotional items (such as tobacco, cloth, feasting, and gift giving for honouring ceremonies), and cash reimbursements to compensate community participation.
• Contracts and/or consultant fees for knowledge translation and communication activities with Indigenous Elders, community members, and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers involved in relevant activities.
• Translation and preparation of information/material intended for public consumption, including website content, information pamphlets, guidelines, and event-related material for stakeholder engagement.

Eligible geographic areas

• Applicants must be affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution and/or its affiliated institutions (including hospitals, research institutes, and other non-profit organizations with a health research and/or knowledge translation mandate) located in Canada.
• Indigenous non-governmental organizations in Canada with a research and/or knowledge translation mandate are eligible.

• Significance and impact of the research concept.
• Approaches and methods applied in the project.
• Expertise, experience, and resources of the project team.

• Webinars are available to support applicants with the requirements of this funding opportunity.
• Participation in peer review and the CIHR College of Reviewers is strongly encouraged for successful Principal Applicants.
• Publicly disclosed results are required for funded clinical trials in alignment with CIHR and WHO guidelines.
• The names of successfully funded applicants will be published on the CIHR website.