Open

Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods

Q: How much funding can be received?

Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods Funds up to 1000000% of admissible expenses.

Q: What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Q: Is the Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods a grant, loan, or tax credit?

Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods is a Researchers And Facilities

Q: Who are the financial supporters of the Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods?

Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods is funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Q: Who is eligible for the Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods program?

Eligibility criteria are not specified.

Q: Who can I contact for more information about the Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods?

You can contact Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) by email at support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca or by phone at 613-954-1968.

Q: Where is the Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods available?

The Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods program is available across Canada.

Last Update: January 19, 2026

Canada

Funds interdisciplinary research on ultra-processed foods health impacts

Researchers And Facilities

Partnering and Collaboration

Grant and Funding

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

At a glance

Funding available

Financing goals

No objectives are currently available

Eligible Funding

Maximum amount : 1,000,000 $

Timeline

Unspecified

Eligible candidates

Eligible Industries

Professional, scientific and technical services
Educational services
Health care and social assistance

Location

Canada

Legal structures

Non-profit
Public or Parapublic institution

Annual revenue

All revenue ranges

Organisation size

All organization sizes

Audience

All groups

Non-profit candidates

Sector of operation

All industries

Target groups

All the groups

Revenue structures

All structures

Scope

All dimensions

Overview

This CIHR Team Grant funds new interdisciplinary research on the health effects of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to generate evidence that can inform policies and regulations and improve health equity across the lifespan, with up to $250,000 per year for up to four years (maximum $1,000,000 per grant). Eligible activities include projects in one selected funding pool, such as investigating biological mechanisms and disease pathways (including microbiome and immune/metabolic perturbations), studying UPF impacts in older adults or in child and youth health, examining cardiovascular and cerebrovascular mechanisms (including early-life stages), or analyzing structural determinants of UPF production, distribution, regulation, interventions, and consumption.

Activities funded

Interdisciplinary research to investigate the biological mechanisms through which ultra-processed foods (as a whole) contribute to non-communicable diseases, including via microbiome-related and immune/metabolic pathways.
Interdisciplinary research to study how specific ultra-processed food components (e.g., additives or by-products of processing) contribute to disease risk, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, with an emphasis on early-life stages (before age 18, including fetal development) where applicable.
Interdisciplinary research on the health effects of ultra-processed foods in older persons, including mechanisms linked to tissue injury, cardiometabolic processes, accelerated biological aging, frailty, and cognitive decline.
Interdisciplinary research on the effects of ultra-processed foods on human development, child health and/or youth health (from preconception to youth).
Interdisciplinary research on structural determinants of ultra-processed food production, distribution, regulation and consumption, including identifying barriers/solutions to regulation in Canada and evaluating population-level interventions that affect ultra-processed food consumption.

Eligibility

The application must be led by a Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) who is an independent researcher affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution and/or an affiliated eligible organization (e.g., hospital, research institute, or other non-profit organization with a mandate for health research and/or knowledge mobilization).
The NPA must have their substantive role in Canada for the duration of the requested grant term.
The funding must be received and administered by an Institution Paid that is authorized by CIHR.
The project must align with at least one of the program’s objectives and fit within one selected research area (“funding pool”).
The research team must be interdisciplinary, include at least one Early Career Researcher (as NPA, PA, or Co-Applicant), and include no more than four Principal Applicants in addition to the NPA.

Selection criteria

Research question and approach (LOI stage): clarity of the research question(s) and alignment with the opportunity’s objectives and selected research area (funding pool); appropriateness of the study design and research plan; interdisciplinary approach; plan to engage knowledge users/partners where appropriate; and how Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) will be incorporated (including sex, gender and other factors, and lifespan rationale as applicable).
Team composition (LOI stage): evidence the applicants have the necessary qualifications and expertise to deliver the proposed work.
Impact (LOI stage): potential to address key research gaps based on current knowledge; contribution of applicant partner(s) (if applicable); and identification/management of partnership risks and real or perceived conflicts of interest (if applicable).
Full application assessment (Full Application stage): research approach (clarity/alignment, originality, strength and feasibility of methods, interdisciplinary/team science approach, engagement of knowledge users/partners, risk identification and mitigation, integration of EDI, and quality of the Data Management Plan and biosample governance plan); research team (leadership, roles and complementarity, collaboration and capacity-building plans, partner contributions and COI/risk management where applicable); research environment (suitability of environment and appropriateness/justification of budget); and impact of the research (ability to generate evidence to inform policies/regulations and a clear knowledge mobilization/translation path).
Funding decision threshold: applications rated below 3.5 will not be funded; funding is in rank order within each selected pool (for both LOI and Full Application stages).

Additional information

This funding opportunity uses the tri-agency CV (narrative-style CV); applicants must follow the tri-agency CV instructions even if the system still displays references to the CCV.
CIHR will host webinar(s) to support participants with the requirements of this funding opportunity and to answer questions.
Peer review for this opportunity will be conducted in accordance with the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).
Applications with a rating below 3.5 will not be funded.

Contacts

support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

613-954-1968

Canada

Apply to this program

Frequently Asked Questions about the Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods Program

Here are answers to the most common questions about the Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods. This section explains what the program is, how much funding is available, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and other important details to help you determine if this grant is right for your business.

What is the Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods?

How much funding can be received?

What expenses are eligible under Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods?

Interdisciplinary research to investigate the biological mechanisms through which ultra-processed foods (as a whole) contribute to non-communicable diseases, including via microbiome-related and immune/metabolic pathways. Interdisciplinary research to study how specific ultra-processed food components (e.g., additives or by-products of processing) contribute to disease risk, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, with an emphasis on early-life stages (before age 18, including fetal development) where applicable. Interdisciplinary research on the health effects of ultra-processed foods in older persons, including mechanisms linked to tissue injury, cardiometabolic processes, accelerated biological aging, frailty, and cognitive decline. Interdisciplinary research on the effects of ultra-processed foods on human development, child health and/or youth health (from preconception to youth). Interdisciplinary research on structural determinants of ultra-processed food production, distribution, regulation and consumption, including identifying barriers/solutions to regulation in Canada and evaluating population-level interventions that affect ultra-processed food consumption.