
Closed
Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research
Supports community-engaged 2S/LGBTQI+ health research in Canada
Last Update: April 13, 2026
Funding available
$ 700,000
Timeline
- Closing date : February 28, 2026
Location
Canada
Overview
Provides up to $175,000 per year for up to 4 years (maximum $700,000) to advance interdisciplinary, community-engaged 2S/LGBTQI+ health research in Canada. Funding supports a wide range of approaches, including community-based and participatory research, Indigenous methodologies, epidemiological and clinical studies, health systems research, secondary data analysis/data linkage, and synthesis research.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase social or community impact
- Conduct research and development activities
- Conduct research or evaluation activities
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 700,000 $
Timeline
- Closing date : February 28, 2026
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
- Indigenous Peoples
- Persons with Disabilities
- Rural or Northern Residents
- 2SLGBTQI+
- Youth (<40)
- Women
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- All industries
Target groups
- All the groups
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- All dimensions
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Conduct community-engaged, interdisciplinary health research projects that address health priorities, inequities, and strengths of 2S/LGBTQI+ individuals and communities in Canada.
- Develop, refine, or validate inclusive research methods, measures, and tools tailored to 2S/LGBTQI+ populations (including systematic reviews or meta-analyses).
- Carry out secondary data analyses and/or data linkages using existing datasets, national health surveys, and/or electronic health records relevant to 2S/LGBTQI+ health.
- Pilot, evaluate, and/or implement community-engaged interventions, programs, or training for healthcare professionals tailored to working with 2S/LGBTQI+ individuals and communities.
- Undertake culturally safe, community-led research—using Indigenous knowledge systems and Indigenous methodologies—to enhance the health and well-being of Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer, and gender diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals and communities.
Documents Needed
- Tri-agency CV (for all participants, excluding collaborators)
- Research Proposal (with required plans embedded: community engagement, EDI, and knowledge mobilization)
- SGBA training Certificate of Completion (for the Nominated Principal Applicant)
- Participant Table (listing all participants, including collaborators)
- Signature pages and Routing Slip (scanned copies, as required in ResearchNet)
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Community organizations (Canadian non-governmental organizations) with a mandate for research or knowledge mobilization in the health of 2S/LGBTQI+ people.
- Regional health authorities (Canadian non-governmental organizations) with a mandate for research or knowledge mobilization in the health of 2S/LGBTQI+ people.
- Indigenous non-governmental organizations in Canada whose mandate includes research or knowledge mobilization.
Eligible expenses
- Full-time or part-time salaries for project team members, provided they do not conduct research independently as part of their employment, are not themselves the recipient of an agency grant (e.g., the Nominated Principal Applicant), and are not paid from other sources for the same time spent on the funded project.
- Expenses that respect Indigenous cultures and traditions when needed for meaningful research (e.g., community engagement and mobilization costs such as tobacco, cloth, feasting, and ceremonial gift-giving; cash reimbursements for participation; and contracts/consultant fees for Indigenous Elders, community members, and Indigenous Knowledge Holders/Keepers for knowledge mobilization and communication activities).
- Translation and preparation of materials intended for public consumption (e.g., website content, pamphlets, guidelines, promotional and event-related materials).
- Accessibility supports necessary for the Nominated Principal Applicant or team members to carry out the project and engage with persons with disabilities (e.g., specialized equipment, support services, compensation, and alternate document formats), excluding supports normally provided by the employer institution.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Costs to implement existing interventions normally delivered by the health care system (as opposed to research costs such as developing, evaluating, or adapting an intervention).
- Capital expenses (e.g., building construction, renovations, or improvements).
- Overhead and general operating costs (e.g., rent and electricity).
- General operations and administrative costs of the host organization.
Eligible geographic areas
- Canada (the Nominated Principal Applicant must have a substantive role in Canada for the duration of the grant term).
- British Columbia (to be eligible to receive co-funding from Michael Smith Health Research BC, the Nominated Principal Applicant must be from a British Columbia-based institution).
Processing and Agreement
- CIHR performs a relevance review at the full application stage (based on the Summary of Research Proposal) to confirm alignment with the funding opportunity’s purpose, objectives, and the selected research area; applications deemed not relevant may be withdrawn.
- Eligible and relevant applications undergo peer review following CIHR’s priority-driven review guidelines and CIHR peer review principles, in accordance with DORA.
- CIHR ranks fundable applications and makes funding decisions by allocating awards top-down within each selected funding pool; if a pool is undersubscribed, remaining fundable applications may be considered against pools with remaining funds.
- Applicants are informed through CIHR’s decision process (anticipated notice of decision date: 2026-09-10), and the names of funded applicants will be published on CIHR’s funding decisions website.
- Funded projects must meet CIHR’s grant conditions, including submitting a mid-term progress report (due 2028-10-01) and final reports (manual final report due 2030-09-01, plus an electronic Final Report via ResearchNet).
Additional information
- This funding opportunity uses the Tri-agency CV (narrative-style); despite possible system references to the CCV, all participants must follow the Tri-agency CV instructions and attach the Tri-agency CV.
- The content of this funding opportunity was updated on December 12, 2025 (sections updated: Notices and Sponsor Description).
- CIHR is offering a voluntary Partner Linkage Tool to help connect applicants with potential engagement partners; participation is optional and does not provide any evaluation advantage.
- CIHR announced support webinars for this funding opportunity, including a CIHR-IGH and Statistics Canada webinar focused on accessing and working with data on 2S/LGBTQI+ populations.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research Program
Here are answers to the most common questions about the Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research. 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 Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research?
Provides up to $175,000 per year for up to 4 years (maximum $700,000) to advance interdisciplinary, community-engaged 2S/LGBTQI+ health research in Canada. Funding supports a wide range of approaches, including community-based and participatory research, Indigenous methodologies, epidemiological and clinical studies, health systems research, secondary data analysis/data linkage, and synthesis research.
How much funding can be received?
Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research Funds up to $700,000 of admissible expenses.
Who is eligible for the Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research program?
To be eligible for the Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research program, you must:
NPA may be a Canadian non-governmental organization with a research or knowledge mobilization mandate in 2S/LGBTQI+ health.
The Institution Paid administering funds must be authorized by CIHR (if not on CIHR eligible institutions list, authorization is required before funds are released).
Organizations cannot submit more than one application as the Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA).
What expenses are eligible under Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research?
Conduct community-engaged, interdisciplinary health research projects that address health priorities, inequities, and strengths of 2S/LGBTQI+ individuals and communities in Canada.
Develop, refine, or validate inclusive research methods, measures, and tools tailored to 2S/LGBTQI+ populations (including systematic reviews or meta-analyses).
Carry out secondary data analyses and/or data linkages using existing datasets, national health surveys, and/or electronic health records relevant to 2S/LGBTQI+ health.
Pilot, evaluate, and/or implement community-engaged interventions, programs, or training for healthcare professionals tailored to working with 2S/LGBTQI+ individuals and communities.
Undertake culturally safe, community-led research—using Indigenous knowledge systems and Indigenous methodologies—to enhance the health and well-being of Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer, and gender diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals and communities.
Who can I contact for more information about the Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research?
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.
Where is the Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research available?
The Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research program is available across Canada.
Is the Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research is a Grant and Funding