Upcoming Funding Opportunity: Health System Impact Fellowship

The Health System Impact (HSI) Fellowship is led by CIHR’s Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) in partnership with CIHR’s Institute of Aging (IA), Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH), Institute of Gender and Health (IGH), Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health (IIPH), Institute of Infection and Immunity (III), Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA), Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD), Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH), Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies (CRPPHE), Post-Market Drug Evaluation – Training and Mentorship (PMDE-TRAIN) initiative, Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR); and Michael Smith Health Research BC (Health Research BC), Research New Brunswick, (ResearchNB) and Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF).

Overview

The Health System Impact (HSI) Fellowship provides an embedded research opportunity for highly qualified doctoral trainees and post-doctoral researchers in the field of health services and policy research (HSPR). This is a unique opportunity for awardees to:

• develop their embedded research experience and apply their research and analytic talents to critical health system challenges that are being addressed by health system organizations (e.g., public, private for-profit, not-for-profit, and Indigenous health organizations) outside of the traditional university setting, and
• develop and expand professional experience, enriched core competencies, networks, and potential to make an impact in a range of sectors and roles.

While embedded in a host health system organization for the duration of their fellowship, awardees are exposed to how a health system organization works, how decisions are made, and how research and analytic skills contribute to an organization's rapid learning and improvement. Accordingly, the program also aims to build embedded research capacity in health system organizations to support the advancement of learning health systems (LHSs) across Canada.

Program components

The HSI Fellowship contains a stream for doctoral trainees and a stream for post-doctoral researchers:

• Doctoral trainees receive a paid one-year experiential learning opportunity where they are embedded in their host health system organization with at least 60% of their time focused on an impact-oriented embedded research project of direct relevance and importance to their host organization. The remaining time (up to 40%), is protected to continue with their doctoral program commitments.
• Post-doctoral researchers receive a paid two-year experiential learning opportunity where they are embedded in their host health system organization with at least 70% of their time focused on their impact-oriented embedded research program of work of direct relevance and importance to their host organization. The remaining time (up to 30%), is protected for academic research.
• Both doctoral and post-doctoral awardees also receive:
  • Co-supervision and mentorship from a health system leader within the host health system organization and an academic supervisor at the awardee's affiliated university.
  • Professional development training in a set of enriched core competencies and networking opportunities by way of participation in the HSI Training Platform and annual National Cohort Retreat.

Relevant Research Areas

This funding opportunity will support projects relevant to the following research areas:

• Health Services, Systems and Policy (general pool)
• Primary Health Care
• Northern (Yukon, Northwest Territories, or Nunavut)
• Eastern (Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick)
• Indigenous Peoples' Health
• Aging
• Cancer
• Circulatory and Respiratory Health
• Sex, Gender and Health
• Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis
• Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes
• Infection and Immunity
• Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies
• Population and Public Health
• Post-Market Drug Safety And Effectiveness
• Patient-Oriented Research

Note: the funding opportunity will contain additional details about these relevant research areas.

Funds Available

• HSI Fellowship for Doctoral trainees: The maximum amount per doctoral award is $50,000 per year for up to 1 year ($45,000 stipend plus $5,000 professional development training and research allowance).
• HSI Fellowship for Postdoctoral researchers: The maximum amount per post-doctoral award is $155,000 total for 2 years ($70,000 stipend per year, plus $7,500 professional development training and research allowance per year)

Note: CIHR and Health Research BC will contribute up to a maximum of 70% of the total award value (i.e., $35,000 of the $50,000 doctoral award, and $108,500 of the $155,000 post-doctoral award). Applicants must secure the remaining 30% of the award value in cash from the host health system organization at the time of application.

ResearchNB and the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) have expressed interest in supporting all or a portion of the 30% host health system organization funding contribution for applicants working with host health system organizations in their respective provinces.

How to find a host partner organization

Our host Partner Linkage Tool will feature a list of organizations that have expressed interest in hosting doctoral trainees or postdoctoral researchers. Note: This is not a mandatory tool. Applicants may pursue opportunities with organizations featured in the Partner Linkage Tool and/or organizations that are not. All organizations must meet the program's eligibility criteria.

Are you a health system organization looking to host a fellow?

• Fill out our Partner Linkage Tool online form to ensure your profile is posted on our web page by the funding opportunity launch dates!

Anticipated Timelines

• Launch Date: Fall 2026
• Information Webinar: November 4, 2026, 12pm-1pm ET for prospective applicants and Health System Organizations. Register
• Applications Due: Winter 2026
• Fellowship start date: Fall 2027

Date modified:

2026-09-24