Notice of Upcoming Funding Opportunity: Health System Impact (HSI) Embedded Early Career Researcher Award

The Health System Impact (HSI) Embedded Early Career Researcher Award 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), Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies (CRPPHE), Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), and Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF).

Overview

The HSI Embedded Early Career Researcher Award supports a highly skilled cadre of early career embedded scholars with the knowledge, skills, and capabilities to lead and contribute to high-performing learning health systems and evidence-informed health systems improvements.

This program supports applications that focus on health services, health policy and/or health system challenges that are of high priority to the partner health system organization, align with IHSPR's mandate and one or more of its strategic research priorities, and align with CIHR's definition of Pillar 3 research.

Objectives

  • Support emerging leaders to develop their embedded research programs, roles, and capabilities to advance evidence-informed health systems decision-making.
  • Develop embedded research capacity within health system organizations and catalyze collaborations between academic and health system organizations to strengthen cultures of evidence use, learning, and improvement.
  • Grow a strong and diverse cadre of embedded researchers positioned to play a vital role in evidence-informed health system improvement and learning health systems.
  • Foster career pathways for health system embedded researchers.

Program components

  • Mentorship, protected embedded research time, salary and research dollars, leadership and enriched core competency training through the Health System Impact Training Platform, pan-Canadian network of academic and health system leaders
  • Multi-year funding: Four-year award
  • Competitive award value: $200,000 per year, 50:50 CIHR and ECR's health system and academic partners

Funds Available

  • CIHR will contribute a maximum of $400,000 total for 4 years ($100,000 per year) per Early Career Researcher award:
    • Salary: Up to a maximum of 70% including benefits, or $70,000 per annum, may be requested.
    • Research and professional development allowance: A minimum of 30% or $30,000 per annum must be requested.
  • Applicants must also secure 1-1 or $100,000 per annum, in partner contributions from their host health system organization and academic institution (the amount paid by each is not prescribed and will be determined independently of CIHR). This contribution must be outlined and confirmed at the time of application.
    • Of the $100,000 total partner contribution, at least $50,000 must be a cash contribution towards the applicant's salary and/or research and professional development allowance. The remaining amount, up to $50,000, may include research-related supports that directly benefit the applicant's research program such as: salaries for trainees, research assistants, administrative support and/or other research program personnel.
  • SHRF has expressed interest in supporting a portion of the host partner organization funding contribution for applicants working with host partner organizations in its province.

How to find a host partner organization

Our host Partner Linkage Tool will soon feature a list of organizations interested in hosting embedded ECRs. Note: This is not a mandatory tool. Applicants may pursue opportunities with profiled organizations and/or organizations that are not profiled.

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!
  • Join us for our information session on November 18, 2025 (1:00 – 2:00 pm ET). Register here.

Anticipated Timelines

These timelines are estimates and subject to change

Launch Date: Fall 2025
Information Webinars:November 18, 2025 1pm-2pm ET for applicants. Register here.

Applications Due: Winter 2026
Award start date: October 1, 2026

Contact Information

For general inquiries please contact:

CIHR Contact Centre
Telephone: 613-954-1968
Email: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is anticipatory only and does not represent an official funding commitment by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Accordingly, the information, contained herein may differ from the official funding opportunity that will be published on ResearchNet.

Date modified: