Message from Mary Jung, INMD Scientific Director
August 2026
I hope that you, your families, research teams, and communities have had opportunities this summer for rest and renewal. I also hope you have remained safe amid the wildfire season that has affected communities across Canada. My thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by evacuations and disruptions, as well as with the profound effects these events have on people, communities, and the lands and waters that sustain us. These experiences remind us of the complex connections between environmental change, health, and well-being, and of the importance of research that helps build healthier and more resilient communities.
It has been a busy and productive few months at INMD. I am delighted to welcome Nishat Tasnim and Mona Ghannad, our new Project Managers, and Augustine Song, our new Project Assistant. They bring extensive expertise in biology, applied sciences, and research administration, and they have already become invaluable contributors to our work. Their knowledge and enthusiasm will help strengthen INMD's ability to support the exceptional research community advancing discoveries and innovations across our mandate areas.
The entire INMD team has been actively engaged in developing the Institute Research Priority Plan. Central to this effort is our commitment to listening deeply and respectfully to the broad INMD community, including researchers across all four pillars of health research, people with lived and living experience, health professionals, Indigenous partners, and current and future collaborators. Through this process, we aim to identify priorities that will strengthen research excellence, foster innovation, build capacity, and ultimately improve the health and well-being of Canadians affected by conditions within the INMD mandate.
Our work has begun, and will continue throughout this year-long process, with engagement of our Institute Advisory Board. We are also undertaking an environmental scan to better understand emerging scientific opportunities, health system needs, and areas where research can have the greatest impact. Findings from this work will inform an online survey, which we will invite you and other members of our INMD research community to complete, as well as in-person engagement opportunities planned for the fall and winter. We genuinely look forward to hearing from you and to the meaningful dialogue that will help shape INMD's future direction.
CIHR's funding analytics team recently released a comprehensive report examining age trends in CIHR grant and award applications over the past two decades. The analysis shows that the average age of both male- and female-identifying grant applicants has increased over time, particularly within the biomedical and clinical research pillars, while the average age of award applicants has declined.
As Scientific Director, one finding that stands out to me is the significant interval between the average age at which researchers apply for postdoctoral fellowships and the average age at which they submit their first Project Grant application as a Nominated Principal Applicant. On average, this gap exceeds a decade. While this trend may reflect the realities of extended postdoctoral training and the increasingly complex pathway to independent academic careers, it also raises important questions about how we can better support the next generation of researchers. Supporting research trainees and early career researchers is essential to sustaining a vibrant and innovative research enterprise across the INMD mandate. I would welcome your perspectives on whether this trajectory reflects a productive evolution in training and career development, or whether there are opportunities to better support transitions into research independence and first-time Project Grant applications.
Please do not hesitate to reach out and share your thoughts. I always welcome the opportunity to connect with members of our community and learn from your experiences and perspectives.
Warm regards,
Dr. Mary Jung
Scientific Director
CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD)
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