Impact Grants Program

The total amount available for this program is $800,000 — enough to fund up to eight projects. The maximum amount per project is $100,000 for one year.
One grant will be reserved for a project led by an early-career researcher.
Although not mandatory, matched funding from partner organizations is highly encouraged.

1. Project eligibility:

To be eligible, a project must:

• be directly relevant to interconnected brain and heart health (i.e., primary outcomes related to both the brain and the heart)

2. Applicant team eligibility:

To be eligible, the team must include:

• a principal applicant — academic: a BHI core academic member eligible to hold tri-council research funding
• a principal knowledge user (please see the definition) who is meaningfully involved in a co-leadership role in the project
• a co-applicant — academic: a BHI core or associate academic member who is eligible to hold tri-council research funding and who is from a clearly distinct research discipline than the principal applicant

NOTE: Individuals may submit only one (1) application as principal applicant in this competition but may be a co-applicant on other applications. Early-career researchers, Indigenous researchers and researchers from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply. Only principal applicants must be confirmed as core academic members prior to the application deadline. Other applicants can be assigned their BHI membership following the completion of the competition.

The project may also involve:

• co-applicants — academic: BHI core academic members, BHI associate academic members or those eligible for this membership category (includes researchers and research personnel from academic institutions in Canada or internationally), as well as BHI core or associate trainee members or those eligible for these membership categories
• knowledge users: knowledge users participating as co-applicants are considered BHI associate partner members; it is highly encouraged that projects involve at least one knowledge user who is a patient partner
• collaborators: individuals (from academia or from other sectors) who play an active role in the research and research-related activities but are not involved in leading the research project; collaborators are considered to be BHI associate partner members or associate academic members, depending on their institution

Eligible projects are encouraged to:

• involve researchers that have not previously worked together and come from different disciplines and institutions in Canada or internationally
• address the scope and priorities of multiple BHI foundations, themes and cross-cutting themes
• address the mandate of more than one of the federal tri-agencies: CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC
• expand the diversity of voices meaningfully engaged in, co-leading and benefiting from B–H research to include Indigenous people and under-represented groups, including racialized individuals; African, Caribbean and Black individuals; persons with disabilities; women; and individuals from 2SLGBTQIA+ communities
• involve partner institutions, including cash and in-kind contributions, to expand the scope and reach of the work

Before submitting an application and a budget, applicants should review the CFREF Administration Guide. All eligible expenses must adhere to guidelines in the CFREF Administration Guide .

Eligible expenses are limited to direct costs only, such as:

• costs associated with patient and/or public engagement, including compensation for expertise and time spent on project activities, travel, etc.; a patient partner who is a co-applicant should be offered compensation that is commensurate with this role (see BHI compensation guidance)
• salaries and nondiscretionary benefits of members of the research team (e.g., students at all levels, postdoctoral researchers, research associates, technicians, administrators)
• materials, supplies and other expenses related to research and knowledge mobilization activities
• laboratory services or core facility fees
• activities to develop and grow the research collaborations within the applicant team

Award period: Funds will be awarded for a period of one year.

All applications will be reviewed for completeness and on-time submission. All complete applications will be reviewed by members of the BHI Scientific Council to verify project relevance to interconnected B–H health. All relevant applications will then be evaluated by a multidisciplinary peer review committee composed of researchers, patients and other knowledge users. The review process will involve the following criteria:

Impact

• Degree to which the project aligns with the BHI intermediate and long-term outcomes in the BHI Theory of Change, and high-priority areas for B–H research
• The potential for the project to contribute to sustainable long-term health, societal and/or economic impacts

Quality of the project

• Extent to which the overall goal, objectives and deliverables of the research are well defined and clear
• Appropriateness of the research design, methodology and analysis plan
• Quality of the knowledge mobilization and co-production plan, and the extent to which knowledge users are meaningfully engaged throughout the project and involved in the implementation of the project deliverable beyond the scientific community
• Appropriateness of the approach to embedding IDEAS considerations into all stages of the project (e.g., identification of research question, data collection and analysis plans)
• For projects involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis, appropriate consideration of TCPS 2 (2022) — Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada and demonstration of meaningful and culturally safe involvement practices, plans and activities throughout the project
• Feasibility of implementing the project according to budget and timelines (i.e., will objectives be achieved within 12 months)
• Incorporation of principles of open access or adherence to BHI open-access policies

Applicants

• Suitability and strength of the research team, including the appropriateness of the leadership team’s scientific expertise and lived experience relevant to B–H health
• Appropriateness and expertise of the knowledge user to support the project and ensure implementation of deliverables among a broader audience
• Diversity of the research team, including expertise from distinct scientific disciplines across the mandates of the tri-agencies, inclusion of researchers from different institutions, and efforts to include a diversity of lived experience, including perspectives of Indigenous people and/or other groups typically under-represented in research
• For projects involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis, the extent to which the team has the necessary knowledge, expertise and experience to conduct research and activities in ways that are meaningful and culturally safe
• Extent to which the team meaningfully includes knowledge users, patients and other relevant partners, and the appropriateness of their roles and contributions

All principal applicants will be notified by email of the results of the competition (including any requests for revisions), and successful principal applicants will be sent a notice of award. Principal applicants and their institutions are required to ensure all relevant institutional and tri-agency guidelines and policies are followed.

Before the release of funds, principal applicants must complete the training requirements for core academic members. Principal knowledge users must complete the training requirements associated with their membership category within three months of the start date of the project. Principal applicants, principal knowledge users and co-applicants are required to complete the BHI self-identification survey (Count Me In). Trainees supported through BHI grants are required to complete core training.

Successful applicants will be expected to acknowledge the support they receive from the BHI and provide a report at the end of the funding period to meet the BHI’s annual reporting obligations to the CFREF. Further details on reporting requirements and schedules will be provided by the BHI Secretariat after grant notification.

Prior to preparing the application, applicants are highly encouraged to discuss their proposed project with the lead(s) of the most relevant BHI foundations, themes and/or cross-cutting themes to ensure it is aligned with the Scientific Strategy of the BHI and will contribute to high-priority areas of B–H research. Please contact the leads as early as possible.

Applicants must complete the online application form (including attachments) by August 8, 2025. Applicants will be notified by email of the successful submission of their proposal.

Applicants are encouraged to review the resources available below related to Indigenous engagement, co-production and knowledge mobilization, patient engagement, IDEAS and open science as applications are developed.

The online application form will include the following sections:

• Project details (e.g., title, applicants [CRDC codes], keywords, relevant foundation/theme/cross-cutting lead)
• Plain language summary (200 words)
• Contributions to the BHI (300 words): Describe how the research project and deliverables relate to the interconnections in B–H health, including the specific brain and heart conditions to be addressed; describe how the project will contribute to the BHI’s intermediate and/or long-term outcomes
• Description of the team (500 words), including:
  • the interdisciplinary nature of the team, including the expertise of academics, patients and other knowledge users
  • the complementary knowledge and skills of members, and the role and contribution of each
  • how IDEAS have been considered in team composition
  • if relevant, the team’s relationship and experience with Indigenous communities and partners
  • information on strategies that will be used to meaningfully involve knowledge users, patients and partners, particularly from groups that are under-represented in research
• Description of the project (~2000 words), including:
  • the goal, objectives and anticipated deliverables of the project
  • the background and rationale for the project
  • the overall project plan, including timelines for milestones and deliverables
  • the research design and methods
  • the context and approach to embedding IDEAS throughout all phases of the project
  • if relevant, the approach for involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis and their practices and plans into the project
• Co-production and knowledge mobilization plan (500 words):
  • The co-production and knowledge user engagement approach, and the extent to which knowledge users will be meaningfully engaged throughout the project
  • Potential risks to the project implementation and strategies to mitigate the risks
  • Description of the knowledge mobilization plan and strategies to deliver impact beyond the scientific community
• Outcomes and impact (300 words):
  • Explain the project’s impact pathway — how will the short-term catalytic support and resulting deliverables contribute to the BHI’s intermediate, long-term and ultimate outcomes?
  • Nature of any partnerships, including cash and in-kind contributions
  • Indicators of project success (qualitative and/or quantitative)

Include the following items as attachments with your application:

• Project budget: Prepare a budget for the project, including the module for estimating costs associated with patient engagement, if applicable. Please refer to the BHI Guidance for Patient/Community Partner Compensation and Honoraria for Indigenous Elders. Co-funding from partners is encouraged and must be included in the budget template, if applicable.
• CVs: Provide a brief CV for all the principal applicants and co-applicants (using the new tri-agency CV template).
• Letters of support (optional): Letters of support should include a specific description of cash or in-kind contributions from partners, a collaborator’s specific involvement in the project and/or how a partner intends to use the project outcomes. General letters of support for the team or project should not be included.
• RE form: Applicants from the University of Ottawa are required to include a Request for Funds form (RE form) completed and signed by all parties.

Apply here.

Co-production: A collaborative approach to planning and implementing health-care research where knowledge users are engaged as equal partners throughout the project alongside researchers using diverse strategies, including stakeholder engagement, co-production of research questions and study design, and partnering in dissemination/implementation.

Early-career researchers: Investigators within five years of their first independent research-related appointment at the time of application.

Patients: Individuals with lived experiences with a health issue, informal caregivers (including family and friends) and/or individuals that are at risk of or otherwise affected by brain–heart conditions.

Knowledge users: People, including representatives of communities and organizations, who are likely to use research results to make informed decisions, or anybody who may benefit or be otherwise affected by research results. This can include, but is not limited to, patients, Indigenous leaders and communities, health professionals, community-based organizations, health charities, health system leaders, policymakers and private-sector organizations.

Those applying for funding are encouraged to reach out to the cross-cutter leads for additional support in the development of applications. For contact information, please click Cross-cutting themes.

For all inquiries, please contact: [email protected]