Catalyst Grants

The Faculty of Medicine is investing in priority precision health research.

2023/2024 Round

November 6, 2023 Update: Please stay tuned. The announcement of the 2023/2024 Catalyst Grant competition is delayed. It is expected the 2023/2024 competition round will launch in early 2024. 

For updates and latest news, please subscribe to the Precision Health newsletter mailing list.

The Faculty of Medicine Precision Health Catalyst Grants were created to advance Precision Health (PH) research at UBC. We would like to acknowledge the funding contributions from the Faculty of Medicine Research Institutes: 

  • BC Cancer Research Institute
  • BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
  • Providence Research
  • Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute

Precision Health is an individualized approach to maximizing health that engages patients and leverages genomic and/or other ‘omic, biomarker, environment, and/or socioeconomic information about a person to identify and implement a range of prevention and/or treatment actions, at the patient-, population-, and/or policy level. 

As part of the Faculty’s research strategy to catalyze innovation and excellence in foundational, clinical and health systems to enhance precision and population health, the PH Catalyst Grant competition is designed to facilitate collaboration and coordination of PH activities, particularly among faculty members and researchers from UBC-affiliated research institutes. 

Goal

The catalyst grants are intended to enable PH pilot research projects and to facilitate inter-faculty and cross-institution collaboration. Collaboration means researchers working together, in person and/or online, at some or all stages of the research lifecycle. Through this grant competition, we aim to encourage new collaborations and support early career investigators and teams.

The catalyst grants are not intended for senior faculty members/principal investigators who have well-funded and well-established research programs. Senior faculty members may be part of a team led by an early career investigator.

Overview of the 2022/2023 Competition

See Results of the 2022/2023 competition – Funded Projects.

Up to a maximum of $50,000 may be requested per catalyst grant proposal.  Up to 7 grants may be awarded. Proposals for projects can address various PH research areas. Please note at least one grant will be awarded to each of the following PH research areas:

  • Childhood Health
  • Cancer
  • HIV/AIDS & Related Diseases, Heart & Lung, Kidney, Mental Health, or Healthy Aging

Important Dates

Applications Open:        November 14, 2022
Application Deadline:   January 16, 2023, by 11:59:59 pm
Funding Decision:          By April 2023

 Process to Submit Proposals 

  1. Download the 2022/2023 Precision Health Catalyst Grant Proposal form
  2. Email completed applications (proposal form, UBC CV, and RPIF) to fom.precisionhealth@ubc.ca by the deadline listed above. Applications received on January 17th at 12:00:00am will not be accepted.

Overview of Applicant Eligibility

Each application requires two investigators, where:

  • Primary applicants must be UBC faculty meeting early career researcher (ECR) criteria*
  • Primary or secondary applicants must have a UBC Faculty of Medicine appointment
  • Primary or secondary applicants must be affiliated with one of the Faculty’s research institute
  • Senior and midcareer faculty members may be part of a team led by an early career investigator

See more details on applicant eligibility below.

General Requirements

  • Investigators can only submit 1 application as a primary applicant. There is no limit to the number of applications as a secondary applicant
  • Grant recipients will be required to present their research project work at the UBC FoM Precision Health Symposium
  • Reporting requirements will include a final report with a financial statement
  • Funds will be released to successful awardees as a single payment and must be spent within one year of award receipt
  • Upon project completion, unspent funds will be returned to the Faculty of Medicine

Applicant Eligibility Criteria

Each application requires at least two investigators. 

Any UBC Vancouver Faculty and School, UBC Okanagan Faculty and School, or any investigator affiliated with a UBC Faculty of Medicine research institute or centre can apply where: 

  • Primary applicants are UBC faculty meeting early career researcher (ECR) criteria* 
  • At least one of the primary or secondary applicants has an appointment with UBC Faculty of Medicine; and
  • At least one of the primary or secondary applicants is affiliated with one of the Faculty of Medicine’s research institutes: 
    • BC Cancer Research Institute; or 
    • BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute; or
    • Life Sciences Institute
    • Providence Research
    • Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.

If both applicants have an appointment with the Faculty of Medicine, then one of the applicants must be from a different research institute or centre affiliated with the Faculty. If both applicants are affiliated with the same research institute or centre, then one of the applicants must be from a different UBC Faculty or School. For example:  

  • The primary applicant can be an ECR from the Faculty of Medicine and be affiliated with BC Cancer Research Institute; and  
  • The secondary applicant can be an investigator from:
    • The Faculty of Medicine and affiliated with Women’s Health Research Institute; or  
    • The Faculty of Science and affiliated with BC Cancer Research Institute.

*Early Career Researcher (ECR) Criteria 

An ECR is defined as a researcher within six years from the start date of their first research-related appointment, minus the length of any eligible delays in research (e.g., illness, maternity, parental), where:

  • research-related appointments are defined as those where the individual has the autonomy to conduct research independently (e.g. Principal Investigator) and must be approved by the application deadline;  
  • all eligible leaves (e.g., maternity, parental, medical, bereavement) are credited as twice the amount of time taken; and 
  • professional leaves (e.g., training, sabbatical, administrative) are not credited.

Project Eligibility Criteria

  • Proposals must be for a genuinely new PH-related project (foundational or clinical research) freshly envisioned and created with explicit intent to fuel a proposal for a larger-scale, longer-term project (e.g., for a CIHR grant)  
  • Proposals must describe how equity, diversity, and inclusion are considered in project design 
  • Project activities must be completed within one year of award receipt 

Eligible activities and expenses could be related to, for example, conducting preliminary focus groups or surveys, participant recruitment activities, conducting collaborative events/activities, research/laboratory consumables, and project staffing (e.g., research trainee/research assistant/project coordinator time).

Project Exclusion Criteria

  • Research projects that have already previously received funding 
  • Projects currently under review for other funding 
  • Clinical care delivery projects not designed primarily as research 

Review Process

An interdisciplinary panel will review applications and make decisions based on merit and the ability to best determine how Precision Health priorities will be addressed.   

Specific assessment criteria include: 

  1. Proposed project addresses one or more complex and important PH-related question(s) and has the potential to lead to transformative impact in society 
  2. Proposed collaboration involves multiple disciplines, partners, and/or sectors
  3. Members of the research team demonstrate evidence of a track record of excellence in research  
  4. Proposed project demonstrates a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) through the following:
    • The creation of diverse teams that include members who identify as part of historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized groups 
    • A commitment to the equitable development and support of all team members and ensures that team members, collaborators, and partners have equal opportunities and access to resources, feel they belong and are adequately supported and integrated into the team  
    • Promotes the integration of EDI-related considerations in the design of the proposed research to ensure equitable participation in and benefit from the research

For guidance/references regarding EDI please see:

If you have any questions, please contact fom.precisionhealth@ubc.ca