Catalyst Grant competition for the advancement of knowledge in women's health

Catalyst Grant competition for the advancement of knowledge in women's health is sponsored by Women's Health Research Institute (WHRI) in partnership with the BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre Foundation. This competition seeks to advance knowledge in women's health.

Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Grants – Women's Health Research Institute Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline: September 4 , 202 6 11pm PDT Application Deadline: October 7 , 202 6 11pm PDT Anticipated Notice of Decision: November 30 , 202 6 Funding start date: December 1 , 202 6 The Women’s Health Research Institute, in partnership with the BC Women’s Health Foundation , is pleased to announce the 2026 Catalyst Grant competition for the advancement of knowledge in women’s* and/or newborn’s health .

A total of seven grants will be awarded at $30,000 each . These pilot grants are an open competition with respect to funding a project in women’s and/or newborn’s health. However, one of the seven grants will be dedicated to the support of a research project focused on digital health innovations within women’s and/or newborn health.

Awards are open to BC researchers at a university or research hospital setting, but candidates must be a member of the WHRI and have not been a successful Principal Applicant in the previous three years of Catalyst Competitions. Eligible researchers include, academic researchers, clinician scientists, postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows and research associates.

Note that postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows and research associates are only eligible to apply as Principal Applicants if they have written approval from the Department Head where they work. New emerging teams, dedicated to women’s and/or newborn’s health, and investigators new to studying women’s and newborn’s health are encouraged to apply.

As these funds are considered Catalyst Grants, the expectation is that these awards will provide pilot data to be used for future funding from provincial or federal sources. However, these funds cannot be used to subsidize an already-funded project.

* We define women’s health as encompassing both sex-specific conditions, sex differences across conditions, and gendered experiences affecting cis and trans women, and gender diverse people assigned female at birth. ↓ 2026 Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Grants Application Instructions Package The application process for this funding opportunity consists of a letter of intent and full application.

Applications that fail to submit a letter of intent by the deadline will not be eligible for funding. The LOI is due on September 4, 2026 at 11PM PDT . It must be submitted using the following link: https://rc.

bcchr. ca/redcap/surveys/? s=PHMY4AF9PRC79CAC *Please note you will not be able to save the LOI once it has been started so ensure you can complete the LOI in a single sitting.

* After September 14, 2026, an email invitation to submit a full application will be sent to each Principal Applicant who meets the eligibility criteria, which will allow them to upload and submit the full application in pdf format. Questions about the WHRI Catalyst Grant competition or the application process can be sent to Kathryn Dewar ( KDewar@cw. bc.

ca ) Learn about past recipients: 2025 Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Recipients 2024 Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Recipients 2023 Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Recipients 2022 Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Recipients 2021 Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Recipients 2020 Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Recipients 2019 Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Recipients 2018 Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Recipients 2017 Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Recipients The Women’s Health Research Institute would like to acknowledge that we are uninvited guests on the unceded ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lo, and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-waututh) Nations.

As a provincial research institute committed to improving the health outcomes of women, including those across the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum, we recognize our responsibility in the collective effort towards establishing culturally safe health care systems and services that address health inequities among Indigenous peoples, especially Indigenous women, girls, and Two-spirit peoples.

We encourage all people involved in research to read both the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action and the In Plain Sight Report , and reflect on ways we can incorporate the recommendations into our work. As we gather in spaces together, we encourage you to reflect on your positionality on these lands and your personal commitments to reconciliation.

Scientific Advisory Board Research Funding & Grant Development BC Perinatal Data Registry – Data Access Requests WHRI Summer Scholar Series BC Women’s Hospital Research Rounds WHRI Lunch & Learn Series Annual Women’s Health Research Symposium @WomensResearch Wellness Exchange Scientific Advisory Board Research Funding & Grant Development BC Perinatal Data Registry – Data Access Requests WHRI Summer Scholar Series BC Women’s Hospital Research Rounds WHRI Lunch & Learn Series Annual Women’s Health Research Symposium @WomensResearch Wellness Exchange