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CIHR Strategic Master's Award

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

The CIHR Strategic Master's Award program, supported by CIHR Institutes and Initiatives, provides financial support to students who are enrolled in or have applied to an eligible master's program in Canada that is relevant to specific CIHR priority research areas. This support allows these students to concentrate on their studies in their chosen fields.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

CIHR is committed to supporting a research environment that reflects the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion, and honors its commitment to reconciliation by strengthening the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. Achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to advance knowledge and understanding, and to responding to local, national and global challenges. Beyond efforts to bolster EDI, CIHR recognizes that First Nations, Métis and Inuit are rights-holding as First Peoples of Canada, and initiatives should be developed through distinctions-based approaches, as found in the strategic plan Setting new directions to support Indigenous research and research training in Canada.

Research Areas

This funding opportunity will support projects relevant to the following research areas:

Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Health Data Sciences
- Projects must focus on advancing the field of Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Health Data Science in genetics and genomics.
- Note that projects focusing on the use of computational biology tools rather than their development will not be deemed eligible for this award.
- Applications that address health equity, sex and gender and/or Indigenous health and wellness issues are encouraged.
- More information on the research priorities of the CIHR Genomics Data & Capacity-Building Initiative can be found on its website.
Sex and Gender in Health Research
- Project must be relevant to the Institute of Gender and Health's (IGH) mandate and research priorities as outlined in the Research Priority Plan and must align with at least one of the following:
  - Advancing intersectionality in sex and gender science
  - Understanding sex and gender mechanisms and processes
  - Sex and gender science for health equity in priority communities
- Applicants must comment on the integration of intersectionality, if applicable.
- Applications that address Indigenous health and wellness issues and/or population groups experiencing health inequities must also elaborate on the applicant's ability to engage meaningfully and in a culturally safe way with these communities.
- More information is available in the Research Priority Plan.
First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Health
- Project must focus on First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Health and Indigenous Health in accordance with the Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health's (IIPH) mandate to advance a national health research agenda to improve and promote the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Canada, through research, knowledge translation and capacity building. The Institute's pursuit of research excellence is enhanced by respect for community research priorities and Indigenous knowledges, values and cultures.
- More information on the research priorities of CIHR-IIPH can be found on their website.

Funds Available

CIHR and partner(s) financial contributions are subject to availability of funds. Should CIHR or partner(s) funding levels not be available or decrease due to unforeseen circumstances, CIHR and partner(s) reserve the right to reduce, defer or suspend financial contributions to awards received as a result of this funding opportunity.

The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $459,000, enough to fund approximately 17 awards. The maximum amount per award is $27,000 per year for up to one (1) year.
Of this $459,000:
- $270,000 is available from the CIHR Genomics Data & Capacity-Building Initiative to fund ten (10) applications relevant to Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Health Data Sciences;
- $81,000 is available from IGH to fund three (3) applications relevant to Sex and Gender in Health Research;
- $108,000 is available from IIPH to fund four (4) applications relevant to First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Health.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1️⃣ High Scientific Excellence & Rigorous Methodology (Most Important)

CIHR reviewers heavily weight methodological rigor, including:

Strong theoretical framework

Clear hypotheses or research questions

Robust study design

Adequate controls, power calculations, and statistics

Reproducibility & transparency practices

Clear milestones and contingency plans

Predictor: Methodological strength is the #1 determinant across all CIHR committees.

2️⃣ Strong Significance & Clear Health Impact for Canadians

CIHR prioritizes research that benefits:

The health of people living in Canada

Canadian healthcare systems and policies

Vulnerable or underserved populations

Chronic disease burdens in Canadian demographics

Predictor: Clear articulation of Canadian relevance dramatically improves scores.

3️⃣ Feasible, Focused, Achievable Objectives

Successful CIHR proposals:

Have 2–3 well-defined aims

Present realistic deliverables within the grant period

Include detailed methodologies for each aim

Avoid overambitious or unfocused scope

Demonstrate precise timeline and project management

Predictor: Feasibility + clarity of approach = high reviewer confidence.

4️⃣ Strong Investigator Track Record & Appropriate Team Expertise

Reviewers value:

Publications relevant to the field

Prior successful funding

Expertise aligned to each aim

Multi-disciplinary teams (clinicians, statisticians, biomedical scientists, policy experts)

For early-career investigators: mentorship, protected time, and institutional support

Predictor: A well-matched, credible team is essential.

5️⃣ Compelling Preliminary Data (especially for Project Grants)

Highly competitive CIHR proposals commonly include:

Pilot experiments or feasibility data

Retrospective analyses

Early mechanistic insights

Proof-of-concept findings

For high-risk or exploratory programs, strong rationale can substitute, but evidence is still preferred.

Predictor: Preliminary data significantly boosts chances.

6️⃣ Strong Integration of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

CIHR explicitly evaluates EDI in:

Team composition

Training environment

Research design (sex, gender, intersectionality, inclusive sampling)

Barriers to participation or recruitment

Engagement with under-represented or Indigenous populations

Predictor: Meaningful EDI integration is essential; weak EDI sections lower scores.

7️⃣ Clear Knowledge Translation (KT) & Dissemination Plan

CIHR places high value on:

How findings will reach clinicians, policymakers, communities, or the public

Realistic KT activities (briefs, publications, engagement, partnerships)

Integrated knowledge translation when applicable (co-design with stakeholders)

Predictor: Strong KT plan with defined stakeholders and products.

8️⃣ Alignment With CIHR Priority Areas (If Applying Under Strategic Calls)

High success when aligned with:

Indigenous health

Digital health & AI

Aging and dementia

Chronic disease (cancer, cardiovascular, neurological)

Rare disease

Implementation science

Mental health, substance use

Health system strengthening

Predictor: Direct strategic alignment increases competitiveness.

9️⃣ Access to Required Data, Cohorts, Facilities, or Patient Populations

CIHR reviewers look for feasibility evidence:

Confirmed clinical recruitment sites

Existing cohort or biobank access

Computational / lab infrastructure

Letters of support verifying data access

Agreements for collaboration or sharing

Predictor: Proven resource availability reduces perceived risk.

🔟 Well-Justified, Realistic Budget

Successful budgets:

Are lean and proportional to aims

Avoid unnecessary equipment or inflated salaries

Align with Canadian Tri-Council rules

Include justification for trainees, supplies, analyses

Predictor: A clear, efficient budget strengthens feasibility.

🚫 COMMON PITFALLS (Reasons CIHR Applications Fail)

Pitfall	Why It Hurts
Vague or overly ambitious aims	Feasibility concerns
Weak or missing preliminary data	Too speculative
Poor methodology or unclear analytic plan	Low rigor
Minimal relevance to Canadian health	Weak significance
Poor EDI integration	Fails mandatory criteria
No KT or weak dissemination plan	Low potential impact
Unclear roles of team members	Execution risk
Overinflated budget	Reviewer concerns

Specialties

Public Health

Eligibility Requirements

For an application to be eligible, all the requirements stated below must be met.

The applicant must:
1. be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) as of the application deadline date.
2. be enrolled in or have applied for full-time admission (or full-time equivalent)* to an eligible master's program of study at a Canadian institution (see Conditions of Funding):
  - Program of study eligibility: An eligible master's program must include a significant research component that leads to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital and/or exhibit that is merit/expert-reviewed at the institutional level as a requirement for completion of the program.
    - Joint programs (equivalent to a master's level) with a professional degree for example, MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/MA, JD/PhD, MBA/PhD, MA/MBA) as well as clinically oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, are eligible if they have a significant autonomous research component, as described above.
    - Master's programs that are based only on course work are not eligible since they do not include a significant research component, as described above.
3. have completed, as of December 31, 2025:
  - a maximum of 18 months of full-time studies (or full-time equivalent)* with a minimum of 12 months of study remaining upon award activation in the program for which the applicant is requesting funding**, which may be one of the following:
    - a master's program
    - a combined master's-doctoral program
    - a master's program that will transition to an eligible doctoral program, either before or after award activation, with no master's degree conferred (fast-track)
4. complete one of CIHR's three interactive modules on sex and gender in research and include the completion certificate with their application (see Application Instructions for details).
For the purpose of this funding opportunity, applicants cannot hold or be on leave from an independent research position.
The applicant must identify a Primary Supervisor on the application. The Primary Supervisor must be affiliated with the institution where the applicant's master's studies will be conducted.
Applicants may also submit an application to the Canada Graduate Research Scholarships – Master's program (CGRS-M) from either CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC for the same academic year, but cannot be holding both awards.
Applicants must select at least one (1), and up to a maximum of three (3) funding pools (see research areas). Each selected pool will require the completion of a Relevance Form (see Application Instructions for details on how to provide this form).

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 234 Laurier Ave West, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9

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