IMPaCT Training Awards
IMPaCT training awards facilitate participation in a 1-year immersive learning experience with assigned mentors and deliverables. The program is designed to give you the skills and network to design, conduct, and communicate about high-quality, patient-centered, and equitable clinical trials for babies, children, youth, and people who are pregnant, lactating, or planning to become pregnant.
For the 2027–28 competition, awards of $10,000 are available to Doctoral Students, Postdoctoral Fellows, Early Career Researchers, or Clinical Fellows/Faculty who are enrolled in a Master’s program for the duration of the fellowship.
Applications for the 2027–28 competition open August 1, 2026!
Training awards: To be eligible for a 2027-28 training award, your application must meet the criteria of at least one of the funding partners listed below.
➡️ Canadian Neurodevelopmental Research Training Platform (CanNRT) will fund (1) Doctoral Student or Postdoctoral Fellow training award for a project focused on neurodevelopmental and associated conditions. The successful applicant must attend CanNRT’s Summer School (fulfils immersive learning requirement).
➡️ Garry Hurvitz Centre for Brain and Mental Health (GH-CBMH) will fund (1) training award, at any eligible career stage, for a project focused on pediatric brain and mental health.
➡️ Pediatric Outcome imProvement through COordination of Research Networks (POPCORN) will fund (2) training awards, at any eligible career stage, for projects aligned with their mandate and at least one pillar network. Successful applicants must attend POPCORN’s Annual Meeting (fulfils immersive learning requirement).
➡️ Pediatric Rare Disease Clinical Trials and Treatment Network (RareKids-CAN) will fund (2) training awards, at any eligible career stage, for a project focused on pediatric rare diseases, including a dedicated award for Black or Indigenous applicants.
➡️ Research Manitoba will fund (1) training award for an application from Manitoba at any eligible career stage.
➡️ SPIKE Hub will fund (4) training awards for applicants from Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba for trainees, clinicians, and community-based researchers to be ready to design, lead, and conduct inclusive, equity-focused clinical trials that address the needs and priorities of diverse populations affected by HIV and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs).
➡️ IMPaCT will fund two training awards for applicants who identify as Black or Indigenous at any eligible career stage.
*Additional funding partners may be added - check back soon for updates.*
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Direct support ($10,000 CAD) to enable your full participation in the IMPaCT Program
Dedicated 3-on-1 mentorship team, including academic and youth or parent mentors
A well-developed funding application for a pediatric or perinatal clinical trial
Knowledge and skills aligned with key competencies in trial design, engagement, operations, and communications
Hands on experiential learning and professional development. Covers fees and costs for up to 3 immersive learning placements per fellow valued at $2,500)
Access to a cross-sectoral mentorship network of academic, youth, and parent partners
Summit registration, travel, and accommodations for professional development and national networking (valued at $2,500)
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Location of awardee: The award must be held at a Canadian Academic Institution, and/or research institute or hospital affiliated with a Canadian University.
Career stage: Candidates must be enrolled in a doctoral program, in a postdoctoral program (any year of program), an Early Career Researcher (defined using CIHR definitions at the time of accepting the award), or a clinical fellow or faculty member enrolled in a Master’s program for the duration of the IMPaCT fellowship.
Citizenship: This program is open to Canadians and permanent residents of Canada.
Eligible clinical trial questions: As the primary IMPaCT fellowship deliverable is to develop a funding proposal for a new trial, the clinical trial question you submit must be in the idea/protocol development phase. The population must either include children (neonates to 18 years old) or include people who are pregnant or in the postpartum period or who are trying to become pregnant. The condition must be specific/relevant to pregnancy or postpartum or use a novel design to otherwise include pregnant people. The intervention can be any type (drug, behavioural, vaccine, device) and can include any trial phase including early phase and pragmatic trials. Adaptive and innovative approaches are encouraged!
If you have questions about your eligibility, email us at impactrials@gmail.com
Note: IMPaCT adheres to the ECR criteria, which stipulates that individuals should be within 5 years of their first independent research-related appointment as per CIHR (https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/34190.html) with related extensions for e.g., parental leave and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Documents to support your application are available in the IMPaCT shared folder.
CV: Your CV must use the Tri-agency narrative CV and submit as a PDF. Other formats will not be reviewed. The template is available in the IMPaCT shared folder.
Letter of support: A maximum 2 page letter signed by the primary supervisor (for PhD students, Postdocs) or Department Head (for ECRs and Clinical Fellows/Faculty) describing: (1) Their commitment towards the candidate's researchtraining and endorsement of the candidate, (2) The space, facilities and personnel support, including the interdisciplinary nature of the training environment in relation to clinical trials, (3) How the award funding will be used to ensure that the learner can fully participate in the IMPaCT core curriculum, deliverables and IMPaCT summit.
Trial question: As the primary IMPaCT fellowship deliverable is to develop a funding proposal for a new trial, the clinical trial question you submit must be in the idea/protocol development phase. The population must either include children (neonates to 18 years old) or include people who are pregnant or in the postpartum period or who are trying to become pregnant. The condition must be specific/relevant to pregnancy or postpartum or use a novel design to otherwise include pregnant people. The intervention can be any type (drug, behavioural, vaccine, device) and can include any trial phase, including early phase and pragmatic trials. Adaptive and innovative approaches are encouraged!
EDI-I questionnaire: IMPaCT is committed to increasing representation amongst the clinical trials landscape in Canada. All IMPaCT mentors and applicants must complete and submit the EDI questionnaire. You may choose not to self-identify by selecting the option "I prefer not to answer".
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Please see our IMPaCT training award evaluation criteria in the shared folder that will be used to score each complete application received. Applicants will receive de-identified comments from the review committee.
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All applications are to be submitted by October 16, 2026 at 5pm central in English or French. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
