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Funding callMedicine and clinical research · Canada

CIHR Project Grant – Spring 2027 competition

The CIHR Project Grant Spring 2027 competition supports investigator-initiated health research in any area, with registration due on 3 February 2027 and the application deadline on 3 March 2027. This guide covers research areas consistent with the scheme, eligibility and readiness checks, project ideas and points to confirm in the funding opportunity on ResearchNet.

Pubrica InsightsEditorial team, reviewed by a subject specialist
Next deadline
3 March 2027
Last checked
10 November 2026
Funder
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Sources
1
Apply through the official call

Key dates

Application deadline
3 March 2027
Details last checked
10 November 2026
Apply through the official call

About the call

Funder
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Country
Canada
Scheme type
Project grant
Funding
~CAD 800M total across the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 Project Grant competitions
Eligibility
Investigator-initiated health research in any area; registration is due 3 February 2027 and Nominated Principal Applicants may submit no more than two applications per competition.
Scope
Medicine and clinical research

Topics consistent with the call

  • Biomedical research on disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets
  • Clinical research and trials evaluating diagnosis or treatment
  • Health services and policy research on care delivery and access
  • Population and public health research on determinants of health
  • Indigenous health research developed in partnership with communities
  • Knowledge translation and implementation of evidence in practice

Based on the published scope; the official page sets out the full themes and requirements.

Is your work a fit? Check before you apply

  1. The Nominated Principal Applicant and team meet CIHR eligibility requirements.
  2. Registration is completed by 3 February 2027.
  3. The Nominated Principal Applicant is within the limit of two applications for this competition.
  4. The proposal sets out clear objectives, methods and a realistic budget and timeline.
  5. A complete, institutionally approved application is submitted before 3 March 2027.

Why This Funding Call Matters

The Project Grant programme is CIHR’s main open competition for investigator-initiated research, covering the full spectrum of health research from fundamental science to population health. Because it is not restricted to a priority theme, it gives researchers the opportunity to pursue questions they judge most important in their field. With a substantial combined budget across the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 competitions, it is a central funding route for health research in Canada.

Who Should Apply

Academic backgrounds

  • Biomedical sciences
  • Clinical research
  • Health services and policy research
  • Population and public health
  • Indigenous health research

Institutions and sectors

  • Canadian universities
  • Academic health science centres and hospitals
  • Research institutes
  • Community and Indigenous health organisations

What Reviewers Typically Value

  1. A clearly significant research question with potential to advance knowledge or health outcomes.
  2. A feasible approach with suitable methods, expertise and resources.
  3. Strong rationale built on preliminary data or a sound review of existing evidence.
  4. Thoughtful consideration of sex, gender and other identity factors where relevant.

Ideas You Could Develop

Primary care deprescribing trialA cluster randomised trial of a deprescribing intervention for older adults with polypharmacy in primary care.
Mechanisms of antimicrobial resistanceA laboratory project characterising genetic mechanisms of resistance in clinically important bacterial pathogens.
Virtual care access studyA mixed-methods study of equity in access to virtual care across rural and urban populations.

Your Plan to the Deadline

A suggested schedule working back from 3 March 2027. Adjust it to the stage your work has reached.

  1. By 6 Jan 2027

    Read the call documents; confirm eligibility, budget limits, assessment criteria and institutional requirements.

  2. By 20 Jan 2027

    Agree the research question, aims, team and partners; contact your research office.

  3. By 3 Feb 2027

    Draft the case for support, methods, impact and budget.

  4. By 17 Feb 2027

    Obtain internal review, letters of support and institutional sign-off.

  5. By 26 Feb 2027

    Final checks against the funder’s guidance and formatting rules.

  6. By 3 Mar 2027

    Submit through the funder’s system before the deadline.

What you gain

  • Funding for the research, team and resources it needs.
  • Recognition from a competitive, peer-reviewed process.
  • Reviewer feedback that strengthens future applications.
  • A track record for larger grants and fellowships.

What happens after you apply

  1. Eligibility check: the funder confirms the application meets the call rules.
  2. Peer review: external reviewers assess the proposal against the published criteria.
  3. Panel: a committee ranks proposals; some schemes include an interview.
  4. Decision: outcomes are released on the funder’s timetable.
  5. Award: successful applicants agree terms and reporting requirements before starting.

What the Funder Are Looking For

CIHR is looking for investigator-initiated research that advances health-related knowledge, health care, health systems or health outcomes, across any area of health research. Proposals are likely to be assessed on the significance of the question, the feasibility of the approach and the expertise of the team. Applicants should confirm eligibility, application limits, budget rules and evaluation criteria in the official funding opportunity before registering.

Read the official pageThis guide summarises the opportunity. Confirm deadlines, eligibility and requirements on the official page before you plan your work, and record the date you checked it.Open the official page

Expert help

How Pubrica Can Help

Pubrica’s subject specialists can help you prepare a competitive proposal, planned back from the deadline. You remain the author of your work.

Grant writingProposal writing structured to the funder’s guidance and assessment criteria. Literature review and gap analysisThe evidence base and the gap your proposal addresses. Study designStudy design and methods that reviewers can assess. Statistical analysis planSample size and analysis plans for the proposal. Data management planData management and sharing plans to funder requirements. Proposal editingEditing of the full proposal for clarity and consistency.
Go to the official page

FAQs

Questions Researchers Ask

The next published deadline is 3 March 2027. Dates can change, so confirm them on the official page before you plan your work.

The competition indicates that Nominated Principal Applicants may submit no more than two applications. Applicants should confirm the current limits and any other restrictions in the official funding opportunity.

Investigator-initiated health research in any area; registration is due 3 February 2027 and Nominated Principal Applicants may submit no more than two applications per competition. Confirm the full eligibility rules in the call documents.

Yes. Pubrica’s specialists can review, write, edit and format your proposal. You remain the author and the person responsible for the submission.

Sources

  1. Canadian Institutes of Health Research. (2026). CIHR Project Grant – Spring 2027 competition. Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://www.researchnet-recherchenet.ca/rnr16/vwOpprtntyDtls.do?progCd=11435&language=E&org=CIHR

How to cite this page

Pubrica Insights. (2026). CIHR Project Grant – Spring 2027 competition. Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/insights/calls-and-conferences/cihr-project-grant-spring-2027-competition/

  • CIHR
  • Project Grant
  • Health research
  • Canada
  • Research funding

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CIHR Project Grant – Spring 2027 competitionNext deadline 3 March 2027

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