Notice of Upcoming Funding Opportunity: CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award 2025

Introduction

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of the CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award (2025).

This funding opportunity is a collaboration between the CIHR Institutes of Infection and Immunity; Indigenous Peoples’ Health; Aging; Cancer Research; Circulatory and Respiratory Health; Gender and Health; Health Services and Policy Research; Human Development, Child and Youth Health; Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction; Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis; Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes; Population and Public Health; the Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies; and the CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative, in partnership with Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and Breakthrough T1D Canada.

Overview

The REDI program is intended to advance scientific excellence and foster diversity in Canada’s research ecosystem. It is a two-phase program designed to support trainees from underrepresented groups^{Footnote 1} who are aiming to launch an independent research career in Canada, and would benefit from 1-3 years of structured, mentored development to support that transition. Building on the success of the 2022 launch, which supported career transitions for racialized women and Black people (who are among the most underrepresented populations in Canadian faculties), the 2025 launch expands its focus to include racialized gender-diverse people and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

Awardees will begin seeking an independent research faculty position during the mentored Phase 1 and are expected to transition to this position, marking the start of Phase 2, within 3 years of the funding start date.

REDI 2025 will support applicants through two distinct streams:

• Stream A for trainees who self-identify as Black (any gender), racialized women, or racialized gender-diverse people, and
• Stream B for trainees who self-identify as First Nations, Inuit, Métis scholars (any gender).

Objectives

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

1. Promote research independence and academic research career readiness of highly qualified trainees, such as post-doctoral researchers, clinicians and PhD-holding research associates, belonging to underrepresented groups;^{Footnote 1}
2. Increase the number of funded researchers from underrepresented groups conducting excellent research who secure their first independent research faculty position in a Canadian academic, health system or research institution; and
3. Provide researchers from underrepresented groups with early career support to enhance their probability of future success in obtaining independent research funding and launching successful research careers in Canada that will contribute to the creation and/or use of health-related knowledge to improve the health of people in Canada.

Webinars

CIHR will be hosting webinars to inform participants about the requirements of this funding opportunity and to answer questions. Find out more information on the webinars page once the funding opportunity is launched.

Partner Linkage Tool

CIHR is providing a Partner Linkage Tool that is intended to facilitate connections between researchers and mentors/mentorship networks should there be interest. Find out more information on the ResearchNet page once the funding opportunity is launched.

Funds Available

The total amount available for this funding opportunity is anticipated to be $34,500,000, enough to fund approximately fifty (50) awards and fifty (50) Community Engagement and Knowledge Mobilization supplements.

The maximum amount per award is anticipated to be $660,000 for up to 6 years, funded through two specific phases:

• At Phase 1 (mentored phase), the maximum amount per award is $90,000 per year for up to three (3) years, for a total of up to $270,000.
  • $20,000 per year for the research allowance
  • $70,000 per year for the stipend
• At Phase 2 (independent phase), the maximum amount per award is $120,000 per year for up to three (3) years if the NPA spends three (3) years in Phase 1 or up to four (4) years if the NPA spends two (2) years in Phase 1.

$1,500,000 is available in Community Engagement and Knowledge Mobilization supplementary funding. Each successful applicant can receive up to $5,000 per year in additional funding, for up to six (6) years, for a total additional amount of $30,000 per award.

Research Areas

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

• General Funding Pool: will support 16 applications that focus on health-related research across CIHR’s mandate (includes health research to advance fundamental or applied knowledge across CIHR’s four pillars of health research [biomedical; clinical, health services; social, cultural, environmental, and population health]).
• Specific Funding Pools: In addition to the General funding pool, partners have allocated funding to applications that meet their respective relevant research areas:
  • Aging
  • Cancer
  • Cerebrovascular and Cardiovascular Health
  • Sex, Gender and Health
  • Health Services and Policy Research
  • Infection and Immunity
  • Human Development, Child and Youth Health
  • HIV AIDS and STBBI
  • Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies
  • Musculoskeletal Health
  • Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
  • Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes
  • Population and Public Health
  • Type 1 Diabetes

Anticipated Timelines

Launch: Early October 2025
Information session #1 for applicants: November 2025
Information session #2 for applicants: Late January 2026
Q&A session for applicants: March 2026
Application Deadline: June 2026
Notice of Decision: January 2027
Funding Start Date: February 2027

The official CIHR funding opportunity will be posted on ResearchNet in the coming weeks.

For a full list of CIHR funding opportunities, please visit ResearchNet.

Date modified:

2025-08-27