BC Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network

Project Idea in Hand

• Prepare carefully for proposal development
• Read all relevant literature thoroughly
• Invest time in preparation and begin several months prior to any funding deadline

Identify an Agency with a Mandate that Encompasses Your Project Idea

• Your project should further the mission of the agency to which you are applying – match proposal to agency goals
• Ensure your proposal fits within the funding guidelines and specific competition priorities
• Carefully review the eligibility requirements
• If you are in doubt, contact the agency directly to clarify your eligibility or special requirements

How to Find Out About Funding

• Talk to your colleagues and take advantage of their wealth of resources
  • Ask your mentor, chair, or director
  • Meet with your research office staff

• Subscribe to a listserv
  • Some sponsors provide Request for Application (RFA) notification - e.g., :
    • Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR): News for Researchers
    • Vancouver Foundation: mailing list for Grants and Community Initiatives Program
    • Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHEOS): receive grant alerts - available to Providence Health Care clinicians and researchers

• Actively search online for funding

How to Search for Funding Online

• Use Funding Databases: when you are unsure which agency is most appropriate
  • Search by keywords (e.g., diabetes, pollution, child health)
  • Some examples of funding databases you can search:
    • A broad environmental or occupational health focus: BCEOHRN
    • An Aboriginal focus: First Nations Environmental Health Innovation Network
    • Global in scope: Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research - Funding Road Map

• Search specific organizations when you know where your project idea best fits
  • Examples include the following, where you would search an agency’s funding page for opportunities:
    • Heart & Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon
    • National Cancer Institute
    • Vancouver Foundation 

     

Need assistance? Contact Dr. Tanya Wahbe, Research Capacity Development Officer.

Toolkit Continued: Getting Started with Small Grants

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