Voluntary Sector Knowledge Mobilization Support Grant 2025-2026

A CIHR Institute of Aging (IA) program

Important dates
2025-10-27 Application launch date
2025-12-22 Application deadline
2026-02-27 Anticipated notification of decision
2026-03-01 Funding start date

Table of contents

Description

The CIHR Institute of Aging Voluntary Sector Knowledge Mobilization Support Grant is a knowledge mobilization award that recognizes and supports exceptional groups working in non-profit and voluntary sector in their knowledge mobilization efforts in the area of aging.

The CIHR Institute of Aging is dedicated to fostering excellence and innovation in aging research, and to catalyzing the application of research findings to policies, practices and programs that provide real-world benefit. The Institute aims to position Canada as a global leader in ensuring that initiatives designed to improve the health of older adults take advantage of timely research evidence.

Research areas

The CIHR Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA) will support projects that are relevant to one of the Institute of Aging's Strategic Directions as outlined in the CIHR-IA Strategic Plan 2023-2028: Reframing Aging - Empowering Older Adults.

Funds available

CIHR and partner(s) financial contributions for this initiative are subject to availability of funds. Should CIHR or partner(s) funding levels not be available or are decreased 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 $90,000, enough to fund six (6) awards. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate. The maximum amount per award is $15,000 for up to one (1) year.

Objectives

The objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

  1. Support Canadian registered charities and/or non-profit organizations working in the field of aging by helping them share useful knowledge with people who would benefit from being informed.
  2. Enhance collaboration in the non-profit and voluntary sector, where knowledge users are involved throughout the research cycle, leading to more relevant and impactful knowledge products and interventions that improve the health and wellbeing of all Canadians as they age.

Eligibility

For an application to be eligible:

  1. The applicant organization must be a registered charity or non-profit organization in Canada with alignment to one of the CIHR-IA Strategic Research Directions.
  2. Eligible organizations include all non-profit groups, health charities, non-governmental health policy regulators, and foundations.
  3. Academic researchers, public and private sector organizations may participate in the projects, however, the Nominated Principal Applicant must be from the voluntary sector.
  4. Applications can be submitted by a single eligible organization or in partnership.
  5. Applicant organizations can only receive this award once every three-years.

Guidelines

General CIHR policies

Before submitting an application to this funding opportunity, applicants should review the relevant policies and guidelines on the CIHR Funding Policies page to ensure understanding of their responsibilities and expectations.

Allowable costs

Applicants should review the Use of Grant Funds section of the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) Financial Administration Guide for requirements regarding allowable costs and activities.

Note: This funding opportunity is not intended to provide support for consensus meetings, planning and/or development meetings, networking and partnership development events.

Conditions of funding

  • The applicants must consent to the use and disclosure of full application and nominative information at the time of application, for purposes of relevance review and/or funding decisions by the relevant sponsors.
  • The Nominated Principal Applicant will be required to submit a final report which will include a KM story to share on the CIHR Institute of Aging webpage. Requirements for this report will be provided by CIHR's Institute of Aging.
  • The Nominated Principal Applicant will be required to contribute to the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes by participating in evaluation studies, surveys, workshops, audits, and by providing data or reports as required for the purpose of collecting information to assess progress and results.
  • In alignment with CIHR's Strategic Plan 2021-2031, CIHR is focused on advancing the science and practice of knowledge mobilization (KM). You are requested to provide content which may be disseminated and amplified through CIHR's various channels (e.g. website, newsletter, social media).

Review process and evaluation

Relevance review process

The CIHR Institute of Aging will perform a relevance review to identify applications that are in alignment with the objectives and research areas of this funding opportunity.

The following criteria will be used in conducting the relevance review:

Applications that are not deemed to be relevant will be withdrawn from the competition.

Review process and evaluation criteria

To support the strategic objectives of this funding opportunity, the following evaluation criteria will be used:

  • Partnerships: The quality of the engagement strategy in the Knowledge Mobilization (KM) Plan to enhance knowledge on health and aging and foster partnerships that improve the health of Canadians and/or the health and social care system and its appropriateness for the target audience.
  • Knowledge Products and Activities: The clarity, quality, and appropriateness of the planned use of KM products and activities to communicate health and aging research and its benefits to a specific targeted audience.
  • Outcome and Impact Clarity: The extent to which outcomes and impact are clearly defined, measurable, and well-articulated within the KM Plan.

Funding decision

Applications will be funded from the top down in order of ranking.

The opportunity to add new partners and internal collaborators to this funding opportunity may arise after publication. These partners and internal collaborators may not be listed; however, the principles that govern relevance review, including consent to share information and funding decisions, will still apply.

How to apply

Note: The application process for this funding opportunity does not use ResearchNet.

To complete your application, follow the instructions below.

All participants listed, with the exception of collaborators, are required to:

The application form below must be duly completed, signed, and submitted by the deadline.

CIHR Institute of Aging Voluntary Sector Knowledge Mobilization Support Grant Application Form [ (PDF, 214 KB) ]

Instructions on how to fill out the application are included within the form. Failure to follow these instructions, and those contained within the application form may result in your application being rejected. Incomplete applications will not be considered for funding.

Note: We strongly recommend that applicants encrypt their application form prior to submission.

Contact information

For all inquiries, please contact:
Ariane Geerts
Scientific Project Manager
CIHR Institute of Aging
ariane.geerts@cihr-irsc.gc.caa

Sponsor description

CIHR - Institute of Aging (IA)
The CIHR Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA) mandate is to support research, to promote healthy aging and to address causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with aging. By championing an inclusive approach to research excellence that considers health across the lifespan and addresses social and structural determinants of health, CIHR-IA funds evidence-based research that informs public policy, programs and services.

IA's mission is to advance training, research and knowledge mobilization to maintain and improve the health and wellbeing of all Canadians as they age. CIHR-IA promotes the inclusion of age, aging and the role of persons with lived and living experiences and their caregivers in the entire research ecosystem.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research
At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), we know that research has the power to change lives. As Canada's health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system.

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