Supporting research excellence through funding and grant opportunities.
BRC Grants
Lilly George Travel Award
In honour of Mrs. Lily George, this award will assist budding neuroscientists, who are senior level Dalhousie undergraduates in neuroscience, psychology, or biochemistry by providing funding to travel to a brain-related science conference in Canada or the USA. The award can be used for, but not limited to, the cost of registration, transport, accommodation, and food in accordance with department criteria.
The recipient will have demonstrated research excellence, intellectual, curiosity, originality, and rigor, and will show promise to become an independent researcher. Furthermore, the recipient should be a good communicator, both in oral settings and in written work, and should value cooperation and collegial interaction.
Call for 2025 applications are open. Closing date is August 7th. Click here to download fillable form.
In 2013, we introduced funding for Knowledge Translation (KT), Research Dissemination & Commercialization (RD&C), and Discovery (D). Since then, we have awarded $270,000, which in addition to funding specific research projects, has leveraged additional funds by those researchers in excess of $3 million.
In late 2022, the KT grant program was modified and renamed as the Innovation Grant program.
Innovation Grants (formerly KT grants)
The BRC Innovation Grant Program is designed to move discoveries and inventions along the path to commercialization — with a view to attract new investment, create new neuroscience-based businesses, organizations and initiatives and to improve neurological health outcomes for Nova Scotians and Canadians. It provides funding for example, for proof-of-principle, pre-commercialization research projects, market research.
Click here for a list of KT/Innovation Grant program recipients.
List of Publications associated with BRC innovation Grants (coming soon).
*2025 Call for Submissions is now closed.
Research Dissemination & Commercialization (RD&C) Grants
The RD&C Grant Program supports events and meetings that are international in nature, that contribute to the dissemination, exchange and commercialization of research aimed at improving brain and neurological health outcomes for Nova Scotians and Canadians.
Click here for a list of RD&C Grant program recipients.
*2025 Call for Submissions is now closed.click here for details.
Discovery Grants
The Brain Repair Centre Discovery (BRC-D) Grant was designed to stimulate creative ideas and innovative research projects with the potential to generate important new discoveries. Funding was provided by the QEII Foundation in 2016 to allow successful applicants to pursue answers to clinically-relevant neuroscience questions so that findings may be applied to improve brain health and neurological outcomes for Nova Scotians and Canadians.
In order for future Discovery Grants to be awarded, the BRC requires funding or sponsorship. For more information about how you can support the future of the BRC-D Grant Program, contact Eleanor Seaman-Bolton.
2022 DMRF Graduate Studentships for Medical Neuroscience Research
The 2022 DMRF Graduate Studentships for Medical Neuroscience Research were awarded to support trainees in the Brain Repair Centre in pursuit of a MSc or PhD degree, whose research falls under the umbrella of neuroscience. Candidates were expected to show high potential for future research achievement and productivity. Funding was made possible by DMRF and five trainees received awards starting in September 2022.
Other Grants (non-BRC)
Personnel Awards for Women's Heart and/or Brain Health
Brain Canada and Heart & Stroke are pleased to launch the 2026/27 Personnel Awards Women's Heart and Brain Health
The objective of this competition is to increase the number of researchers and clinician-scientists in Canadian universities and research institutions devoted specifically to women’s heart and/or brain health and, in so doing, expand research initiatives in this field. Women include cisgender and transgender women, and trans and non-binary people with shared health experiences but who may not identify as women.
In the context of this award, heart and/or brain health research encompasses research addressing conditions, including neurological, that affect the cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular health of people living in Canada. This could include research focused on prevention, treatment, and/or recovery related to heart conditions, stroke, vascular cognitive impairment, and mental health in relation to these conditions.
2026/27 Postdoctoral Personnel Awards for Women’s Heart and/or Brain Health (WPA-PDF)
Brain Canada and Heart & Stroke are supporting the 2026/27 Postdoctoral Personnel Awards for Women’s Heart and/or Brain Health (“WPA-PDF”) in committing up to a total of $400,000.
The stipends awarded will be up to $140,000 CAD ($70,000 per year for up to two (2) years enabling Postdoctoral Fellows and/or Clinical Fellows to pursue their program of research and engage with mentors as part of their training.
Click here to view the Submission Guidelines.
Deadline for receipt of Applications: October 2, 2025 15:00 ET
2026/27 Doctoral Personnel Awards for Women’s Heart and/or Brain
Health (WPA-PhD)
Heart & Stroke and Brain Canada are supporting the 2026/27 Doctoral Personnel Awards for Women’s Heart and/or Brain Health (“WPA-PhD”) in committing up to a total of $400,000.
The stipends awarded will be up to $120,000 CAD ($40,000 per year for up to three (3) years) enabling Doctoral trainees to pursue their program of research and engage with mentors as part of their training.
Click here to view the Submission Guidelines. Deadline for receipt of Applications: October 2, 2025 15:00 ET
Evidence clearly shows that increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in research environments enhances excellence, innovation, and creativity. Brain Canada is committed to excellence through equity, and we encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply to our funding opportunities, which will promote the expression of diverse perspectives, approaches, and experiences, including those of underrepresented groups.
Should you have any questions, please contact research@heartandstroke.ca
This program has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada), Brain Canada Foundation, and Heart & Stroke.
Brain Canada and Krembil Foundation Accelerator Grants: Neurodegeneration x Immunology
Brain Canada and Krembil Foundation are excited to announce the launch of the Accelerator Grants: Neurodegeneration x Immunology program!
This team grant aims to support innovative, bold, and exploratory research to understand the role of the immune system in neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and/or Huntington’s disease. The program will fund experimental research, in the early conceptual or fundamental stages, with potential to provide insights on disease pathogenesis, progression, diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment. Preference will be given to projects with novel hypotheses or unconventional approaches that, if successful, could shift existing paradigms and open newlines of inquiry for the field.
Projects must explore the role of immune mechanisms and how they contribute to and/or modulate neurodegeneration. Examples of immune mechanisms include, but are not limited to, the role of innate or adaptive immunity, neuroinflammation, central or peripheral immune responses, interaction between the nervous system and immune system in aging, or the gut-immune–brain axis.
Recognizing that groundbreaking ideas require diverse perspectives, this opportunity will support multidisciplinary research teams that bring together needed expertise in neuroscience and immunology along with other fields of study. Early career researchers are encouraged to apply, and researchers studying the immune system in other neurological diseases are invited to transfer their expertise to the neurodegenerative diseases covered in this funding opportunity. It is anticipated that this funding will catalyze new insights and support the generation of preliminary data and/or tools to provide teams and the field with new research directions.
Evidence clearly shows that increasing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in research environments enhances excellence, innovation and creativity. We are committed to excellence through equity and encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply to this funding opportunity, which will promote the expression of diverse perspectives, approaches, and experiences, including those of underrepresented groups.
For more information, please consult the Request for Applications.
Deadline for receipt of Registration Forms: September 16, 2025 at 17:00 ET
Deadline for receipt of Full Applications: October 21, 2025 at 17:00 ET
This program has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and Brain Canada Foundation.
Brain Canada and SHRF Impact & Innovation Grants : Focus on Brain Health
Brain Canada and SHRF are thrilled to launch the Impact and innovation Grants: Focus on Brain Health through the SHRF solutions program.
The purpose of the SHRF Solutions Program is to support collaborative and engaged research for the development and implementation of innovations to address timely Saskatchewan health needs and create a sustainable impact in a focused area.
Grants offered as part of the Solutions program support interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams including knowledge users. Considering the stage and goals of the proposed research, applicants select the appropriate grant opportunity according to the following objectives:
Innovation Grant :
Catalyzing new ideas and approaches to support innovative solutions that respond to focus area gaps and needs.
Impact Grant:
Advancing promising solutions into real-world and practical applications that respond to focus area gaps and needs.
Overview of Focus Area Eligibility
Brain Health
Brain Canada and SHRF have funding available for research into the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of brain health conditions across the lifespan.Brain Health includes neurodevelopment, neurological disorders, mental illness, addictions, and brain and spinal cord injuries.
Proposed solutions must have the potential to impact brain health as reflected in the overall research goals, outcome measures and future development plans.
To maximize potential for impact, teams should consider where possible how their research uses the ‘One Brain’ approach, considering the brain as a single, interconnected system with commonalities and potential for impact across a number of brain-related conditions.
Funding Available for Brain Health
$1,400,000 for applications addressing any area of Brain Health
Click here to view the Request for Applications.
IMPORTANT DATES
Application Opens: May 15, 2025
Eligibility Check Submission Cut-off*: September 18, 2025 – 4:30 p.m. CST
Eligibility Revisions Deadline: October 3, 2025
Full Application Deadline**: November 13, 2025 – 4:30 p.m. CST
Funding Decisions: March 5, 2026
Funding Start Date: March 1, 2026
Information Webinar: June 12, 2025 – 12:00 p.m. CST (session recorded)
Application Q&A Webinar: July 9, 2025 – 12:00 p.m. CST (session not recorded) Register for the Q&A session >
Brain Canada and ALS Canada-Brain Canada Discovery Grant Program 2025
Brain Canada and the ALS Society of Canada are thrilled to announce the launch of the 2025 Discovery Grant Program.The purpose of the 2025 Discovery Grant Program is to invest in high-impact projects focused on identifying causes of, or treatments for, ALS and/or related neurological diseases, including primary lateral sclerosis, progressive muscular atrophy, and ALS/FTLD (frontotemporal lobar dementia) or advancing research aimed at maximizing function, minimizing disability, and optimizing quality of life through symptom management and support for individuals or families living with ALS.
Examples include, but are not limited to, management of secretions and cramps, psychological interventions to address mental health issues, nutritional interventions, respiratory care, engineering applications to reduce physical limitations, and programs to address the needs of caregivers. These priorities align with ALS Canada's vision of "A world free of ALS" and its strategic goal of leading Canada’s contribution to global ALS research.
The Discovery Grant Program supports collaborative projects and encourages multidisciplinary teams, particularly those that bring together individuals from outside the field who can combine their expertise in innovative ways. It also aims to provide successful, preliminary data-driven ideas with opportunities for larger, multi-year funding, ideally leading to translational programs that will bring us closer to a world free of ALS.
The Discovery Grant Program consists of two streams, designed to support a modest pipeline of ideas and further development. A total funding pool of $1,500,000 will be utilized with flexible allocation across these streams. The distribution of grants between the two streams will depend on the quality of applications and the results of peer review. Both streams seek innovative research approaches, supported by sound rationale and a feasible experimental plan.
The Seed Grant (Stream 1) is designed to nurture novel ideas by providing support for obtaining preliminary data or pursuing ideas supported by early data signals. Although preliminary data may enhance competitiveness, it is not necessarily required. Applicants may request $125,000 for research projects over a two-year period. This stream emphasizes high-risk, high-reward research. Projects initially funded through the Seed Grant stream that generate promising preliminary data may serve as a foundation for future applications to the Development Grant stream.
The Development Grant (Stream 2) aims to support projects that build on a strong foundation of preliminary data, driving towards eventual translation to human impact. Given the highly competitive and underfunded nature of federal multi-year operating grants in Canada, prioritizing ALS within a single lab or clinical research strategy can be challenging. Applicants may request $500,000 for research projects over a three-year period. These grants are designed to support teams with a collaborative and translational vision, contributing to long-term progress in the field.
Evidence clearly shows that increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in research environments enhances excellence, innovation, and creativity. Brain Canada is committed to excellence through equity, and we encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply to our funding opportunities, which will promote the expression of diverse perspectives, approaches, and experiences, including those of underrepresented groups.
Please refer to the Terms of Reference for additional details.
Deadline for receipt of Full Applications: July 9, 2025 at 13:00 ET
This program has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada), Brain Canada Foundation, and the ALS Society of Canada.