Operating Grant: Indigenous Gender and Wellness – Knowledge Sharing

Eligibility

For an application to be eligible, all the requirements stated below must be met:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant must be one of the following:
   • an Indigenous non-governmental organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge translation mandate;
     OR
   • an individual affiliated with an Indigenous non-governmental organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge translation mandate;
     OR
   • an individual (an independent researcher or a knowledge user) affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution and/or its affiliated institutions (including hospitals, research institutes and other non-profit organizations with a mandate for health research and/or knowledge translation);
     OR
   • an individual (an independent researcher or a knowledge user) working in a municipal, provincial or territorial government in Canada where the activity which forms the subject matter of the funding is not being funded by specific programs of those municipal, provincial and territorial governments.
2. The Nominated Principal Applicant (individual) must either self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis) and/or provide evidence of having meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples (see How to Apply).
3. The team must include each of four (4) participant types listed below, in any role, as appropriate, including collaborator. Note that an individual can fulfill multiple participant types. This will need to be detailed in the Participant table (see How to Apply).
   • an Indigenous Elder and/or Indigenous Knowledge Holder/Keeper/Guardian,
   • a Trainee
     1. must either self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis) and/ or provide evidence of having meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples (see How to Apply).
   • a knowledge user (who can be, but is not limited to, a practitioner, policy maker, educator, decision maker, health care administrator, Indigenous community leader, or an individual in a health charity, patient group, private sector organization or a media outlet)
   • a person with lived or living experience (PWLLE) relevant to proposed activities and in alignment with the overarching research area of Indigenous Gender and Wellness Knowledge Sharing (e.g. Two Spirit person, Indigenous father, Elder)
     1. For applications applying to the Gender and Wellness among First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis youth funding pool, the PWLLE must be a youth
4. The Nominated Principal Applicant must have their substantive role in Canada for the duration of the requested grant term.
5. The Nominated Principal Applicant and all the Principal Applicants/Principal Knowledge Users must have successfully completed module 2 or 3 of the sex- and gender-based analysis training modules available online through the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health, and attach the Certificate of Completion by the full application deadline. Applicants are encouraged to review the “How to integrate sex and gender in research” section on the CIHR website.
   • Organizations as Nominated Principal Applicant: For organizations applying as the Nominated Principal Applicant, a representative of the organization must complete the training module (either module 2 or 3) on the organization's behalf.
6. The Institution Paid receives and administers the funds on behalf of the NPA and therefore must be authorized by CIHR before the funds can be released.
   • If the Institution Paid is not on the List of CIHR Eligible Institutions, they are encouraged to contact the Contact Centre, in advance, to enquire about the authorization process and timelines.
7. An individual or an organization cannot submit more than one application as the Nominated Principal Applicant. If the Nominated Principal Applicant submits more than one application, CIHR will automatically withdraw the last application(s) submitted based on the timestamp of submission.

Summary

This funding opportunity focuses on Knowledge Sharing about the outcomes and knowledge of Indigenous Gender and Wellness research using strengths- and distinctions-based, community-engaged approaches. This focus aims to ensure that research learnings about First Nations, Inuit and Métis Gender and Wellness effectively reach those who need to hear them – including First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals, communities and community partners, clinicians, decision-makers, the research community, research funders, trainees, and the general public, among others. This funding opportunity encourages the use of culturally relevant and/or arts-based methods to acknowledge and uphold Indigenous approaches to Knowledge Sharing in Gender and Wellness, and support work that is meaningful and culturally safe for First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis communities. In this context, wellness should be broadly defined to encompass an Indigenous, holistic view of health.

The current funding opportunity focuses on Knowledge Sharing, and is the fourth phase of the IGW Initiative. By focusing on Knowledge Sharing, this funding opportunity will deliver on a vision to share knowledge and learnings about Indigenous Gender and Wellness from health research, with Indigenous individuals and communities, clinicians, decision-makers, the research community, research funders, trainees, the public, and beyond.

While this funding opportunity builds conceptually on earlier phases of the IGW, applicants are not required to have been involved in earlier IGW-funded work. All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply.

Interested in Applying? Book a Consultation with the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST)

The Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST) strengthens Indigenous research at the University of Calgary by providing resources, consultations, and collaborative support. We foster a reciprocal, culturally responsive approach to Indigenous research, ensuring it aligns with ethical best practices, Indigenous priorities, and institutional commitments. You are strongly encouraged to consult with IRST before you begin an application for this funding competition.

To book a consultation with IRST, please go to their Booking Page. You can also contact IRST by email at irst@ucalgary.ca. 

Overhead

n/a

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

Submission Process:

Registration due directly to CIHR via ResearchNet by 6:00PM Calgary time on November 18, 2025. No RMS needed for this step.

Full application, plus approvals in RMS, will be required by RSO by noon on December 11, 2025. Please be sure to select "Submitted for approvals" (Under Save & Progress) in RMS in enough time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the internal RSO deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines.

Do not submit through ResearchNet until RSO's signature has been granted!! 

Once institutional signature has been obtained, a copy of the CIHR signature page will be available via the RMS record, under Documents. Upload the CIHR signature page and routing slip in the Print/Upload Signature Pages task in ResearchNet by 6:00PM Calgary time on December 16, 2025.

RESOURCES

Contact the following Research Service units for support with: 

 Projects Involving Indigenous Research: 

Support with incorporating wise practices in Indigenous research, community engagement, and Indigenous data management is available through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST). 

Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage. 

Knowledge Mobilization, Research Impact Assessment, DORA:  
Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation, community partnerships, research impact, responsible research assessment (DORA), and open science, is available through the Knowledge to Impact team.  

Applicants can reach out by email to the KI team at knowledge.impact@ucalgary.ca.  
For more information and access to resource archives, please visit the KI team webpage. 

Research Data Management: 

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@ucalgary.ca.  

EDI in Research: 

RSO can provide resources and support to research teams on the integration of equitable and inclusive practices in research design and research practice.  

Contact edi.rso@ucalgary.ca for more information. 

Research Security: 

The Research Security Division is available to ensure researchers adhere to research security guidelines and policies, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP) and the policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC). 

Visit the Research Security website to learn more or contact researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca.  

Reminder: The sooner the researcher engages with RSO units, the more help we can be! 

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application