2027 H.L. Holmes Award

Eligibility

Applications from Canadian citizens who have completed their doctoral degree within the past five years and are eager to make a real difference in health and science by contributing to cutting-edge postdoctoral research at a Canadian graduate school or research institute.

Recipients will be chosen according to the following eligibility criteria:

• The candidate must be a Canadian citizen
• The candidate must have graduated from a recognized Canadian university
• The candidate must hold a doctoral degree from either a Canadian university or an outstanding foreign university, received within 5 years immediately before the application deadline
  • Extensions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for relevant employment in industry or government
  • Extensions may also be granted for career interruptions due to extenuating circumstances, or parental, medical or family-related leave
• The proposed research must pertain to chemistry, physics, biology or mathematics as they relate to medical and biological processes
• The candidate must have demonstrated research ability

Summary

The H.L. Holmes Award has been established by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) in honour of the late Dr. R.H.L. Holmes, a chemist who spent most of his research career in Alberta.

Bequeathed by the late Dr. Holmes, in recognition of the NRC's commitment to promoting research excellence, the award gives recipients the opportunity to conduct post-doctoral studies under the supervision of outstanding researchers at Canadian graduate schools or research institutes. Research must be undertaken in chemistry, physics, biology or mathematics as they relate to medical and biological processes.

Applications

Interested individuals may apply directly. Candidates can also be nominated by Canadian universities or other research organizations willing to support the candidate in carrying out their proposed research. Applications must include:

• A detailed description of the proposed research (maximum 10 pages total) that includes:
  • The proposed location of research
  • The project timeline
  • The project budget
  • The candidate's knowledge mobilization plans, including, where possible, non-traditional ways to disseminate knowledge and information new
  • An impact statement describing the strategic importance of the work, its potential impact and the proposed indicators to measure research outcomes new
  • (Optional) A candidate statement describing how the researcher would benefit from the award at this point in their career new
    • Note: If an applicant would like to note career interruptions or special circumstances, they should do so in the candidate statement. We encourage candidates to be concise and fact-based in their comments, sharing only those details they wish to be considered by external reviewers and selection committee members.
• The candidate's CV confirming the above eligibility criteria
• Three letters of endorsement assessing the candidate's research ability from persons under whom the candidate has trained or worked
  • Note: Letters should be sent directly by the endorsers to Holmes.Award@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca. We don't recommend including a letter of endorsement from the proposed research supervisor.
• A letter from the host organization confirming willingness to accept the candidate and administer the award funds, and describing the level of support the organization will provide to the candidate. A letter from the proposed research supervisor is not sufficient. This letter should be provided by a representative of the host organization's department or faculty.
  • NOTE: RSO expects the applicant, PI, or department to provide the draft letter along with any relevant supporting documentation (for example, details on the funding source for any additional salary or other cash commitments) before obtaining the institutional signature.
• Proof of Canadian citizenship, graduation from a recognized Canadian university, and a doctoral degree received within the 5 years immediately before the application deadline

Send all required documents by email to HolmesAward@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca by March 20, 2026, at 11:59 pm (ET).

Applications accepted as of: January 12, 2026

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

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 fellowships@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.

RESOURCES

Reminder: The sooner the researcher engages with Research Services, the more help we can be!

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.