Breathe Forward Award

Eligibility

Applications are welcome from: 

• Researchers 
• Clinicians 
• Health system leaders 
• Quality improvement and implementation teams 
• Health system innovators 
• Multidisciplinary collaborations 
• Partnerships involving lived experience 

Applicants may apply as individuals, teams, or organizations.

Multidisciplinary and cross-sector teams are encouraged.

Summary

The Breathe Forward Award is a $200,000 national innovation challenge led by Lung Cancer Canada to support practical, scalable solutions that improve how non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is diagnosed in Canada.

The Breathe Forward Award is designed to support practical, scalable solutions that address the highest-priority challenges identified through Lung Cancer Canada¿s NSCLC Diagnostics Innovation Lab. 

The Award will: 

• Focus funding on clearly defined system-level challenges 
• Support initiatives capable of improving diagnostic timelines and patient experience 
• Encourage collaboration across clinical, research, health system, and lived experience communities 
• Generate evidence and learnings that can inform broader system improvement 

The Award aims to support projects that can: 

• Improve diagnostic timelines 
• Strengthen coordination across the diagnostic pathway 
• Increase visibility into diagnostic system performance 
• Reduce fragmentation, inefficiencies, and unnecessary delays 
• Advance equity in access to timely, high-quality diagnosis 
• Generate learnings that can inform broader system improvement, advocacy, and policy change Projects should be practical, implementation-oriented, and relevant to people affected by lung cancer in Canada.

Lung Cancer Canada intends to fund one high-impact project with a $200,000 award. 

To maintain flexibility and maximize impact, Lung Cancer Canada reserves the right to divide the $200,000 funding pool across more than one project should the adjudication process identify multiple exceptional proposals. Applicants are asked to provide: 

• A full implementation budget based on $200,000 
• A scaled implementation budget based on $100,000 
• Expected outcomes and deliverables under each funding scenario 

Projects will be supported over a 12-month implementation period.

Overhead

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.

Applications should be submitted through the form at: https://lungcancercanada.ca/about-us/research-program/the-breathe-forward-award

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.

Pre-Award Submissions:

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award LOI
RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application