Team Grant: Avian Influenza Coordination and Knowledge Mobilization Hub (2026)

Eligibility

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

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) must be one of the following:
   • 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 mobilization)
     OR
   • an individual affiliated with an Indigenous non-governmental organization in Canada with a research and/or knowledge mobilization mandate
     OR
   • a researcher or scholar 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
     OR
   • a Canadian non-governmental, not-for-profit organization (including community or charitable organizations) with a research or knowledge mobilization mandate
2. The NPA must have their substantive role in Canada for the duration of the requested grant term.
3. 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.
4. Required Team Composition:
   The overall composition of the research team (including the Nominated Principal Applicant, Principal Applicants (PA), Co-Applicants (Co-A), Principal Knowledge User (PKU), and Knowledge Users (KU)) must be interdisciplinary and must include each of the participant types listed below. Please note that the Engagement and Coordination Lead, the Research Data Management Lead, the Knowledge Mobilization Lead, and the Knowledge Users must be filled by different team members.
   • Engagement and Coordination Lead: As described in the Key Design Elements section, this individual will be responsible for identifying, coordinating and facilitating engagements with researchers, policymakers, knowledge users, and other interest holders in Canada and internationally, where feasible, that are relevant to the Hub in addressing the objectives of this Funding Opportunity. This individual will serve as the liaison between the Hub and the CRPPHE. This role must be filled by the NPA or a PA.
   • Research Data Management Lead: This individual will be responsible for overseeing the Hub's role in improving the management and sharing of human, animal and environmental data relevant to avian influenza research. The Research Data Management Lead will be responsible for working with avian influenza research teams to develop and pilot data management tools, practices and resources that can support data harmonization and data interoperability for human, animal and environmental data relevant to avian influenza researchers and knowledge users. This individual must have research data management expertise and knowledge of Indigenous health research and research data management protocols. This role must be filled by the NPA, PA or a PKU.
   • Knowledge Mobilization Lead: This individual will be responsible for overseeing the Hub's role in developing and/or supporting the development and dissemination of knowledge mobilization products to increase understanding, promote behavioural change, and support the uptake and use of evidence generated through avian influenza research. This role must be filled by the NPA, PA, or PKU.
   • Knowledge Users:
     1. Human Health Knowledge Users: At least one PKU from an organization/entity with a primary focus on human health (including but not limited to a clinician, a public health practitioner, or a representative from a government organization with a human health mandate).
     2. Animal or Environmental Health Knowledge Users: At least one PKU from an organization/entity with a primary focus on animal or environmental health (including but not limited to an animal health professional, a livestock producer or worker in the agricultural sector, a hunter, trapper or another knowledge user in the wildlife sector, or a representative from a government organization with an animal health or environmental health mandate).
5. Additional Essential Team Roles: Research Champions:
   In addition to the required team composition described above, the research team must identify individuals on the research team (such as the NPA, PA, Co-A, PKU, or KU) who will serve as research champions for the themes listed below. Each champion theme below can be championed by one or more individuals on the research team. In addition, individuals can hold one or more of these champion roles. While there isn't a minimum number of individuals who will act as research champions, the application must clearly explain how the proposed champions, their expertise, capacities, and available resources, will be able to ensure that the Hub can appropriately address the key research challenges and considerations covered under these themes.
   1. Champion Theme 1- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): the individual(s) who champion(s) EDI must have expertise in sound EDI practices, including the incorporation of biological variables (e.g. sex, age) and/or social-cultural factors (e.g. gender, race, ethnicity, language) into research. They will foster EDI approaches in research design, research practices, and the research environment. See Additional Information for wise practices on including an EDI champion and defining their potential role(s) in the Hub.
   2. Champion Theme 2 - Indigenous Health Research: the individual(s) who champion(s) Indigenous Health Research should self-identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis, or demonstrate their experience of meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples in an Indigenous Health Research environment, or both.
6. The NPA and the EDI Champion (if not the NPA) must have completed one of the sex- and gender-based analysis training modules available online through the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health and have submitted a Certificate of Completion (see How to Apply).

Summary

Avian influenza is a viral disease which primarily affects birds, although transmission to other animals can occur. Avian influenza virus has varying levels of pathogenicity, depending on its subtype. Highly pathogenic subtypes of avian influenza (HPAI) can rapidly cause high levels of sickness and mortality in animals and people and can pose a pandemic health threat.

The H5N1 subtype of avian influenza is causing outbreaks among wild birds and domestic poultry worldwide, leading to unprecedented mortality rates among birds. H5N1 has also been detected in various mammal species as seen in the recent outbreaks among dairy cattle, as well as wild and captive animals across multiple states in the US. Sustained infections in numerous animal species, particularly in occupational and recreational settings, increase the pandemic risk of HPAI subtypes like H5N1 via zoonotic spillover into human populations and/or the emergence of more virulent and pathogenic subtypes of the virus.

This funding opportunity will fund a Research Coordination and Knowledge Mobilization Hub ('the Hub') that will provide expertise, organizational support, and dedicated resources to increase coordination, and enhance the knowledge mobilization of avian influenza research (including but not limited to research on H5N1 and other highly pathogenic avian influenza subtypes) in Canada and, where feasible, internationally. The Hub will support a cohesive, impactful, and nationally coordinated approach to avian influenza research by developing and implementing an overarching research coordination and knowledge mobilization plan to: a) identify and bring together avian influenza researchers, communities, partners, knowledge users and knowledge holders, in Canada and where feasible, internationally; b) increase coordination, decrease redundancy, and improve the complementarity and strength of ongoing research and associated practices (such as on research data management); and c) promote scientific excellence by supporting research co-production, knowledge synthesis, and the engagement and brokering of key relationships.

Overhead

n/a

Pre-application deadlines

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 May 28, 2026. No RMS needed for this step.

Full application, plus approvals in RMS, will be required by RSO by noon on July 9, 2026. 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 July 14, 2026.

WEBINAR

CIHR will be hosting the following webinars to support participants with the requirements of this funding opportunity and to answer questions on how to apply.

When: Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 11:00 AM MT | Join
Duration: 60 minutes

NOTE: This funding opportunity uses the tri-agency CV (TCV). For opportunities requiring the Tri-Agency CV, a Research Contributions attachment, or a Most Significant Contributions statement, applicants can refer to the Narrative CV Support webpage. 

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 Application