HRJ Medical Research - Transformative Pediatric Biomedical Research 2027

Eligibility

Principal Investigators (PIs) must be affiliated with a Qualified Donee in Canada, as recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency. This includes post-secondary institutions, certain research hospitals, and other charitable organizations.

Applicants are encouraged to establish focused and meaningful collaborations that strengthen the scientific, clinical, or translational potential of the proposed research.

Collaborators may include academic institutions, research hospitals, clinical programs, patient or caregiver advisors, nonprofit organizations with relevant research, clinical, patient engagement, or translational expertise, or private-sector partners where their involvement is directly relevant to the research design, clinical pathway, translational potential, or anticipated impact of the project.

Partnerships should be purposeful, proportionate to the scope and stage of the research, and clearly connected to the successful execution or future application of the project. Applications should describe the role and contribution of each partner or collaborator.

Collaborations that enhance scientific rigour, clinical applicability, patient or caregiver engagement, translational potential, or pathways toward therapeutic, diagnostic, or real-world clinical impact may be viewed favourably.

Where relevant to the proposed research, partnerships or collaborations with Alberta-based organizations may be considered an asset, but are not required.

Summary

For the second year (2027) of this initiative, HRJ is inviting applications for transformative pediatric biomedical research focused on children from the prenatal period through age 18 in Canada. Priority will be given to projects that advance novel or emerging therapies, technologies, diagnostics, or clinical interventions with the potential to meaningfully transform pediatric care and improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or long-term outcomes for children and families.

Research Scope

Projects may align with either of the following Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) pillars:

CIHR PILLAR 1 BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

Projects that advance the biological mechanisms of disease and demonstrate strong potential for future clinical translation.

CIHR PILLAR 2 CLINICAL RESEARCH

Projects that evaluate therapeutics, diagnostics, medical technologies, clinical interventions, or other approaches intended to improve pediatric health outcomes.

Competitive applications will demonstrate:

• exceptional scientific or clinical merit;
• rigorous and appropriate methodology;
• innovation beyond existing knowledge or practice;
• a clear pathway toward clinical translation or future therapeutic application; and
• the potential for meaningful impact on pediatric prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or long-term outcomes.

Areas of Particular Interest

Research may include, but is not limited to, the following areas.

DISEASE-FOCUSED RESEARCH

• rare diseases;
• pediatric neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders;
• childhood mental health disorders;
• trauma-related pediatric conditions;
• pediatric chronic diseases and complex comorbidities.

THERAPEUTIC AND DIAGNOSTIC INNOVATION

• precision medicine;
• genomics;
• novel therapeutics and biologics;
• biomarkers;
• artificial intelligence with direct clinical application;
• advanced diagnostics;
• medical technologies intended to improve pediatric care.

EMERGING PEDIATRIC HEALTH CHALLENGES

• prenatal substance exposure and its effects on child health and development;
• early-life interventions with the potential to improve lifelong health outcomes;
• other emerging pediatric conditions where research has the potential to significantly improve clinical care.

Competitive proposals should demonstrate a clear pathway toward clinical translation, therapeutic application, or future clinical relevance. Interdisciplinary collaboration and meaningful patient or caregiver engagement will be considered strengths where appropriate to the nature and stage of the research.

Submission Process

There is a two-stage process consisting of a Letter of Intent (LOI), and Full Application (by invitation only). The LOI and Full Application stages of this competition will be part of the Research Management System (RMS), and institutional approvals will be obtained electronically. 

1. Letter of Intent (LOI)

Applicants must submit an LOI that includes:

• name and affiliation of the Principal Investigator and any coinvestigators;
• names and roles of partner organizations;
• summary project proposal, to a maximum of five pages;
• scientific or clinical rationale;
• anticipated translational or therapeutic impact;
• high-level methodology;
• preliminary project budget and timeline; and
• suggested expert reviewers.

The LOI must not exceed five pages, excluding references. Applicants should use clear section headings corresponding to the required information listed above.

HRJ does not require a prescribed LOI template. Applicants may use their own institutional or organizational format, provided that all required information is included and the submission complies with the five-page limit.

Only applicants approved at the Letter of Intent stage will be invited to submit a Full Application.

The LOI, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS) using a Pre-Award/Letter of Intent record, must be submitted to RSO by October 27, 12:00 pm. Please be sure to select 'Submitted for approval' (under Save & Progress) in RMS in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the RSO internal deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines. 

Once you have received RSO approval, you must submit the LOI by via email to: medicalresearch@hrjconsulting.com by November 1, 2026. 

2. Invited to Full Application

Applicants invited to submit a Full Application will receive further application instructions. 

Please do not create a new Pre-Award/Application record in RMS. Continue with the same RMS number by updating the status of the Pre-Award/Letter of Intent record to 'Invited for full application' (under Save & Progress). The system will generate a Pre-Award/Application record, and you can proceed as usual. 

The Full Application, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS), must be submitted to RSO by May 11, 2027 at 12:00 pm. Please be sure to select 'Submitted for approval' (under Save & Progress) in RMS in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the RSO internal deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines. 

Do not submit to the agency until RSO's approval has been granted in RMS. Once this institutional approval has been obtained, the Principal Investigator will receive an automated message from RMS to their @ucalgary email address. You can then proceed with submitting your application by May 15, 2027. 

Overhead

15%

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.

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