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Dr. Catherine Wang Seed Fund Grants in Global Health

Request for Proposals:

2026ÌýDr. Catherine Wang Seed Fund Grants in Global HealthÌý


Application Deadline:ÌýSunday, April 19, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT

Date limite: Dimanche, 19 avril 2026 à 23h59 Heure avancée de l'Est


Veuillez cliquerÌýici pour accéder àÌýl’appel à candidatures pour laÌýsubvention de démarrage en santé mondialeÌýDre-Catherine-WangÌýen français (format PDF).

Background:Ìý

ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Global Health Programs (GHP) is pleased to launch the inaugural competition for the Dr. Catherine Wang Seed Fund Grants in Global Health, through which up to two Seed Fund Grants (SFG) will be awarded to support the development of new global health research projects. The current Request for Proposals (RFP) outlines the application process and requirements for this funding opportunity.

This opportunity is open to proposals across any thematic area of global health research, with the exception of projects primarily focused on infectious diseases. Given that GHP has supported multiple seed grant competitions in recent years focused on infectious disease research, this round of the Dr. Catherine Wang Seed Fund Grants will prioritize non-infectious disease themes.

Proposed work may address a wide range of topics, including (for example) reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) and women’s health across the life course, climate change and health, global mental health, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), among many others.

Proposed projects must focus on health equity, and the needs and challenges of vulnerable or under-served populations either in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), or within Canada. For projects based in Canada, eligible populations include Indigenous communities, immigrant or refugee populations, and other under-served communities.

The Dr. Catherine Wang Seed Fund Grants in Global Health aim to catalyze innovative and impactful research by providing early-stage support to launch promising new initiatives and strengthen their competitiveness for future external funding.

This round of seed fund grants is made possible through a generous donation from Wang’s Foundation.

Key Dates:

  • Competition launch: Thursday, February 19, 2026
  • SFG application deadline: Sunday, April 19, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT
  • Evaluation period: April 20, 2026, to May 29, 2026
  • SFG announcement to applicants: Monday, June 1, 2026

1. Description of Funding Opportunity

1.1. Team Composition:

The nominated Principal Investigator (PI) must hold a primary appointment at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï or one of ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï’s affiliated hospitals or research institutes (e.g. the Research Institute of the ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Health Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, Jewish General Hospital). The PI’s location is defined as the primary site where their research team is based.

In addition to the nominated PI, proposals may include one or more Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs) from within or outside the ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï community.

Additional collaborators may be included as needed to accomplish the proposed work and may include on-campus or off-campus partners, senior faculty, clinical staff, postdoctoral trainees, and international collaborators.

Subcontracts to investigators outside ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï and its affiliated institutions may be permitted when appropriately justified and are subject to GHP approval and applicable institutional policies.

1.2. Eligibility:

The Principal Investigators must meet the eligibility requirements of a University Researcher or Clinical University Researcher, as defined by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec (). In accordance with the appropriate RI-MUHC and ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï policies, a researcher devotes more than 50% of their time to research and teaching.

A researcher may participate in only one Catherine Wang SFG proposal per competition cycle, either as a PI or Co-PI.

A researcher may hold a maximum of two active GHP-funded seed grants at any given time, including Steinberg Fund for Interdisciplinary Global Health Research seed grants, as either PI or Co-PI.

1.3. Non-Eligible Projects:

The following are examples of projects that are not eligible under this funding opportunity:

  • Research projects primarily focused on infectious diseases, including epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or control, regardless of setting.
  • Fundamental laboratory or bench research that does not demonstrate a clear translational pathway or relevance to global health outcomes. Applicants proposing laboratory-based work must clearly describe the translational focus.
  • Early-stage engineering or technology development that is not sufficiently advanced for validation in human participants, human samples, and/or relevant clinical or field settings.
  • Projects that are deemed highly clinical without any global health equity focus
  • Research activities that are already supported by other sources of funding.
  • Gap funding intended to bridge support between external grants or contracts.
  • Projects that are not clearly aligned with health equity.

Please note: GHP reserves the right to administratively screen proposals for eligibility. Only proposals deemed eligible and within the scope of the competition will be sent for peer review.

2. Submission Deadline and Procedure

The deadline for submissions is Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT.

All applications must be submitted by email in PDF format (one single, consolidated PDF) to ghp-progmanager.med [at] mcgill.ca.

All application materials must be submitted in English.

Please include “2026 Catherine Wang SFG†in the email subject line.

Late submissions will not be accepted.

3. Additional Information

Applicants with questions regarding eligibility or submission requirements are encouraged to contact GHP in advance of the submission deadline at ghp-progmanager.med [at] mcgill.ca.

4. GHP Submission Package

Applications must include a consolidated Application Package (maximum 9.5 pages). Additional pages beyond the stated limits will not be reviewed. Applicants must use the headings below and respect the required page length for each section. CVs and signature page(s) are submitted as part of the overall application but do not count toward the 9.5-page limit. Applications must use a minimum 11-point font and standard margins.

4.1. Project Information

  • 1.1 Project title
  • 1.2 Study site(s)
  • 1.3 Lay summary (max 200 words)
  • 1.4 Nominated Principal Investigator: title/position, department, location, email
  • 1.5 Co-Principal Investigators (if applicable): academic institution, title/position, department, location, email
  • 1.6 Collaborators
  • 1.7 Project duration and budget requested

4.2. Project Description (3 pages, including figures; references excluded)

2.1 Research Rationale:

  • Explain the research question and concept, and justify the novelty of the proposed work.

2.2 Primary Deliverables: Provide up to three deliverables in brief bullet points.

2.3 Background Research (last 5 years)

  • Summarize previous work leading up to the proposed project. Preliminary data is not required. Projects with extensive preliminary data should be submitted to traditional granting agencies.

2.4 Proposed Research Activities

  • Briefly describe the proposed study and timeline. Use language that is comprehensible to an interdisciplinary audience.
  • Provide clear milestones at 12 months and at project end (up to 24 months) that can be used to assess measurable progress and that demonstrate ongoing collaboration between the Co-PIs (where applicable).
  • Describe anticipated research outputs and their potential impact. Where possible, include metrics and avoid overly general statements such as new knowledge, better understanding, or highly qualified personnel (HQP) training.

4.3. Project Team - Ability of team to Implement the project (1 page)

  • Describe the expertise and roles of Co-PIs, collaborators, trainees, and/or research associates. Explain why the proposed team is well positioned to deliver the project.
  • Describe how Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) considerations are reflected in the project team (two useful resourcesÌýare theÌý and fromÌý)
  • See sub-section 7 for CV requirements.

4.4. Plan for Seeking Extramural Funding (0.5 page)

  • One of the objectives of the Dr. Catherine Wang SFG in Global Health is to enable researchers to pursue external (extramural) funding by leveraging the data, partnerships, and experience gained through the seed grant.
  • Describe the anticipated external funding opportunities that will be pursued following completion of the seed grant, and the anticipated submission timeline(s).
  • Briefly describe how the seed grant will position the project for longer-term impact and external funding success (e.g., pilot data generation, feasibility testing, partnership development, refinement of methods, team-building, or other planned outputs).

4.5. Budget (1 page)

  • Provide a detailed budget with brief justification covering the 12-24 month grant term. The maximum budget request is $25,000.

4.6. References (1 page)

4.7. CVs & Signature page

  • Attach the CVs of the nominated PI and up to two additional key team members (maximum of 3 CVs total). CVs must be no more than 3 pages per team member and must be submitted in PDF format.
  • Please have all Co-PIs sign to acknowledge their role in the project (Signature Page Template).

5. Eligible Costs

All budget items must comply with the policies and guidelines of the nominated PI’s institution, as well as the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide (TAFAG), and must directly align with the activities outlined in Section 2.4.

Eligible costs include:

  • Salary support for trainees and research personnel (including benefits)
  • Materials and supplies (consumables)
  • Core or platform fees for project-related samples or data
  • Data evaluation costs by appropriate research experts
  • Small equipment (up to $7,000 total per project)
  • Project-related travel that is directly required to carry out the proposed work

Ineligible costs include:

  • Salaries of Principal Investigators
  • Conference-related travel
  • Indirect costs/overhead

Final decisions regarding budget eligibility will be made by GHP leadership.

6. Approval and Grant Agreement

GHP will contact the nominated PI with the funding decision comprising one of the following outcomes:

  • Approved as submitted.
  • Approved with conditions and/or recommendations to be incorporated into the project activities.
  • Not approved, with inclusion of any feedback provided by the SRC (where available).

A Grant Agreement and Fund Release Agreement Form will be issued to the nominated PI outlining the terms and conditions of the award. All Co-PIs will be required to sign and return the agreement(s) to confirm acceptance of the award and its terms.

Where applicable, documentation of required research ethics approval(s) will be required prior to the release of funds.

7. Reporting Requirements

The nominated Principal Investigator (PI) will be required to submit a brief progress report (template format) at the 12-month mark.

The nominated PI will also be required to submit a final narrative and financial report within 30 days of the end of the grant term, using a template to be provided by GHP.

Documents

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