CFWH General Research Grant 2026 2027

Applications are open for the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health General Research Grant 2026 2027. The grant supports innovative medical research that promotes and advances women’s health treatment, research and education, including reproductive health issues affecting women in Canada and around the world throughout the lifespan.

The Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health supports research, education, advocacy and professional development that advance the health of women in Canada and internationally. Through the General Research Grant, the Foundation provides financial support for research projects that address important issues in women’s health and have the potential to contribute meaningful knowledge to treatment, education, clinical practice or health systems.

The CFWH General Research Grant provides funding of up to $20,000. The funding period is two years, and proposed research may either be a standalone project or form part of a larger research programme supported by other sources. Where a project forms part of a larger programme, the portion supported by the CFWH grant must have clearly defined deliverables that can be completed within two years or less.

About the Opportunity

The CFWH General Research Grant is designed to support research that advances knowledge and practice in women’s health. The Foundation particularly seeks proposals with clear relevance to women’s health, a well defined research problem, appropriate methodology and potential impact.

Research projects may address medical, clinical, educational or reproductive health questions as long as they are directly connected to the field of women’s health and education.

Successful applicants are expected to conduct the approved research in accordance with their proposal and provide progress reports to the Foundation. The research review process is managed by the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health, with applications assessed through peer review.

Opportunity Benefits

• Funding of up to $20,000

• Two year funding period

• Financial support for innovative research in women’s health

• Opportunity to contribute to women’s health treatment, research and education

• Support for research addressing reproductive health issues affecting women

• Recognition through the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health research funding programme

Research Areas

The grant supports research directly related to women’s health and education. Relevant projects may include research addressing:

• Women’s health treatment and care

• Women’s medical research

• Reproductive health

• Health education

• Clinical research affecting women

• Research addressing health issues experienced by women throughout the lifespan

Applicants should ensure that their proposed project clearly demonstrates its relevance to women’s health and education.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be affiliated with a Canadian university or healthcare institution.

• The institution must be able to provide ethics review in compliance with Canadian standards.

• Proposed research must be directly related to women’s health and education.

• Research proposals may be standalone projects.

• Projects that form part of larger research programmes must have clearly defined deliverables achievable within two years or less.

• Priority will be given to members in good standing of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.

• Successful grant recipients must provide quarterly progress reports to the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health.

Required Application Materials

Applicants must submit the required documents by email to the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health.

• Cover letter

• Curriculum vitae of the principal investigator

• Itemized project budget

• Letter of institutional support

• Research proposal

The cover letter must include the research project title, location where the research will be conducted, members of the research team and the total amount of the project. Applicants must also confirm their commitment to using the awarded funds for the research described in the proposal.

The itemized budget should identify all project expenses, corresponding costs and the total project cost.

The research proposal must be no more than four pages, excluding the abstract and references, and should have numbered pages. The proposal must include an abstract of no more than 250 words and address the following areas:

• Background

• Objective

• Rationale and need

• Methods

• Analysis plan

• Implications and potential impact of results

• Dissemination plan

• Timeline

• References

Selection Criteria

Applications are reviewed by the Research Review Committee of the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health and may be assessed by peer reviewers selected according to the Foundation’s review guidelines.

Proposals are assessed using several criteria, including:

• Relevance of the proposal

• Originality of the proposal

• Feasibility of the proposed research

• Appropriateness of the methodology

• Potential impact of the results

How to Apply

1. Review the CFWH General Research Grant guidelines and confirm that your research project meets the eligibility requirements.
2. Prepare a cover letter containing the research project title, research location, research team members, total project amount and required funding commitment.
3. Prepare the principal investigator’s curriculum vitae.
4. Develop an itemized budget showing all project expenses and the amount requested.
5. Obtain a letter of institutional support from your affiliated Canadian university or healthcare institution.
6. Prepare the research proposal within the required four page limit, excluding the abstract and references.
7. Ensure that the proposal includes the required abstract, background, objectives, rationale, methodology, analysis plan, impact, dissemination plan, timeline and references.
8. Submit the completed application and supporting documents by email to research@cfwh.org.
9. Ensure that your application is received by December 15, 2026.