Funding to support Black scholars

The awards will support outstanding Black students engaged in masters and doctoral programs at institutions across Canada

Heart & Stroke, along with Brain Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH), are excited to announce the upcoming launch of new awards to support Black researchers in Canada. The Personnel Awards for Black Scholars will aim to promote Black representation within the heart and brain health research community.

Heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death for people living in Canada.  Black communities are among those with the greatest prevalence of risk factors for heart disease and stroke, such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic stress, and other conditions. Systemic racism, including anti-Black racism, often results in poorer health outcomes for those in these communities. By investing in Black researchers, we hope to improve the experiences and lives of those requiring medical care, by expanding research related to the needs of these communities.

I am thrilled to launch the new Personnel Awards for Black Scholars today with Brain Canada and CIHR-ICRH. These awards will serve to remove financial barriers to post-graduate education for Black students. By working together with our partners, we hope to strengthen Black representation within the heart and brain research community.”

Doug Roth, CEO, Heart & Stroke

The objective of the competition is to increase the number of highly-qualified Black trainees across Canada committed to working in the fields of heart and brain research. We know that increasing diversity of the research workforce leads to innovation, wider audiences, and greater impact. Together with our partners, we are committed to building an equitable, diverse, and inclusive research ecosystem where all team members have the resources to support their work, and where our programs contribute to better brain health for all people.”

Dr. Viviane Poupon, President and CEO, Brain Canada

“Our Institute strives to increase capacity within the health research ecosystem and to enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion in all health research. This partnership with Heart & Stroke and Brain Canada will meaningfully improve training opportunities to ensure a more inclusive health research environment. CIHR-ICRH is excited to support the next generation of Black scientists working to improve heart and brain health for people living in Canada,” says Dr. Brian H. Rowe, Scientific Director of CIHR-ICRH.

The multi-year awards will provide financial support for up to eight masters students for two years ($50,000 per award) and up to five doctoral students for three years ($90,000 per award). By removing financial burdens, the awards aim to enable outstanding students to focus on their studies, undertake a program of research, and engage with mentors as part of their training and development. The funding opportunity will officially open on March 1^st and application guidelines will be posted on Heart & Stroke’s and Brain Canada’s websites. Applications will be received until May 1^st, 2023.

Funding for the Personnel Awards for Black Scholars has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and Brain Canada Foundation; the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada’s primary health research funding agency, and its Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health; and Heart & Stroke, Canada’s leading health charity devoted to heart disease and stroke.

About Heart & Stroke

Life. We don’t want you to miss it. That’s why Heart & Stroke has been leading the fight to beat heart disease and stroke for 70 years. We must generate the next medical breakthroughs, so Canadians don’t miss out on precious moments. Together, we are working to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery through research, health promotion and public policy. Heartandstroke.ca @heartandstroke

About the CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health

At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), we believe research has the power to change lives. The CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health is one of thirteen Institutes, with a focus on supporting research into the causes, mechanisms, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with the heart, lung, brain (stroke), blood, blood vessels, critical care, and sleep. https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/8663.html @CIHR_ICRH