SHRF and Brain Canada announce partnership to invest in Saskatchewan Brain Health Solutions

Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) and Brain Canada make a two-year commitment to fund Saskatchewan Brain Health research through SHRF’s Solutions Program

Brain Health is essential for physical health and a fundamental pre-requisite for mental health and well-being throughout our lives. From promoting optimal brain development and cognitive health throughout the lifespan – to preventing, diagnosing and treating numerous neurological conditions, research on brain health is an exciting frontier and holds great promise for solutions that will both improve lives and reduce healthcare burden.  

Partnership Supports New Solutions Focus Area

Tackling challenges as important as brain health takes courageous partnerships, imagination and determination. SHRF and Brain Canada are bringing neurological conditions to the forefront by collaborating to make Brain Health the focus of SHRF’s Solutions Program for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 research grant competitions.

As the provincial funder for Saskatchewan, SHRF is uniquely positioned to mobilize Saskatchewan’s research ecosystem to focus and coordinate diverse skills and perspectives and make a lasting impact in this important area. Through our Solutions Program over the past five years, SHRF has worked closely with our partners to provide competitive, peer-reviewed research funding to interdisciplinary teams, including knowledge users, who are developing and implementing innovations to address pressing health needs in Saskatchewan.

Brain Canada is a leading national convenor and enabler of the Canadian brain research community. For more than 25 years, Brain Canada’s vision has been to understand the brain as a single, complex system. This ‘One Brain’ approach means that every discovery has the potential to have an impact across a spectrum of brain diseases and disorders. Brain Canada is dedicated to increasing collaboration, supporting a robust pipeline in the field of brain research, and focusing on outcomes that will benefit patients and families.

Focusing on What Matters

SHRF’s Solutions Program is unique, in part due to its targeted approach to funding.

The Solutions Program is a key opportunity for SHRF to collaborate with research funding partners to pool our resources, streamline the workload for everyone involved, and make significant progress in strategic areas of need in the province.

Brain Canada and SHRF are committed to building on Saskatchewan’s strengths and legacy and transforming the brain health research landscape in Saskatchewan. Our commitment will support the development of collaborative home-grown solutions for the most pressing brain health issues and real needs identified by stakeholders, and fuel efforts to find ways to utilize research knowledge for the benefit of Saskatchewan people and beyond.

“We are thrilled to launch this exciting new partnership to build capacity in Saskatchewan, drive innovative brain research, and improve health outcomes,” says Dr. Viviane Poupon, Brain Canada President & CEO. “By powering solutions here in Saskatchewan, this partnership will create a ripple effect, driving advancements in brain health that will benefit people across the country.”

Collaborating with Brain Canada to launch this new Solutions focus area is proof that together, we can achieve more. This new partnership represents a shared commitment to finding home-grown solutions that will improve the lives of those affected by neurological conditions. Our collective efforts will make a lasting difference for the people of our province and beyond.

SHRF CEO Patrick Odnokon.

Get Involved 

To kick-off this new focus area, save the date for a networking and launch event the afternoon of March 26^th at Innovation Place in Saskatoon. 

Open to researchers and those working to address brain health in practice and day-to-day life, come to showcase your relevant work, platforms, tools, research and practical knowledge, and find synergies in the community.  

The updated Solutions Program application requirements, including details on available funding, can be expected in late spring 2025.  

Funding for SHRF Align Grants is currently available to develop interdisciplinary teams and shape research plans to respond to real needs. See details at shrf.ca/align

About Brain Canada

 Brain Canada Foundation (Brain Canada) is a national registered charity that enables and supports excellent, innovative, paradigm-changing brain research in Canada. Brain Canada’s vision is to understand the brain, in health and illness, to improve lives, and achieve societal impact. 

The Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF) is an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada, through Health Canada, and Brain Canada Foundation, designed to encourage Canadians to increase their support of brain research, and maximize the impact and efficiency of those investments. CBRF supports the very best Canadian neuroscience, fostering collaborative research and accelerating the pace of discovery, to improve the health and quality of life of Canadians who suffer from brain disorders.  

More information contact:  Kate Shingler, Brain Canada Senior Director, Strategic Communications Kate.shingler@braincanada.ca; 514-550-8308 

About SHRF 

Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) serves as the provincial leader in advancing research and innovation to improve the health and well-being of Saskatchewan’s citizens. Through strategic investments and partnerships, we fund high-impact, peer-reviewed research that enhances the health research ecosystem, drives nationally competitive innovation, and delivers tailored solutions that respond to Saskatchewan’s unique and evolving health challenges. 

More information contact: Karen Tilsley, SHRF Director of Programs and Partnerships  Ktilsley@shrf.ca; 639-398-8398