REACH: Recipients of External Awards in Perinatal and Child Health

These awards are intended for candidates who (1) wish to pursue a career as a perinatal and/or child health researcher, (2) are conducting research in perinatal and/or child health and wellbeing and (3) have already attained salary support at a local, provincial or national level but are still seeking advanced training and a community of mentors. Successful candidates will gain complete access to the Enrichment Program. Through an individualized research development plan, learners in the Enrichment Program will enhance their skills ranging from research methods, to managing multi-site teams, to personal wellness, and other relevant topics for researchers. For a complete overview of the curriculum, please visit the curriculum tab of our website.

These awards are intended for candidates who (1) wish to pursue a career as a perinatal and/or child health researcher, (2) are conducting research in perinatal and/or child health and wellbeing and (3) have already attained salary support at a local, provincial or national level but are still seeking advanced training. Successful candidates will gain complete access to the Enrichment Program. Through an individualized research development plan, learners in the Enrichment Program will enhance their skills ranging from research methods, to managing multi-site teams, to personal wellness, and other relevant topics for researchers. For a complete overview of the curriculum, please visit the curriculum tab of our website. For further information regarding the various training pathways please see the Training Path Summary Table.

This opportunity is open to perinatal and child health research learners receiving a salary award from a research organization (e.g. governmental or non-profit foundation) that is similar in scope to those granted by ENRICH via a local, provincial or national competition (e.g. SickKids CSTP, FRQS, Alberta Innovates, Michael Smith, CIHR, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Fellowship, etc.). Candidates should contact their ENRICH Regional Leader to determine their eligibility for a specific award prior to applying. Current ENRICH awardees who receive a salary award during their ENRICH tenure will be automatically switched to this pathway and their ENRICH stipend payments will stop.

Active Salary Award: You must have an active salary award with at least 1 year remaining from the ENRICH funding start date, which is May 1st of each year.

Location of Tenure: The award must be held at a Canadian institution. Please speak to the Regional Leader who is geographically the closest to you institution. A list can be found HERE. Regional Leaders are not eligible to apply.

Talk to your Regional Leader 1st: Sixteen Canadian Pediatric Academic Centres have a Regional Leader. Please contact the Regional Leader closest to your academic institution. Regional Leaders should be contacted well in advance (45-60 days) prior to applying, to ensure you meet all criteria, before submitting your application.

Timing: Any interruption in a candidate’s research training will be considered in determining eligibility and should be addressed within the CIHR Academic Common CV.

Doctoral Awards: Applicants must have at minimum 2 active years remaining in their doctoral studies from the ENRICH funding start date, which is May 1st of each year.

New Investigator Awards: Candidates should be within 5 years of their first faculty appointment. Active Regional Leaders are ineligible to apply.

Citizenship: This program is open to Canadians and permanent residents of Canada.

Symposium support: At present, candidates applying to this pathway require support from their local institution to attend the annual symposium. This includes travel and accommodations. (Note: We are working to provide travel grants for the symposium in the future, stay tuned! Details to come in Fall 2024)

Applicants may apply at each level of study (doctoral, postdoctoral, new investigator), with success limited to once per phase of training.

Deadline to apply: Applications for this stream are due January 10 of each year for an April 1st start.

When you are ready to submit your application click on the “submit now” button above to complete the online form. You will be asked to upload each of the required documents below.

A complete application consists of:

Proof of citizenship or Permanent Residency: A pdf of your passport or permanent resident card is preferred when applicable. Please name it “1 CandidateLastname_Citizenship” or CandidateLastname_PermanentResident”
Award application: Please provide a pdf or your award application and name it “2 CandidateLastname_Award App”
Notice of Award: Please provide a copy of your notice of award from the granting agency. This statement should include a start date, end date and/or duration. Please name it “3 CandidateLastname_NoticeAward”
Your CIHR Academic CV Module. Please name it “4 CandidateLastname_CV”
Your Primary Mentor or Supervisor’s CIHR Academic CV Module. Please name it “5 CandidateLastname_CVSup” or “7 CandidateLastname_CVMentor”
Mentorship Plan. This letter should be 1 page maximum, written and signed by your supervisor(s), mentor(s), and the Regional Leader. Prior to your application, kindly meet with your mentorship team to obtain a clear explanation of expectations and develop a path for your training. This letter will describe the plans of your mentorship discussed in that meeting. This letter should also clearly state the commitment of the learner to attend the ENRICH annual symposium, their commitment to the core curriculum, and the mentorship team’s team commitment to financially support the attendance of the candidate at the Annual Symposium if ENRICH is unable to provide travel grants. The Regional Leader’s signature will act as an attestation to this mentorship plan and approval of the application. Kindly name it “6 CandidateLastName_MP”