Health Innovation Funding Investment (HIFI) Awards
Health is produced by a complex interplay of individual, social, political, and economic factors. Interdisciplinary and cross-faculty collaborations have the potential to lead to more innovative solutions to improve health and address health inequities. The Health Innovation Funding Investment (HIFI) Awards are intended to catalyze these collaborations by supporting cross-faculty and cross-campus research at UBC's Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.
Awards of $10,000 to $25,000 will be granted to faculty members who are collaborating across faculties, disciplines, and campuses to develop new teams, pursue new ideas, or translate findings from innovative health-related research.
Funding projects should align with UBC Health's strategic priorities and have a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities, and societies.
Healthy Aging Stream 2023
There are persistent health challenges and inequities that demand a collaborative approach. Complementing efforts throughout the university and health sectors, UBC Health seeks to connect diverse expertise and resources across disciplines to help advance education, research, and policy in pressing areas such as aging and chronic disease. In Canada, there are more seniors than there are children. And as the proportion of seniors continues to grow, we find ourselves confronting new health challenges centred on maintaining seniors’ health and independence and preventing and treating diseases associated with aging. In response to this challenge, UBC Health partnered with the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging to support healthy aging research at UBC and is supporting projects that take an interdisciplinary approach to address health challenges related to aging.
UBC Health has supported projects under additional streams.
Call for Proposals
The 2023 call for proposals is closed. Information about the next call is forthcoming, and will be posted on this page.
Please note, the information below relates to the 2023 call for proposals. This information will be updated in advance of the next call.
For an application to be considered, the proposed investment must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Led by a UBC faculty member (trainees and staff can be co-applicants) (for details see the FAQs); and
- Must include faculty members and/or trainees from at least two different UBC faculties.
Applications that meet the above minimum requirements will then be evaluated based on the following differentiating criteria:
- The extent to which the initiative sets out a compelling context, clearly identifying an existing or emerging issue or opportunity
- The extent to which the deliverable relates to the context as described
- The quality and potential impact of the deliverable
- The extent to which the initiative represents true interdisciplinary and cross-faculty collaboration
- The inclusion of trainees
- Cross-campus collaboration
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion of both the team and the project is addressed
Refer to the evaluation rubric for more detail.
The application process is closed.
The HIFI Awards Review Committee will use the eligibility criteria and evaluation rubric to recommend proposal selection and prioritization to the Associate Vice-President, Health, who will review the recommendations and make the final decision about the number of projects to be funded.
What are the key dates?
| February 15, 2023 | Call for proposals open |
| April 14, 2023 | Deadline for proposal submissions |
| May 2023 | Adjudication of proposals |
| June 2023 | Applicants notified of decision |
| July 2023 | Distribution of funds |
| September 30, 2024 | Final reports due |
Who is eligible to apply?
Faculty members who hold a tenure-stream position at UBC, including Professors, Associate Professors, Instructors, Senior Instructors, and Professors of Teaching, are eligible to apply as the primary applicant. Those with term appointments or affiliations with UBC (including Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Instructors, Senior Instructors, Professors of Teaching, Adjunct Professors, Clinical Faculty, Honorary and Partner Faculty, and Research Associates) are also eligible to apply, provided that they have written approval from the appropriate UBC Department Head and Dean. Written approval must be submitted alongside the application. Students and visiting scholars are not eligible to apply.
Who adjudicates the applications?
An interdisciplinary HIFI Awards Review Committee will recommend proposal selection and prioritization to the Associate Vice-President, Health, who will review the recommendations and make the final decision about which proposals will be funded.
What is considered a cross-faculty collaboration?
Collaborators must include individuals from at least two different faculties at UBC. Collaborations across disciplines, departments, and/or schools within the same UBC faculty do not meet the cross-faculty requirement.
What constitutes a cross-campus collaboration?
A cross-campus collaboration is considered a collaboration that involves co-applicants from both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan.
Who is considered a trainee?
Refer to this definition of a trainee set by CIHR.
Can collaborators external to UBC be included?
Yes, provided that all eligibility requirements are met.
Is there a limit on the number of co-applicants?
No.
Can I submit multiple applications? Can I apply to consecutive competition rounds?
Yes, but we endeavour to distribute the funding widely and award funds to different collaborations.
If I apply to the focused funding stream, will I still be considered for the general stream?
Yes. All applications will be evaluated concurrently, with specific funds dedicated to the focused stream.
How long will the funding be available?
Proposals must be completed within one year of receiving the funding.
Can this funding be used in conjunction with other funding?
Yes.
What are considered eligible expenses?
UBC follows the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration. Refer to Part 2: Use of grant funds as a guide for eligible and ineligible expenses.
What are the submission requirements?
Applicants must complete and submit an online proposal form by the deadline. CVs, references, and letters of support are not required.
Are institutional signatures required?
No.
Are applications required to be blinded for review?
No.
Whom can I contact if I have questions?
Aoife Tierney, Project Coordinator, UBC Health at aoife.tierney@ubc.ca.