Endowment Competitions
Office of the Associate Dean
Background: Dr. Phil Blustein was a Calgary gastroenterologist for 39 years, specializing in diseases of the digestive system. He was a Clinical Associate Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine. Throughout his career as a physician, Dr. Blustein became increasingly aware of the importance of the mind-body connection which was incorporated into his practice of medicine. He collaborated on a research study that demonstrated the value of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction in the Irritable Bowel Syndrome. He wrote a book called “Mindfulness Medication: A Physician’s Prescription for Stress Relief.” He created a website WTM Home - Wellness Through Mindfulness for stress management for his patients. He presently helps to organize a Calgary group WELLNESS THROUGH MINDFULNESS that offers free information on mindfulness and related topics. The website is: wtm.thebreathproject.org
Purpose: To encourage research related to applying mind-body connections as it relates to causality, course of the problem and treatments for patients with gastrointestinal disorders primarily, but research in this area related to any medical disorder will also be considered.
Deadline for application: October 19, 2026
To apply, please complete the application form and forward the completed electronic copy and attachments to (click): Office of the Associate Dean Research SharePoint site - you will be prompted to SharePoint and will need to enter your UCID username and password. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Value of Award: up to $6,700
Applicant Eligibility - the award is open to:
- Current undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the University of Calgary from any faculty
- Researchers (MD or PhD) within a Department or Division at the CSM, such as but not limited to, Department of Medicine or Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
- Medical allied professionals, such as but not limited to, nurses, psychologists, social workers with a University of Calgary affiliation
- Preference will be given to new investigators (as defined by CIHR: an early career researcher (ECR) is a researcher within five years of the date of their first independent research-related appointment)
Application Process: All submissions should have a collaboration with the Cumming School of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Eligible Use of Funds: Research related expenses – which can include materials, sample collection, personnel (such as Research Associate).
Examples of eligible research studies/projects:
- How does stress impact the causality, course and treatment outcomes of gastrointestinal disorders
- Does modifying stress alter the nature of gastrointestinal disorders
- The use of psychiatric drugs and their impact on gastrointestinal disorders •
- Exploring the use of psychedelic drugs in gastrointestinal disorders
- Are non-pharmacologic stress improving techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga, Pilates, QiGong, hypnosis, CBT etc, helpful
- Developing a resource for patients to access stress-relieving techniques and evaluate their effectiveness
- How stress impacts gut microflora and its influence on gastrointestinal disorders
- How gut microflora can cause stress
The following type of projects are eligible:
- Individual research projects
- Joint applications from two or more investigators or research groups that foster collaboration will be considered
- Start-up research projects that have potential to grow to larger projects
- Smaller projects that can add value to existing projects
Length of award: 1yr
Reporting: The recipients of funding from the Award will be responsible for, upon request, providing a report to the Selection Committee and should acknowledge the donor when appropriate.
Purpose: The award is intended to support the research of a faculty member in the field of auditory research.
Applicant eligibility: The competition is open to all faculty members with primary appointment at Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Deadline: November 4, 2026
Amount: Up to $ 27,500/ year for one year
Award criteria: The following criteria will be considered during the selection process:
- Degree of innovation of the proposed work
- Quality of the proposal (objectives and methodology)
- Overall academic achievement of the applicant • Impact the award would have on the progress of the project
How to Apply: Submit your application and 5 pages CV as ONE PDF file at Office of the Associate Dean Research SharePoint site: 2026 The Rozsa Endowment for Auditory Research. Access the SharePoint site using your UCalgary User Name and password.
Questions? Contact Office of the Associate Dean Research Infrastructure at medendow@ucalgary.ca
The Leroy H. le Riche Endowment for Research and Education in Substance Abuse competition is open to members of the University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, who are developing careers in basic or clinical science relating to substance abuse. The award may be used to attend scientific meetings, purchase equipment or research materials, to set up a course or for other research related activities.
Awards available: up to $15,000 each, that can be spent over 1 year.
Application deadline: November 12th, 2026
Eligibility: This competition is opened to all faculty members and trainees of the Cumming School of Medicine who are developing careers in basic or clinical science relating to substance abuse.
Allowable Expenses:
- Support of an educational opportunity (lectureship, seminar, workshop, etc…)
- Meals/catering; Room booking fees; Honorarium for guest speaker can include travel and accommodation
- Support of research related activities
- Equipment or research materials;
- Scientific meetings with a focus on substance abuse; Conference registration fees can include travel and accommodation (airplane fares, taxis, bus, shuttle, hotel room costs including internet access), Meals
- Other research related activities
Note: The committee has discretionary rights on approving all or parts of the budget and that the regulations of the University of Calgary regarding eligible expenses for travel and for conferences will be strictly observed.
Awards available up to $15,000 /one year
Deadline for application submission to the Office of the Associate Dean Research: November 12, 2026
Submit your application and attachments as ONE PDF file at Office of the Associate Dean Research SharePoint site:
2026 Leroy H le Riche Research & Education in Substance Abuse – Fill out form
Access the SharePoint site using your UCalgary User Name and password.
Questions? To the Office of the Associate Dean Research at: medendow@ucalgary.ca
This endowment was set up to honour the late Henry S. Koopmans. It provides funds for innovative research into the mechanisms of food intake, energy balance or integrative GI physiology. Funds are awarded on the basis of a brief innovative research proposal.
Applicant eligibility: The allocation made available from the Fund will be awarded annually to a junior faculty member with a preference for the Gastrointestinal Research Group of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, but awards can be made to any junior faculty member with a full-time appointment in the Cumming School of Medicine or a cross-appointment in the Cumming School of Medicine (preference will be given to highly ranked applications of those with a primary appointment).
Please note the Early Career Researcher (ECR / junior investigator) is a “researcher within five years of the date of their first independent research-related appointment”: https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/34190.html#r14
For additional clarifications regarding CIHR Early Career Researcher please see Guidelines. As of September 15, 2022, CIHR will no longer extend the time window for new ECRs entering the system. If an eligible leave occurred any time during the ECR window, it counts as double.
Amount available: one award up to $23,200 for one year
Allowable expenses: Funds can be used to support trainee salary, research expenses and travel expenses/conference presentations resulting from the research.
Application requirements: Your complete application must include a research proposal describing an innovative project in one of the three areas noted above (1–2 pages maximum), a budget justification (1 page maximum), and a curriculum vitae (4 pages maximum).
Deadline: Deadline for application submission to the Office of the Associate Dean Research: November 9, 2026
Submision: Submit your Application as ONE PDF file at The Office of the Associate Dean Research SharePoint site.
Access the SharePoint site using your UCalgary User Name and password.
Successful applicant responsibilities: The donor would appreciate receiving a 1-page report of the activities undertaken with the assistance of these funds, their impact and how the funding was used. The report must be submitted to the Office of the Associate Dean Research at medendow@ucalgary.ca no later than three months after completion of the project or when required. Every effort should be made to document the recipient’s contribution in the form of a publication, and all publications and research resulting from this funding should acknowledge the support of the Koopmans Memorial Research Fund.
Questions? Inquiries can be made to Dr. Shan Liao at liaos@ucalgary.ca or to medendow@ucalgary.ca
The purpose of the Lions Sight Centre Fund is to promote eye research at the Cumming School of Medicine. Funds will be used for medical research activities related to eye disease and its treatment, including methods of detection and prevention.
Eligibility: Cumming School of Medicine faculty members with academic staff appointment (GFT).
Allowable expenses:
- Fund specific projects related to vision and related neurological health research
- Improve laboratories
- Purchase equipment
- Provide salary support for faculty, Post-Doctoral Fellows, students and other trainees
- Provide funding (travel, accommodation, honoraria) to bring visiting scientists and other researchers to Calgary, or to send Calgary scientists and research trainees to other laboratories or international research forums
- Fund miscellaneous research-related costs including scholarly books and journals and other operating expenses
Deadline: November 16, 2026
Awards available: up to $20,000/year for 2 years. Term extension requests can be submitted at medendow@ucalgary.ca
Submit your application and attachments as ONE PDF file at Office of the Associate Dean Research SharePoint site (click link below)
Access the SharePoint site using your UCalgary User Name and password.
Questions at: medendow@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Keith MacCannell, MD, PhD, played an integral role in the founding of Calgary’s medical school in his roles as Head of the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, and Associate Dean of Research. He was also Calgary’s Chief of Gastroenterology from 1996 to 2000. We are incredibly grateful for all of Dr. MacCannell’s contributions that led to our growth and where we stand today. This award was established as a tribute to his trailblazing legacy as a basic and clinical scientist, teacher and mentor.
Deadline for application: October 5, 2026
To apply, please complete the application form and forward the completed electronic copy and attachments to: Office of the Associate Dean Research SharePoint site. You will be prompted to SharePoint and will need to enter your UCID username and password.
Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Purpose: To encourage research within the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology for early career fellows, clinician-researchers and basic-science researchers, particularly those that combine curiosity and innovative thinking in their approaches.
Value of the award: 1 award at $13,900
Eligible Use of Funds:
- For Basic Science research projects – allowable expenses could include support for personnel, materials, sample collection
- For Clinical research projects – allowable expenses could include support for an analyst, research coordinator, statistician
- Additional expenses related to research, as approved by the Head, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Eligible applicants:
The award is open to members of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology who are:
- Fellows that are newly entering the program or advanced fellows. These applicants are required to append to their application, a letter of support and acknowledgement of submission from their supervisor.
- Junior faculty members – defined as three years since hiring date. Eligible leaves (e.g. maternity, parental) will extend junior faculty status (i.e. will not be counted towards the maximum).
Eligible types of projects:
- Individual research projects
- Joint applications from two or more investigators or research groups that foster collaboration will be considered
- Start-up research projects that have potential to grow to larger projects
- Smaller projects that can add value to existing projects
Award Criteria:
This application will be judged based on:
- How well the goals of the applications are aligned with the goals of this award;
- Scientific merit, when applicable (is the hypothesis clearly stated, are the methods adequate? etc…)
- Feasibility of the project given the proposed budget and background of the applicant
- Overall quality of the proposal
Length of award: 1 year
Reporting: The recipients of funding from the Award will be responsible for, upon request, providing a report to the Selection Committee and should acknowledge the donor when appropriate.
Questions? Please submit them to medendow@ucalgary.ca for Patty Beug-Jang’s attention.
Purpose: To benefit excellence in health research in Alberta, by providing salary and research support to exceptional young researchers thereby encouraging them to continue their career in the province.
Amount: Two awards available of $61,737 each will be funded for project period of two years.
Use of Funds: Allowable expenditures for the award include the following:
- Faculty salary support (the funds awarded can be applied towards the salary of a new researcher as a salary recovery only. This award cannot be used as a salary top-up)
- Research activities – support for research activities including consumables, travel, equipment and other relevant costs.
Applicant eligibility: The award is open to a junior investigator at or coming to the Cumming School of Medicine. A junior investigator is a researcher within five years of the date of their first independent research related appointment.
Deadline for application: Sept 29, 2026
To apply, please complete the application form and forward the completed electronic copy and attachments to Office of the Associate Dean Research SharePoint site. Please use your UCalgary username and password to log into SharePoint site for application submission. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions: Please access HERE
Inquiries about this award: Please contact The Office of the Associate Dean Research at medendow@ucalgary.ca
Purpose: The award is intended to support the research of a young faculty member at the University of Calgary whose work offers promise to significantly advance our understanding of the determinants of population health and methods to promote behavior modification directed at disease prevention. Preference will be given to interdisciplinary initiatives involving other faculties or educational institutions.
Applicants are encouraged to incorporate relevant Tri-Council Sex and Gender considerations in their proposal.
Applicant eligibility: The competition is open to all faculty members at the University of Calgary who have been appointed for no more than six years to a faculty position (including appointments at other institutions, worldwide) at the time of application deadline.
Amount: up to $38,900
Deadline: July 15, 2026
Allowable expenditures include the following:
- Salary support –support for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, trainees
- Research – support for research projects related to Community Health. This includes consumables, travel and other relevant costs
Award criteria – your application will be ranked (1 lowest to 5 highest) against the following criteria during the selection process:
- Quality of the proposal (objectives, methodology, anticipated results, potential pitfalls and how they will be dealt with, budget)
- Degree of innovation of the proposed work
- Overall academic achievement of the applicant
- Impact the award would have on the progress of the project
- Collaboration with other UofC faculties/ institutions
Responsibility of recipients: Applicants must agree to the publication of the Award and a description of their project.
For guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions go to: Guidelines
The Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) welcomes applications for the Carole May Yates Memorial Endowment for Cancer Research Competition. The fund will support and facilitate cancer research, with preference given to research related to: basic or clinical research related to the detection, prevention or treatment of pre-menopausal breast cancer, basic or clinical research in the area of tumor immunology, equipment to be used for cancer research, a visiting professorship or lectureship program in the areas of medical or surgical oncology. This competition is opened to all faculty members with primary appointments in the Cumming School of Medicine.
Amount: up to $24,200
Questions to Office of the Associate Dean Research at: medendow@ucalgary.ca
2026 Mach-Gaensslen Foundation Student Grant Program - Expression of Interest
The Mach-Gaensslen Foundation of Canada honours the lives of Vaclav F. Mach and Dr. Hanni Gaensslen by supporting research related to the fields of cardiology, oncology, and psychiatry since 2005. Medical students from Canadian medical schools are invited to participate in a four month of summer medical research in the three areas of medicine. Minimum of 5 student grants will be chosen in CSM and each student is eligible to receive up to a $6,000 grant.
The summer student research grants are made on certain terms. The short term objective is to encourage student research in medicine, specifically in the focused disciplines of cardiology, oncology and psychiatry. As a long term objective, the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation of Canada is interested in knowing whether involvement in summer research, while a medical student, will influence career choice or lead to research later in a student’s professional life. To receive funding for a summer’s research the summer student researcher is asked to participate in a prospective study focused on individual research opportunities, for the balance of their careers. This study is certainly not arduous for the student/professional and will contribute significantly to the foundation’s overall knowledge base. It simply requires completion of a pair of initial questionnaires (at the start and end of the summer research program), an initial evaluation questionnaire, and a follow-up short questionnaire in the form of an on-line survey every five years. Click for more details of the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation.
The Foundation anticipate that they will release the new application package, early February 2026. We will be notifying you as soon as we will have this information.
Please submit your Expression of Interest as soon as possible, by February 2nd, 2026, at: medendow@ucalgary.ca The Expression of Interest should include: name of PI (supervisor), name of UofC summer student (including UCID#, year of study, degree and department of enrolment), area of research, project title and estimated funding request.
Note: Mach-Gaensslen Foundation award covers the summer months of research which include the summer plus elective time: April, May, June, July, August and September.
Anticipated application deadlines:
- Expressions of Interest to Office of the Associate Dean Research medendow@ucalgary.ca : February 2nd, 2026
- Review of application documents: March 6th, 2026
- Faculty submission of applications to the MG Foundation: March 13th, 2026
Submit your Expression of Interest / questions at: medendow@ucalgary.ca
The Cumming School of Medicine welcomes applications for The Meredith Campbell Helgeson Research Award in Colon Cancer and Surgical Oncology Endowment. The competition is open to to researchers with a primary appointment within the Cumming School of Medicine.
Funds are in support of research in the areas of either colon cancer or surgical oncology.
Applicants can request up to $11,100
Deadline for application submission to the Office of the Associate Dean Research: October 28, 2024
Submit your application / questions to Patty Beug-Jang at: medendow@ucalgary.ca
The Cumming School of Medicine welcomes applications for The Friends of Matt Newell Endowment Competition. The award is open to all undergraduate and graduate medical students associated with primary appointments in the CSM. The award is intended to support the training of medical students on the causes and consequences of alcoholism, including fetal alcohol syndrome, the impact of alcoholism on the patient and on his/her family, friends and workplace. This endowment can also support the education of medical students on the causes, consequences, and treatment of other addictions.
Amount Available to request and Eligible Use of Funds:
Applicants can ask for support for the activities listed below, up to $5,000/application.
The eligible purposes of the fund include (in order of priority):
- Educational endeavors targeting undergraduate and graduate medical students to further their awareness of alcoholism and other addictions.
- Hosting a lectureship or a seminar on the topic of alcoholism or other addictions, including travel costs of the guest speaker, catering and other associated costs.
- An award to an undergraduate or graduate medical student associated with the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), in support of costs involved in enhancing his/her education in the field of alcoholism or other addictions. This could include attendance at a national (preferred) or international conference.
Deadline for application submission to the Office of the Associate Dean Research: October 9th, 2025
Questions to Angela Krawetz, Office of the Associate Dean Research at: medendow@ucalgary.ca
TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION enter your UCID username and password at: Friends of Matt Newell Endowment Competition