Call for Applications: Fall 2025 CIHR-ICR Early Career Researcher Workshop

The Early Career Researcher Workshop

As part of our commitment to promote capacity building in the Canadian cancer research landscape, the CIHR Institute of Cancer Research (CIHR-ICR), in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance (CCRA), Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), Cancer Research Society (CRS), Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), and Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI), is pleased to announce the open call for applications for its Early Career Researcher (ECR) Workshop. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by ECRs, this workshop aims to support the professional development of ECRs in cancer research by equipping them with the skills and expertise necessary to lead cutting-edge research in the 21st century.

The ECR Workshop will be held from the evening of October 31 to the evening of November 1, in Calgary, Alberta, preceding the CCRA's 2025 Canadian Cancer Research Conference (CCRC). Applicants to the CIHR-ICR ECR Workshop must submit an abstract to the 2025 CCRC before the abstract submission deadline on June 6, 2025 to be eligible for the ECR Workshop. Please note that applications for CIHR-ICR's ECR Workshop will remain open until June 23, 2025, at 11:59 PM EDT.

Your application is considered complete if you have submitted: (1) a CCRC abstract and (2) the CIHR-ICR ECR Workshop Application Form.

Objectives

To promote the professional development and success of ECRs within the Canadian cancer research landscape by:

• Providing opportunities to interact, collaborate, and network among peers, senior investigators, knowledge users, and other participants;
• Strengthening the knowledge and skills relevant to establishing and maintaining a successful research career through career development presentations, breakout sessions, and panel discussions (e.g., grantsmanship, communicating science, research program management, patient engagement, resources and tools);
• Facilitating learning and knowledge sharing between researchers, senior investigators, knowledge users, CIHR staff, and other stakeholders within an interdisciplinary environment.

Participants

• Limited spots will be available for eligible ECRs across CIHR's four pillars of health research: biomedical; clinical; health services; and social, cultural, environmental and population health.
• Participants are not permitted to attend a CIHR-ICR ECR Workshop more than once. Applications from participants who have previously attended a CIHR-ICR ECR Workshop will not be considered.
• Should there be more applications than spots, a lottery process will be used to select the successful applicants. CIHR is committed to equitable and inclusive participation and may implement strategies in the application process to enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Eligibility

For an application to be eligible:

1. The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) must meet CIHR's definition of an Early Career Researcher at the time of application.
2. The NPA must have submitted an abstract to the 2025 CCRC.
3. The NPA must be committed to attend the entirety of the ECR Workshop and 2025 CCRC.
4. The NPA's area of research must be relevant to CIHR-ICR's mandate and/or research priority areas.
5. The competition is open to individuals affiliated with a Canadian academic institution at the time of the application.

If you would like to participate in the 2025 ECR Workshop, but are uncertain of your eligibility, we encourage you to contact CIHR-ICR at cihr.icr@uhn.ca. We are committed to ensuring that every applicant's eligibility is appropriately and fairly assessed.

Costs Covered

CIHR-ICR will cover the costs associated with travel and accommodation for the ECR Workshop, as well as the 2025 CCRC registration fee. Accommodation will be covered for the duration of the ECR Workshop and the 2025 CCRC.

Please note as part of the eligibility criteria for the ECR Workshop, successful applicants are expected to participate in the entirety of the 2025 CCRC. Participants will be responsible for any costs incurred as a result of early departure from the CCRC (e.g., missed night(s) of accommodation, early departure flights). Scenarios will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Further details regarding expenses covered will be provided to successful applicants.

Notice of Decision

Successful applicants will be notified by email in August 2025.

How to Apply

Submit an online application form. To assist with the application process, a preview of the application questions is available. You may wish to prepare your responses in advance and then copy and paste them into the application form.

A PDF of your CIHR BioSketch Common CV or new Tri-Agency CV and a letter of support are required as part of your online application form. The letter of support should be from a representative at a recognized academic institution that can confirm the date of your first faculty appointment in Canada.

Please note all application fields are required and incomplete applications will be withdrawn from consideration. Submit your application using the online form by 11:59 PM EDT on June 23, 2025.

Contact Information

For all inquiries, please contact CIHR-ICR by email at cihr.icr@uhn.ca.

Date modified:

2025-04-16