• Award guidelines

Registration deadline: March 19, 2025 at 16:00 EST

• Registration form 

Application deadline: April 9, 2025 at 16:00 EST 

• Application form (fill in online)
• Application form (MS Word)

Application review

June 2025

Notification of decision

August 2025

Award start date 

September 1, 2025

Who can apply

The principal investigator, who is considered the principal applicant, must be a Canadian citizen, permanent Canadian resident or landed immigrant.

Professional requirements

The principal investigator, who is considered the principal applicant, must be a respiratory health professional from a recognized clinically based discipline (e.g., registered nurse, nurse practitioner; physiotherapist; respiratory therapist; pharmacist; cardio-pulmonary technologist; polysomnographic technologist; kinesiologist; dietician; occupational therapist; social worker; or psychologist). 

MDs are not eligible for the Allied Health Research Grant as a Principal Investigator. 

Scholastic requirements

Respiratory health must be the major focus of the research study.  

These awards must be held at a Canadian post-secondary institution, healthcare organization, or educational institution that is authorized to administer CIHR grant and award funds. See a list of authorized institutions.

Applying for other CLA awards

Applicants may apply for both a CLA Allied Health Fellowship and Allied Health Research Grant in the same competition cycle, provided they meet the eligibility requirements. 

Applicants may hold only one (1) CLA research grant as a Principal Investigator at any one time. Applicants may only submit one Canadian Lung Association: Allied Health Research Grant as a Principal Investigator at any one time.

Tobacco, vaping and/or cannabis 

At the time of submission, and for the duration of the award, individuals who hold or have held and/or are being supervised by individuals holding or have held funding, directly or indirectly, from tobacco, vaping, and/or cannabis industry are not eligible.

• CLA portion: $10,000
• Matching funds from principal investigator: $10,000
• Maximum award value: $20,000

Number of awards

It is anticipated that one (1) Allied Health Research Grants will be funded. The award is administered by the Canadian Lung Association

Matched funding

The Allied Health Research Grant is based on a 50:50 match formula between CLA and the Principal Investigator. The matching funds can include funding from active operating grants, the PI’s department or institution, and/or a research partner, including a provincial lung association. 

Proof of funds

The PI, department head, host institution, and/or a partner agency is required to provide written confirmation of the matched funding ($10,000) for one (1) year. Funds from CLA will not be released until formal confirmation of matching funding is received from the trainee’s supervisor.

Applications will be received by CLA and screened by administrative personnel for completion and relevancy. 

Review by committee

Once an application has been accepted, it will then be reviewed in detail by at least two Review Committee reviewers for scientific merit. 

Given the limited funds available, the application that receives the highest ranking and supports the mission of the Canadian Lung Association will be given the recommendation for funding. Therefore, it is important that all required details are provided to facilitate the review process. 

Notification

Once the review committee makes its funding recommendations, funding announcements are anticipated to be made in August. A letter of notification including rationale for the decision regarding funding is sent to all applicants via email. 

Publication

Publication of the research in a suitable, refereed professional journal, as soon as possible after completion of the study, is encouraged. Please notify the Manager, National Research Programs of such publications. 

Acknowledgment

Acknowledgement of the Canadian Lung Association support is required in all publications or presentations. 

Copyright

Copyright of all publications belongs to the author(s). However, in any publication arising from the award are to include an acknowledgment of award received as follows: Canadian Lung Association: Allied Health Research Grant

Final report

CLA requires a final report at the end of the funding period. A final report template will be provided. The report should include:

• Title of the project;
• Name, address and affiliation of Investigator(s);
• A brief description of the findings and implications;
• A full accounting of the budget, clearly showing any unexpended balance (unexpended funds must be returned to the Canadian Lung Association immediately); and
• A list of any publications and/or presentations arising from the funded research should be appended.

The financial officer administering the award must submit a financial report upon completion of the award

Follow-up surveys

Successful applicants may be requested to complete a survey (Fellowship/Grant Funding Impact Form) at three (3) and six (6) years following receipt of funding support. This information will be used to develop reports on the impact of CLA’s National Research Program for our board of directors and the public.

What the funds can be used for

CLA supports only the direct costs of research. No funding is to be used for indirect costs of research including but not limited to general operation and maintenance of facilities (from laboratories to libraries), the management of the research process (from grant management to commercialization), regulation and safety compliance (including human ethics, animal care and environmental assessment).

Disbursement of funds

If the award is accepted, funds are disbursed by The Canadian Lung Association twice yearly. The first installment is normally paid out in September 2025. Upon receipt of a satisfactory progress report and project’s ethics approval in February 2026 of the following year, the second installment is paid in March 2026. 

The Financial Officer at your Institution who deals with such funds will administer the award. Please include the name and address of the Financial Officer responsible for administering your award in your application.

At the end of the granting period, unspent funds received from CLA must be refunded to the Canadian Lung Association. The Principal Investigator must contact the institution’s Financial Officer and request that the funds be reimbursed.

The Canadian Lung Association reserves the right to terminate further payments and request a refund of the award in the event that the recipient fails to fulfill the conditions specified.

Reporting and financial statements

A financial statement by the Financial Officer and final report by the awardee are required at the end of the funding period. Any commitments (or expenditures) incurred by an award recipient either in excess of the current training funds or beyond the term of the training award are the responsibility of the recipient.

Liability

CLA (and any of our partners) assumes no responsibility for accidents, illness, or claims arising out of studies, work, or other activities undertaken with financial support provided by CLA.

Termination prior to completion

In the event of termination of the research prior to completion, you must immediately notify the Canadian Lung Association in writing. Project termination requires the submission of a report detailing the reason for the termination, any results to date, and expenditures. Any unexpended funds must be returned to the Canadian Lung Association.

The Canadian Lung Association reserves the right to terminate further payments and request a refund of the award in the event that the recipient fails to fulfill the conditions specified.

Transfers

Normally grants are awarded in support of research to be conducted in a specific Canadian institution with concurrence of the institution’s executive head. Transfers to another institution are permitted during the course of funding; however, you must request a transfer from the Canadian Lung Association in writing prior to doing so. The request must include an explanation of why the transfer is requested and how the transfer will affect the course of the research and information on how the proposed institution will support the continuation of the research.

Special consideration

A 1-year, no-cost extension may be allowed for leaves of absence for personal or medical reason upon written request to research@lung.ca prior to the leave being taken. 

The deadline to register is March 19, 2025

Applicants must register by March 19, 2025 by 16:00 EDT. 

Applicants are required to provide the names of the Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator, co-investigator(s), supervisor(s), three (3) suggested reviewers, the project title, keywords, and a maximum (one) 1 page abstract of your research project. 

The Canadian Lung Association will confirm receipt of your registration via e-mail on March 20, 2025.

The deadline to submit your application by April 9, 2025 at 16:00 EST. 

Upload one (1) electronic copy of the application by April 9, 2025 by 16:00 EDT. 

CLA will confirm receipt of your application via e-mail on April 10, 2025.

Incomplete applications or applications that do not follow guidelines for completion will not be reviewed. It is your responsibility to ensure that your submission is complete

File format 

Use 12 point, Times New Roman, single-spaced, with 1.9cm (0.75”) margins.

Do not use additional pages except where indicated. Keep the application as clear and concise as possible. 

The electronic copy must include a completed copy of the application form with signatures and all the relevant documents. 

Applicants are expected to include within the body of their application, and not in the appendices, all essential information required to permit assessment of the application. 

Additional information should be included in the appendices, e.g. ethics approval for clinical facilities, questionnaires, and consent forms. Copies of publications are not required unless necessary for the application.

Co-investigators

All co-investigator(s) should be identified, including their professional designations in the Co-Investigator(s) section. Postgraduate students should identify thesis committee members and/or supervisors, as appropriate

Ethics approval

Ethics approval for the proposed study is required if the proposed work will use human/animal subjects and/or confidential records. Before release of funds occurs, evidence is required of ethical clearance by a duly constituted ethics review committee or other body associated with the institution(s) involved. The same Principal Investigator must be named on the Ethical Approval Certificate and the grant application. The only exception is in the context of a student application where the study might be a component of an approved larger study.

What to include

The study proposal must not exceed four (4) pages including figures (excluding references) and should include:

• Problem statement, significance of the problem and purpose of the study;
• A review of the present state of knowledge relative to the work proposed, including references to key publications and relevant work carried out by the principal and/or co-investigator(s);
• Research objectives, questions or hypotheses;
• A description of the methods and procedures (including study design, recruitment, sampling power calculations and sample size estimates, data collection and plan for data analysis);
• Information regarding the established reliability and validity of existing instruments to be used or steps to establish reliability and validity of any instruments being developed;
• A description of ethical considerations (please include a copy of the consent form(s) in draft or final as an appendix);
• A statement of the relationship of the proposed study to the aims and objectives of the Canadian Lung Association;
• A statement of the expected contribution of the proposed study to the respiratory health field;
• A description of the roles of the principal investigator, co-investigator(s) and other key personnel (e.g. research assistants); NOTE: applicants who are postgraduate students applying for funding for research related to their thesis should include the role of the thesis committee members and supervisor(s);
• A detailed timeline;
• Plans for knowledge translation;
• Reference list;
• A complete copy of the applicant(s) (and supervisor’s and co-supervisor(s), if applicable) CV using the Academic version of Common CV form (as used by CIHR). Failure to comply or the submission of an incomplete CCV Module will result in the application being rejected.
• Letters of support for research site access and subject access from the appropriate authorities at the institution where the research will be conducted.
• A letter confirming source and value of matching funds.
• If collaborators who will make significant contributions to the research proposed are not listed as applicants on this application, a signed statement of agreement from each collaborator must be appended; and
• Acknowledge the eligibility criteria by checking the box and signing the eligibility acknowledgement.

2023 

Shirley Quach & Teresa To, Hospital for Sick Children
Does the use of biologics in children with severe asthma improve health outcomes and quality of life? – A longitudinal cohort study

Tania Janaudis-Ferreira, McGill University
Remote physical function assessment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

2022

Mika Nonoyama, Ontario Technical University
Testing the effects of temperature and humidity on individuals with COPD in the ACE climactic chamber: A feasibility and pilot study

2021

Dina Brooks, University of British Columbia
A mobile electronic repository to address patients’ support needs in coping with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

2020

Tania Janaudis-Ferreira, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
Improving ACCEPTance and uptake of pulmonary rehabilitation after acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: The ACCEPT PR STUDY

2019

Joyce Ka Yan Wu, Toronto General Hospital
Characterization of interstitial lung disease using airway oscillometry

2018

Dina Brooks, West Park Healthcare Centre
Perspectives of Patients with COPD and Healthcare Providers on an Intervention to Reduce Sedentary Behaviour

Craig Dale, University of Toronto
A multi-centered stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the de-adoption of oral chlorhexidine prophylaxis and implementation of an oral care bundle for ventilated critically ill patients (The CHORAL study)

Veronique Pepin, Concordia University
APNex: A pilot randomized trial of combined cognitive-behavioural therapy and exercise training versus exercise training alone for the treatment of chronic insomnia in obstructive sleep apnea

2017

Didier Saey, Université Laval
Measuring quadriceps muscle endurance in patients with COPD

Louise Rose, University of Toronto
Patient and family centered performance measures focused on actionable processes of care for persistent or chronic critical illness

Sunita Mathur, University of Toronto
Determinants of skeletal muscle function in adults with cystic fibrosis