Health-related research grants are available for projects that are a collaboration between a community service organization and an institution with access to an ethics board.

Status: Applications are open until August 5, 2025 at 5:00pm (PDT).

Key Dates:

  • July 2, 2025: At 12 pm, applications open for Convene and Stage 1 Investigate grants via the online grant management system (GMS).
  • July 8 & 10: Online information sessions are hosted by PAR grant managers. Register via Eventbrite.
  • August 5, 2025: At 5 pm, applications close for Convene and Stage 1 Investigate grants via GMS.
  • August to end of September 2025: Vancouver Foundation staff and community advisors review all Convene and Stage 1 Investigate grant applications.
  • Early October: Decisions are sent via email for both Convene and Stage 1 Investigate grants:
  • October to November 2025: At 8 am, applications open for Stage 2 Investigate grants.
  • November 3, 2025: At 5 pm, applications close for Stage 2 Investigate grants.
  • November to December 2025: Vancouver Foundation staff and community advisors review all Stage 2 Investigate grant applications.
  • Late December: Final funding decisions are sent via email to Stage 2 Investigate grant applicants.

What is Participatory Action Research?

The participatory action research methodology is based on the principle that research should be conducted with people, not for or on them. The researchers and community members that make up the research team are active co-participants who learn from one another. The research is grounded in critical reflection and is action-oriented, seeking to influence systemic change.

Overview of Grants

Participatory Action Research (PAR) grants fund health-related research projects that investigate and understand the root causes of pressing health issues affecting our communities in BC. By focusing on the social determinants of health, such as education, employment, and healthcare— these grants play a critical role in generating knowledge and informing policy that invests in community health.

The research must be a collaboration between a community service organization and an institution with access to an ethics board, such as a university, health authority, or other research-based organization.

If the number of applications we receive is greater than the funding we have available, then we will prioritize:

  • Projects that are co-led by communities who are disproportionately impacted by racism and other discriminatory behaviours and beliefs within health systems
  • Research teams that include as many community members as professional researchers
  • Research projects that bring an intersectional lens to the work

Types of Grants

We offer two different grant types to reflect the various stages of a participatory action research process: Convene and Investigate. You can review pages 3 to 4 in the application guide for more information on each grant type.

1. Convene Grants (up to $25,000, for up to one year)

Convene grants are short-term grants to help teams to unpack a complex health issue and to question the systemic behaviours that have created that issue, or that are holding the issue in place. Convene grants help teams to articulate a research question and to develop a participatory research project plan that can then be submitted to funding organizations in the future. The funding requested should be distributed equitably between the convening process and the community’s participation in that process. Convene grants are a one-stage application.

2. Investigate Grants (up to $100,000 per year, for up to three years)

Investigate grants are multi-year grants to help teams answer a research question, analyze their findings, and share knowledge in a way that supports the community to take action in the future. Investigate grants have a two-stage application process. Applicants begin their application by completing the first stage of questions and, if successful, are then invited to complete the remaining questions.

Eligibility

We encourage interested applicants to review pages 5 to 7 in the application guide to understand the eligible activities and expenses this grant program funds.

To be eligible for a PAR grant, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • The organization acting as the primary applicant is a qualified donee listed by the Canada Revenue Agency
  • The research must be a collaboration between a community service organization and an institution with access to an ethics board, such as a university, health authority or other research-based organization
  • The project takes place primarily in BC
  • Use a participatory action research methodology to develop and/or explore a health research question coming from community

How to Apply

  1. Review the application guide.
  2. Confirm your health-related research project meets the eligibility criteria on page 5 of the application guide.
  3. Set up an account or log into the online grant management system.
  4. Complete and submit your grant application for either Convene or Investigate by August 5, 2025, at 5 pm PT.
    • Reminder: Convene is a one-stage process and Investigate is a two-stage process. You can download the application questions for Convene and Investigate to help you prepare your answers outside of the online grant management system.
  5. In October, decisions will be sent via email for both Convene and Stage 1 Investigate grants:
    • Final decisions for Convene grants
    • Invitations for Stage 2 Investigate grants
    • Decline notifications sent to Convene and Stage 1 Investigate grant applicants

Info Sessions

The granting team hosted information sessions for interested applicants to learn more about PAR. In case you missed it, you can watch the recording here:

Contact

If you have questions or experience technical difficulties when completing your application, please email us at grants.admin@vancouverfoundation.ca

Resources