
Heart & Stroke, along with Brain Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH), have announced new awards to support Black researchers in Canada. The Personnel Awards for Black Scholars will aim to promote Black representation within the heart and brain health research community.
Heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death for people living in Canada. Black communities are among those with the greatest prevalence of risk factors for heart disease and stroke, such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic stress, and other conditions. Systemic racism, including anti-Black racism, often results in poorer health outcomes for those in these communities.
“I am thrilled to launch the new Personnel Awards for Black Scholars today with Brain Canada and CIHR-ICRH,” says Doug Roth, CEO, Heart & Stroke. “These awards will serve to remove financial barriers to post-graduate education for Black students. By working together with our partners, we hope to strengthen Black representation within the heart and brain research community.”
“The objective of the competition is to increase the number of highly-qualified Black trainees across Canada committed to working in the fields of heart and brain research,” says Dr. Viviane Poupon, President and CEO, Brain Canada. “We know that increasing diversity of the research workforce leads to innovation, wider audiences, and greater impact.”
“Our Institute strives to increase capacity within the health research ecosystem and to enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion in all health research. This partnership with Heart & Stroke and Brain Canada will meaningfully improve training opportunities to ensure a more inclusive health research environment,” says Dr. Brian H. Rowe, Scientific Director of CIHR-ICRH.
The multi-year awards will provide financial support for up to eight masters students for two years ($50,000 per award) and up to five doctoral students for three years ($90,000 per award). The funding opportunity will officially open on March 1st and application guidelines will be posted on Heart & Stroke’s and Brain Canada’s websites. Applications will be received until May 1st, 2023.
Brain Canada plays a unique and invaluable role as a national convenor of those who support and advance brain research. A greater understanding of how the brain works contributes to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of disorders of the brain, ultimately improving the health outcomes of people in Canada and around the world. To learn more, visit Braincanada.ca @BrainCanada
At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), we believe research has the power to change lives. The CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health is one of thirteen Institutes, with a focus on supporting research into the causes, mechanisms, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with the heart, lung, brain (stroke), blood, blood vessels, critical care, and sleep. https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/8663.html @CIHR_ICRH