Special Response Fund for Trainees (Ukraine) – Information for CIHR grant holders

Following the recent statement by the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health and further to the commitment of the three federal granting agencies to support researchers and students impacted by the crisis in Ukraine, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) have established a limited-time Special Response Fund for Trainees (Ukraine), or SRFT-Ukraine, to initiate or maintain the employment or financial support – via stipend or salary – of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, who are directly impacted by the crisis in Ukraine. 

Canada is recognized as a leader in building partnerships and uniting researchers and highly qualified personnel of different nationalities and cultures in the shared pursuit of scientific excellence. Recognizing how the crisis in Ukraine may affect the research landscape, this additional funding for grant holders will support trainees, defined as graduate students or postdoctoral researchers through salaries and stipends.

Support can be requested for a period of up to 12 months. The maximum allowable amounts are as follows:

Requested amounts will be pro-rated to reflect the expected duration of the support.

Application process

To apply to the Special Response Fund for Trainees (Ukraine), CIHR-funded grantees must follow these steps:

1. Download the application from this webpage;
2. Complete and sign the application form;
3. Submit your application form to: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

Applications received on or before December 22, 2022, will be processed as they are received.

Grant holders will be required to submit a short application form to CIHR requesting funds to initiate or maintain the employment or financial support of a new or existing trainee. In this form, the grant holder attests that:

• the trainee will participate in research activities associated with the direct costs of this grant
• the trainee is directly impacted* by the crisis in Ukraine
• the trainee is not benefiting from other tri-agency funds for the same purpose
• the trainee’s support would end or not be possible if the requested funds were not granted

*Direct impact is defined as:

• a trainee who is currently in Canada and was expected to return to Ukraine in 2022 but cannot because of the current crisis; or
• a trainee who cannot continue their planned course of studies or research in Ukraine because of the crisis and is now in Canada.

The trainee must be in Canada at the time of application and for the duration of the support.

To apply, eligible grant holders must complete the PDF application form [ PDF (196 KB) ] and have it signed by the relevant institutional representative. Submit your application form to: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca. If the grant holder has or expects to have more than one graduate student or postdoctoral researcher supported by this initiative, one form should be submitted for each impacted individual.

Eligibility

The applicant (grant holder) must hold an active grant (including the automatic extension period) awarded under an eligible program at the time of application. Grant holders must also maintain an active grant (including the automatic extension period) during the entire period of tenure of the SRFT-Ukraine.

Communication of decisions

Applicants and the relevant institutional representative will be notified of decisions within 20 business days following submission.

For more information, or to ask about special circumstances that are not covered by the attestation provided, please contact the CIHR Contact Centre.

Eligible programs and funding opportunities  

Most CIHR-funded grant programs that support research trainees are eligible for the SRFT-Ukraine. The grant must be active during the month that the application to this fund is submitted. CIHR salary and training awards are not eligible. To verify if your grant/funding program is eligible for this fund, please contact: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

If you are a SSHRC-funded or NSERC-funded grantee, please visit SSHRC and NSERC's webpages for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information about the Special Response Fund for Trainees (Ukraine), please consult the Frequently Asked Questions.

Date modified:

2022-11-04