Hope Innovation Research Grant honours the life and legacy of Lloyd Alexander Hope through “high risk, high reward” research.
This Lung Health Foundation grant supports innovative, transformative lung health research and creative problem solving. It funds novel, high-risk/high-reward approaches and unconventional methodologies that address lung health challenges aligned with LHF’s priority focus areas.
Competition Timeline
- December 7, 2026 – Intent to Apply Deadline
- December 14, 2026 – Notification of Full Application Invitations
- April 19, 2027 – Full Application Deadline
- Summer 2027 – Applicants Notified of Funding Decisions
About the Hope Innovation Research Grant
Eligibility criteria
Letters of intent will be accepted once the 2026 grant launches the Legacy Golf Classic on September 28. Submissions are encouraged from community-engaged and cross-disciplinary teams that bring together expertise from lung health, academia, industry, policy, engineering, data science, and other relevant fields.
Funding Focus: Research in asthma, COPD, lung cancer, infectious respiratory disease (in the area of health promotion and prevention around Pneumococcal pneumonia, influenza, Covid-19, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus), and youth nicotine smoking or vaping (in the area of prevention, cessation and/or examining the effects of nicotine use on lung health).
Intended Audience: Researchers at all career stages, including incoming faculty, are eligible to apply.
Grant amount: Up to $100,000 per grant.
Term: Two years.
Eligibility Criteria for the Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA)
- Can submit only one application per funding cycle.
- Must not have received funding from LHF in the past two years (e.g., ESRA/CERA, or a past Hope Innovation recipient).
- Have a full-time appointment at an institution eligible to receive tri-council agency funding.
- Must be eligible to hold funds as a Principal Investigator at an institution eligible to receive tri-agency funding (i.e., as listed by CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC).
- Dedicate at least 40% of their academic position’s professional activity to research, including the ability to publish results and supervise trainees.
- They must not hold funding from the tobacco industry.
Eligibility Criteria for the Proposed Project
- Proposed projects must be directly relevant to at least one of LHF’s current focus areas: asthma, COPD, lung cancer, infectious respiratory disease prevention and health promotion, or youth nicotine smoking/vaping prevention, cessation, and/or effects on lung health.
- At the time of award acceptance, there must be no overlap between the proposed project and research already supported by other funding sources held by the applicant.
- Research must be conducted in Canada.
- The project must not hold funding from the tobacco industry.
Review Process and Criteria
- Letter of Intent Screening: Letters of Intent will be assessed for alignment with the Hope Innovation Research Grant program. Only applicants whose Letters of Intent are aligned with the program will be invited to submit a full application.
- Full Application Review: Each full application will be reviewed by two to three reviewers using the following weighted criteria:
- Innovation – 25%
- Research impact – 25%
- Research approach, design, and methodology – 25%
- Applicant – 15%
- Research environment – 10%
- Panel Consensus Review: The top-ranking applications will be discussed by the full review panel, made up of all reviewers, to reach a consensus score based on the criteria above. Health equity considerations will be factored into the consensus score.
- Final recommendation: Applications with the highest panel consensus scores will move forward to the LHF Research Advisory Committee. Final funding recommendations will consider alignment with LHF goals, knowledge mobilization, health equity, EDI, patient and donor perspectives, and budget rationale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply?
Researchers at all career stages (including incoming faculty members) who are eligible to hold funds as a Principal Investigator, can apply provided they hold or will hold a full-time appointment by the anticipated award date (Summer 2027) at an institution eligible to administer Tri-Agency funding. Incoming faculty members must have commenced their appointment by the anticipated award date (Summer 2027) and provide documentation confirming their appointment.
Can I submit more than one application?
No, an individual may only submit one application as the Nominated Principal Applicant per funding cycle. However, they may be listed as co–applicants on multiple applications.
Can I reapply if I am not funded?
Applicants who are not invited to submit a full application stage are encouraged to apply for either our Emerging Scientist Research Award (ESRA) and Career Investigator Research Award (CERA), if eligible. Learn more about these funding opportunities here.
Can I apply for funding for an existing or ongoing research project?
Yes, provided the funding requested supports new or distinct work that is not already funded by another organization. The proposed project must not duplicate the scientific aims or budget of existing funded research. Applicants will be asked to disclose all current and pending funding and clearly describe any scientific or budgetary overlap. Funding decisions will consider whether the proposed work is sufficiently distinct from existing projects.
What does "high-risk, high-reward" mean?
High-risk, high-reward projects are those that have the potential to significantly advance lung health by exploring bold, innovative ideas that may not fit within traditional research approaches. These projects often involve novel concepts, emerging technologies, unconventional methodologies, new approaches to lung health challenges, or cross-disciplinary collaborations that bring together diverse expertise and perspectives.
Can my project address more than one Lung Health Foundation priority area?
Yes, projects may address more than one priority area. Applicants should clearly identify the primary area of focus while explaining how the research aligns with the Foundation’s strategic priorities.
Are cross-disciplinary collaborations encouraged?
Yes, the Hope Innovation Research Grant encourages applications from cross-disciplinary and community-engaged teams. Collaborators from diverse fields, including, but not limited to, engineering, data science, industry, and people with lived experience, can strengthen an application’s potential to generate innovative solutions to complex lung health challenges. Applicants should clearly explain how the cross-disciplinary nature of the team will advance the project’s objectives and impact.
Who should be listed as part of the research team?
The research team should include individuals who will make a meaningful contribution to the design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, or knowledge translation of the proposed research. Team members may include co-applicants, collaborators, knowledge users, patient or community partners, trainees, and other contributors whose expertise is important to the success of the project.
Can international collaborators (i.e., those outside of Canada) be part of the research team?
Yes, international collaborators may be included as members of the research team provided the Nominated Principal Applicant and funded research meet all eligibility requirements, including that the research is held and conducted in Canada.
What type of CV should be submitted?
The information submitted should allow reviewers to assess each team member’s expertise, experience, and ability to contribute to the proposed research. Researchers with a Canadian Common CV (CCV) may submit their CCV and should include only publications from the last five (5) years. Academic researchers who do not have a CCV should submit a CV that follows the same structure and section order as the CIHR CV format; it does not need to be a CCV, but it should contain the same sections in the same order and include only publications from the last five (5) years. Team members who are non-academic experts, such as clinical professionals, engineers, policy experts, or other knowledge users, should submit a résumé with a short professional biography at the beginning. People With Lived Experience (PWLE) should submit a short biography describing their relevant lived experience and contributions to the project and may include a résumé.
Can application materials be submitted in or another language, like French?
No, all application materials, including the application form, CVs, research proposal, supporting documents, and any additional attachments, must be submitted in English to ensure a consistent and equitable review process.
Do I need Research Ethics Board (REB) approval before I apply?
No, REB approval is not required at the time of application. Applicants must obtain all required institutional ethics approvals before initiating any funded research. In your application, you will be asked to either (1) indicate if your proposal is exempt from REB approval, (2) upload a signed statement confirming that the proposed research will undergo REB review and will not begin until ethics approval has been obtained, or (3) upload your REB approval letter if ethics approval has already been granted.
Can grant funds be used to support salaries or stipends?
Grant funds cannot be used to provide salary support for the Nominated Principal Applicant. Grant funds may instead be used to support salaries and stipends for research personnel directly involved in the proposed project who are not the Nominated Principal Applicant (e.g., research assistants, trainees, technicians, and other project staff), provided these costs are justified in the budget and comply with institutional policies.
What is the Business Registration Number (BN), and where can I find it?
The Business Registration Number (BN) is the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Business Number assigned to your institution or organization. It consists of nine digits followed by “RR0001.” The first nine digits are typically the same as your institution’s HST/GST Business Number; however, the HST/GST number ends with “RT0001” instead of “RR0001.” If you are unsure of your institution’s BN, please contact your institution’s research administration or finance office before submitting your application.
Who should serve as the Institutional Signing Official, and how is their approval submitted?
The Institutional Signing Official should be an individual authorized to approve and submit research funding applications on behalf of your institution (e.g., a representative from your research grants or research services office). Approval is submitted by reviewing and signing the application in ProposalCentral before submission. All required approvals, signatures, and supporting documents must be submitted through ProposalCentral by the application deadline. Any changes made after signing will require the application to be re-signed.
How are applications reviewed?
Applications undergo a multi-stage review process:
- Letter of Intent eligibility screening
- Independent review by two to three lung health expert reviewers
- Panel consensus review of the highest-ranked applications
- Final recommendations by the LHF Research Advisory Committee.
Who will review my application?
Applications are reviewed by a panel of lung health experts recruited by the Lung Health Foundation. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise. While every effort is made to match applications with reviewers who have relevant subject matter expertise, applicants should write their proposals for a broad lung health research audience. This means clearly describing the significance of the research, the proposed methods, and the potential impact so that reviewers who may not have direct expertise in the specific topic can effectively evaluate the application.
What makes a competitive application?
A competitive application clearly demonstrates the importance of the problem, the innovation and feasibility of the proposed research, and its potential impact on lung health. It includes a strong scientific rationale, a well-justified research plan, and a clear description of the research team’s expertise and contributions, including why the approach is worth pursuing despite the risks. Community-engaged and cross-disciplinary collaborations that bring together complementary expertise can further strengthen an application by enhancing innovation, the research approach, and real-world impact.
Will I receive reviewer comments if my application is unsuccessful?
Reviewer feedback will be provided following the end of the funding competition.
