Catalyst Grant: Partnering for Impact - Impacts of School Food Programs 

In August 2025, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) launched a school food-focused research funding opportunity pool, under the Partnering for Impact – Catalyst Grant.

The Partnering for Impact – Catalyst Grant funding opportunity is led by CIHR’s Knowledge Mobilization Strategies Unit, in partnership with ESDC, Canada's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research, the Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies, the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, and the Institute of Population and Public Health.

Following a peer-review process, the following eight projects were selected for funding in the Impacts of School Food Programs pool:

• Investigating the Economic Impacts of School Food Programs in First Nations Communities in Canada: This project will bring together researchers, knowledge users, and community organizations to assess the economic impacts of school food programs in First Nations communities in Canada. This project will also deepen understanding of how land-based learning programs in First Nations communities can contribute to school food programs by providing locally harvested food.
  • Co-funded by ESDC and CIHR for $106,762
     
• The intersection between household food insecurity, participation in the Prince Edward Island School Food Program and the "pay what you can" model: In partnership with the provincial government, the provincial school board, and the PEI School Food Program, this project will assess the relationships between school lunch program participation, uptake and parent’s perceptions of the pay what-you-can-model and household food insecurity. The project will lead to the development of a survey tool which will serve as a reusable evaluation resource for PEI and beyond.
  • Funded by ESDC for $124,796
     
• Co-creation of a governance framework to maximize the social and economic impact of an equitable school food program in Quebec, in collaboration with stakeholders: Building on the pilot initiative conducted by the Breakfast Club in a region of Quebec, the objective is to co-create a concrete and operational governance structure and framework to support the province-wide rollout (scaling up) of the provincial school food program. This approach will include an overview of the program’s background, along with an in-depth analysis of key issues, processes and activities, human, material, and financial resources, as well as the anticipated impacts, supported by indicators.
  • Funded by ESDC for $149,000
     
• CONNECT: Collaborative Opportunities for School Nutrition Equity and Community Transformation: CONNECT’s multidisciplinary team will codevelop a culturally inclusive, equity-based school food system across three priority neighbourhoods, building on the success of a pilot free lunch program. Engagement through Learning Circles will co-create and validate a model that reflects community priorities, strengthens local resources, and promotes child health and well-being.
  • Funded by ESDC for $106,909
     
• Co-creation of a Human Resource Development Training Framework for School Food Program Providers: This project will establish Canadian competencies and training standards to professionalize school food providers, enabling them to deliver high-quality, culturally appropriate meals that improve nutritional outcomes for all children in Canada. Competencies centred on the principles of the National School Food Policy will be the backbone of the competency framework and a primary outcome of research activities.
  • Funded by ESDC for $124,735
     
• Feeding Equity: A Community-Driven Agenda for School Food Research in Canada: In collaboration with the Coalition for Healthy School Food, this project will co-create a community-driven plan for school food research priorities. The priorities set through this project will become the base for a series of research collaborations, funding proposals and studies that will support comprehensive research on, and equitable implementation of, the National School Food Program investment for the wellbeing of children.
  • Funded by ESDC for $149,834
     
• Partnering for Better School Food: A Mixed-Methods Study of Policy Impacts in Secondary Schools in two Ontario School Boards: This project will evaluate the early implementation of the National School Food Program, including: changes in student access to food through student nutrition programs; roles and perceptions of administrators, teachers, and students; and disparities in policies and programs by urban/rural geography. Guided by community-based participatory research principles, the project will integrate partnership development, qualitative engagement and quantitative analysis.
  • Co-funded by ESDC and CIHR for $149,957
     
• Catalyzing School Food Research in British Columbia: Bridging Networks, Mapping Governance, and Understanding the Potential of Food Literacy to Improve Children's Health and Well-being: This project will bring together school food program scholars, the Public Health Association of British Columbia (BC), the BC Chapter of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, and the Farm to School BC initiative to co-identify research priorities and better understand the governance of BC’s school food programs. This project will catalyze school food research in BC, result in a stronger research network, fill key gaps in data, and provide evidence-based recommendations.
  • Funded by ESDC for $124,950

Additional School Food Research Funding Opportunity

The Funding Research for Evidence in School Food and Health (FRESH) Team Grant is now open to applications!

The FRESH Team grant will provide up to $12.6 million over three years to support school food research. This includes commitments of $9 million from ESDC; $2.7 million from the Public Health Agency of Canada; and $900,000 from CIHR. This funding will support up to 14 grants across three funding pools:

• Health, Well-Being and Socioeconomic Effects of School Food Programs
• Policy and Program Design and Delivery for Equitable Outcomes
• School Food Programs and First Nations, Inuit and Métis Students, Schools and Communities

Applicants must register to apply by June 25, 2026, and will have until October 7, 2026, to submit their applications. Please consult ResearchNet for detailed information about each funding pool, eligibility and how to apply.