Government of Canada investing in talented scholars through the Health System Impact Fellowship program

August 4, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario – Canadian Institutes of Health Research

The Government of Canada is investing in some of our country’s brightest minds – to provide them with the opportunity to work directly within our health systems and tackle our most pressing and complex issues.

Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced on behalf of the Government of Canada and partners a total investment of more than $6 million for the Health System Impact Fellowship (HSIF) program.

The HSIF program gives PhD students and postdoctoral fellows on-the-job learning opportunities in health system organizations across Canada, embedding research capacity directly within these organizations. The fellows bring their unique skillsets, new ideas and innovative approaches to help address real-world health system challenges. This year’s cohort includes more than 50 PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. While embedded in their health system organizations, fellows will receive unparalleled access to mentors and leadership training that aims to build their capacity for advancing evidence-informed health system changes that improve health outcomes for Canadians.

Funding for this program is provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé, and Mitacs, as well as 35 health system partner organizations across Canada that are embedding the fellows.

Members of the 2021-2022 HSIF cohort are also supported by over 10 Canadian universities. Their research covers a diverse range of topics such as senior’s care, cancer treatment, Indigenous health, COVID-19 and more.