Research

The Centre for Burn Research conducts research focusing on developing treatments and therapies to improve improve outcomes for burn patients. Our leadership has over 25 years of experience in burn care and research and has helped to develop other leading burn centres around Canada. Our goal is to improve survival and quality of life through high-quality, evidence-based care.

Learn more about the Centre for Burn Research.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada. Nearly one in two Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime, and approximately one in four will die from the disease.

The team at the Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research (CDCR) at McMaster University is working to change these statistics by developing new and improved ways to diagnose, treat, and manage people with cancer.

McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences have many cancer experts working in clinical settings and laboratories across the city, as well as in collaborations across Canada and around the globe. The CDCR brings these scientists together to provide a 360-degree research agenda that addresses questions in the lab, clinic, and community to provide a holistic research program of global impact.

We are especially focused on building expertise around treatment-resistant cancers, such as glioblastoma, triple-negative breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, treatment-refractory lung cancer, brain metastases, and advanced ovarian cancer, among others.

Visit the CDCR website to learn more.

The Clinical Research Laboratory and Biobank (CRLB) is a state-of-the-art research facility which provides comprehensive Central Laboratory services to support global clinical studies and innovative research. The facility has the capacity to accommodate 100 large storage tanks, each holding approximately 80,000 vials. Samples in the Biobank are linked to relevant clinical information relating to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, kidney disease, fractures and cancer. It is the largest research biobank in Canada, with several million samples from around the world which support on-going research at Hamilton Health Sciences.

Visit the CRLB website to learn more.

The Escarpment Cancer Research Institute (ECRI) is focused on improving care for cancer patients by focusing on three thematic areas: clinical trials, quality health care and knowledge translation research, and transitional (bench-to-bedside) research. ECRI brings together successful, well-established teams with newly formed cancer research groups in order to embrace and create new opportunities for synergies in research.

Visit the ECRI website to learn more.

The GERAS Centre is committed to educating and empowering seniors to regain and retain independence and to manage their health through active participation in their care. These new models of care engage family members and build capacity for support within the community. The experts at St. Peter’s Hospital are also dedicated to advancing healthcare education for the present and next generation of healthcare professionals. Through innovative research the GERAS Centre aims to close the gap between knowing and doing to contribute to improved quality of life for seniors.

Visit the GERAS Centre website to learn more.

Research conducted at the Offord Centre has had an important impact in Ontario, in Canada, and internationally. It is commonly stated that one in five children in Canada have a mental health challenge. That statistic comes from the Offord Centre’s 1983 landmark study, The Ontario Child Health Study, one of the most important population-based studies on children’s mental health conducted anywhere in the last 30 years.

Visit the Offord Centre website to learn more.

A world leader in large clinical trials and population studies, Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) is Canada’s premier cardiovascular research institute. World-class researchers conduct some of the largest studies in the world, spanning all frontiers of the globe and covering a broad spectrum of health-related issues. PHRI’s population science focus examines biological and genetic determinants, as well as social, environmental and policy factors, with an emphasis on risk factors and the prevention of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and cognitive decline. PHRI has conducted more than 80 global trials and epidemiological studies in more than 1,500 centres, in 86 countries, in all inhabited continents.

Visit the PHRI website to learn more.

The primary focus of the Thrombosis & Atherosclerosis Research Institute (TaARI) is research excellence in thrombosis and atherosclerosis. TaARI’s core research programs include the Experimental Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Program, the Clinical Thromboembolism Program, the Biometrics Group, and the Comparative Medicine Program which focuses on the translation of basic research findings into clinically relevant models prior to evaluation in humans.

Visit the TaARI website to learn more.

Hamilton Health Sciences has two highly sought-after Youth Outreach Programs designed to mentor the next generation.

Discovery Days In Health Sciences: A one-day symposium for Ontario high school students in grades 10-12 who are considering a career in Health Sciences.

Secondary School Research Bursary: Designed for senior secondary school students interested in pursuing, or accepted into, university or college level post-secondary studies in Health or Life Sciences.

Hamilton Health Sciences has multiple clinical sites and a rich, collaborative research network. This has helped to accelerate the knowledge transfer process and ensure best proven practices for healthcare delivery.

Covering a broad spectrum of health research, HHS investigators explore basic laboratory, clinical and epidemiological research. Strict guidelines and policies combined with a sophisticated infrastructure support system ensure the highest level of data integrity, adherence to national and international regulations, and timely reports. Our teams provide start to completion expertise, including:

• Conceptual development & protocol
• Study design and set-up, data management, statistical analysis
• Study initiation, site selection, recruitment, regulatory approval
• Study maintenance: ongoing monitoring, study close-out, data analysis, central laboratory analysis, presentation of final results
• Publication and dissemination of study results
• Regulatory submissions, clinical trial reports

Hamilton Health Sciences protects you and your patients with the following:

Legally-binding agreements

Confidentiality agreements, clinical trial agreements, site agreements, amendments, grant agreements, memorandum of understanding, data sharing agreements, material transfer agreements.

Internal Policies

The research contracts team ensures our internal policies on research, publication, intellectual property, insurance, etc. are followed.

CAHO – The Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario

We base our clinical trial agreements on the CAHO Statement of Principles. In fact, we were on the CAHO Steering Committee that developed these principles.

CAHO Harmonization of Clinical Study Agreements Initiative

In an effort to reduce timelines and promote transparency in contract negotiation, HHS has adopted the document developed through an initiative of Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario (CAHO) and entitled “Statement of Principles to be Considered when Negotiating a Clinical Studies Agreement” which can be accessed on the CAHO website, or is available for download here. HHS encourages companies to review and incorporate these principles into its clinical study agreement templates prior to entering into negotiations with us. If any of the items in the principles document are issues of concern, please do not hesitate to contact the Research Contracts Team to discuss them.

To learn more about collaborative opportunities with Hamilton Health Sciences Research, contact us:

293 Wellington St. N., Suite 120
Hamilton, ON

ECA Program Description

The Hamilton Health Sciences Research Early Career Awards (ECA) are research awards of up to $50,000 annually. Successful awardees will have the opportunity to renew their funding for up to three years, contingent on productivity and impact. The emphasis is on building a multidisciplinary and collaborative research program. This program is intended to enhance the recipient’s ability to be more competitive for research grants from other funding sources.

Purpose of Funds

These awards are intended to support the applicant by purchasing a portion of their time to dedicate to research in their specialty area, providing funding for supplies or research staff to help with their projects, or both.

Any one or combination of the intended uses of the funds is acceptable, provided there is adequate budget justification.

Funding is contingent upon the availability of funds from Hamilton Health Sciences Research and the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation.

Important Dates:

Application Deadline – Friday, November 29th, complete submissions must be received via Redcap by 11:59PM

Early Career Awards 2024 Application

Important to note:

Please review the Guideline for Application as several criteria has changed

Applicants are requested to complete the application form, and upload required attachments to their RedCap submission.

• Completed budget template
• Lay Summary Form
• Current CCV
• Letters of Support

Collection of self-identification data – Why are we requesting this?

The collection of self-identification data is a central piece of the agencies’ commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). This data provides information on the diversity of the population applying for and receiving agency funds and participating in peer and merit review. In an effort to align with the tri-council best practices, and ensure we are improving our efforts at HHS, this information increases a granting agency’s capacity to monitor their progress on increasing EDI in their programs, to recognize and remove barriers, and to design new measures to achieve greater EDI in the research enterprise.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Andrea Lee, Manager of Research Development (leeand@hhsc.ca) at any time.

F2 Program Description

Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) is pleased to announce a new internal funding opportunity: F2 – Fail Fast. This grant is designed to support high-risk, high-reward research at the earliest stages of development. The goal of F2 is to provide researchers with the resources to quickly test bold ideas, assess feasibility, and generate preliminary data that can inform future, larger-scale funding applications.

Funding Available

Each grant will award up to $25,000 per project to fund direct costs of research. The total budget available for this competition is $100,000, enough to fund approximately 4 awards. The number of applications funded will depend on the quality and number of applications received, as well as amount requested by each applicant. Funds may be used to support direct costs of research such as purchasing supplies or paying research staff salaries.

Important Dates:

Informational webinar – Wednesday, April 16^th @ 2-3pm ET (Registration link)

*Attendance is strongly recommended for anyone intending to apply. A copy of the presentation slides and recording will be made available following the webinar.

Application Deadline – Wednesday, May 28^th @ 5pm ET

F2 – Fail Fast Research Grant 2025 Application link

Application Guidelines

Call for Proposals

Applicants are requested to complete the application form, and upload required attachments to their REDCap submission:

• Project Proposal
• Budget & Justification
• Biographical information about the research team

Collection of self-identification data – Why are we requesting this?

The collection of self-identification data is a central piece of the agencies’ commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). This data provides information on the diversity of the population applying for and receiving agency funds and participating in peer and merit review. In an effort to align with the tri-council best practices, and ensure we are improving our efforts at HHS, this information increases a granting agency’s capacity to monitor their progress on increasing EDI in their programs, to recognize and remove barriers, and to design new measures to achieve greater EDI in the research enterprise.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Matthew Rätsep, Research Grants Specialist (ratsep@hhsc.ca) at any time.

The 2025 SPARK Funding Competition application deadline is May 2!

HHS DRIVE is proud to offer the SPARK funding for operationalizing innovation and commercialization. The award is intended to support any Hamilton Health Science employee with costs towards advancing the conceptualization, development and/or commercialization of their innovative healthcare-related idea or solution. Two awardees will be funded up to $50,000 per year to demonstrate tangible advancements towards their solutions.

Learn more about DRIVE and submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to begin your application process. 

Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) commitment to exemplify diversity and support the development, growth and sustainability of research work undertaken by HHS investigators has led to establishing a new Bridge or Match Funding Program with specific intention to:

1. Assist investigators whose grant applications have not been successful, having a close score to fundable level, on a recent peer-review grant to any national granting agency and who demonstrate a need for Bridge funding.
2. Assist investigators who require an Institutional Match Commitment for external granting agency funding.

Funding Allocation

Subject to availability of funding, HHS Research will allocate at total of $300,000 annually – $150,000 for each competition round.  Each project may be awarded a maximum of $50,000.  The number of applications funded will depend on the quality and number of applications received, as well as amount requested by each applicant.

For more information and details, please reference the Guidelines for Application and Application Form provided below as hyperlinks. Only one application submission per Principal Investigator for each competition will be considered.

Important Dates – Submit applications to: researchgrants@hhsc.ca

Fall Competition Deadline:  November 15

Important Forms

Guidelines for Application

Application Form