Team Grant:Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods

Sponsor(s)

This funding opportunity is led by the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD) in collaboration with the Institutes of Aging (IA), Cancer Research (ICR), Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH), Human Development, Child and Youth Health (IHDCYH), Infection and Immunity (III), and Population and Public Health (IPPH); in partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (Heart & Stroke).

Program Launch Date

2025-08-27

Competition

Full Application (202611HEU)

Letter of Intent (202601HLO)

CLOSED

Application Deadline

Application Deadline 2026-11-24 2026-01-26

Anticipated Notice of Decision

Anticipated Notice of Decision 2027-06-15 2026-06-04

Funding Start Date

Funding Start Date 2027-06-01 2026-05-01

Notices

The content of this funding opportunity has been updated

Date updated: 2026-01-23

Section(s) updated: Important Dates

Tri-agency CV

This funding opportunity uses the tri-agency CV . This narrative-style CV is more flexible and allows applicants to best highlight their wide range of outputs and expertise. The tri-agency CV allows applicants to capture relevant information, describe their career trajectories in more detail, provide indicators of quality and impact, and provide context to their contributions in a narrative format to help peer reviewers assess their track record.

More information on the new CV is available on the tri-agency CV – frequently asked questions page.

As we gradually transition to the tri-agency CV, the system may continue to display references to the CCV. Please note that all participants must follow the tri-agency CV instructions as specified in the Funding Opportunity and complete and attach the tri-agency CV.

For details on using the tri-agency CV on this funding opportunity, see the How to Apply section.

Webinar

CIHR will be hosting webinar(s) to support participants with the requirements of this funding opportunity and to answer questions.

The NOVA classification system is the most widely studied system to characterize food processing and the most extensively used by researchers around the world to investigate the impact of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on health. According to this system, UPFs are “industrial formulations made mostly or entirely with substances extracted from foods, often chemically modified, and from additives, with little if any whole food added” 1 . A US study using nationally represented data found that children and adults consuming higher amounts of UPFs had significantly higher odds of having poor diet quality, as measured by the American Heart Association diet score and the Healthy Eating Index score, with the consumption of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish significantly decreasing as UPF intake increased 2 .

UPFs are increasingly prevalent in the Canadian food supply, with recent estimates suggesting they account for nearly half of all energy consumed 3 . Among Canadian adults aged 18 and older, UPFs represent approximately 45% of total daily energy intake, with consistently high consumption across all sociodemographic subgroups 4 . In Canadian children and adolescents under 18, UPFs make up an even larger portion, accounting for more than half of their daily energy intake 5 .

A growing body of epidemiological evidence links the consumption of UPFs to multiple adverse health outcomes such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), certain cancers, poor mental health, and increased all-cause mortality 6 . A recent report commissioned by Heart & Stroke estimated the burden of CVD attributed to the consumption of UPFs in Canada and found that the high level of UPF consumption was associated with a high burden of CVD, representing 38% of all CVD events in 2019 7 . Importantly, current research suggests that the nutritional profile of UPFs alone (i.e., high sugar, fat and sodium and low fiber and protein) does not fully explain observed links between UPF consumption and health risks, indicating other mechanisms may be involved 8 .

A recent longitudinal study of Canadian children found that among boys, early childhood consumption of UPFs is linked to increased adiposity by age 5 9 . Another study reported that higher UPF consumption was associated with 32% lower odds of healthy aging, including maintaining intact cognitive function, physical function and mental health, living free of chronic diseases, and reaching the age of 70 10 . Although UPF consumption is high across the population, certain groups may be disproportionately affected.

In Canada, the severity of household food insecurity has been found to be strongly associated with a higher proportion of dietary energy from UPF consumption in both adults and children 11 .

In June 2024, a Best Brains Exchange (BBE) was held at the request of Health Canada entitled, “Unpacking Ultra-Processed Foods – Identifying Research Priorities”. This BBE brought together researchers, policymakers, and non-governmental organizations, to examine the impact of UPF consumption on health and identify research priorities to fill evidence gaps of relevance to public health, including considerations for heterogeneity and health equity. Participants identified several key research gaps, including the need for improved exposure assessment, a greater number of experimental and mechanistic studies, and a better understanding of the factors that drive UPF consumption including structural and commercial determinants of health.

Applicants are highly encouraged to review the summary of this BBE posted on the CIHR website .

Research is needed to address limitations of existing epidemiological evidence and to explore the mechanistic pathways through which UPFs affect health. The Team Grants: Health Effects of UPFs aim to address these research gaps by supporting research that will generate evidence to inform policies and regulations related to UPFs that will improve health equity and the health of Canadians across the lifespan.

Research Areas

This funding opportunity will support projects relevant to the following research areas:

Mechanisms of Health Effects of UPFs Pool

This funding pool will support research to understand the biological mechanisms triggered by UPFs in whole or by specific components (e.g., food additives, by-products of food processing techniques) that contribute to non-communicable disease (NCDs). This includes the role of UPFs in modulating the microbiome and contributing to immune/metabolic perturbations associated with disease processes.

Health Effects of UPFs on Older Persons Pool

This funding pool will support research to understand the effects of UPFs on the health of older persons, in particular mechanisms by which they could result in tissue injury contributing to the development and progression of NCDs, including cardiometabolic processes, and lead to accelerated biological aging with onset of frailty and cognitive decline.

Biological Mechanisms of UPFs and Development of Cardiovascular Diseases Pool

This funding pool will support research focused on the biological mechanisms triggered by specific UPF components (e.g., food additives, by-products of food processing techniques) that contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular diseases. The research should include a focus on the early stages of the lifespan (before the age of 18, including fetal development), but may also include other life stages (e.g., adults) with the goal of informing policy and regulatory actions (e.g., threshold sensitive exposure, early clinical biomarkers, and/or improve the quality of food for people living in Canada).

Health Effects of UPFs in Human Development, Child and Youth Health Pool

This funding pool will support research to understand the effects of UPFs on human development, child and/or youth health, consistent with IHDCYH’s areas of focus . To be considered relevant, there must be a clear and direct link to the health and well‑being of children, from preconception to youth.

Structural Determinants of UPFs Pool

This funding pool will support research to understand the structural determinants of UPF production, distribution, regulation and consumption in Canada and globally and their inequitable impacts on population health, including:

- The identification of barriers and solutions to implementing UPF regulation in Canada
- The evaluation and assessment of population health interventions and their impacts on UPF consumption, such as school food programs, subsidized workplace meal programs, food literacy initiatives, etc.

The following Institutes will co‑fund projects within any of the above funding pools that align with their research areas:
- The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) will support research that aligns with the objectives of this funding opportunity and advances knowledge of the impacts of UPFs on cancer risk and development.
- The Institute of Infection and Immunity (III) will fund research that aligns with its mandate and examines how UPFs affect microbiome composition and function, and how these changes contribute to immune/metabolic disruptions associated with disease processes.

Funding Exclusions:

- Research focused on nutrients known to be highly associated with NCDs (i.e., high fat, high salt, and high sugar).
- Research solely focused on excess energy intake.

The following key design elements must be considered and incorporated as appropriate by the research teams:
- Interdisciplinary Team‑Based Approaches: Research must cross disciplinary boundaries and research teams must be interdisciplinary in nature (i.e., consisting of members trained in different disciplines bringing their unique expertise together to solve a problem).
- Integration of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Considerations in Research: Research teams must integrate Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) considerations to assess how both biological and sociocultural factors such as sex , gender , age, race, ethnicity , socioeconomic status, disability , sexual orientation , cultural background , migration status, and geographic location interact and intersect with each other and broader systems of power 12 to impact health outcomes, as appropriate. This includes the lifespan considerations, as appropriate, where research teams must provide a rationale for decisions regarding which ages and life stages are included and excluded in their applications. Refer to the Best practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research for additional guidance.
- Knowledge Mobilization (KM): Research teams are encouraged to meaningfully engage with knowledge users as appropriate to the type of research being proposed. Teams that engage with KU should ensure that they are involved throughout the project lifecycle.
- Data and Biosample Governance: Research teams must have a robust strategy for how data will be stored, linked, and shared, as well as how biological samples will be collected, stored, and analyzed. Data should be disaggregated by sex and/or gender, age, and population group, where appropriate. The Data Management Plan (DMP) and Biosample Governance Plan must identify and describe a process for granting external researchers access to the data and biological samples. Research data management should align with the FAIR principles.

Role and Contributions of Applicant Partners: CIHR recognizes that a broad range of partners may be relevant to this chance and it is expected that applicant(s) describe the role of all applicant partners and how/if they will contribute to research and research related activities. Any consideration of risk and/or conflict of interest should also be explained, as appropriate.

Funds Available

CIHR and partner(s) financial contributions are subject to availability of funds. Should CIHR or partner(s) funding levels not be available or decrease due to unforeseen circumstances, CIHR and partner(s) reserve the right to reduce, defer or suspend financial contributions to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.

The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $7,560,000, enough to fund approximately sixteen (16) LOIs and seven (7) Team Grants. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate.

Letter of Intent (LOI) Stage

- Development grants of up to $10,000 per grant will be offered, if requested, to successful applications at the Letter of Intent (LOI) stage. The total amount available at the LOI stage is $160,000.
- Of this $ 160,000:
- $60,000 is available to fund six (6) LOIs relevant to Mechanisms of Health Effects of UPFs Pool
- $20,000 is available to fund two (2) LOIs relevant to Health Effects of UPFs on Older Persons Pool




- $20,000 is available to fund two (2) LOIs relevant to Biological Mechanisms of UPFs and Development of Cardiovascular Diseases Pool
- $20,000 is available to fund two (2) LOIs relevant to Health Effects of UPFs in human Development, Child and Youth Health Pool
- $20,000 is available to fund two (2) LOIs relevant to Structural Determinants of UPFs Pool

- The following Institutes will fund LOIs in any of the above funding pools that align with their research areas:

- $10,000 is available to fund one (1) LOI relevant to the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)’s mandate and research areas
- $10,000 is available to fund one (1) LOI relevant to the Institute of Infection and Immunity’s (III)’s mandate and research areas

- Applications must choose a maximum of 1 pool (the most relevant or preferred pool) to apply to and applications will be funded in rank order within each pool.
- If a pool is undersubscribed or lacks fundable applications, funds may be reallocated to another pool depending on relevance criteria.

Full Application Stage

- The total amount available for the full application stage is $7,400,000, enough to fund approximately seven (7) grants. The maximum amount per grant is $250,000 per year for up to four years, for a total of $1,000,000 per grant.
- Of this $7,400,000:
- $3,000,000 is available to fund three (3) applications relevant to Mechanisms of Health Effects of UPFs Pool
- $1,000,000 is available to fund one (1) application relevant to Health Effects of UPFs on Older Persons Pool
- $1,000,000 is available to fund one (1) application relevant to Health Effects of UPFs in human Development, Child and Youth Health Pool
- $1,000,000 is available to fund one (1) application relevant to Biological Mechanisms of UPFs and Development of Cardiovascular Diseases
- $1,000,000 is available to fund one (1) application relevant to Structural Determinants of UPFs Pool

- The following Institutes will co‑fund applications in any of the above funding pools that align with their research areas:

- $200,000 is available to co‑fund application relevant to the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)’s mandate and research areas
- $200,000 is available to co‑fund application relevant to the Institute of Infection and Immunity (III)’s mandate and research areas

- Applications must choose a maximum of 1 pool (the most relevant or preferred pool) to apply to and applications will be funded in rank order within each pool. The selected pool must remain the same between the Letter of Intent and the Full Application.
- If a pool is undersubscribed or lacks fundable applications, funds may be reallocated to another pool depending on relevance criteria.

For more information on the appropriate use of funds, refer to Allowable Costs .

The following applicant partners have expressed an interest in supporting research projects on a particular theme or on issues that are a priority for them. Please contact the partner directly if interested.

Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate

In‑kind applicant partner support from Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate may be available for projects that aim to build evidence related to its mandate to protect the safety and nutritional quality of the food supply and promote the nutritional health of Canadians. Health Canada is interested in collaborating on research to:

- elucidate potential pathways and mechanisms by which ultra‑processed foods may affect health outcomes;
- enhance understanding of the effects of UPF consumption on health outcomes across different ages and life‑stages with consideration for under‑represented populations;
- enhance understanding of factors that influence UPF consumption; and
- strengthen and apply dietary intake tools to better assess UPF consumption.

The partnership or collaboration could include the following in‑kind support on research projects. In‑kind support could include:
- providing advice in nutrition and food chemical safety biomarkers and standards, including exposure assessment.
- collaborating on related laboratory activities.
- organizing webinars or roundtable expert discussions to discuss research project results.
- facilitating networking and collaboration with other knowledge users (e.g., in other government departments).

Health Canada may consider co‑supervision of graduate students, post‑doctoral trainees, and visiting scientists.

For all inquiries related to Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate, please contact: Email: [email protected] (Subject Line: CIHR Funding Opportunity: Health Effects of Ultra‑Processed Foods)

The objectives of the Team Grants: Health Effects of Ultra‑Processed Foods funding chance are to fund new interdisciplinary research that will generate evidence on the health impacts of UPFs to inform policies and regulations that will improve health equity and the health of Canadians across the lifespan by:

- Investigating the biological mechanisms through which UPFs as a whole or their specific components contribute to the development and progression of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) at different ages and life stages and/or lead to accelerated biological aging with onset of frailty and cognitive decline.
- Understanding the structural determinants of UPF production, distribution, regulation and consumption in Canada and globally and their inequitable impacts on population health.

Note that applicants will not be required to meet both objectives in their respective application.

For an application to be eligible, all the requirements stated below must be met:

- The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) must be an independent researcher affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution and/or its affiliated institutions (including hospitals, research institutes and other non‑profit organizations with a mandate for health research and/or knowledge mobilization).
- Research teams must be comprised of no more than four (4) Principal Applicants (PAs) in addition to the NPA. Note that an individual can fulfill multiple participant types.
- The NPA and all PAs must have successfully completed one of the Sex and Gender Training Modules available online through the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health and submit a Certificate of Completion by the full application deadline (see How to Apply for more details).
- Inclusion of other applicant roles (i.e., Co‑Applicants, Knowledge Users (KUs), and collaborators) is optional, but the following eligibility criteria must also be met by the NPA and PAs or additional applicants.
- The research team must be interdisciplinary and must include at least one (1) Early Career Researcher (ECR) in the role of NPA, PA or Co‑Applicant. ECR eligibility status must be met by the full application deadline date. Refer to How to Apply to provide ECR status.
- For any research applications involving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis populations, research teams must include at least one applicant who self‑identifies as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, or Métis) and/or provides evidence of having meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous Peoples (see How to Apply for more details).

Notes:

- An individual cannot submit more than one (1) application to this funding prospect as an NPA and cannot participate on more than two (2) applications as PA. If the NPA submits more than one application, CIHR will automatically withdraw the subsequent application(s) submitted based on timestamp of submission.
- PAs can be added to a team but not removed or exchanged between Letter of Intent and Full Application.

The Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy) is applicable to this funding opportunity. Consult the Tri‑agency guidance on the STRAC Policy for more information.

Applicants are advised to consult the Use of Grant Funds section of the Tri‑Agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) Guide on Financial Administration (TAGFA) to determine if an expenditure is an appropriate use of grant funds.

Use of Personal Information

All information is shared in accordance with the Privacy Act.

As per the Privacy Act, personal information means information about an identifiable individual that is recorded in any form.

- Personal information submitted during the application process, including but not limited to information provided through applicant CVs, the Tri‑agency Self‑identification Questionnaire and other application documents required by this funding opportunity, will be made available to select CIHR personnel with the appropriate training and security clearance and on a need‑to‑know basis, for the purposes of future program planning and design and evaluation and learning for organizational and program strengthening. In addition, CIHR may share de‑identified, aggregated self‑identification information with the sponsoring institutes and competition partners, for this purpose. For further information about the Self‑identification Questionnaire and the use of personal information, see the Tri‑agency Self‑identification Questionnaire Frequently Asked Questions .
- The following information submitted to CIHR at the LOI stage will be shared with the proposed institution paid for planning purposes: name of the NPA (and other applicants, if provided), application number, title of the proposal and requested budget.
- For this funding opportunity, some sections of the application containing information that directly or indirectly identifies the applicant(s), will be shared with some funding partner(s) and/or CIHR Institute staff, to assist with relevance review and funding decision .
- Personal information, including related research security forms, collected as part of the implementation of the research security measures , may be shared with Canada’s national security departments and agencies for the purpose of assessing risks to national security.
- All research reports provided to CIHR will be shared with partners supporting the grant (See Conditions of Funding for report details).

Conditions of Funding In addition to the general conditions of funding governing CIHR grants , the following are the program specific conditions of funding applicable to this funding opportunity:

- Applicants successful at the Letter of Intent stage are required to participate in a virtual informational workshop planned in the Summer‑Fall 2026 and must plan to have a minimum of 2 team members participate, one of whom must be the NPA.
- The Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA) is responsible for the following reporting requirements:
- A customized Progress Report will be required in the third year of funding (due by September 30th, 2029). This report template will be provided to all successful applicants at the Notice of Decision Stage.
- A 2‑page Early Research Outcomes & Impacts Summary Report based on a customized template to be provided will be due within 3 months of the end of funding (September 30, 2031).
- An electronic Final Report will be due September 30, 2033. This online report will be made available to the NPA on ResearchNet at the beginning of the grant funding period and can be filled in as the research progresses.

- Data related to First Nations, Inuit or Métis communities whose traditional and ancestral territories are in Canada must be managed in accordance with data management principles developed and approved by those communities, and on the basis of free, prior and informed consent. This includes, but is not limited to, considerations of Indigenous data sovereignty, as well as data collection, ownership, protection, use, and sharing.
- All information intended for public consumption, including for the purposes of informing and engaging partners (e.g., website content, information pamphlets, guidelines, promotional and event‑related material, etc.), must be provided in both official languages (English and French), accessible to screen readers, and should be developed using plain language practices. See Allowable Costs for more details.
- CIHR reserves the right to terminate or suspend funding if there is a determination of unacceptable national security risk by the Government of Canada.

Heart & Stroke Conditions of Funding In addition to meeting CIHR’s conditions of funding, grants co‑funded by Heart & Stroke must provide the following additional reporting:





- annual Progress Reports with a consolidated Financial Report
- a Final Report (within 6 months of the grant end date) with a consolidated Financial Report,

To remain eligible for continued funding, the NPI must demonstrate that the Project stays focused on the objectives described in the proposal.

The annual progress reports to Heart & Stroke, shall include indication of any fundamental deviations or changes in research direction. Failure to remain aligned with the objectives approved at the peer review phase may result in reduced payment or ineligibility and/or suspension of the NPI/Host Institution to receive future installments of grant funding. The template(s) and instructions for these reports will be provided by Heart & Stroke.

In addition, the portion of the funding from Heart & Stroke will be awarded on the condition that Heart & Stroke enter into a separate Research Grant Agreement with the Host Institution of the NPI.

CIHR and partners will perform a relevance review on the proposal at both the LOI and Full Application stages to identify applications that are in alignment with the objectives and research areas of this funding opportunity. In order to be considered relevant, the proposal must be deemed relevant to BOTH the objectives (note that only one of the objectives must be met to be deemed relevant) AND the research areas (funding pool).

Letters of Intent that are not deemed to be relevant to the objectives or the research areas /funding pool will be withdrawn from the competition. Full Applications must continue to meet all relevance review criteria. Applications that are not deemed to be relevant will be withdrawn from the competition.

For information on CIHR’s peer review principles, see the Peer Review: Overview section of CIHR’s website.

To support the strategic objectives of this funding opportunity, the following evaluation criteria will be used:

LOI Stage:

- Research Question and Approach
- Extent to which the research question(s) are clear and responds to the objectives, and research areas of the funding opportunity.
- Appropriateness of the study design and research plan proposed.
- Extent to which the research proposal exhibits an interdisciplinary approach to answer the research question(s), and the strength of the approach to engage knowledge users and relevant partners as appropriate.
- Quality and appropriateness of the applicants’ proposed plan for how EDI will be incorporated into the research proposed, as appropriate. This includes incorporation of biological variables (e.g. sex, age) and/or sociocultural factors (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, language) into the research proposed, where applicable. It also includes lifespan considerations, as appropriate, where research teams must provide a rationale for decisions regarding which ages and life stages are included and excluded in their applications. Refer to the Best practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research and How to integrate sex and gender into the research for additional guidance.
- For applications including research with Indigenous communities, the following criteria will be considered:
- Appropriate consideration of TCPS 2: Chapter 9 - Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada , including meaningful and culturally safe practices, plans, and activities throughout the research project.
- Extent to which the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the self‑determination and self‑governance of Indigenous Peoples, such as following the First Nations Principles of OCAP® 13 (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession), and the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance , or other principles of Indigenous self‑governance is respected and integrated.
- Team Composition
- Evidence that the applicants have the necessary qualifications and expertise.
- For applications including research with Indigenous communities, the following criteria will also be considered:
- The extent to which the overall research team has the necessary knowledge, expertise and experience in Indigenous health research , and complementarity of expertise and synergistic potential to conduct research that is community‑driven and culturally safe.
- Evidence of the capacity and experience of the research team to work in Indigenous communities in a meaningful and culturally safe way.
- Impact
- Potential of the proposed research to address research gaps based on current knowledge.
- For applications including research with Indigenous communities, the following criteria will be considered:
- Relevance of the proposed research to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis community priorities, and the potential of the research to build capacity for Indigenous health research, advance precision health approaches, increase health equity, and improve health outcomes
- Extent of the role(s) and contribution(s) of all applicant partner(s) in advancing research objectives (if applicable).
- Proactive and meaningful consideration of partnership risks, including the extent of real and/or perceived conflict of interest and appropriateness of its management and mitigation (if applicable).

Full Application Stage:

Research Teams:

- Research Approach
- Extent to which the research question(s) are clear and responds to the purpose, objectives, and research areas of the funding opportunity.
- Originality of the proposed research.
- Strength and feasibility of the research approach, design, and methods (including recruitment of subjects, project timeline, budget, preliminary data where appropriate, etc.). Where applicable, applicants should comment on the appropriateness of the proposed experimental model(s) used and translational potential to human biology.
- Extent to which the research proposal exhibits an interdisciplinary approach to answer the research question(s) and strength of the team science approach
- Adequate plan to engage knowledge users and relevant partners as appropriate.
- Extent to the identification and anticipation of risks that may affect the research proposal and mitigation plans for management.
- Quality and appropriateness of the approach of the applicants’ proposed plan for how EDI considerations, including but not limited to biological variables (e.g. sex, age) and/or sociocultural factors (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, language) are integrated in the research design, as appropriate. This includes lifespan considerations (i.e., rationale for decisions regarding which ages and life stages are included and excluded in their applications) into the proposed research, where applicable. Refer to the Best Practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Practice and Design and How to Integrate Sex and Gender in Research and the TCPS 2 – Chapter 4: Fairness and Equity in Research Participation for additional guidance. This also includes the equitable and inclusive recruitment of diverse participants, patients and/or samples into the research proposed, where applicable.
- Quality and appropriateness of the Data Management Plan and biosample governance plan, including the extent to which the plans align with the FAIR principles and outline a robust strategy for how data will be stored, linked, and shared (must include the planned process for granting access to data and biological samples).
- For research projects involving Indigenous communities, the following criteria will be considered:
- Appropriate consideration of TCPS 2 – Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada and demonstration of meaningful and culturally safe practices, plans and activities throughout the research project.
- Extent to which the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the self‑determination and self‑governance of Indigenous Peoples, such as following the First Nations Principles of OCAP® 13 (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession), and the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance , or other principles of Indigenous self‑governance is respected and integrated.
- Research Team
- Evidence that the NPA has demonstrated leadership and required expertise in the field.
- Clarity of roles, contributions, and appropriateness of all team members, including partners, and knowledge users (if applicable) to carry out the proposed research in terms of complementarity of expertise, experiences, and synergistic potential and the capacity to overcome challenges.
- Extent to which the research team crosses disciplinary and sectorial boundaries to investigate the research question(s), as appropriate.
- Strength of plans for collaborative teamwork, including strategies for communication, collaboration, and knowledge exchange between interdisciplinary members, including partners, and knowledge users, and across geographical sites (if applicable), as well as sharing of resources as required.
- Strength of plans for capacity building to meaningfully integrate ECRs and diverse trainees, including EDI considerations to benefit from the full pool of talent in the system.
- Extent of the role(s) and contribution(s) of all applicant partner(s) in advancing research objectives (if applicable).
- Proactive and meaningful consideration of partnership risks, including the extent of real and/or perceived conflict of interest and appropriateness of its management and mitigation (if applicable).
- For research projects involving Indigenous communities, the following criteria will also be considered:
- Extent to which the overall research team has the necessary knowledge, expertise, and experience in Indigenous health research , and complementarity of expertise and synergistic potential to conduct research that is community‑driven and culturally safe.
- Evidence of the capacity and experience of the research team to work in Indigenous communities in a meaningful and culturally safe way.
- Research Environment
- Suitability of the environment to support the proposed research activities, such as availability and accessibility of personnel, facilities, and infrastructure to conduct the research, or supporting knowledge exchange (if applicable), etc.
- Extent to which the budget is appropriate and justified in relation to the proposed activities.

Impact of the Research

- Potential of the proposed research to generate evidence on the health impacts of UPFs to inform policies and regulations that will improve health equity and the health of Canadians.
- Potential to successfully and appropriately mobilize research findings and accelerate uptake of evidence, as demonstrated by a clear translation path and planned KM activities through early, sustained, authentic and meaningful engagement and collaboration of knowledge users, partners and researchers across disciplines, as appropriate.
Funding Decision

Applications that receive a rating below 3.5 will not be funded. Applications will be funded in rank order within each pool for both LOI and Full Application.

The names of successfully funded applicants will be published on the CIHR website .

Partner and Internal Collaborator Participation The opportunity to add new partners and internal collaborators to this funding opportunity may arise after publication. These partners and internal collaborators may not be listed; however, the principles that govern relevance review, including consent to share information and funding decisions, will still apply.

- The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of two steps: Letter of Intent and Full Application

Note: all applications submitted at the full application stage must have been successful at the LOI stage; all other applications will be withdrawn from the competition and not sent to peer review.
- For applications written in French, additional pages will be permitted for the Research proposal and tri‑agency CVs. See tasks for details.
- All participants listed, with the exception of Collaborators, are required to:
- Keep your information up to date: Regularly review and update your My CIHR Profile, including confirming the correct Primary Affiliation is linked.
- The Primary Affiliation field of the My CIHR Profile is important for various funding related activities, including eligibility assessments and Research Support Fund calculations (if applicable). Your My CIHR Profile can be accessed by clicking on your name in the top right‑hand corner of the ResearchNet screen. If your Primary Affiliation name is not available in the drop‑down menu, contact the CIHR Contact Centre .

Note: Elders and/or Indigenous Knowledge Holders may be named as Collaborators on your application, allowing them to participate without securing CIHR PINs. (Please note, names of Collaborators do not appear in CIHR funding decision databases and documents).

Specific instructions to complete your ResearchNet application

Step 1 — Letter of Intent

- List all participants in the “Identify Participants” task. Consult the Eligibility section and ensure that all requirements are met.
- Only NPA and PAs are

📌 Team Grant: Health Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods (Canada)
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