The Clinical & Translational Research Seed Grant has been developed to support clinical and translational research projects taking place on the Oak Street Campus by promoting research collaborations between postdoctoral fellows and clinical trainees, physicians, or other health professionals.

New for 2023 - Clinical & Translational Research Seed Grants are valued at $20,000

The intent of this award is to support well-defined research projects that may not otherwise receive funding, foster new areas of research, enhance research partnerships, and build leadership capacity for both research and clinical trainees. 

Eligibility Criteria

Each Clinical & Translational Research Seed Grant application must include:

  1. One BC Children's Hospital Research Institute postdoctoral fellow (or research associate if they have completed a PhD within 6 years of the application deadline) and
  2. One clinical resident, fellow, new physician/investigator, or other health professional based at either BC Children's Hospital or BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre.

Additional eligibility criteria - 

  • To be eligible to receive funding, the application must demonstrate the research area has direct relevance to improving the health of children (individuals 0-18 years of age) and their families. For more information on eligibility, refer to 'Appendix #2: Project Relevance' in the guidelines. 
  • Each research team (postdoctoral fellow supervisor) may support only ONE postdoctoral fellow for a Clinical & Translational Research Seed Grant. 
  • Postdoctoral fellows who previously receive a Clinical & Translational Research Seed Grant are ineligible to re-apply. If funding is not received, the postdoctoral fellow and clinical partner are eligible to re-submit the same application for a future deadline date if they continue to meet application eligibility. 
  • If funding is received, the clinical partner is eligible to re-apply but the project and postdoctoral fellow partner must differ from the originally funded project.

Looking for a research collaborator? 

Contact resinfo@bcchr.ca to be added to this list.

A Good Start Matters for Parents and Children

Postdoctoral Researcher: Dr. Olivia de Jongh González (olivia.djgonzalez@bcchr.ca)
Supervisor: Dr. Louise C. Mâsse (lmasse@bcchr.ubc.ca)
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia & BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute 

Summary of the project:
Early childhood is an important learning period where dietary, physical activity and sedentary habits are forming, and developing unhealthy habits will set children up for obesity and other health risks later in life. Moreover, during early childhood the familial environment plays a key role in shaping children’s behaviors through their parenting practices, which altogether illustrate the potential of the early years as a developmental period with great room for family-based obesity prevention. This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) evaluates the efficacy of the Good Start Matters – Parenting intervention in improving parenting and co-parenting practices and child health behaviors among British Columbian families of preschoolers. This 2-month mobile-Health (mHealth) parenting intervention uses a familial approach and blends the best practices and evidence to promote positive parenting regarding 3 main areas: nutrition, physical activity, and screen-time; which altogether aim to support the development of healthy habits among young children. The mHealth app releases new material on a weekly basis and participants engagement with the app takes about 20 minutes per week. Participating families complete measurement tools at baseline and at the 10-weeks mark. Families randomized into the intervention condition receive immediate access to the app, and control families receive access to the app after the completion of the second assessment. We expect that compared to control group families, intervention group families significantly improve their parenting and co-parenting practices and improve child health behaviors after 2 months of app use.
 
Clinical partner needed for Clinical & Translational Research Seed Grant application – This projects involves the design and evaluation of a family-based intervention to promote positive parenting practices regarding child dietary and movement behaviors. We are primarily looking for a clinical child or family psychologist who can contribute to this parenting intervention (e.g., helping with the design of the program, or providing feedback on the intervention, etc.) and who is interested in becoming a co-applicant in this grant application (thus, the clinical partner is expected to meet eligibility requirements for this grant: https://www.bcchr.ca/seed-grants). Monetary reimbursement is not available but the clinical partner can have a role in research outcomes if interested.   

Application Form

To access the guidelines and application form visit the ResearchHubPlease note, this in an internal competition only open to those affiliated with the research community on the Oak Street Campus. If you have any problems accessing the ResearchHub contact resinfo@bcchr.ca

The application deadline is Friday, May 12, 2023. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.

Further queries regarding this grant can be forwarded to resinfo@bcchr.ca

Application Q&A

Can I submit an application for a project focused on healthy pregnancy?
Yes as long as you can demonstrate in your application how the project has direct relevance to improving the health of children. For more information on project relevance, refer to 'Appendix #2: Project Relevance' in the guidelines. 

What can you do to help me find a research collaborator?
Contact resinfo@bcchr.ca with your proposed project details we can advertise via. email and online that you are looking for a research collaborator. 

Can the postdoctoral fellow and clinical partner have the same supervisor?
Yes, both the postdoctoral fellow and clinical partner may share the same supervisor. Please note that funding priority will be given to projects with newly established partnerships exploring novel ideas requiring multi-disciplinary expertise.

Do I need to be a postdoctoral fellow by the application deadline or award start date?
The postdoctoral fellow must be registered as a postdoctoral fellow by the application deadline date. If a research associate applies in place of a postdoctoral fellow, they must have completed a PhD within 6 years of the application deadline date.

Can I use a Letter of Support from someone other than a Supervisor or Department Head?
Yes, we are happy to accept Letter of Support from others such as a Resident Program Director, Division Head ect.

Am I able to collaborate with a partner who has just one year left at BCCH?
We do not have any restrictions on the amount of time a partner must have left but we strongly recommend that it is outlined in your application how the project will transition after the partner is done so that there is a clear transition in place.


For more information on the application process, please contact resinfo@bcchr.ca.