PSI acknowledges that mid-career can be a challenging time for physician researchers. During this phase, there are often additional academic roles and responsibilities including committee work, leadership positions, and mentoring of junior investigators, while clinical work continues. PSI recognizes the importance in supporting this phase of an investigator’s trajectory.

PSI Launches the 2027 PSI Mid-Career Knowledge Translation Fellowship

PSI Foundation is very pleased to announce the new funding opportunity for the 2027 PSI Mid-Career Knowledge Translation Fellowship. This Fellowship is intended to provide salary support for a mid-career physician researcher in Ontario who has demonstrated the ability to successfully complete high-impact knowledge translation research. The Fellowship funds, dedicated to salary support, must protect at least 50% of the Fellow’s time to conduct such research.

Please note: Knowledge translation must be the fundamental purpose of this Fellowship and must be demonstrated in the application.

Amount and Duration of Funding

Total Support

This program offers two options for a funding timeline for salary support:

A maximum of $400,000 over two years;

OR

A maximum of $400,000 over three years.

The award is intended to protect at least 50% of the fellow’s time to undertake research, regardless of whether the award is taken over two or three years.

Matching Funding Requirements

The sponsoring institution is required to fund 50% of the total award.

For example, if the fellow requests a total support of $400,000 over two years, then PSI will fund $200,000 over two years ($100,000 per year) and the institution is required to co-fund $200,000 over two years ($100,000 per year).

Eligibility

For this competition, the candidate for the Fellowship must be:

• A practicing physician in Ontario with a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario licensed M.D. having direct patient care responsibilities and an academic appointment, thus eligible to apply for their own research grants as an independent investigator
• Within six (6) to fifteen (15) years of their first academic appointment and have demonstrated potential for high impact research work
• Dedicating at least 50% of a full-time schedule to the Fellowship

The PSI Mid-Career Knowledge Translation Fellow is able to apply to PSI for an operating grant (e.g. Clinical Research grant).

Important Information in Funding Guidelines

The Funding Guidelines contain important information regarding the award, including PSI’s definition of knowledge translation, matching funding requirements, and funding criteria. Please review this document before applying.

How to Apply

PSI is launching this competition through a Letter of Intent (LOI) process. Please note that for this competition, applicants are required to submit their applications directly to PSI, not through their institution.

We require all applicants to submit the completed LOI directly to PSI via the PSI Online Grants Management System (https://psifoundation.smartsimple.ca/) by June 8th, 2026 at 5pm EST. LOIs will be reviewed by the PSI Grants Committee in June/July 2026.

PSI will invite successful applicants to submit full applications by October 5th, 2026 at 5pm EST, which will undergo peer review and committee review for a final funding decision in December 2026.

Questions?

Please contact the PSI Office to discuss any questions you may have about submitting an application for funding.

PSI Launches the 2027 PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship

PSI Foundation is very pleased to announce the new funding opportunity for the 2027 PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship. This Fellowship is intended to provide salary support for a new investigator who has demonstrated the ability to successfully complete high impact knowledge translation research. The Fellowship funds, dedicated to salary support, must protect at least 50% of the Fellow’s time to conduct such research.

Please note: This funding opportunity is not an additional PSI operating grant. Knowledge translation must be the fundamental purpose of this Fellowship and must be demonstrated in the application.

Amount and Duration of Funding

This program offers two options for a funding timeline for salary support: A maximum of $150,000 per year for two years; OR a maximum of $100,000 per year for three years.

Please note: the award is intended to protect at least 50% of the fellow’s time to undertake research, regardless of whether the award is taken over two or three years.

Eligibility of Candidate

For this competition, PSI has set the eligibility criteria for candidates as follows:

The candidate for the Fellowship must be either:

• Within six (6) years of their first academic appointment and have demonstrated potential for high impact research work
  • Please note: PSI has adjusted this eligibility requirement in recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Dedicating at least 50% of a full-time schedule to the Fellowship
• A practising physician with a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) licensed M.D. having direct patient care responsibilities and an academic appointment, thus eligible to apply for their own research grants as an independent investigator.

OR

• A clinical fellow or a practicing physician without an academic appointment in Ontario having direct patient care responsibilities, with a supervisor who has an academic appointment and that can provide the necessary research supervision and infrastructure (including administering the grant at the sponsoring institution). A letter of support from this supervisor must be included in the application.

The PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellow is able to apply to PSI for an operating grant (e.g. New Investigator grant).

Important Information in Funding Guidelines

The Funding Guidelines contain important information regarding the award, including PSI’s definition of knowledge translation, sponsoring institution requirements, and funding criteria. Please review this document before applying.

How to Apply

Similar to the previous years, PSI is launching this competition through a Letter of Intent (LOI) process. Please note that for this competition, applicants are required to submit their applications directly to PSI, not through the institution.

We require all applicants to submit the completed LOI directly to PSI via the PSI Online Grants Management System (https://psifoundation.smartsimple.ca/) by June 8th, 2026 at 5pm EST. LOIs will be reviewed by the PSI Grants Committee in July 2026.

PSI will invite successful applicants to submit full applications by October 5th, 2026 at 5pm EST, which will undergo peer review and committee review for a final funding decision in December 2026.

Questions?

Please contact the PSI Office to discuss any questions you may have about submitting an application for funding.

PSI Relaunches the PSI Research Trainee Award

PSI is pleased to announce the relaunch of the PSI Research Trainee Award, in response to strong interest and following a comprehensive program review and stakeholder feedback.

This award is designed to support highly qualified candidates by providing clinically applicable research training opportunities and support. Its goal is to strengthen research capacity in Ontario and empower the next generation of physician-researchers.

“Supporting trainees in their research training is a critical investment in the future of health care. Early exposure to high-quality research opportunities not only equips future physicians with essential skills in critical thinking, innovation, and evidence-based practice but also cultivates a lifelong commitment to inquiry and improvement. By providing these opportunities, we help build a pipeline of physician-researchers who are well-prepared to tackle the complex and evolving challenges facing patients and health systems,” says Dr. Andrea Gershon, the Chair of the PSI Grants Committee.

“This directly aligns with PSI’s mission to improve the health of people, families, and communities through interdisciplinary, inclusive, and impactful research and education. Investing in trainees ensures that research is not only sustained but also continually enriched by new perspectives and emerging voices. It fosters a culture of collaboration and equity, where diverse experiences contribute to more holistic, patient-centered solutions.”

Eligible Candidates

Eligible applicants include:

• M.D.s licensed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) who are enrolled in a Ph.D. or M.Sc. program at an Ontario university
• Trainees in a combined M.D./Ph.D. or M.D./M.Sc. program at an Ontario university
• Trainees enrolled in the Clinician Investigator Program (CIP) at an Ontario university

Not an Operating Grant

Unlike the PSI Resident Research grant which is an operating grant that provides funds to complete a specific research project, the PSI Research Trainee Award is a salary support award. Funds are primarily intended for salary and tuition support for the recipient.

Enhancements to the Award Program

Following a thorough evaluation of the previous iteration, PSI has implemented the following changes to enhance the award:

Award Amount:

A maximum of $30,000 per year for two (2) years is available. Up to 25% of the total award may be allocated toward research-related expenses.

Submission Deadline:

There are no longer fixed submission deadlines. Applications may be submitted at any time and will generally receive a decision within six (6) months.

External Peer Review Process:

All applications will undergo external peer review. Proposals will be assessed by independent experts based on the criteria outlined in the funding guidelines.

Dr. Gershon highlights the importance of this change:

“The addition of an external peer review process brings greater transparency, rigor, and credibility to the selection process, ensuring that applications are evaluated based on merit, potential impact, and alignment with the award’s goals. External review also introduces a diversity of perspectives, which strengthens the fairness and inclusivity of the evaluation.

This process also reinforces the award’s commitment to excellence in research and capacity-building. It signals to applicants, mentors, and institutions that the award is both competitive and prestigious, which can in turn elevate the quality of applications and outcomes. Overall, this change reflects PSI’s dedication to continuous improvement and to supporting research that is diverse and impactful.”

Mentorship Remains Central

Despite the updates to the program, mentorship continues to be a core component of the award.

“Mentorship is foundational to a trainee’s development. Especially at the early stages of a research career, strong mentorship provides guidance and support that can be pivotal in shaping a trainee’s trajectory. Mentors help trainees navigate challenges, set meaningful goals, and build networks,” says Dr. Gershon.

“In the context of physician-researchers, mentorship is even more crucial. Balancing clinical responsibilities with scholarly inquiry requires insight and adaptability — qualities that are best nurtured through mentorship. Embedding mentorship ensures that trainees are not working in isolation but are part of a framework that encourages growth, excellence, and sustained engagement in research.”

How to Apply

Please carefully review the funding guidelines before applying.

Please note that applicants are required to submit their applications directly to PSI. All requests for funding must be submitted by using the PSI grants management system https://psifoundation.smartsimple.ca/. The online application form provides specific instructions regarding required documents, page limits, signatures, and other details.

Once an application’s completeness and eligibility are confirmed, it will be sent for external peer review by experts in the relevant research training and focus area. After peer review, the application will be considered at the PSI Grants Committee meeting, where a consensus funding decision will be made based on the funding criteria and PSI’s overall mission, vision, and values.

All applicants will be notified of the Committee’s funding decisions and receive unattributed external reviewer comments within 15 business days.

Questions?

For inquiries about the PSI Research Trainee Award, please contact us at psif@psifoundation.org.

PSI Launches the 2026 Competition for the PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship

PSI Foundation is very pleased to announce the 2026 competition for the PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship. This Fellowship is intended to provide salary support for a new investigator who has demonstrated the ability to successfully complete high impact knowledge translation research. The Fellowship funds, dedicated to salary support, must protect at least 50% of the Fellow’s time to conduct such research.

Please note: This funding opportunity is not an additional PSI operating grant. Knowledge translation must be the fundamental purpose of this Fellowship and must be demonstrated in the application.

Amount and Duration of Funding

This program offers two options for a funding timeline for salary support: A maximum of $150,000 per year for two years; OR a maximum of $100,000 per year for three years.

Please note: the award is intended to protect at least 50% of the fellow’s time to undertake research, regardless of whether the award is taken over two or three years.

Eligibility of Candidate

For this competition, PSI has set the eligibility criteria for candidates as follows:

The candidate for the Fellowship must be either:

• Within six (6) years of their first academic appointment and have demonstrated potential for high impact research work
  • Please note: PSI has adjusted this eligibility requirement in recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Dedicating at least 50% of a full-time schedule to the Fellowship
• A practising physician with a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) licensed M.D. having direct patient care responsibilities and an academic appointment, thus eligible to apply for their own research grants as an independent investigator.

OR

• A clinical fellow in Ontario who is a practising physician having direct patient care responsibilities, with a supervisor who has an academic appointment and that can provide the necessary research supervision and infrastructure (including administering the grant at the sponsoring institution). A letter of support from this supervisor must be included in the application.

The PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellow is able to apply to PSI for an operating grant (e.g. New Investigator grant).

Important Information in Funding Guidelines

The Funding Guidelines contain important information regarding the award, including PSI’s definition of knowledge translation, sponsoring institution requirements, and funding criteria.

Please review this document before applying.

How to Apply

Similar to the previous years, PSI is launching this competition through a Letter of Intent (LOI) process. Please note that for this competition, applicants are required to submit their applications directly to PSI, not through the institution.

We require all applicants to submit the completed LOI directly to PSI via the PSI Online Grants Management System (https://psifoundation.smartsimple.ca/) by June 9th, 2025 at 5pm EST. LOIs will be reviewed by the PSI Grants Committee in July 2025.

PSI will invite successful applicants to submit full applications by October 20th, 2025 at 5pm EST, which will undergo peer review and committee review for a final funding decision in December 2025.

Questions?

Please contact the PSI Office to discuss any questions you may have about submitting an application for funding.

PSI acknowledges that mid-career can be a challenging time for physician researchers. During this phase, there are often additional academic roles and responsibilities including committee work, leadership positions, and mentoring of junior investigators, while clinical work continues. PSI recognizes the importance in supporting this phase of an investigator’s trajectory.

PSI Launches the 2026 Competition for the PSI Mid-Career Knowledge Translation Fellowship

PSI Foundation is very pleased to announce the 2026 competition for the PSI Mid-Career Knowledge Translation Fellowship. This Fellowship is intended to provide salary support for a mid-career physician researcher in Ontario who has demonstrated the ability to successfully complete high-impact knowledge translation research. The Fellowship funds, dedicated to salary support, must protect at least 50% of the Fellow’s time to conduct such research.

Please note: Knowledge translation must be the fundamental purpose of this Fellowship and must be demonstrated in the application.

Amount and Duration of Funding

Total Support

This program offers two options for a funding timeline for salary support:

A maximum of $400,000 over two years;

OR

A maximum of $400,000 over three years.

The award is intended to protect at least 50% of the fellow’s time to undertake research, regardless of whether the award is taken over two or three years.

Matching Funding Requirements

The sponsoring institution is required to fund 50% of the total award.

For example, if the fellow requests a total support of $400,000 over two years, then PSI will fund $200,000 over two years ($100,000 per year) and the institution is required to co-fund $200,000 over two years ($100,000 per year).

Eligibility

For this competition, the candidate for the Fellowship must be:

• A practicing physician in Ontario with a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario licensed M.D. having direct patient care responsibilities and an academic appointment, thus eligible to apply for their own research grants as an independent investigator
• Within six (6) to fifteen (15) years of their first academic appointment and have demonstrated potential for high impact research work
• Dedicating at least 50% of a full-time schedule to the Fellowship

The PSI Mid-Career Knowledge Translation Fellow is able to apply to PSI for an operating grant (e.g. Clinical Research grant).

Important Information in Funding Guidelines

The Funding Guidelines contain important information regarding the award, including PSI’s definition of knowledge translation, matching funding requirements, and funding criteria.

Please review this document before applying.

How to Apply

PSI is launching this competition through a Letter of Intent (LOI) process. Please note that for this competition, applicants are required to submit their applications directly to PSI, not through their institution.

We require all applicants to submit the completed LOI directly to PSI via the PSI Online Grants Management System (https://psifoundation.smartsimple.ca/) by June 9th, 2025 at 5pm EST. LOIs will be reviewed by the PSI Grants Committee in July 2025.

PSI will invite successful applicants to submit full applications by October 20th, 2025 at 5pm EST, which will undergo peer review and committee review for a final funding decision in December 2025.

Questions?

Please contact the PSI Office to discuss any questions you may have about submitting an application for funding.

The PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship – valued at $300,000 for over two or three years – helps protect a promising physician’s research time, allowing the Fellow to undertake high-impact translational research in Ontario.

Two Physician Researchers Awarded with the 2025 PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellowship

PSI Foundation is pleased to name two physician researchers as the 2025 PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship recipients:

Dr. Lucy Barker – Women’s College Hospital (Recipient Biography)

Dr. Nicole Kozloff – Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) (Recipient Biography)

Please visit their recipient biographies for more information on each of these Fellows and how they will be using PSI funds to conduct high-impact knowledge translation research. We thank all stakeholders for supporting PSI with the 2025 competition.

PSI’s Commitment to Funding KT Research for Early Career Physician Researchers in Ontario

Knowledge translation research is aimed at taking research discoveries and moving them into the real world to improve health outcomes. PSI’s KT Fellowship program focuses on translational research that is multi-disciplinary and multi-method, focused on improving the processes of care and/or outcomes of medical care for Ontarians.

Since the launch of this award in 2012, PSI has invested over $7.4 million in funding 25 physician researchers in Ontario with the PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship.

2026 Competition to Open in Spring 2025

PSI plans to launch the competition for the 2026 PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship in Spring 2025. Please follow us on X (Twitter) @PSIFoundation and subscribe to our mailing list to stay updated and connected with our latest news!

PSI Launches the 2025 Competition for the PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship

PSI Foundation is very pleased to announce the 2025 competition for the PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship. This Fellowship is intended to provide salary support for a new investigator who has demonstrated the ability to successfully complete high impact knowledge translation research. The Fellowship funds, dedicated to salary support, must protect at least 50% of the Fellow’s time to conduct such research.

Please note: This funding opportunity is not an additional PSI operating grant. Knowledge translation must be the fundamental purpose of this Fellowship and must be demonstrated in the application.

Amount and Duration of Funding

This program offers two options for a funding timeline for salary support: A maximum of $150,000 per year for two years; OR a maximum of $100,000 per year for three years.

Please note: the award is intended to protect at least 50% of the fellow’s time to undertake research, regardless of whether the award is taken over two or three years.

Eligibility of Candidate

For this competition, PSI has set the eligibility criteria for candidates as follows:

The candidate for the Fellowship must be either:

• Within six (6) years of their first academic appointment and have demonstrated potential for high impact research work
  • Please note: PSI has adjusted this eligibility requirement in recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Dedicating at least 50% of a full-time schedule to the Fellowship
• A practising physician with a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) licensed M.D. having direct patient care responsibilities and an academic appointment, thus eligible to apply for their own research grants as an independent investigator.

OR

• A clinical fellow in Ontario who is a practising physician having direct patient care responsibilities, with a supervisor who has an academic appointment and that can provide the necessary research supervision and infrastructure (including administering the grant at the sponsoring institution). A letter of support from this supervisor must be included in the application.

The PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellow is able to apply to PSI for an operating grant (e.g. New Investigator grant).

Important Information in Funding Guidelines

The Funding Guidelines contain important information regarding the award, including PSI’s definition of knowledge translation, sponsoring institution requirements, and funding criteria. Please review this document before applying.

How to Apply

Similar to the previous years, PSI is launching this competition through a Letter of Intent (LOI) process. Please note that for this competition, applicants are required to submit their applications directly to PSI, not through the institution.

We require all applicants to submit the completed LOI directly to PSI via the PSI Online Grants Management System (https://psifoundation.smartsimple.ca/) by June 10th, 2024 at 5pm EST. LOIs will be reviewed by the PSI Grants Committee in July/August 2024.

PSI will invite successful applicants to submit full applications by October 28th, 2024 at 5pm EST, which will undergo internal review for a final funding decision in December 2024.

Questions?

Please contact the PSI Office to discuss any questions you may have about submitting an application for funding.

The PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship – valued at $300,000 for over two or three years – helps protect a promising physician’s research time, allowing the Fellow to undertake high-impact translational research in Ontario.

Three Physician Researchers Awarded with the 2024 PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellowship

PSI Foundation is pleased to name three physician researchers as the 2024 PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship recipients:

Dr. Michael Fralick – Sinai Health (Recipient Biography)

Dr. Lauren Lapointe-Shaw – University Health Network (Recipient Biography)

Dr. Kamila Premji – University of Ottawa (Recipient Biography)

Please visit their recipient biographies for more information on each of these Fellows and how they will be using PSI funds to conduct high-impact knowledge translation research. We thank all stakeholders for supporting PSI with the 2024 competition.

PSI’s Commitment to Funding Early Career Physician Researchers in Ontario

Since the launch of this award in 2012, PSI has invested over $7.1 million in funding 23 physician researchers in Ontario with the PSI Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship.

Dr. Robin Walker, PSI Chair, highlights the productivity of this funding stream.

“What we have learned from funding early career physician researchers (as opposed to just project grants) is that it is a highly effective way of building careers and the funded researchers become very productive. Measured by publications, the same funds given to a researcher provide a much larger return on investment than when given to a single project. We benefit from the researchers tending to have a stronger bond with PSI when we have supported their career in this manner.”

Continuing KT Research Funding to Improve the Health of Ontarians

Knowledge translation research is aimed at taking research discoveries and moving them into the real world to improve health outcomes. PSI’s KT Fellowship program focuses on translational research that is multi-disciplinary and multi-method, focused on improving the processes of care and/or outcomes of medical care for Ontarians.

“Translational research has been identified as a major need to ensure research findings become translated to effective interventions at the bedside and system-wide,” says Dr. Walker. “We expect that PSI will continue to strongly support this area.”