Convening & Collaborating (C2) Program

The Michael Smith Health Research BC C2 Program promotes knowledge exchange and meaningful collaboration by supporting researchers, trainees and research users* in co-developing research that can have direct impacts on people, including patients, health practitioners and policy makers.

Co-developing research by engaging with people who use research helps ensure the research is relevant. It also helps build knowledge translation (KT) capacity, experience and skills in BC’s research and health professional trainees.

Researchers who need support to develop a research agenda, identify key research practice priorities or evaluate a peer support initiative should consider applying to the C2 Program.

*Research users might include patients, caregivers, health practitioners, government policy makers, health charities or the public.

New for 2024: Introducing Health Research BC’s priority areas 

Health Research BC has undertaken a priority-setting process to determine where our funding and support can provide increased research attention and impact. This approach aligns with provincial priorities and is empowered by our strategy to build talent, catalyze change for a stronger health research system, and mobilize communities for research impact.

Priority areas have been incorporated into the 2024 C2 competition to help advance these priorities. This additional funding is being made available to support proposals focused in four priority areas: population aging; climate change and health; the health human resources crisis; and public health emergencies.

Details about how this impacts the competition can be found in the guidelines document.

Health Research BC will continue to fund applications from across the full range of health research topics.

Learn more about Health Research BC’s approach to priority-based funding.

New for 2024: The maximum amount for each C2 award has been increased to $20,000.

  • This competition is

    CLOSED

  • Important Dates

  • Applications open

    April 2024

  • Application deadline (applicant)

    May 13, 2024, 4:30 p.m. PT

  • Application deadline (host institution)

    May 21, 2024, 4:30 p.m. PT

  • Anticipated notice of funding decision

    September, 2024

  • Anticipated start of funding

    October 01, 2024

  • Award Term

    18 months

  • Award Amount

    $20,000

Program details

  • Award term: 18 months (projects must be planned to be completed within 12 months).
  • Supports meaningful collaboration and knowledge sharing between health researchers and research users.
  • Supports the co-development of research questions and processes.
  • Builds knowledge translation (KT) capacity, experience and skills in BC’s research and health professional trainees.

Partnered awards are available for this program!

Learn more

Eligibility

Each team must include:

  • A minimum of one researcher and one research user as co-leads.
  • At least one BC research/health professional trainee (e.g. undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral and/or clinical fellow) as a team member included in a meaningful way to enhance their knowledge translation experience and skills. The trainee may also fulfill the role as research user co-lead, if applicable. 
  • The researcher co-lead must serve as the primary applicant, be based in BC and be affiliated with an eligible BC host institution that has a signed memorandum of understanding with Health Research BC (formerly known as MSFHR) to administer award funds.
  • All award funds must be used in BC.

If your intended KT activity is focused on the dissemination of research evidence (i.e. end-of-grant KT activities), consider applying for our Reach competition.

How to apply

Applications to our funding competitions are coordinated through Health Research BC's ApplyNet, our online grants management system that allows users to manage their entire award lifecycle, from application submission to post-award monitoring.

Log in to ApplyNet:

Applynet
Learn more about Health Research BC's ApplyNet
View the Health Research BC ApplyNet quick start guides

Application resources

2024 Guidelines

Download

2024 Evaluation Criteria

Download

2024 Conditions of Award

Download

Sample PDFs

Full Application

Download

Research User Co-Lead

Download

Department Head

Download

Webinar

The C2 and Reach webinar has now passed. To watch the recording, please click “view” below and enter the passcode. The slides are also available for download.

Passcode: Wi9$Jke%

View

2024 C2 and Reach information session slides

Download