About Those ‘Material Advantages’

Written by Al Slivinski on January 14, 2026. Posted in Health Care.

As I have noted often, I still get emails from a variety of university officials. One such is the new Faculty of Social Science Associate Dean for Research. The primary activity for all past holders of this position has been sending out emails. Lots and lots of emails. The current AD is no exception.

So, I got one today about a new ‘award’ from CIHR, which is the Canadian Institute for Health Research, which is the primary federal funding agency for research in health care. The email explained the steps one should take to apply for the award below.

Below is what the AD’s email says about this award. As you can see, only certain folk need apply.

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The CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity and Independence (REDI) Award supports the professional development, career progression, and mentorship of trainees to establish and sustain strong, independent research programs in academia in order to advance scientific excellence and foster diversity in Canada’s research ecosystem.

REDI 2025 will support applicants through two distinct streams:

Stream A for trainees who self-identify as Black (any gender), racialized women, or racialized gender-diverse people, and
Stream B for trainees who self-identify as First Nations, Inuit, Métis scholars (any gender).

Award Value

The REDI award has two-phases across a maximum of 6 years and a maximum amount per award of $660,000 for up to 6 years.

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$110,000/year for six years is some pretty good material advantage, no?