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Funding Opportunities

In line with its aim of enhancing kidney research capacity in Canada, the KRESCENT program is focused on the recruitment and training of those who will subsequently assume leadership roles in kidney research in Canada. The KRESCENT program provides salary support to post-doctoral fellows, new investigators and allied health scholars.  Salary support is paired with exceptional mentorship, training opportunities and career development support.
 
The program additionally supports a summer studentship program aimed at Black and Indigenous undergraduate and medical school students, aimed to both provide a culturally safe kidney research training experience for emerging research scholars, and to address known disparities in the kidney research community.

Information on KRESCENT funding opportunities can be found below, or on the Kidney Foundation of Canada funding opportunities page.


  • KRESCENT Summer Studentship Program
    The KRESCENT program Summer Studentship award is awarded to undergraduate students or medical school students who identify as black or Indigenous and provides salary support to complete a summer student position in an approved Canadian kidney research laboratory.

    The main objective of the award is to create opportunity and support students from historically underrepresented groups to experience research in a culturally safe environment, while building their experience and exploring kidney research.
     
    In order to apply, please see award guidelines and application form below.
     
    Anticipated Competition Timelines: CLOSED
    Application Opens:  January 6, 2025
    Full Application Deadline:  February 24, 2025
    Anticipated Date for Notice of Award:  March 31, 2025
    Funding Start Date:  May 2025 or when start date aligns for the student (awards may be from 12-16 weeks in length)

    *These timelines are estimates and subject to change.
     
    Resources
    KRESCENT Summer Studentship Guidelines
    Application Process
    Application Form
    List of Participating Labs
  • New Investigator Award

    The KRESCENT program New Investigator Award is awarded to researchers (within three years of their first faculty appointment) who have clearly demonstrated excellence during their pre-doctoral and post-doctoral training in kidney disease.  This award provides salary support for up to three years of the faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or equivalent at a Canadian University. The purpose of this award is to support the recipient in becoming established as a fully independent investigator in the field of kidney disease.

    Applications for this award must be supported by the university or institution where the candidate will conduct the proposed research. The university or institution is expected to guarantee the applicant appropriate academic rank and to provide adequate space and facilities for the investigator’s research, commensurate with the status of the awardee in terms of experience and level of support by the program. The institution or department will also have to confirm protected research time as stated in the guidelines.

    The annual stipend is $ 70,000CAD (MD) or $65,000CAD (PhD) for three years. 50% of this stipend will be covered by the KRESCENT program, and 50% will be matched by the host institution.

    The program also offers to match up to $25,000 of infrastructure support (lab start-up costs and staff) committed by the host institution.

    Applications to this program are through the online portal Proposal Central.

    Anticipated Competition Timelines*  
    Application Platform Opens:  January 15, 2025
    Registration Deadline:  N/A
    Full Application Deadline:  March 03, 2025
    Anticipated Date for Notice of Award:  May 2025 
    Funding Start Date:  July 2025
    *These timelines are estimates and subject to change.

    Resources 
    KRESCENT New Investigator Award Policies 
    Policy on Indirect Costs of Research 
    Best Practices for Writing a Plain Language Abstract
  • Post-Doctoral Fellowships

    A KRESCENT program post-doctoral fellowship is an “in-training” award intended for applicants with a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent degree. The objective is to attract and foster late stage trainees to initiate and/or continue their training in kidney research.

    Candidates with more than four years of post-Ph.D. training by the competition deadline are not eligible. Applicants with a MD or equivalent degree must hold license in Canada and be enrolled in a research program leading to certification in Canada at the time of applying for this award.

    Applications for this award must be supported by the university or institution where the candidate will conduct the proposed research. The annual stipend is $65,000CAD (MD) or $55,000CAD (PhD) for two to three years. 50% of this stipend will be covered by the KRESCENT program, and 50% will be matched by the host institution.

    Applications to this program are through the online portal Proposal Central.


    Anticipated Competition Timelines*  
    Application Platform Opens:  January 15, 2025
    Registration Deadline:  N/A
    Full Application Deadline:  March 03, 2025
    Anticipated Date for Notice of Award:  May 2025 
    Funding Start Date:  July 2025
    *These timelines are estimates and subject to change.

    Resources 
    KRESCENT Post-Doctoral Fellowship Policies
    Policy on Indirect Costs of Research  
    Best Practices for Writing a Plain Language Abstract 
  • Allied Health Doctoral Award
    The Kidney Foundation of Canada offers a limited number of fellowships that fund full-time academic study and preparation for research at the doctoral level to allied health professionals. The objective of this program is to promote and enhance the development of allied health professionals in Canada in the field of nephrology and kidney donation/transplantation.

    Applications must be submitted to the Allied Health Kidney Doctoral fellowship competition (here). On an annual basis, the highest scoring candidate with a score in the excellent range exhibiting interest in the program will be nominated for a KRESCENT Doctoral award. The recipient of a KRESCENT Doctoral Award will participate in the KRESCENT program, including the core curriculum and workshops, and will receive salary funding for up to 3 years.  Fellowships are awarded for $35,000CAD/year for a maximum of three years and can be held in Canada or abroad. No institutional matching is required.
     
    Applications to this program are through the online portal Proposal Central