Research opportunities
WorkSafeBC’s Research Grants Program provides financial support for innovation and research in occupational health and safety and work disability. This research aims to provide insight and solutions for issues faced by workers, employers, the workplace, and WorkSafeBC.
The Research Grants Program consists of grants in three research streams:
- Innovation: Supports research ideas that lead to tools, technology, knowledge, or other solutions to address workplace or industry problems.
- Research training and fellowships: Supports graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who focus on occupational health and safety and work disability research.
- Specific Priorities: Supports research of immediate relevance to WorkSafeBC that addresses key questions in occupational health and safety and work disability.
Please review research grants carefully to ensure you apply for the opportunities that are most appropriate for you. Application criteria and funding details are explained in more detail on individual grant pages.
Research grants in this stream open in the Fall. See the individual grant pages for specific deadlines and other details.
| Research grant | Is this the right fit for you? | Funding & duration |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Innovation | You have a practical solution to a workplace or industry problem that can be developed and implemented within 12 months. | Up to $50,000 for one year |
| Proof of Principle and Prototyping | You are developing an early-stage tool or technology to improve health and safety or work disability and can demonstrate its feasibility or proof of concept. | Up to $100,000 over two years |
| Advancing Knowledge Research | You have a project or research idea to address workplace or industry challenges that advances existing knowledge and strengthens the evidence base. | Up to $125,000 per year for two years |
| Transformative Research | You have a new idea or approach to address a significant health and safety challenge that has the potential to set a new standard across workplaces. | Project dependent |
Research grants in this stream open in the Fall. See the individual grant pages for specific deadlines and other details.
| Research grant | Is this the right fit for you? | Funding & duration |
|---|---|---|
| Research Training Awards | You are a graduate student conducting academic research that addresses an occupational health and safety need relevant to workplaces or industries in B.C. |
Master’s: $22,500 over one year Doctoral: $40,000 per year for two years |
| Ralph McGinn Postdoctoral Fellowships | You are a postdoctoral fellow training for a career as an independent researcher in academia related to occupational health and safety or work disability. | $50,000 per year for two years |
Funding opportunities in this stream are offered throughout the year through individual Requests for Proposals (RFPs), which identify topics of interest for investigator-driven research. See the Specific Priorities page for current opportunities and details.
| Research grant | Is this the right fit for you? | Funding & duration |
|---|---|---|
| Specific Priorities | You are a qualified researcher, affiliated with a university or research institution, who has demonstrated expertise and a track record of publications related to the research questions outlined in the RFP. Note: The RFP may include specific conditions for the principal applicant, such as needing to be based in British Columbia, or to be affiliated with a Canadian university or Canadian research institution. |
Project dependent |
Learn more
Sign up for our Research Services Enews to be notified when new funding opportunities are posted. After providing your information, select the Research Services box to be added to the mailing list.
For questions about the Research Grants Program or the research we support, contact our Research Services team.