Research Training Awards

Research Training Awards are designed to foster the development of occupational health and safety and work disability research expertise in B.C. We support the training of new researchers today who will be able to answer the critical research questions of tomorrow.

Who can apply
Funding and duration
Funding opportunities

Recently funded projects
Related articles

Who can apply

Research Training Awards are available to graduate students at the master’s and doctoral level. To qualify, applicants need to be engaged in a full-time graduate studies program with a B.C. university. International students who are attending a B.C. university are welcome to apply. These awards enable students to undertake research training with a focus on occupational health and safety and work disability.

Funding and duration

Master’s students receive $22,500 for one year and doctoral students receive $40,000 per year for two years. Recipients can apply to renew their award for an additional year (see General Guidelines and Conditions for more information).

All standard terms and conditions apply to projects funded through Research Services. Please refer to the General Guidelines and Conditions for details.

Funding opportunities

The Research Training Awards competition is now closed. The next competition is anticipated to launch in October 2026.

The forms and resources provided below are for reference only.

Required forms:

Resources:

Please contact Research Services if you have any questions about the application process or to discuss your research ideas. You can also sign up to receive automatic Research Services Enews to be notified when we post new funding opportunities.

Research topics

Research projects should align with our research priorities and any of the topics below:

Occupational injury and disease
Workplace exposures
Prevention of injury or disease
Treatment of injury or disease
Disability management, vocational rehabilitation, and return-to-work
Workers’ compensation

We consider academic standing, the quality of the proposed research project, the research training environment, and letters of reference in the funding decision process.

Recently funded projects

Select a year below to view the list of previous award recipients:

The list of 2025 Research Training Awards recipients will be published soon.

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Organization	Award Amount
Rinni Mamman	Exploring public perception of return-to-work after traumatic brain injury	University of British Columbia	$80,000
Harman Singh Sandhu	Investigating differences in return-to-work outcomes for workers with work-related psychological injuries and concurrent chronic pain	University of British Columbia	$22,500
Jiaxin Gu	Workplace hazards and access to workers’ compensation among temporary foreign workers and immigrant workers	University of British Columbia	$80,000
Gabrielle Voiseux	Mental health risks of workplace artificial intelligence monitoring for low-wage workers	University of British Columbia	$75,000
Thomas Karpiuk	Developing improved gas sensor technology for detection of chlorine	Simon Fraser University	$80,000
Jen Kostuchuk	Green work and perceptions of health and safety	University of Victoria	$80,000

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Organization	Award Amount
Kiana Bonamin	Low Back Recovery rom Work-Related Tasks in Older Adults	University of British Columbia	$22,500
Leanna Karn	Monitoring workplace exposure to ammonia gas using vapochromic coordination polymer sensing materials	Simon Fraser University	$22,500
Naomi Zakimi	Constructing safer futures: Examining migrant and non-migrant construction workers’ experiences with drug use-related workplace safety risks and workplace drug policies	Simon Fraser University	$80,000
Shuyuan Shi	Identifying treatment targets for concussion rehabilitation using network analysis	University of British Columbia	$52,600

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Tamila Kalimullina	FashionABLE: Developing an adaptive clothing and fashion resource for people with spinal cord injury to support self-esteem and independence	MSc, UBC	$22,500
Alexandra Lane	Mental health outcomes and psychosocial risk factors in wildland firefighters	MSc, UNBC	$22,500
Shanrong (Helen) Wu	Determining the extent chemical exposures contribute to hearing loss (ototoxicity) in BC workers	MSc, UBC	$22,500
Tuan Ngo	Developing a standardized protocol for wipe sampling for detection of antineoplastic drugs contamination	MSc,SFU	$22,500
Mariah Allyson Banal	The impact of COVID-19 on work-related mental health claims of healthcare workers in British Columbia: an interrupted time series analysis	MSc, UBC	$22,500
Jasleen Grewal	The effectiveness of using virtual reality for vocational rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury	PhD, UBC	$45,000
Justin Kian Ming Wyss	Development of a fully autonomous prevention device for pressure ulcers	PhD, UBC	$45,000
Xiaocong Guo	Heat-related illnesses and injuries among workers with pre-existing chronic health conditions	PhD, UBC	$45,000

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Atieh Razavi Yekta	Exploring psychosocial and systemic factors that influence the occupational health and well-being of gig workers in Metro Vancouver	PhD, Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, UBC	$45,000
Thomas W. Service	Potential off-label use of desloratidine to mitigate inflammation caused by PPE-induced heat stress	PhD, Kinesiology, University of Victoria	$45,000
Thalia Otamendi	Studying the impact of mental health care services on return-to-work outcomes after concussions	PhD, Rehabilitation Sciences, UBC	$45,000

The list of 2025 Research Training Awards recipients will be published soon.

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Organization	Award Amount
Rinni Mamman	Exploring public perception of return-to-work after traumatic brain injury	University of British Columbia	$80,000
Harman Singh Sandhu	Investigating differences in return-to-work outcomes for workers with work-related psychological injuries and concurrent chronic pain	University of British Columbia	$22,500
Jiaxin Gu	Workplace hazards and access to workers’ compensation among temporary foreign workers and immigrant workers	University of British Columbia	$80,000
Gabrielle Voiseux	Mental health risks of workplace artificial intelligence monitoring for low-wage workers	University of British Columbia	$75,000
Thomas Karpiuk	Developing improved gas sensor technology for detection of chlorine	Simon Fraser University	$80,000
Jen Kostuchuk	Green work and perceptions of health and safety	University of Victoria	$80,000

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Organization	Award Amount
Kiana Bonamin	Low Back Recovery rom Work-Related Tasks in Older Adults	University of British Columbia	$22,500
Leanna Karn	Monitoring workplace exposure to ammonia gas using vapochromic coordination polymer sensing materials	Simon Fraser University	$22,500
Naomi Zakimi	Constructing safer futures: Examining migrant and non-migrant construction workers’ experiences with drug use-related workplace safety risks and workplace drug policies	Simon Fraser University	$80,000
Shuyuan Shi	Identifying treatment targets for concussion rehabilitation using network analysis	University of British Columbia	$52,600

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Tamila Kalimullina	FashionABLE: Developing an adaptive clothing and fashion resource for people with spinal cord injury to support self-esteem and independence	MSc, UBC	$22,500
Alexandra Lane	Mental health outcomes and psychosocial risk factors in wildland firefighters	MSc, UNBC	$22,500
Shanrong (Helen) Wu	Determining the extent chemical exposures contribute to hearing loss (ototoxicity) in BC workers	MSc, UBC	$22,500
Tuan Ngo	Developing a standardized protocol for wipe sampling for detection of antineoplastic drugs contamination	MSc,SFU	$22,500
Mariah Allyson Banal	The impact of COVID-19 on work-related mental health claims of healthcare workers in British Columbia: an interrupted time series analysis	MSc, UBC	$22,500
Jasleen Grewal	The effectiveness of using virtual reality for vocational rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury	PhD, UBC	$45,000
Justin Kian Ming Wyss	Development of a fully autonomous prevention device for pressure ulcers	PhD, UBC	$45,000
Xiaocong Guo	Heat-related illnesses and injuries among workers with pre-existing chronic health conditions	PhD, UBC	$45,000

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Atieh Razavi Yekta	Exploring psychosocial and systemic factors that influence the occupational health and well-being of gig workers in Metro Vancouver	PhD, Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, UBC	$45,000
Thomas W. Service	Potential off-label use of desloratidine to mitigate inflammation caused by PPE-induced heat stress	PhD, Kinesiology, University of Victoria	$45,000
Thalia Otamendi	Studying the impact of mental health care services on return-to-work outcomes after concussions	PhD, Rehabilitation Sciences, UBC	$45,000