Future opportunities Closed opportunities
Future opportunities 
Research Trainee Awards
Diabetes Canada is exploring opportunities to offer trainee funding in the future, as part of our strategy to increase how much research we support while also maximizing progress towards our goal to End Diabetes. This program is early in development, and the stage of trainee and type of support will be shared when the program is closer to launching.
Diabetes Impact Funds
Diabetes Canada intends to offer larger grants focused on priority research topics. This program will support the research strategy by advancing knowledge and solutions that address the issues and challenges identified by the diabetes community. More information will be shared when the program is closer to launching.
Closed 
2026 End Diabetes Awards
Application submission for the 2026 End Diabetes Awards is now closed. Funding decisions will be made in mid-December 2026 and Notice of Decision letters will be posted at that time. Funding is projected to be disbursed starting in January 2027.
Objectives
The objective of the End Diabetes Awards are:
- To support researchers in the discovery of biomedical, clinical, health services, and/or population health factors that lead to the onset and progression of all types of diabetes and its complications.
- To develop solutions to improve the quality of life of people living with diabetes.
- To address challenges in diabetes health services, and design and implement solutions that improve healthcare delivery, health policies, and access to care for all communities and populations affected by diabetes.
Learn more about the types of research that Diabetes Canada funds here.
New this year: Early Career Researcher Seed Funding Pool
Through this year’s End Diabetes Awards, Diabetes Canada will award up to four grants designed specifically for early career researchers to help launch their research programs. This seed funding pool is only open to early career researchers (see the definition of an early career researcher here). The Principal Applicant must have never received an End Diabetes Award and not hold a competitive project grant valued at more than $200,000.
Entering this funding pool is optional; early career researchers may apply to be evaluated within this pool or within the general End Diabetes Awards. Applicants who opt-in to this funding pool may request up to $50,000 per year for up to two years ($100,000 total).
Learn more about this funding pool in the 2026 End Diabetes Awards Guide.
Research Collaboration Support
Researcher Collaboration Grants support researcher-led activities that foster sharing of ideas and development of new knowledge and solutions. These activities could include: meetings, networking events, lecture series, or training sessions.
Objectives
The objective of the Research Collaborations Grants are:
- To support investigator or network-initiated collaboration activities to bring researchers together.
- To support collaboration among researchers, and between researchers and the broader diabetes stakeholder community (e.g., healthcare providers, policy makers, people with lived experience).
- To foster sharing of research ideas and development of new knowledge and solutions.
Funding
Applicants can request between $3,000 and $10,000 per research collaboration activity. Diabetes Canada will award $60,000 through this program in 2026.
Depending on the volume of applications received, the program may be re-opened for a second round of applications in July 2026. It is recommended to apply early where possible as funds will not be held back if strong applications are received at the first deadline.
Nominated award opportunities
Each year Diabetes Canada recognizes the outstanding achievements of diabetes researchers through two prestigious nominated awards:
The Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award is bestowed upon a prominent Canadian MD or PhD medical scientist who is recognized and nominated by their peers for longstanding contribution to the Canadian diabetes community and a leader in diabetes research. Details on nomination eligibility can be found here. Nominations for this award can be made completing the online nomination form.
The Early Career Researcher Award
The Early Career Researcher Award was established for the purpose of encouraging, by appropriate recognition, outstanding research conducted in Canada in the field of diabetes. Details on nomination eligibility can be found here. Nominations for this award can be made completing the online nomination form.