CIHR Operating Grant : Aging in the Community
Community, Regional & Enterprise Development
Governance and Public Policy
Social Justice
Well-being, Health and Biomedical Discovery
Deadlines
Academic Unit: Inquire with unit
Memorial Deadline: Thursday 17th, September 2026
External Deadline: Tuesday 22nd, September 2026
Description
Canada’s population is aging and most older Canadians are living in the communities where they wish to remain for as long as possible. However, many older persons face significant barriers to aging in the community, including social isolation and loneliness, ageism, limited access to health and social care, and insufficient community resources.
Community-based organizations are often the first line of support for community-dwelling older persons. These organizations are uniquely positioned to deliver health and social care and address key social determinants of health, such as social connection, housing stability, income security, and access to culturally safe services. In doing so, they help reduce health disparities for all and support the overall health and well-being of community-dwelling older persons.
Despite many established community-based programs and/or social innovations supporting older persons living in community, the absence of rigorous evaluation limits their effectiveness, sustainability, and potential for spread and scale. Little investment has been made to date to enable the evaluation of community-based programs and social innovations that help older persons maintain autonomy and remain in the community. Given the critical gaps in health and social care, there is an urgent need to evaluate community-based programs and social innovations that promote healthy aging in Canada’s rapidly changing demographic landscape.
Evaluating community-based programs and social innovations can generate actionable evidence to strengthen and expand their impact. As a result, these programs and social innovations can reduce pressure on long-term care and health care systems, improve overall health and wellbeing of the aging population, and reduce caregiving burden.
Purpose
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to evaluate established community-based programs and/or social innovations that support aging in the community, with the aim of generating co-created and actionable evidence to strengthen community health systems and enhance the health span and overall well-being of older persons living in the community.
| Competition | 202609ATC |
|---|---|
| Application Deadline | 2026-09-22 |
See ResearchNet for more information.