CIHR – Reviewer in Training
Sponsor’s Website
Visit the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) website for more information on the Reviewer in Training (RiT) program.
Internal Contacts
Potential applicants are encouraged to discuss this funding opportunity with their Faculty Research Facilitator.
Deadlines
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Faculty deadline | Consult your Faculty Research Facilitator |
| Internal cuResearch Approval Form | July 21, 2026 |
| Submission of application to CIHR | July 28, 2026 |
Overview
The RiT program runs twice a year during the spring and fall Project Grant competitions. It offers early career researchers (ECRs) a learning opportunity to gain better understanding of the elements of high-quality review and the peer review process. Applicants have the choice of selecting between the role of mentee or ECR reviewer when applying:
- ECRs that want to gain exposure to CIHR’s peer review process with the guidance of a mentor can apply to the mentee role. In a supported way, mentees will learn about CIHR’s peer review process by completing practice reviews and having the opportunity to participate in discussions during the committee meeting. See Apply as a Mentee for more details.
- ECRs that hold at least one recent federally funded (or equivalent) peer reviewed grant as a principal investigator may choose to participate in the role of mentee as above, or in the role of ECR reviewer. Like regular reviewers, ECR reviewers will be able to contribute to scoring and funding decisions; however, they ease into CIHR’s peer review process by having a reduced number of grants to review and an opportunity to present their reviews later in the meeting. See Apply as an ECR Reviewer for more details.
Eligibility
- Must meet CIHR’s definition of an ECR on the application deadline for the Project Grant competition (September 9, 2026).
- Must hold an independent research-related appointment at a CIHR eligible institution on the application deadline for the Project Grant competition (September 9, 2026).
- Must not have previously participated in the RiT program.
- Must not have previously participated as a reviewer in the Project Grant competition.
Submitting Your Application
- Submit an internal Approval Form through our central awards management database cuResearch. Consult the user’s manual for guidance.
- Submit an external application to CIHR by following their submission guidelines.