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 2025 Research Training Awards grant competition is now open. Applications are due January 3, 2025.

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:

2023

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

2022

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

2021

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

Projects from prior years

2020

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Sarah Lawrason	Enhancing physical activity participation among people with spinal cord injuries who ambulate to improve work outcomes	PhD, Health and Exercise Science, UBC Okanagan	$45,000
Pascal Fricke	Understanding mental health challenges among first responders	PhD, Organizational Behavior and Human Resources, UBC	$45,000
Kohle Merry	Development of a home based physical therapy intervention for individuals with Achilles tendinopathy	PhD, Rehabilitation Sciences, UBC	$45,000
Marisa Harrington	Comparison of response to shift work in pre- and postmenopausal nurses	Master’s, Exercise Science, University of Victoria	$22,500
Elizaveta Mojaeva	The effect of rigid tape on wrist postures during tree planting tasks	Master’s, Rehabilitation Sciences, UBC	$22,500

2019

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Juliano Schwartz	Wildland fire centre - novel approaches to understanding risk factors for coordinator administrative staff	PhD, Medicine, UBC Okanagan	$45,000 (2 years)
Prashant Pandey	Ultrasound-based surgical navigation for iliosacral screw insertions in pelvic fractures	PhD, Mechanical Engineering, UBC	$45,000 (2 years)
Jessica McDougall	Does aeorbic activity improve symptoms in subacromial pain syndrome?	PhD, Rehabilitation Sciences, UBC	$45,000 (2 years)
Juma Orach	A dose response study to identify the human bio signature of diesel exhaust exposure	Master’s, Medicine, UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Kaela Cranston	A community based partnership approach to develop a diabetes prevention program for Indigenous Peoples	PhD, Health and Exercise Science, UBC Okanagan	$45,000 (2 years)
Kendra Todd	Determining if tailored exercise programs reduce chronic pain and increase work rates for persons with spinal cord injury	PhD, Kinesiology, UBC Okanagan	$45,000 (2 years)

2018

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Cory Coehoorn	The impact of rate of thermal acquisition on brain blood oxygenation, decision making and salivary cortisol concentration	Doctoral/Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education/University of Victoria	$45,000 (2 years)
Megan MacPherson	Prompts to action: improving workplace accessibility of a diabetes prevention program through push notifications	Doctoral/Health and Exercise Science/UBC	$45,000 (2 years)
Avisa Abbasi	Development of a novel bio-engineered skin substitute for pressure ulcers - combination of adipose micro fragments and MeshFill for treatment of delayed wounds	Doctoral/Experimental Medicine/UBC	$45,000 (2 years)
Sana Javaheri	Determinants of contamination levels of anti-neoplastic drugs in cancer care setting	Masters/Occupational and Environmental Hygiene/UBC	$22,5,000 (1 year)

2017

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Evan Finnamore	Can Achilles tendon tissue dysfunction be directly assessed during routine clinical examination? Clinical validation of a new method to quantify tendon health	Masters/Physical Therapy/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Gurkaran Singh	Improvement of Self-Management Skills among People with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)	Masters/Rehabilitation Sciences/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Denise J. Wooding	Effects of Occupational Diesel Exhaust Exposure on Lung Inflammation: The Role of Neutrophils	Masters/Medicine/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Kimberly M. Sharpe	Examining regional variation in health care services in five Canadian workers’ compensation systems and its relationship to work	Doctoral/School of Population and Public Health/UBC	$45,000 (2 years)

2016

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Jesse Cooper	Bioaerosol Generation in Hospital Bathrooms and the Efficacy of Ultraviolet C Irradiation	Masters/Occupational and Environment Hygiene/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Amir Pourghadiri	The Use of a Combination of Autologous Meshed Graft with Shelf Ready Powdered Reconstituteable Liquid Skin Substitute for Treatment of Burn Injuries in a Pig Model	Masters/Experimental Medicine/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Kelvin Joon-Bin Choi	Risk of Violence and Return-to-Work Outcomes among Healthcare Staff Working in Night Shifts and Shift Work	Masters/Occupational and Environmental Hygiene/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Michael Eadie	Investigating the Effects of Occupational Exposure to Smoke on Respiratory Health in Wildfire Fighters	Masters/Health Sciences/UNBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Min Hyung Ryu	Past Smoking and COPD as Risk Factors in Diesel Exhaust Inhalation Toxicity: A Model for Determining the Effects of Occupation Exposure to Air Pollution.	Doctoral/Medicine/UBC	$7,500 (2016)

2015

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Andrew Jeklin	Novel Approaches to Understanding Risk Factors of Cognitive Fatigue in Wildland Firefighters	Masters/Kinesiology/UBC	$22,500
Mohammadreza Pakyari	Development of Non-Rejectable Allogeneic Skin Grafts by Induction of Local Immune Suppression	Doctoral/Experimental Medicine/UBC	$45,000
Andrea Jones	Injured Workers and Mental Health: Exploring How Mental Health Diagnoses and Mental Health Services Impact Return to Work Following Workplace Musculoskeletal Injury	Doctoral, School of Population and Public Health, UBC	$45,000

2014

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Sherri Ferguson	The Effect of Normoxic Dives on Narcosis and Heart Function in Human and Cellular Models	Masters/Faculty of Science, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology/SFU	$22,500
Amy Hall	Shiftwork: Developing Evidence to Reduce Adverse Health Outcomes and Guide Workplace Policies	Doctoral/School of Population and Public Health/UBC	$45,000
Rachel Cliff	Peripheral Blood Markers of Central Nervous System Effects Following Controlled Human Exposure to Diesel Exhaust	Masters/School of Population and Public Health/UBC	$22,500
Sanam Salimi Elizei	Therapeutic Evaluation of an Anti-Inflammatory Factor (FS2) in a Pre-clinical Burn Fibrotic Animal Model	Doctoral/Surgery/UBC	$45,000

2013

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Ali Farrokhi	Evaluating the Therapeutic use of IDO Expressing Sheets of Allogenic Bi-layer of Skin Substitute as a Coverage for Large Wounds in Pig Model	Doctorate/Department of Surgery/UBC	$45,000
Gholamreza Safaee-Ardekani	Role of ING Tumor Suppressors in the Repair of UV induced DNA Damage in Outdoor Workers	Doctorate/Department of Dermatology/UBC	$45,000

2012

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Kim McLeod	Workplace Safety Regulatory Activities in British Columbia: The Effect of Prevention Activities on Workplace Injury Rates	Doctorate/School of Population and Public Health/UBC	$45,000
Jeffrey Nichol	A New Evaluation of Sorbent Media for Sampling Airborne Antineoplastic Drugs	Masters/School of Population and Public Health/UBC	$22,500
Rouhollah Mousavizadeh	Investigation of Angiogenic Factors and Related Events Involved in Overuse Tendon Injuries	Doctorate/Department of Medicine/UBC	$14,500

2011

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Terry-Ann Curran	Novel Approach to Prolong Survival of Allogeneic Skin Grafts using Specific Regulatory T Cells Response Therapy	Masters/Department of Surgery/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Elise Huisman	Identification of Biochemical Markers of Early Tendon Degeneration	Doctorate/Department of Rehabilitation Science/UBC	$45,000 (2 years)
Eric Carter	Exercise and Diving	Doctorate/School of Human Kinetics/UBC	$45,000 (2 years)
Bianca Malouf	Exhaled Breath Condensate and Diesel Exhaust Exposure	Masters/School of Environmental Health/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Chaojie (Daniel) Songz	Determining the Association between Exposure to Occupational Noise and Cardiovascular Disease using Canadian Community Health Survey Data	Masters/School of Environmental Health/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Hazel Hollingdale	Safety Compliance & Gender: Initiatives and Development Guidelines for Occupational Safety in Male Dominated, High Hazard Work Environments	Masters/Department of Sociology/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)

2010

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Ladan Mohammadi	Developing Atmospheric Fuzzy Risk Assessment for Mine Reclamation Sites	Doctorate/NBK Institute of Mining Engineering/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Lois Lochhead	Association of Past Hysterectomy with Work-related Low Back Injury among Healthcare Workers	Doctorate/Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy/UBC	$14,000 (2 years)

2009

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Elham Rahmani-Neishaboor	Development of a Multi-functional Wound Dressing for Treatment of Burn Injuries	Doctorate/ Department of Surgery/UBC	$45,000 (2 years)
Marci Regambal	Factors that Predict Return to Work for Individuals with PTSD	Doctorate/ Department of Psychology/UBC	$45,000 (2 years)
Daniel Sarkany	Certification in Hazardous Occupations: A Focus on the B.C. Faller Certification Program and Injury Rates	Masters/ School of Environmental Health and CHSPR/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Pearl Siganporia	B.C.'s Outsourced Hospital Workers: An Occupational Health and Safety Perspective	Masters/ School of Environmental Health/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)

2008

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Chun-Yip Hon	Healthcare Workers and Antineoplastic Drugs: Identifying the Determinants of Exposure and Current Challenges to Reducing Exposure	Doctorate/ School of Environmental Health/UBC	$45,000 (2 years)
Bin Ge	Efficacy of Composting to Decontaminate Cryptococcus gattii-colonized Plant Material	Masters/ School of Environmental Health/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Cristian Barzan	Inhalation Hazards of Aerosolized Cyclophosphamide During Routine Handling	Masters/ School of Environmental Health/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)

2007

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Gholamreza Emad	Reduction in Shipping Accidents, Injuries and Fatalities in British Columbia's Waters through Knowledge Transfer to Workplace	Doctorate/ Department of Curriculum and Instruction/UVic	$45,000 (2 years)
Kim Reeves	Screening for In-patient Violence in Emergency Rooms: Decreasing Violence Toward Healthcare Workers	Doctorate/ Department of Psychology/SFU	$45,000 (2 years)

2006

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Carla MacLean	Can Psychology Save Lives? The Influence of Tunnel Vision on Industrial Investigations	Doctorate/Department of Psychology/UVic	$45,000 (2 years)
Christian Turner	Work Related Risk Factors for Asthma and Chronic Lung Disease	Masters/Experimental Medicine/UBC	$22,500 (1 year)
Jennifer Walinga	Pain and Perception: Predicting and Overcoming Barriers to Return-to-Work	Doctorate/Public Administration/UVic	$22,500 (1 year)

2004

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Abul Alamgir	Incidence, Trends and Costs of Occupational Injuries Requiring Hospitalization in the BC Sawmill Industry	Doctorate/ Department of Health Care and Epidemiology/UBC	$44,000 (2 years)
Geoffrey Desmoulin	Lumbar Mechanics from Ultrasound Imaging: a Study of Low Back Pain	Masters/Kinesiology/SFU	$22,000 (1 year)
Zehra LeRoy	Identifying, Measuring and Predicting Safety-Oriented Behaviours	Masters/Department of Psychology/ UBC	$22,000 (1 year)
Catherine Trask	Peak and Cumulative Back Muscle Activation in Heavy Industry: Examining Methods for Exposure Assessment	Masters/ School of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene/UBC	$22,000 (1 year)
Ron Do	Investigating Biomarkers in Exhaled Breath Condensate in Association with Grain Dust and Endotoxin	Masters/ Centre for Health and Environment Research/UBC	$22,000 (1 year)

2003

Award Recipient	Title of Project	Degree/program/ institution	Award Amount
Crystal Whitney	Hemodynamic and Endothelial Response of Firefighters Before and After Sudden Strenuous Exercise Training	Doctorate/School of Human Kinetics/UBC	$44,000 (2 years)
David Du	Development of a Powered Upper-Limb Orthosis Device	Masters/Mechanical Engineering/UBC	$22,000 (1 year)
Mary Heppner	A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on the Role of Self Efficacy in the Use or Abandonment of Assistive Technology in the Workplace	Masters/Department of Physical Education, UVic	$22,000 (1 year)
Shannon van Wiltenburg	Nurses' Experience of Violence in the Workplace	Masters/School of Nursing/UBC	$22,000 (1 year)