CIHR Grant Accelerator

About this program

This program will help investigators build a competitive CIHR application through 8 virtual, small-group workshops along with one-on-one consulting and grant editing.

Who is this for?

Any investigator working on a CIHR application for submission in Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 with at least an early draft of a grant. This program is designed with new investigators in mind, but researchers at any career stage are welcome.

Schedule

This program runs for four months and includes eight 90-min virtual workshops, as well as 1:1 consulting and editing. Meeting recordings will be available through a secure portal.

Each participant will receive two rounds of in-depth review and editing of their applications (roughly 8 hours) during the program.

Topics discussed

How to tell a compelling story
Crafting specific aims
How to make captivating graphics
Presenting preliminary data
And more!

Register interest for next cycle

Please submit your information to be notified the next time this program is offered.

About the Program Lead

Sarah Treit, PhD, is a research consultant with 20 years of experience in the health sciences sector. She has worked on 40+ CIHR applications, guiding researchers through idea development, editing, figure creation, and strategic planning. She is also an experienced educator, having led grant writing and data visualization workshops for thousands of researchers across Canada. With deep knowledge of the funding landscape and the challenges that early-career researchers face, she is dedicated to helping investigators craft competitive, high-impact grant applications.

I have worked with investigators and institutions across Canada.

Testimonials

Sarah did exceptional work on our CIHR grant that was instrumental to our success. Sarah's expertise with scientific writing, statistical analysis, and creating figures played a huge role in our success.

Assistant Professor

University of Alberta

Sarah is the most efficient and effective grant writer that I have worked with. She has a fantastic ability to hone in on the key questions and themes, distill the key points, and generate a tight text (with extremely high quality language and grammar).

Professor

Université de Montréal

[Sarah’s] suggestions helped shape not only my proposal but also helped me construct a clear framework for the project ... streamline my ideas ... [and] provided many insights that have improved my grantsmanship and writing skills ... She infused enthusiasm and built a culture of shared work into every step, making the tough process much more palatable.

Associate Professor

University of Alberta