Cutting-edge research doesn’t stop when funding is delayed. The Sustaining Excellence Grants Program provides critical short-term support to outstanding researchers whose projects ranked highly in the Canadian Institutes of Health Research competition but were not funded.
Backed by the River Philip and Trottier Family Foundations and the McGill University Health Centre Foundation, this initiative helps researchers maintain momentum, refine their proposals, and strengthen future applications.
This year’s funded projects span a wide range of impactful areas, from lung health and vaping-related disease to infectious diseases, chronic conditions, and innovative therapies. By bridging funding gaps, the program ensures that promising discoveries continue to move forward and contribute to better health outcomes.
Congratulations to everyone, especially our RESP program members:
- Carolyn Baglole is investigating how vaping impairs the lung’s natural defense systems, contributing to respiratory disease.
- Elizabeth Fixman is exploring sex-specific immune responses in the lung, with implications for allergic airway diseases like asthma.
- Tania Janaudis-Ferreira is leading a web-based exercise and education program for mild COPD, improving access to care and self-management tools.
Read More
Sustaining Excellence competition supports top-ranked researchers. Outstanding CIHR applicants maintain research momentum thanks to funding support from generous donors. The Institute News. March 19, 2026.