On This Page:
- About the Program
- Key Dates
- Applicant Eligibility
- Application Process
- Evaluation Process
- Award Disbursement
About the Program
The CBH Training Award offers up to $2,500 CAD to support trainees’ professional development in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Data Science (BCBDS). These funds can be used to cover professional development training expenses related to attending tutorials at conferences, workshops, or training events that enhance skills and knowledge in these fields. The program runs twice a year, in the spring and in the fall.
As part of our overarching commitment to IDEA, we have created specific award categories with separate funding to support various equity-deserving groups:
- Indigenous: This category includes individuals who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis.
- IDEA: This category encompasses individuals who identify with equity-deserving groups based on their gender, ethnicity, disability or caregiver status.
To categorize applications we collect demographic information during the application process. This allows for a more equitable and inclusive system, and ensures that individuals from all backgrounds have a fair opportunity to be considered. All demographic information is confidential and will not be shared with reviewers. This information has no bearing on the application review and scoring process. The data will be retained for up to two years for reporting purposes (reports are based on aggregate, anonymized data). After reporting, the original responses will be electronically deleted.
Key Dates
| Spring 2025 Cycle | Fall 2025 Cycle | |
| Application Opens | April 14, 2025 | October 15, 2025 |
| Application Due | May 7, 2025 at 11:59ET | December 1, 2025 at 11:59ET |
| Decision Notification | June 15, 2025 | January 15, 2026 |
| Eligible Expense Windows | Incurred between April 1, 2025 and Feb. 28, 2026 | Incurred between Jan. 15, 2026 and Jan. 14, 2027 |
| Award Distribution (estimate) | June 15-29, 2025 | January 15-31, 2026 |
Applicant Eligibility
To be eligible to apply, individuals must:
- Be affiliated with a Canadian institution
- Have legal status to study or work in Canada and receive funds at a Canadian banking institution
- Have trainee status for the duration of the event (MSc, PhD, MD-PhD student, or postdoctoral/clinical fellow). Undergraduates are eligible if they have a research position or are completing a second Bachelor’s degree.
- Have a clear plan to attend a training event that has learning objectives that contribute to developing skills in BCBDS.
Qualifying events include:
- Tutorials at conferences
- Seminars
- Hackathons
- Workshops
- Summits
- Working meetings
- Bootcamps
- Summer schools
- Online courses unrelated to earning a degree or diploma
- Continuing education courses unrelated to earning a degree or diploma
Ineligible training activities include:
- Training activities which result in university credits
- Conferences alone without participation in an associated tutorial
- Internships and research exchanges: while recognized as invaluable training opportunities, they fall outside the scope of this award. We encourage you to look into BioTalent and MITACS funding opportunities for sponsorship.
Application Process
- Register on our AwardSpring application website: https://canadianbioinformaticshub.awardspring.ca/
- Request a reference letter from your current supervisor, a member of your Thesis Committee, or a member of your department. The reference letter must include:
- Applicant’s full name, affiliations, current position and stage of program (if applicable)
- Referee’s full name, affiliations, and current position
- Institutional letterhead
- Referee’s relationship to the applicant
- Referee’s observation of the applicant’s training need and context about training opportunities available to them at their current position
- Referee’s perspective on how the chosen event(s) contribute to the applicant’s research project or career goals
- Complete the Application tab in AwardSpring. Information from this tab will not be shared with reviewers and includes:
- Personal information (e.g. name, institution)
- Eligibility questions
- Optional demographic information
- Complete the Scholarships tab on AwardSpring. Unless marked otherwise below, information from this tab will be used by reviewers. It includes:
- Career stage and supervisor information [not shared with reviewers]
- Reference letter (from step 1) and CV upload [not shared with reviewers]
- Your current research project and professional goals
- Your training needs
- Your current funding sources (type, not amount)
- Details regarding the event for which you are applying, including its learning objectives, how the event will address your skill gaps, and estimated budget
NOTE: Applications that use AI tools to write the content will be rejected without notification. Spell checking and grammar tools are allowed.
Evaluation Process
A balanced Review Committee with representation across provinces and IDEA qualifiers will be formed to assess applications. All personal and demographic information is blinded to the reviewers to remove unconscious biases in the scoring process.
Applications will be scored based on the following criteria:
- Clear professional skill development goals
- Demonstrated training need
- Identification of a qualifying event that addresses training need
- Detailed budget to attend a qualifying event
Final awarded amounts will depend on the applicant’s justification for event costs.
Final decisions will be communicated via email.
Award Disbursement
Awardees will be required to:
- Submit their Canadian bank account information and SIN for tax purposes.
- Attest that other funding to participate in the event has not been awarded.
- Agree to the Conditions for Funding of the Canadian Bioinformatics Hub (acknowledgment of funding, agreement to complete CIHR training modules, etc.).
- Submit an award report (template will be provided), including receipts, financial details, and event outcomes, by the deadline indicated in your funding agreement. Awardees will be required to return the funds if this report is not submitted.
All awardees will receive a T4A slip for the total approved funds. Any taxes associated with these funds are the responsibility of the awardee.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this award open to international students?
- Yes, International students are eligible to apply as long as they are registered and affiliated with a Canadian institution.
- What types of events can I use this award for?
- The award can be used for events contributing to skills development in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Data Science (BCBDS), professional development of trainees needing BCBDS training, or promoting research collaborations within the BCBDS community. Examples include workshops at conferences, seminars, hackathons, workshops, summits, working meetings, boot camps, and summer schools. If you are not sure, email us at awards@bioinformatics.ca
- Is there a list of events that this award can be used for?
- No, we don’t provide a specific list, but all events organized by the Canadian Bioinformatics Workshops (CBW) are eligible. A list of upcoming workshops can be found on Current Workshops – Bioinformatics.ca
- Can I apply for multiple events in a single cycle?
- No – you may only apply for a single event per awards cycle.
- Is it possible to apply for this award to attend events happening before the submission deadline?
- Yes, this award can be used retroactively for events. See dates in table.
- Can I use AI tools to help me write my training award application?
- No. Applications that use AI tools to write the content will be rejected without notification.
- Spell checking and grammar tools are allowed.
- What if my application is in support of a career switch and not a current research project?
- You are eligible for the award, but your application must demonstrate your training need and how the event will contribute to your career switch.
- I forgot to upload a file with my training award application. Can I send it to you now?
- No. To keep the award process fair for everyone, submission dates and requirements are not flexible.
- If you forgot to add a file or missed the deadline, you will need to apply in the next training award cycle.
- I completed the Application tab in AwardSpring, but I cannot complete the Scholarships tab. What should I do?
- You are likely ineligible to apply to the CBH Training Awards. Review the Applicant Eligibility section of this page for more information.
- What is a per diem for meals? Do I need to submit receipts?
- A per diem is a set amount for each meal. The per diem rate for each meal changes depending on the country of the event.
- No meal receipts are needed. You complete the chart indicating which meals per event day are being claimed.
- Meals that were included with your hotel stay or were provided by the event should not be claimed as per diem.
- I have received a CBH training award. What happens if the event I am interested in is canceled?
- We will ask you to complete a new event application for review. The new event most meet your original training need – a new training need cannot be used.
- If you have a different training need, submit an application in the next training award cycle.
- Am I allowed to receive a CBH training award and a CBW award for the same event?
- No. You must attest that you have not received other funding for the same training event.
- How long do I have to complete the CIHR modules?
- You must complete the CIHR modules by the time you complete your training award report describing how your award money was used.
- Some CIHR modules do not provide a certificate. What should I do to show completion of the module?
- Take a screenshot that you have completed the CIHR module.
- Is the IDP (Individual Development Plan) required?
- IDP is an optional module at this time.
- For how long do I need to save my receipts?
- Reports will not be processed until after the reporting deadline, so please save your receipts and documentation for at least 30 days after the reporting deadline.