Supporting research pioneers, working hard to help the one in five Albertans affected by a lung or breathing conditions, is a fundamental initiative of the Alberta Lung. Our annual Lung Health Research Grants are a peer-reviewed competition that supports pulmonary research or development projects directly relevant to human respiratory health. A partnership between Alberta Lung and BC Lung Foundation, both organizations manage the LHRG application and peer review process.
Lung Health Research Grants 2025 Competition
Note that there will be no competition in 2025. See below for updates regarding scheduling.
Lung Health Research Grants 2026 Competition
Annual Grant Cycle Schedule:
- January-March: Call for applications
- April-June: Application review process
- June: Award notifications sent
- September: Grant disbursements
In 2026, Alberta Lung will focus on a targeted grant call for lung health research. For those the grant does not support, there is still opportunity to provide input into provincial research priorities through collaboration with Alberta Lung. Applicants should refer to specific provincial guidelines as they may vary for each province. The call for proposals will open January 6, 2025. Check back regularly for updates.
To encourage new investigators, particular consideration is given to principal investigators who’ve received their first faculty appointment within the past five years.
Questions? Contact the Health Promotion Coordinator at grantsab@ablung.ca
2024 Grant Competition Winners
Lung Health Research Grants 2024 Competition
The Lung Health Research Grants (LHRG) is a peer-reviewed competition that supports pulmonary research or development projects. Applications will be considered for research proposals that are directly relevant to human respiratory health.
A partnership between Alberta Lung and BC Lung, both organizations manage the LHRG application and peer review process. Applicants should refer to specific provincial guidelines as they may vary for each province. Competition guidelines are available here.
2024 Grant Competition Winners:
Dr. Kieran Halloran, Dr. Gavin Low, Dr. Jason Weatherald and Karina Kaur at the University of Alberta: Many post-transplant patients experience diaphragm dysfunction shortly afterward and experience a decrease in FVC (forced expiratory volume is an important measurement of lung function), known as Baseline Allograft Dysfunction (BLAD). The group seeks to determine the role of diaphragm dysfunction as an important contributor to BLAD and lower lung function.
2023 Grant Competition Winners
Lung Health Research Grants 2023 Competition
The Lung Health Research Grants (LHRG) is a peer-reviewed competition that supports pulmonary research or development projects. Applications will be considered for research proposals that are directly relevant to human respiratory health.
A partnership between Alberta Lung and BC Lung, both organizations manage the LHRG application and peer review process. Applicants should refer to specific provincial guidelines as they may vary for each province. Competition guidelines are available here.
2023 Grant Competition Winners:
Dr. Braedon Mcdonald, MD, PhD, FRCPC at University of Calgary: Re-defining Airway “Colonization” by Candida in Critical Illness.
Exploring how yeast microbes establish themselves in the lungs of critically ill patients, which may help minimize adverse outcomes in patient care.
Dr. Angela Lau, MD, MSc, DTMH at the University of Alberta: Do patients with asymptomatic, subclinical pulmonary tuberculosis transmit? A population-based cohort study
Explore if people with asymptomatic pulmonary tuberculosis transmit despite having relatively few TB cells. Knowing this could help reduce transmission and lead to earlier medical intervention.
Dr. Jason Weatherald, MD, MSc, FRCPC at the University of Alberta: Research Priorities for Lung Transplantation: A James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership
Priorities for lung transplant research according to the patients, caregivers and clinicians have not previously been defined. This project will be the first to engage patients and caregivers in this manner, working with all the lung transplant centres in Canada.
2022 Grant Competition Winners
Lung Health Research Grants 2022 Competition
The Lung Health Research Grants (LHRG) is a peer-reviewed competition that supports pulmonary research or development projects. Applications will be considered for research proposals that are directly relevant to human respiratory health.
A partnership between Alberta Lung and BC Lung, both organizations manage the LHRG application and peer review process. Applicants should refer to specific provincial guidelines as they may vary for each province. Competition guidelines are available here.
2022 Grant Competition Winners:
Dr. Maria Castro-Codesal, University of Alberta: Long-term non-invasive ventilation in children: a prospective longitudinal study of patient/family reported outcomes.
By studying patient experiences, she hopes to ensure that children with chronic respiratory problems have meaningful benefits from therapies and challenges are minimised.
Dr. Tatiana Makhinova, University of Alberta: Addressing Treatment Gaps in COPD: Building a Collaborative Care Model in Case-Finding and Evidence-Based Pharmacotherapy. COPD is often misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed, leading to sub-optimal care. Limited guidance exists for healthcare providers for collaborative care of COPD. The study will address this gap and hopefully lead to better guidelines, for better patient health outcomes.
Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship:
Dr. Prince Andrew & Dr. Sachin Pendharkar, University of Calgary: Adoption and enhancement of primary care management pathway for obstructive sleep apnea: an implementation evaluation project. Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder linked to increased health issues and lower quality of life. Diagnosis often takes a long time. They will study primary care management pathways for primary care to diagnose and treat OSA, which may reduce wait times. It also increases the understanding of how clinical care pathways can be used to improve patient care for other conditions.