Vancouver Foundation - Participatory Action Research Grants 2026 (With Funding Available)

Published: September 16, 2026
Deadline: October 13, 2026
Category: Grants
Oppotunity Locations: Canada
Eligible Locations: Canada

Vancouver Foundation is currently accepting applications for its Participatory Action Research Grants 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.

About Vancouver Foundation - Participatory Action Research Grants

The Vancouver Foundation’s Participatory Action Research Grants support collaborative research that brings together community organizations and research institutions to address important health issues.The programme uses participatory action research methods, which emphasize equal partnerships between researchers and communities.This approach combines research expertise with the lived experiences of community members to better understand the causes of health challenges and develop knowledge that can contribute to meaningful action.

Sponsor Organisation: Vancouver Foundation

Benefits of Vancouver Foundation - Participatory Action Research Grants

Convene Grants: Up to $25,000 for 1 year; supports early-stage collaboration and project planning
Investigate Grants: Up to $100,000 per year for 3 years (max $300,000); supports full research, analysis, and knowledge sharing

Vancouver Foundation - Participatory Action Research Grants Requirements

To apply for a PAR grant, your project must be co‑led by community members and researchers and meet the following requirements:

The applicant organization must be a qualified donee defined by the Canada Revenue Agency .

The application must be submitted as a partnership between:

- a community organization, and
- an institution with access to a research ethics board, such as a university, health authority, or other research‑based organization.

Either partner may serve as the applicant organization, as long as it is a qualified donee. The other partner would be listed as the partner organization on the application.

Grant payments will be issued to the applicant organization, which becomes the financial recipient and primary administrative contact.

Partnerships must be clearly established prior to applying.

Each application must have two leads on the research project, one from each organization. They are referred to as co-principal investigators. An individual may serve as a co-principal investigator on only one application to help ensure equitable access to limited funding.

Application Date and Process

Step 1: Download and read the PAR application guide, PAR FAQs, and complete the eligibility quiz to determine your research project’s eligibility.

Step 2: Decide which PAR grant stream suits your research project.

Step 3: Attend an info session or connect with the PAR grant managers.

Step 4: Sign in to or create a new user profile via our online grant management system (GMS) to access Convene and stage 1 Investigate applications.

For new users: If you’ve never applied for a grant using this system, please create a profile by selecting “Register Here” at the top left of your screen. You can also watch our video on how to create an account on GMS to walk you through this process.

Returning users: If you’ve applied for a Vancouver Foundation grant before, you can log in with your username and password.

If you can’t remember your login credentials, select “Forgot Password” and follow the instructions when prompted. Please check your spam/junk email folder in case the email containing the reset information was sent there.

Step 5: In the portal, go to the “Apply” section (top right) and select 2026 Participatory Action Research Grants for the stream you wish to apply for (Convene or Investigate).

Step 6: Submit your Convene or Investigate stage 1 application by 5 pm PT on October 13, 2026. You will receive a confirmation email from [email protected] once submitted.

Step 7: Final Convene decisions and Investigate stage 1 decisions (invite to stage 2 / declines) will be emailed to applicants in mid-December 2026.

Investigate Grants (stage 2)

If you are invited to submit a stage 2 Investigate application:

Step 8: Log into the online grant management system to complete and submit the full application between December 15, 2026 and January 18, 2027.

Investigate stage 2 award/decline decisions will be emailed to applicants by late February 2027.