Skip to main content
Français National
Donate Now

CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award 

The Kidney Foundation of Canada has partnered with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Infection and Immunity to support the Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award, aimed to help post-doctoral researchers, clinicians, and research associates from underrepresented groups launch their independent research work in Canada.  

Purpose of the CIHR REDI Program 

The CIHR REDI program aims to maximize Canada's scientific talent and improve our health-related knowledge by bridging training and support gaps and promoting diversity. 

The program constitutes of two phases :  
  • Phase 1: Tailored mentorship focused on career development.  
  • Phase 2: Support for establishing and sustaining independent research work in academia. 

Importance to The Kidney Foundation of Canada 

The Kidney Foundation of Canada recognizes the importance of supporting researchers early in their careers to ensure a strong kidney research landscape in Canada and have a long-standing history of supporting capacity building initiatives through participation in the KRESCENT program.  The Foundation also recognizes that although kidney disease may affect certain populations disproportionately, that some of these communities are often underrepresented in research or face additional barriers to success in the research training pathway.  We are committed to ensuring that access to treatment and education for kidney disease is available to all and understand that building representative clinicians and researchers is a pertinent step in equity for all.  

Funding and Partners 

The Kidney Foundation is a committed partner in the CIHR REDI program and has jointly funded the Kidney Health Funding Pool with the CIHR institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes.  This award will provide financial support to a researcher with a research program that is directly related to kidney function and/or disease and that promises to drive progress in the detection, treatment and/or management of kidney disease or to improve patient care, and kidney health for all Canadians. This can include but is not limited to: 
  • Understanding development, risk, prevention, treatment, management, care or cure for all aspects of kidney function and diseases of the kidney and urinary tract; 
  • Improvement of health systems and services with the goal of improving efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system through changes to practice and policy related to kidney disease;
  • Population and public health research with the goal of improving the kidney health of populations living in Canada through increased understanding of ways in which social, cultural, environmental, occupational and economic factors determine health status. 
Successful applicants from this pool can enrol into the curriculum portion of the KRESCENT program.

“The first launch of the CIHR REDI award addresses the impact of racism and gender inequality on early career researchers, with the aim to make a meaningful difference in the lives and careers of researchers facing systemic barriers. This aligns with The Kidney Foundation’s strategic focus on capacity building and equity of access in kidney research." 

– Leanne Stalker, National Director of Research