CALL FOR PROPOSALS
What could your research help advance?
MHRC-Mitacs Annual Indigenous Mental Health Studentship
Through our annual Indigenous studentship, we work with Mitacs to support First Nations, Inuit and Métis students advancing community-grounded research in Indigenous mental health. The opportunity supports research shaped by community priorities, Indigenous knowledge, lived experience and community relationships while helping early-career researchers build experience and research capacity.
Funding at a glance
RESEARCH FOCUS
Indigenous Community Mental Health
FUNDING AMOUNT
$15,000 CAD
NOTICE OF DECISION
Early- to mid-December 2026
FUNDING PERIOD
Six months
APPLICATION DEADLINE
October 28, 2026
11:59 p.m. ET
PROJECT START DATE
No later than May 31, 2027
A research idea can start with a question.
The right support can help take it further.
We offer this annual studentship with Mitacs through the Mitacs Indigenous Pathways Initiative.
The opportunity is open to eligible First Nations, Inuit and Métis students enrolled at accredited Canadian post-secondary institutions. Projects bring together a student researcher, an academic supervisor and an Indigenous community organization or local community service provider.
Students work across academic and community settings, connecting research expertise with community knowledge and lived experience. This helps keep the research relevant to the communities involved while creating opportunities for knowledge sharing and practical application.
The Annual Indigenous Mental Health Studentship is part of our broader work to build mental health research capacity across Canada, with targeted investment that supports Indigenous researchers and community-grounded work.
What the studentship is designed to support
Support early-career Indigenous researchers in advancing relevant, community-grounded Indigenous mental health research.
Help researchers build experience, relationships and research capacity.
Strengthen connections among Indigenous communities, community organizations and academic institutions through collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Support research shaped by community priorities, Indigenous knowledge and lived experience.
Help bridge research and practice by generating knowledge, relationships and resources that can benefit the communities involved and inform future research, services, supports or other locally defined priorities.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants must:
Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who self-identifies as First Nations, Inuit or Métis.
Be enrolled in an undergraduate, master’s, college or PhD program at an accredited Canadian university or college, with a background in psychology or a related field or discipline.
Be seeking to conduct a research project focused on Indigenous mental health.
Projects must be undertaken in collaboration with an academic supervisor and an Indigenous community organization or local community service provider.
In line with the Mitacs Indigenous Research Policy, proposals must demonstrate clear relevance to the community involved. Applicants should explain how community priorities, Indigenous knowledge and lived experience inform the project and how community partners and people with lived experience will be meaningfully involved throughout the work.
Different research areas, methodologies and community contexts are welcome. The program does not prescribe a single approach to Indigenous mental health research.
Please review the application guide for complete eligibility and application requirements.
How to apply
Before starting your application, review the application guide and confirm that you and your proposed project meet the eligibility requirements.
Confirm your academic supervisor and Indigenous community organization or local community service provider.
Develop your project with your partners, including how the research responds to community priorities and how each partner will contribute.
Prepare the proposal and budget materials identified in the application guide, using the current budget template.
Submit the complete application through our online application portal by October 28, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Frequently asked questions
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The $15,000 award will be sent directly to the applicant’s academic institution and held by the academic supervisor. Funds will be disbursed according to the project timeline. The academic supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the funding is used appropriately for research expenses and other eligible project-related costs.
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No. Community partner organizations are not required to make a financial contribution to the studentship. Community partners are expected to contribute in ways that are appropriate to the project and community context. This may include mentorship, expertise, contextual knowledge, guidance, resources or feedback throughout the research process. The nature of this support should be developed collaboratively. Any involvement of community information, data or research participants must follow appropriate community governance, consent and research ethics requirements.
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Yes. Applicants may collaborate with more than one community partner, provided each organization has a meaningful and clearly defined role in the project. The application should explain how each partner will contribute and how their involvement supports the project’s relevance to the communities involved.
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Yes. Previous recipients of MHRC or Mitacs funding may apply if they meet the eligibility requirements. Applicants should clearly explain how the proposed project builds on or differs from previously funded work and ensure there is no duplication of funded activities.
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Yes. Interdisciplinary projects are welcome, including research that connects Indigenous mental health with fields such as public health, social work, Indigenous studies or other related disciplines. The project must maintain a clear focus on Indigenous mental health and community well-being.
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A range of methodologies may be appropriate, including community-based participatory research, qualitative research, quantitative research and mixed-methods approaches. No single methodology is prescribed. The proposed approach should be appropriate to the research question and community context and should clearly demonstrate how community priorities, Indigenous knowledge and lived experience inform the work. Applicants should review the application guide and Mitacs Indigenous Research Policy for complete requirements.
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Yes. Student researchers are expected to provide updates during the funding period and submit a final report after the project concludes. The final report should describe the project’s findings or contributions, progress against its objectives, community relevance and any recommendations or opportunities for future research.
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If challenges or delays arise, maintain open communication with your academic supervisor and community partner. Timelines or project activities may need to be adjusted. Significant changes should be discussed with MHRC and Mitacs before they are made. Extensions may be considered on a case-by-case basis; any extension beyond the six-month funding period requires prior approval.
In this section
How our funding model works
Calls for proposals
Research in progress
Alumni and impact
Before you apply
Review the research focus and objectives for this call.
Confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements.
Confirm your academic supervisor and community partner.
Review the full application guide and current budget template.
Make sure your project clearly describes how community priorities, Indigenous knowledge and lived experience inform the work.
Application resources
Questions about your application?
For questions about the partnership or application process, contact:
Barani Ganapathi
Senior Consultant, Research Grants and Impact
Mental Health Research Canada
bganapathi@mhrc.ca
Sarah Fairlie
Senior Advisor, Social Innovation
Mitacs Inc.
sfairlie@mitacs.ca
See where a studentship can lead
Previous recipients show what research shaped by community priorities can make possible. Their projects reflect different questions, methodologies and community contexts, while showing how the right support can help move both the research and the researcher forward.
Jill Williams
Nunatsiavut NL
Jill’s research explores how sewing can create space for Inuit women in Nunatsiavut to connect, share knowledge and have difficult conversations.
Madison Young
O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation MB
Madison’s research explores how perinatal mental health screening can better reflect the perspectives and experiences of First Nations mothers.
Dante Carter
Onion Lake Cree Nation SK
Dante’s community-rooted research explores economic abuse, infrastructural violence and intergenerational well-being in Onion Lake Cree Nation.
Raymond Jordan
Johnson-Brown
Montreal QC
Raymond works with Indigenous youth in care to explore identity, belonging and mental wellness through youth-shaped creative activities.
Jersee Hill
Nunatsiavut NL
Jersee is gathering Indigenous women’s professional and lived experience to help strengthen Connections, a program for women experiencing violence in relationships.
Mitacs
National partner for the Annual Indigenous Mental Health Studentship through the Mitacs Indigenous Pathways Initiative.
Indigenous Women’s Fund of Canada
Supporting Indigenous women researchers.
Health Research BC
Supporting eligible Indigenous researchers based in British Columbia.
Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation
Supporting eligible Indigenous researchers based in Saskatchewan.
Research Manitoba Supporting eligible Indigenous researchers based in Manitoba.
Built through partnership
Partnership makes this studentship possible, connecting national reach and regional support with academic expertise, community knowledge and lived experience. The annual studentship is offered through our ongoing partnership with Mitacs. Additional partners support eligible researchers in particular regions or populations during the 2026–2027 funding cycle.