Through funding from Western’s Bone and Joint Institute, the CMHR will offer a limited number of Transdisciplinary Research Awards to support top ranked trainees in the CMHR program. The 2025 BJI Transdisciplinary Research Awards have not yet been announced. These awards aim to support the recruitment of top graduate students, postdoctoral fellows (PDF) and clinician-scientists-in-training to Western and promote transdisciplinary research in an environment of collaboration.
Priority will be given to:
Application deadline for BJI Transdisciplinary Research Awards have not been announced for 2025
One-year Awards will be valued at $10,000 / yr for graduate trainees (MSc or PhD) and $20,000 / yr for PDFs and clinician scientists in training.
Awards will be transferred to a research account in the primary supervisor’s home Department/School, to be used to help fund: 1) the trainee, and 2) the trainee’s research program. The intent is that the funds will be used to offset a portion of the trainee’s stipend which is set by the trainee’s Department/School and/or Faculty. In the event that sufficient funds for the stipend already exist through other sources, the Award can be used at the discretion of the supervisors for expenses associated with the trainee’s research training.
Graduate students who receive external funding awards valued greater than $15,000 / yr will have the BJI Transdisciplinary Research Award funding reduced to $5,000 / yr.
PDFs and clinician scientists in training who receive external funding awards valued greater than $30,000 / yr will have the BJI Transdisciplinary Research Award funding reduced to $10,000 / yr.
- Competition will be open to both new CMHR trainees and those already enrolled in the program
- Graduate student applicants must be registered as full-time graduate students, accepted to a home graduate program at Western University.
- PDF applicants must be registered, or in the process of registration, with the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at Western.
- Clinician scientists in training must be registered, or in the process of registration, with an appropriately accredited training program.
- Normally, applicants must be at least 12 months from the projected completion of their degree or program.
- Applicants must be engaged in transdisciplinary research with clear relevance to musculoskeletal health
- Applicants must be jointly supervised by CMHR Mentors from at least two distinct disciplines (normally from at least 2 of the 4 themes listed below).
Theme 1: Basic biological and biomedical
Theme 2: Physical sciences and engineering
Theme 3: Clinical and health services
Theme 4: Population and community health
If both mentors are from the same theme, then the application must clearly explain the transdisciplinary nature of the project and how the mentors plan to ensure a transdisciplinary training experience. In the case that a CMHR co-mentor is ineligible to serve officially as joint graduate supervisor, then the CMHR co-mentor will serve as a member of the student's thesis advisory committee.
Please click here for application instructions.
Awards will be administered yearly, based on the trainee’s start date in the program (typically September or January).
Funds must be used within 12 months of the award, at which time a report must be submitted to CMHR describing use of the funds (template will be provided).
Candidate’s Academic Achievements (including formal education and scholarship, research experiences, recognitions, prizes, etc.)
Quality and novelty of the transdisciplinary research project, and its fit with Western’s Bone & Joint Institute
Mentorship, integration of the expertise of co-mentors and resources in the training environment
