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Building momentum: DHIF RFA launched

Invitation to collaborators to get on board and be part of building the Platform!

Since last year’s successful Platform demonstration there’s been a lot of behind-the-scenes work by the DHDP community (staff, partners, members and researchers) to advance platform technology and prepare for collaboration. March 2025 saw the launch of the Digital Health Innovation Fund by the Terry Fox Research Institute in a joint announcement with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), followed for a Request for Applications (RFA) to access a new $25-million research fund. This inaugural RFA invites collaboration with small- and medium-sized enterprises and academic and health partners among others, for building and refining the Platform itself. Involving platform users will help build a strong foundation and supportive ecosystem for this made-in-Canada solution for precision medicine research.

The RFA, promoted widely through social media and mailings to our distribution list, opens opportunity for collaboration, with matchmaking to bring partners together.

infographic showing response to socials t launch of DHIF RFA

we went viral!

Webinar Outreach

Response to the new fund has been remarkable. Building on the momentum gained so far, we’ve held online information sessions to drive interest in and awareness of the DHIF. Promoted through social media and digital outreach, these webinars (EN and FR) introduced the DHDP platform and RFA application process. With 160+ registered for the EN webinar and 50+ for FR, each presentation was followed by a lively Q&A, forcing the EN session into overtime.

Q&A submissions helped revise and update RFA FAQs (EN/FR), which have been published along with the webinar recordings and slide decks to help applicants with the RFA process. The deadline for Expressions of Interest (EOI) is July 15, with full Letters of Intent due August 15.

Entering the new fiscal year, 2025-26, 60-plus EOI submissions have been received (as of end of May, 2025) with the majority expressing interest in matchmaking, where we help teams work together on the LOI with each other.  Projects approved for funding will be announced in Fall 2025 and begin in January 2026. TFRI and its DHDP partners and members are on the way to building a thriving DHDP community and accelerating research by enabling secure data sharing and analysis for precision medicine.

Matchmaking:
Recognizing that potential applicants may not have existing collaborative partners to meet project requirements listed below, we welcome those interested in Matchmaking Assistance to indicate this on the Expression of Interest (EOI) survey.
Matchmaking efforts will be based on shared research focus (e.g., specific cancer or disease), two SME requirement and data accessibility.