91ºÚÁÏÍø

Call for 2026-2027: Research Governance, Health Equity & Underserved Communities

Are you asking difficult questions about how we conduct and oversee research, design health systems, and make decisions that affect vulnerable populations? Does your work engage with research ethics, bioethics, community-based participatory research, health equity, policy analysis, or social and structural determinants of health?

For the 2026-2027 academic year, we are convening an interdisciplinary cohort of scholars in these areas, building towards our annual R2I conference on Embracing Community Leadership in Research Governance.

Topic areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Community-led approaches and strategies related to overseeing research that impacts them
• Participatory research or community-based participatory research
• Health inequities and structural barriers to care
• Real-world ethical tensions in research, public health, and medicine
• Ethical frameworks for health access and resource allocation
• Similar questions and concerns from adjacent disciplines (e.g., philosophy, sociology, public policy, law, global health)

Eligibility

Eligibility Criteria

• Candidates must be enrolled in a Master’s, PhD, or LLM program at 91ºÚÁÏÍø for the duration of the program (September to April).
• Candidates must have a major research or praxis project (e.g., thesis, dissertation, practicum project) that fits with the R2I annual theme. As long as there is synergy with the theme, we accept candidates from any discipline.
• Candidates must be available to attend twice-monthly seminars on Thursdays from 11:30-1.

Qualities of an Ideal Candidate

• Motivated to develop practical skills to increase the policy relevance and impact of their academic work.
• Looking to expand the reach of their findings beyond academic networks.
• Able to articulate how engaging in cross-disciplinary discourse will be of great value to their academic work and professional trajectory.
• Participates in discussions in a dedicated, reliable, and enthusiastic way and keen to share ideas in group settings.

Program Requirements

• Attend biweekly seminars and workshops at the School of Population and Global Health (SPGH), located at 2001 91ºÚÁÏÍø College. The series consists of three types of sessions:
  1. Talks by policy practitioners and academics that shed light on the relationship between evidence and policy and the realities of policymaking in the field.
  2. Trainings to learn how to write about your academic work for different audiences, including policymakers and the general public.
  3. Cohort discussions to synthesize these learnings and conceptualize applications to each scholar’s work.
• Complete assigned preparatory readings and prepare discussion questions for seminars.
• Supported by training sessions and resources offered by the department, produce:
  1. One policy brief, either about your own research or the research of a faculty member;
  2. One poster for presenting your research to the faculty, students, and broader intellectual community of the Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy.
• Present your poster at the DEEP R2I Conference poster session in May.
• Submit a program feedback form upon completion.

Award

• Selected R2I Scholars receive a $2,500 award for their participation.
• The award is disbursed in 3 instalments: September, January, and May. The final instalment is contingent on participation in the R2I Conference poster session, submission of completed policy brief, and completion of the program feedback form.
• There are 10 awards available for the 2026-2027 academic year.Ìý
• Note that this award may impact any funding packages offered by your home department. For example, offer letters for many 91ºÚÁÏÍø departments include statements like the following: "Should you receive funding from another source, internally or externally, your funding package may be reduced in the interest of distributing financial support as broadly as possible to our student community."

Application

To apply for the R2I Scholars Program, you must submit an application on the form linked below and have a professor send a reference letter to studentadmin.ihsp [at] mcgill.ca.

Application form deadline: July 20, 2026, 11:59PM

Reference letter deadline: July 24, 2026, 11:59PM

Please submit your application via this form:

The form only accepts one application per student. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Applications submitted by email will not be considered.

The application contains the following sections:

Applicant contact and academic information.ÌýYour Student ID, email address, program of study, etc.

Program fit.ÌýApplicants are asked to describe their major research or praxis project and how it fits with the R2I theme. Applicants are asked to explain how joining the program will enhance the impact of their work and/or serve them in their future goals.

Supporting documents.ÌýApplicants must submit the documents listed below.Ìý

• A currentÌýCV.
• An electronic copy ofÌýpost-secondary transcripts. An official transcript is not required. Unofficial copies must clearly indicate the source of information (e.g. Minerva).
• Proof of enrolmentÌýfor the Fall 2026Ìýsemester. Please consult theÌýinstructions for generating your proof of enrolmentÌýletter.

Reference Letter Guidelines

Reference letters should be 1 page on official letterhead, and emailed directly by your referee to Kate Shaw (studentadmin.ihsp [at] mcgill.ca),Ìýas stated above. Referees must be academics, but do not need to be from 91ºÚÁÏÍø.

When your referee emails your reference letter, they should include your name and "R2I Scholar" in the subject line, so that we can easily match your letter with your R2I Scholars Program application file.

Ideal reference letters touch on areas such as:

• Why your voice will be a valuable addition to our cohort of 10 scholars working on problems related to this year's theme.
• How yourÌýproject will be enhanced by participating in the R2I Scholars Program.
• Your enthusiastic and insightful contributions to complex discussions.
• Your reliability with attendance, deadlines and deliverables.
• How you have stood out to your referee — as a student, researcher, writer, practitioner, etc.

Equity and Diversity in Recruitment

The Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy is committed to equity and diversity in recruitment. We highly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, women, people with disabilities, people of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and those who are the first generation of their family to attend post-secondary studies. There is an optional question in the application form where applicants can feel free to include an EDI statement if they wish to make aspects of their identity that may not otherwise come through in their application known.

Selection Criteria

Applications are evaluated based on:

• Completion:ÌýThe applicant submitted a complete application on time.
• Project fit:ÌýThe applicant'sÌýmajor research or praxis projectÌýaddresses pressing questions related to the annual theme. The project description is written in a cogent, comprehensible way. The applicant makes a compelling case for how their project will benefit from the R2I Scholars Program.
• Program fit:ÌýThe applicant is available and motivated to attend the mandatory seminars. Through the application and/or reference letter, it's clear that the applicant will be a dedicated contributor to interdisciplinary dialogue during seminars.
• Interdisciplinarity:ÌýAddressing interdisciplinary issues requires expertise from a variety of backgrounds and methodologies. The department prioritizes bringing together scholars and practitioners from different disciplines for this program.Ìý