Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Training Program in Health Law, Ethics and Policy

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Training Program in Health Law, Ethics and Policy is a joint initiative between the University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, Université de Sherbrooke and University of Toronto.  The CIHR Training Program was established in 2001 to provide advanced multidisciplinary training to graduate student trainees to enable them to build the appropriate legal and ethical healthcare structures for the many scientific discoveries.  These trainees are expected to build careers in academia, industry, government and non-governmental organizations.

The CIHR Training Program has trained scores of Canadian and international graduate students at the master’s and doctoral levels.  The Training Program involves internationally recognized Canadian scholars in health law, ethics and policy and recognized scholars in other relevant disciplines. 

The University of Alberta, Faculty of Law is one of the CIHR Training Program institutions.

Graduate students can apply for non-funded or funded positions.  The Training Program exposes graduate students to multi-disciplinary learning opportunities in a variety of innovative programs.  The Program includes:

• A CIHR Training Stipend (CAN$17,500) for those applying for a funded position (some conditions apply);

• A Boot Camp where outgoing graduate students organize the sessions for incoming students each September.  The Boot Camp focuses on informing new students about the theoretical principles and practical realities of research ethics, knowledge translation and multidisciplinary approaches to research;

• An Annual Colloquium where CIHR Fellows gather to present their work before an audience of leading health care academics and government decision-makers;

• An annual Skills Workshop where CIHR Fellows are given training in research grant writing, pedagogical skills and research methodologies;

• A biennial National Health Law Conference where students are exposed to important research and research methodologies, and given the chance to network with each other, senior scholars and decision-makers;

• The Health Law, Ethics and Policy Seminar Series where students can interact with local, national and international scholars and policy makers and discuss issues related to the intersection of law with health care and related ethical and social issues;

• Health Law and Policy courses;

• Support on research projects from a variety of trans-disciplinary mentors;

• Opportunities to apply for internships with Health Canada, provincial ministries of health and a variety of health care organizations worldwide. 

For more information on the CIHR Training Program in Health Law, Ethics and Policy, including information on funded positions, click here.