Friedman Award for Scholars in Health

Applicant eligibility:

• Research discipline eligibility: The Friedman Award for Scholars in Health is open to any UBC graduate student or UBC medical resident studying in the area of health. ‘Health’ is interpreted very broadly, and includes health promotion and disease prevention, mental health research, laboratory sciences related to medicine or health, public health, health services research, or any area intended to impact human health.
• Applicant status: As of the application deadline, applicant must be enrolled in a UBC graduate program (Master's or Doctoral) or UBC medical residency program
• Recipient status: Recipient must be a current UBC student or current UBC medical resident for the duration of the travel/funding period.  If a recipient graduates from UBC or completes their medical residency before the end of the Friedman funding period, the Friedman funding offer will be reduced or rescinded.

Opportunity Eligibility:

Friedman Scholars are expected to travel to other areas of the world to seek new perspectives, initiate new collaborations with experts in their fields and be exposed to different cultures.

• Host organizations: Host organizations or groups may include universities or research centres, non-governmental organizations, private sector companies, government agencies or units, or any other groups or individuals who are leaders in the field.
• Location: Travel must be outside of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
• Duration:
  • Travel must be for a minimum of 6 months (to a maximum of 12 months), to carry out scholarly work, gain new knowledge and perspectives in the field of study, and absorb the scholarly culture of the host institution. Note: remote work based in Vancouver would not count as part of the minimum 6 months period.
  • Travel must begin no earlier than June 1, 2025 and no later than May 31, 2026.
  • The total time span of the travel must be contained within a 12-month period.  For example, if an applicant applies for 6 months of travel/funding, but wishes to spread out the travel in 2-month segments, the total funded travel period must still be completed no later than 12 months from the start date of the first travel period.
• Clinical fellowships: Opportunities for further clinical training for medical residents, such as Clinical Fellowships, Traineeships, observerships, visiting electives, and/or placements must include a research component to be eligible for funding. Please note that residents undertaking clinical fellowships/traineeships are required to maintain active UBC student registration for the duration of their travel/funding period.
• Prior connection to host supervisor/host institution: Applicants are expected to propose transformative new experiences and collaborations. 
  • ‘New experiences’ may include: new methodology, and/or new host site, and/or new host supervisor.
  • If the proposed experience is with a host supervisor that serves on the applicant’s supervisory committee, or with a host supervisor with whom the supervisor’s lab already has an existing collaboration, the application would generally be ineligible, unless the experience goes significantly beyond existing collaborations. 
    • In the case of existing collaborations, applicants must include in their "outline of the educational opportunity" document a strong justification for returning to a host supervisor or host site whom they have already worked with.
    • Applications for applicants who are already at the host site, or who are aiming to fund an in-progress project, would be deemed ineligible.  For example, medical residents wishing to apply for Friedman funding for a clinical research fellowship that has already started at the host site would be deemed ineligible.
• Necessity of funding: The proposal should clearly explain that the project would not be possible without the Friedman funding.  For example, medical residents should indicate how the Friedman funding would affect their clinical fellowship (ex. extend their fellowship duration, allow travel that would not otherwise be funded from other sources).

Eligible Budget Expenses:

Funds received from this award are to be used for expenses related to the opportunity. These may include: travel expenses (airfare, visas, health insurance, etc.), living expenses (rent, groceries, etc.), fees assessed for related educational endeavours. Other kinds of research or project-related expenses should include a justification in the budget template document.

The funds may not be used for expenses already incurred. None of the funds shall be used to pay down or reduce current or past educational debt, to pay a personal stipend for the learner, or to pay UBC tuition.

Any unused funds must be returned to UBC for future disbursement through the Friedman Scholar Program.