Catalyst Grants

MIRA and the LCMA continue to support research collaborations focused on mobility in aging, working with each of McMaster’s six Faculties to identify new interdisciplinary projects that align with both LCMA and Faculty objectives. To date, 19 Catalyst Grant projects have been funded by the LCMA, driving 87 new collaborations from outside researchers’ own disciplines. These projects have also supported 61 Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP), including undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research staff. Several Catalyst Grant holders (Jamal Deen, Paula Gardner, Janie Wilson and Qiyin Fang) leveraged Catalyst Grant pilot data to apply for, and receive, an NSERC CREATE grant worth $1.65 million dollars.

Restrictions placed on research due to the global COVID-19 pandemic meant no Catalyst Grants were awarded in 2020. Instead, MIRA and the LCMA introduced a COVID-19 Grant to investigate the promotion of healthy aging through the lens of mobility within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.