WCHRI Trainee Researcher in Pediatrics (TRIP)
Important Links
Overview
The Department of Pediatrics, in partnership with the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI), offers a research intensive pediatric residency training stream for residents with advanced research training and/or demonstrated aptitude. This stream is called Trainee Researcher in Pediatrics (TRIP). TRIP aims to support future pediatrician-scientists and will provide trainees with:
- a tailored mentorship team that will support residents’ unique research and career needs, including a research and a career mentor.
- advocacy and support in accessing formal training opportunities (e.g. postdoctoral fellowship, graduate studies, clinician investigator program).
- access to research skill building opportunities that are individualized to their unique needs (e.g. biostatistics training, research methods, academic writing).
- funding and methodologic support to develop a research protocol and conduct a research project during the latter part of their residency program.
Eligibility
To apply for the TRIP program, residents must:
- Be registered in the General Pediatrics residency program at the University of Alberta.
- Successfully have entered the Core stage of their residency and demonstrated strong potential as a future pediatrician-scientist.
- Discuss their interests with the pediatric residency program directors and receive approval from the Residency Program Committee (RPC) to participate in TRIP.
- Demonstrate a strong research track record (publications, presentations) or a serious interest in a research career.
- Present an application with a detailed project proposal, a primary research supervisor and a mentorship plan.
- Commit to completing the work by their residency program end date.
- Generate academic output, including an academic poster or oral presentation at Pediatric Research Day and/or WCHRI Research Day and a peer-reviewed manuscript (when possible).
Application
Pediatric residents may apply to TRIP after completing their first year of residency. In order to apply to the TRIP, residents in R1 must first discuss their interests with the pediatric residency program directors and obtain approval from the Residency Program Committee (RPC). If approved, the application process follows a tiered timeline to ensure proper project development:
- Trainees with RPC approval are encouraged to self-identify at the end of R1 year via email and/or formal letter of interest to the Pediatric Research Office (pedsr@ualberta.ca).
- The TRIP program application will be launched annually in July with an October deadline.
Deadlines
Application intake for the TRIP Program will open September 1, 2026. The application deadline is October 31, 2026. Applications will be reviewed with final notifications sent out in late Fall 2026.
Application Process
Please ensure you have thoroughly read the TRIP Program Terms of Reference prior to filling out and submitting the application form.
Additional Links
Contact the Department of Pediatrics Office of Research
Email questions about this grant to pedsr@ualberta.ca
About Our Research Environment
The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of Canada's top teaching and research universities, with an international reputation for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering, and health sciences. Home to more than 38,000 students and 15,000 faculty and staff, the university has an annual budget of $1.9 billion and attracts more than $500 million in sponsored research revenue.
WCHRI is an interdisciplinary research institute at UAlberta with over 400 academic members from across 14 faculties and 3 colleges. WCHRI supports research across several disciplines from discovery and clinical research through to applied health, patient-oriented, and community-based research. WCHRI is a research arm of the Stollery Children’s Hospital and offers several unique research opportunities related to clinical trials, cohort studies, and precision health research.
TRIP trainees will receive enhanced research mentorship from clinician-scientists and have access to research project consultation and support through WCHRI’s research platforms. TRIP trainees will be eligible for research project funding up to $10,000, in the form of a WCHRI partnership grant awarded to their primary research supervisor. Research time will be optimized during PGY2-3 and supplemented to the greatest extent possible during PGY4. Support will also be available for those interested in undertaking a postdoctoral fellowship or further graduate training either during or after residency, either through the Clinician Investigator Program (CIP) or other fellowship training opportunities. Numerous networking and mentorship opportunities will also be available through WCHRI’s research networks, the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation (CSCI) and in collaboration with other research-intensive pediatric residency programs in Canada.