Stream 1: Innovative Strategic Partnerships
Project Title: “Looking Outside the Cup” Indigenous-Led Socioenvironmental Monitoring and Planning in Manitoba
Abstract: Manitoba is at a crossroads. A strong proponent of a green transition focused on renewable energy, critical minerals and carbon capture and storage, our province also contends with widespread wildfires and drought, raw sewage, and declines in biodiversity. Any decision-making regarding such issues has important implications for the livelihoods and rights of Indigenous communities and the rest of Manitobans. This Strategic Partnership centers on the values and priorities of First Nations in Manitoba but also actively engages with stakeholders, including Indigenous and environmental organizations, industry, and provincial and federal governments. Our overall goal is to promote community-led responses to regional declines in the socioenvironmental and equity that are strength-based, that braid Indigenous and Western Science, and that reflect local worldviews and data sovereignty.
Applicant Name: Stephane McLachlan
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Project Title: Braiding Indigenous Science and Engineering to Address Plastic Pollution Impacts on Land and Water Systems in Indigenous Communities
Abstract: Plastic waste is accumulating in land and water systems, and in many northern and remote Indigenous communities the lack of local waste infrastructure can lead to open burning, uncontrolled dumping, and aging landfills. This project will work with Indigenous partners in Manitoba to understand where plastic pollution comes from, how it moves across land–water connections, and what actions are most practical and culturally appropriate to reduce it. The University of Manitoba and ODK Engineering Ltd. (an Indigenous-owned firm) will co-lead a 24‑month program that combines community knowledge with environmental engineering. We will (1) map plastic sources and hotspots using field surveys, sampling, laboratory analysis, and GIS; (2) document Indigenous observations, priorities, and governance protocols through workshops and sharing circles; (3) build integrated models that connect hydrology, environmental measurements, and community information; and (4) co-design feasible waste reduction strategies such as improved collection systems, community-scale recycling options, and circular-economy approaches suited to remote settings. The project will deliver a community-validated baseline report, model outputs that support planning and decision-making, and a set of community-endorsed strategies. Capacity building is central: Indigenous youth and local technicians will participate in hands-on training in monitoring, sampling, and data handling. Results will be shared through community reports and workshops, technical guidance documents, and peer-reviewed publications to support long-term stewardship and scalable solutions across Manitoba.
Applicant Name: Qiuyan Yuan
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Project Title: Reducing Manitoba’s Joint Replacement Waitlists
Abstract: Wait lists for hip and knee replacements in Manitoba have been long and getting longer, but there is little long-term data on factors that influence wait time and its parts: 1) the wait from referral to initial consult with an orthopaedic surgeon and 2) the wait from the decision to proceed to surgery to surgery itself. It is essential to maximize the efficient use of resources to reduce waiting time within the existing capacity. Our central goal is to understand what impacts joint replacement wait lists and how we can shorten them. We aim to:
- Measure trends in wait times and whether this wait is distributed equitably in our population.
- Identify and evaluate ways to manage wait lists to maximize the use of existing capacity.
We propose a study in which we use provincial data to understand both the consult wait time and surgical wait time, look for potential interventions and simulate the effect of these interventions to identify changes that are feasible,
realistic and efficient to reduce joint replacement wait lists in Manitoba. We will also assess the effect of COVID-19 to provide a basis for a Manitoba resiliency plan in case future major events that cause interruptions to surgery. We will partner with the Concordia Joint Replacement Group, Orthopaedic Innovation Centre, and Concordia
Foundation and engage with patients and health system collaborators to ensure we have maximum impact. Our data is essential to design interventions to maximize the use of existing resources.
Applicant Name: Christiaan Righolt
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Project Title: Volatus Aerospace: Science Experiential Aerial Research (SEAR) program
Abstract: The SEAR program is designed to partner high school students with industry to research unique alternatives to solving relevant community sustainability issues. Volatus will provide drones, equipped with remote sensors to gather aerial data in targeted areas in Manitoba and apply machine learning analytics tools to identify the possible presence of “health” issues (i.e. crop /plant disease). Students from Manitoba School Divisions will work with Volatus through a comprehensive year-long program, taking part in almost every stage of the scientific discovery process, including learning how to fly drones and train machine learning algorithms to analyze data. Students will take part in a “Data Collection Field Day,” to apply their skills learned throughout the year and collect aerial and ground-based data samples to assess the growth and health conditions of the targeted areas. The two active projects within the SEAR Program are the Dutch Elm Disease and Crop Disease Projects. Students will work towards obtaining their Basic and Advanced RPAS pilot certificates from Transport Canada throughout the program. The professional training that students will access through the program will enable them with the knowledge tools to pursue job and career opportunities in the drone industry, as well as aviation and aerospace.
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Applicant Name: Matthew Johnson
Project Title: Manitoba Tomorrow Project
Abstract: MTP is a prospective cohort designed to serve as a research platform for the examination of the interplay between genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors that contribute to the development of cancer and other chronic diseases in Manitobans. It is part of a Canada-wide initiative called the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath) and is funded by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC), with in-kind support from CancerCare Manitoba (CCMB). Canadian Partnership Against Cancer is an independent organization funded by the federal government to accelerate action on cancer control for all Canadians. This study is a gold standard in cancer research that will allow researchers to regularly consider an array of complex variables that would not be otherwise possible to capture.
Applicant Name(s): Travis Hrubeniuk and Donna Turner
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Project Title: Reducing Dietary Acid with Fruit and Vegetables Versus Oral Alkali in People with Chronic Kidney Disease (ReDACKD)
Abstract: The impact of CKD on Manitoba is huge both economically and via reduced quality of life, with Manitoba having the highest rates of end stage renal disease in Canada. Metabolic acidosis is a common complication of CKD, and currently the treatments for metabolic acidosis are insufficient. Untreated acidosis is an independent risk factor for CKD progression and mortality. Some clinical practice guidelines recommend the treatment of metabolic acidosis with oral alkali, but updated guidelines are not even recommended anymore because oral alkali treatment is marginally effective, often poorly tolerated, and the added sodium can worsen hypertension and/or edema. Base producing fruit and vegetables may be able to treat metabolic acidosis by reducing dietary acid load, with additional benefits of improving blood pressure, food security and dietary quality, but have not been tested in Canada. Currently patients with metabolic acidosis and CKD in Manitoba are largely undertreated due to lack of good interventions. This trial was co-developed with people with lived experience of chronic kidney disease and metabolic acidosis and it was funded via a CIHR project grant in 2021. This feasibility trial is collecting data to inform a large pan Canadian multi-center trial entitled “Reducing Dietary Acid with Fruit and Vegetables in individuals with Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (RAVe-DKD) trial” which will be led out of Winnipeg with three of the 14 sites in Manitoba. RAVe-DKD was reviewed and endorsed by the Canadian Nephrology Trials Network will compare the efficacy of weekly fruit and vegetable delivery intervention to lower dietary acid load, increase serum bicarbonate, and preserve kidney function in people with diabetic kidney disease and metabolic acidosis in 14 nephrology centers across Canada.
Applicant Name: Dylan Mackay
Stream 2a: Matching Funds & Research Chairs
Project Title: PrairieGen: A multi-omics approach to advancing data integration from Manitoba and Saskatchewan populations into the Pan-Canadian Genome Library
Abstract: PrairieGen is a large-scale genomics and precision health initiative aimed at uncovering the unique genetic diversity of the Prairie Provinces. PrairieGen will sequence more than 3600 genomes over four years, with 95% of samples coming from MB, and will consolidate existing and emerging omic data to build the province’s largest precision health genomics database. By identifying critical biomarkers, genetic variants, and novel risk factors across these populations through AI-enabled bioinformatics analysis, PrairieGen aims to support the development of tailored, population-specific healthcare solutions in MB and the Prairies. The project unifies and expands on numerous existing regional and national initiatives—including the MB Mainstreaming Genomics project, the Manitoba MS and Schizophrenia cohorts, Manitoba Tumor Bank, the CHILD cohort, and others—to build the largest multi-omics database specific to MB and SK. This effort integrates short-read sequencing within the CPHI initiative with generation of long-read sequencing genomic and multi-omic data at U of M and CCMB core facilities. This infrastructure, powered by the bioinformatics cores at CCMB and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, will drive advanced AI-enabled analysis for Precision Health purposes. By leveraging these technologies and provincial research capacity, PrairieGen will support precision medicine interventions tailored to the Prairie populations, inform public policy, and improve health outcomes. It positions Manitoba as leader in genomic medicine while building capacity in AI-enabled genomic and precision health applications in the province. In the long term, PrairieGen could contribute to render healthcare more efficient, less costly, and tailored, enhancing population health in the province.
Applicant Name: Cheryl Rockman-Greenberg and Athanasios Zovoilis
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Project Title: SysQuan-MB: Transforming biomedical and clinical research through enabling proteome-wide absolute quantitation of the human proteome using labeled cell lines
Abstract: Extending Genome Canada’s SysQuan to Transform Protein Quantification Proteomics, the analysis of all proteins in a sample, faces significant challenges in quantifying individual proteins across different samples or laboratories. These challenges make large-scale studies costly and inflexible, as samples must be processed simultaneously in the same lab for direct comparisons. This limits the full potential of highly accurate and sensitive mass spectrometers used to measure proteins. SysQuan-MB builds on the recently funded Genome Canada SysQuan project, which develops groundbreaking protein quantification tools using mouse tissues as standards. SysQuan-MB extends this innovation by focusing on human cell lines, creating CellQuan, a transformative technology for absolute quantitation of thousands of human proteins. Using stable isotope-labeled (SIL) cell lines, SysQuan-MB generates standards with proteins of known concentrations distinguishable from human proteins due to their unique molecular mass. These CellQuan standards are 100 times less expensive to produce than traditional synthetic methods, making advanced proteomics more accessible and scalable.
By enabling standardized protein quantification, SysQuan-MB allows data to be compared across labs, platforms, and studies. This innovation will significantly accelerate biomedical research, improve reproducibility, and unlock new possibilities for studying chronic diseases, immune responses, and cancer. Furthermore, SysQuan-MB will drive the adoption of proteomics in clinical diagnostics and industrial applications.
Applicant Name: Rene Zahedi
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Project Title: Digital Research Alliance of Canada
Abstract: The Research Computing Support Site Team at the University of Manitoba plays a key role in providing high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud computing expertise within the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC) Federation. As part of the Prairies Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) group, the Team supports over 350 researchers across Manitoba by offering technical assistance, user training, and access to cutting-edge computational resources. The Team also operates a local supercomputing cluster with over 10,000 CPU cores and 2 Petabytes of high-performance storage. Key priorities include optimizing research workflows and improving access to HPC and cloud-based computational resources. The Team also contributes to national DRAC initiatives through software installations, grant consultations, and active leadership in DRAC’s technical working groups. Through targeted knowledge dissemination, such as training workshops and community engagement, the Team helps ensure that Manitoba’s researchers remain at the forefront of computational research. Without this dedicated local support, researchers would face significant barriers in accessing and effectively using national HPC and cloud platforms, potentially impacting research outcomes and funding competitiveness. By strengthening local research computing capabilities, this initiative advances Canada’s digital research infrastructure and fosters innovation across diverse scientific domains.
Applicant name: Hans-Joachim Wieden
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Partnered Research Chairs – Research Manitoba has continued to support three research chairs in 2025-2026:
Research Chair Title: The Canadian Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Arctic Research: The CERC program attracts top international scientists and scholars to Canada.
Abstract: In partnership with the federal CERC program, Research Manitoba is providing $10 million over seven years to support a world-renowned researcher, Dr. Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, and the team at the University of Manitoba in Arctic Ice, Freshwater Marine Coupling, and Climate Change.
Applicant name: Dorthe Dahl-Jensen
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Research Chair Title: Heart & Stroke and Research Manitoba Chair in Clinical Stroke Research
Abstract: In partnership with the University of Manitoba and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Research Manitoba is funding a Research Chair in Neurological Stroke. Dr. Nishita Singh provides leadership in innovative clinical research to develop and support advances and innovation to increase and improve the treatment of neurological stroke care in Manitoba.
Applicant name: Nishita Singh
Stream 2b: External Competition Awards
Partnership Organization: Alzheimer’s Society of Canada
Abstract: The Alzheimer Society Research Program funds dementia research in Canada, through four award categories: Doctoral Award, Postdoctoral Award, New Investigator Grant and Proof of Concept Grant. The types of research they fund fall into eight priority areas: care, cause, diagnosis, epidemiology, risk, therapy, translational and treatment. Research Manitoba is excited to continue to support the advancement of dementia research and accelerate dementia discovery, enabling the potential of the best ideas and brightest new researchers from across the province to be realized through a national dementia research competition.
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Partnership Organization: Increasing capacity for Maternal and Pediatric Clinical Trials (IMPaCT)
Abstract: IMPaCT is CIHR-funded perinatal and child health focused clinical trials training platform. The IMPaCT goal is to create a common space for clinical trials training and mentorship, fostering expertise and building capacity in perinatal and child health clinical trials in Canada. IMPaCT includes over 90 academic, youth, and parent mentors and 30 partner organizations. IMPaCT provides self-paced online trials training courses, and offers competitive doctoral, post-doctoral, and early career researcher one year training awards. These training awards support learners to build their own clinical trial proposals alongside expert youth, parent and academic mentors.