National Competition for Young Researchers
At the Pediatric Research Foundation, we're proud to support the next generation of scientists. That's why we're delighted to launch the fourth edition of the National Competition, aimed at young researchers with less than 10 years' experience.
The Pediatric Research Foundation is proud to invest in the future of pediatric research by supporting early-career researchers (with less than 10 years of experience). Through the National Competition for Emerging Scientists, the Foundation funds innovative clinical and basic research projects aimed at improving the health and well-being of children and adolescents.
For four years now, the Foundation has been supporting the next generation of scientists through its National Competition. To date, $470,000 has been awarded to 16 talented young researchers, enabling them to launch their pilot projects and advance pediatric research in Quebec.
2026: The next generation of scientists shines once again
The 4th edition of the National Competition took place from March 16 to May 16, 2026. Once again this year, the Foundation demonstrated its commitment to excellence and innovation by awarding three prestigious grants totaling $150,000:
- Power Corporation of Canada Innovation Grant – $60,000
- BMO Excellence Grant – $45,000
- Pediatric Research Foundation Grant – $45,000
These grants aim to support researchers in developing innovative pilot projects, offering them a unique opportunity to stand out and strengthen their applications to major funding agencies.
With this support, the Foundation reaffirms its commitment to excellence and innovation in pediatric research, while contributing to the advancement of knowledge and the improvement of care for children.
Thank you to our donors for supporting the next generation of pediatric researchers by offering an Innovation Grant and an Excellence Grant.
- Provide significant support for the implementation of pilot projects that will subsequently lead to major grants.
- Encourage collaborative research between centres.
- Promote the decompartmentalization of disciplines within pediatric research.
- Promote excellence, innovation and active participation in scientific outreach activities.
- Support vulnerable populations to reduce inequalities in child health (e.g., children from disadvantagedbackgrounds, children with disabilities, or children from Indigenous communities).
Questions about the Competition?
2026 Awards winners
- Power Corporation of Canada INNOVATION Grant – 60 000 $
Dr. Gabriel Altit, Montréal Children’s Hospital – McGill, for his project “MIRACLE: Mapping Impacts of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia on Adolescent Cardio-respiratory health – a Lifespan Study.“.
- Bourse D’EXCELLENCE BMO – 45 000 $
Dr. Sébastien Lévesque, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, for his project “Precision genome editing for severe combined immunodeficiency.“.
- Bourse de la Fondation de la recherche pédiatrique – 45 000 $
Prof. Justine Benoît-Piau, CHU de Sherbrooke, for her project “Influence des profils de participation sportive précoce sur les trajectoires d’activité physique à l’adolescence“.
2025 Awards winners
- BMO EXCELLENCE Grant
Dr. Andréanne Villeneuve, CHU Sainte- Justine, for her project “Optimizing adherence to transfusion thresholds in premature infants: Study of decision-making processes in red blood cell and platelet transfusion practices in neonatology”.
- Pediatric Research Foundation Grant
Dr. Marc Beltempo, Montreal Children’s Hospital – McGill, for his project “Redefining necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates using unsupervised machine learning”.
- Pediatric Research Foundation Grant
Dr. Angeliki Makri, Montreal Children’s Hospital – McGill, for her project “OPEN-D: Onboarding Platform for the Education of New patients with Diabetes. A Personalized Chatbot for Children with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and Their Families”.
2024 Awards winners
- Pediatric Research Foundation INNOVATION grant
Prof. Gabriel Bossé, CHU de Laval – Centre mère-enfant, for his project “Understanding neonatal opioid exposure long-term consequences”.
2023 Awards winners
- POWER CORPORATION CANADA Grant
Dr. Raoul Santiago, CHU de Laval – Centre mère-enfant Soleil, for his project “Provincial prospective registry on the use of exception drugs in pediatric oncology.”
- Pediatric Research Foundation Grant
Dr. Kenneth Myers, Montreal Children’s Hospital, for his project “Premature telomere shortening: a treatable disease mechanism in mitochondrial DNA depletion disorders?”
- Pediatric Research Foundation Grant
Dr. Alexandre Reynaud, Montreal General Hospital, for his project “Evaluation of the efficacy of a new binocular treatment for amblyopia by diacopic reading of electronic books.”
- Pediatric Research Foundation Grant
Dr. Mallory Downie, Montreal Children’s Hospital, for her project “Using genetics to understand phenotypic variability in childhood nephrotic syndrome for precision medicine.”
