The NMD4C Collaborative Research Training Awards provides financial support to trainees who wish to visit laboratories within Canada to gain hands-on experience, learn new techniques, and further develop their expertise in neuromuscular disease-focused research. Through collaboration, this award seeks to elevate and expand the scope of trainees’ research projects.
Program Aims
Support knowledge acquisition, professional development and transfer of expertise between NMD4C researchers.
Promote networking for NMD4C trainees.
Support neuromuscular disease research and encourage collaborations between NMD4C researchers.
Value of the Collaborative Research Training Awards
The NMD4C Collaborative Research Training Award provides up to $2000 to help support travel and accommodation expenses for visiting a laboratory for a maximum period of two weeks.
Allowable Expenses
Transportation: Airfare, train, taxi/Uber, car rental, and gas mileage.
Accommodation: Lodging costs.
Food: $50 per diem
Eligibility Criteria
The award is open to M.Sc. and Ph.D. students as well as post-doctoral fellows or other trainees*, working on neuromuscular disease at a Canadian institution.
The applicant, and host laboratory supervisor(s) must be members of NMD4C.
The training must be directly related to neuromuscular disease-focused research.
The applicant must not have received a NMD4C Collaborative Research Training Award in the previous two years.
A trainee can only submit one proposal per travel award.
*Participation of other trainees (i.e. research professional, technician, etc.) will be considered based on placement availability; graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will be given preference.
Award Conditions
NMD4C must be acknowledged in any publication or presentations including data generated from this award.
Funding must be used within 6 months of its approval by NMD4C.
Awardees must provide a written final report summarizing the project outcomes gained through this award.
Selection Criteria
Potential to strengthen collaboration between NMD4C researchers.
Quality of application.
Impact on applicant, current supervisor(s), and collaborator/host supervisor.
Host supervisor’s trainee/mentorship plan.
Open science principles.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigeneity.
How to Submit an Application
Submission Process
Applications will be submitted through the NMD4C web form.
All supporting documents must be sent in PDF format.
Upon final decision by the NMD4C, successful candidates and their supervisors will be notified by email.
A Completed Application Includes:
Application form - NMD4C Collaborative Research Training Award
CV (Curriculum Vitae)
Letter of support from current supervisor. This letter should address how this exchange will directly contribute to the applicant’s research project and how this exchange will strengthen collaboration between NMD4C researchers across Canada. (1-2 pages)
Letter of support from the host supervisor explaining the resources available to support the applicant during the training period. Details should be provided on who the mentors and experts are that the candidate will be learning from, and on what specialized techniques and advanced equipment that the applicant will be trained to use. (1-2 pages)
Competition Timeline
Applications are due on June 15th of each academic year. A call for applications will be made in the period leading up to the submission deadline.
2026 Award Recipients
Wanda Dupebe, PhD Candidate (opens in new tab)
Institution: Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR)
Research Focus: Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 (DM1)
Host Institutuion: CRCHUM
Project Title: To better understand the transcriptomic differences between men and women with myotonic dystrophy type 1.
Home Supervisor:
Dr. Jean-Philippe
Leduc-Gaudet
Host Supervisor:
Dr. Martine Tetreault
Dr. Emma Sutton, Postdoctoral Fellow (opens in new tab)
Institution: The Ottawa Hospital Research institute (OHRI)
Research Focus: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
Host Institution: uWestern Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
Project Title: Maternal-fetal drug transfer in a human ex vivo placental perfusion model: translational assessment of prenatal therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Home Supervisor:
Dr. Rashmi Kothary
Host Supervisor:
Dr. Craig Campbell
Dr. Pauline Garcia, Postdoctoral Fellow (opens in new tab)
Institution: CHU Sainte-Justine
Research Focus: Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD)
Host Institution: Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)
Project Title: Investigating muscle stem cell dysfunction in OPMD: An ex vivo approach
Home Supervisor:
Dr. Nicolas Dumont
Host Supervisor:
Dr. Marie-Claude Sincennes
Dr. Mansoore Gholizade, MSc Candidate (opens in new tab)
Institution: Candidate
Groupe de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les maladies neuromusculaires (GRIMN)
Research Focus: DOK7-CMS
Host Institutuion: CHEO Research Institute
Project Title: Clinical and Functional Characterization of DOK7-Related Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome: A Key Step Toward Improved Health Follow-Up
Institution: Dalhousie University
Research Focus:
Host Institutuion: CHEO Research Institute
Project Title: Optimizing Clinical Outcome Measure Use and Impact for Individuals with SMA and ALS
Home Supervisor:
Dr. Cynthia Gagnon
Host Supervisor:
Dr. Hanns Lochmuller