The Opportunities Fund

The Opportunities Fund is a general pool of funding that will address the greatest needs of the Academic Research and Education program at Women’s College Hospital. It will provide support on an ongoing, as-needed basis to researchers at all levels who are undertaking research positions with Women’s College Research Institute or to program needs overall.

ESSP has a mandate to engage, retain and support the career advancement of women and diverse persons in research and the health sciences. This includes community members who are Black, Indigenous, racialized, Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary, and persons living with disabilities, who have been systemically and historically excluded from healthcare and health science career trajectories.

The Summer Student Program Fund

The Emily Stowe Scholars Program summer program provides learning opportunities for high school, undergraduate and graduate students.

High school students in grades 11 and 12 participate in a six-week program that is a partnership between Women’s College Hospital and Sick Kids. Students move between programming at both sites and virtually. Programming is designed to be highly engaging and relevant for students who have an interest in health sciences.

Undergraduate and Graduate students participate in the Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) for 12-16 weeks. The SSRP places undergraduate, graduate or health professional program students with faculty within Academics at Women’s College Hospital.

All participants in the Summer Program experience integration of Indigenous multigenerational programming (e.g., tour of UofT Medicine Gardens, play opportunities, etc.), social events (e.g., lunches, trivia session, etc.), networking opportunities and are exposed to mentorship within Women’s from our diverse range of researchers, Elders and fellow learners.

Mid-Career and Senior Scientists Fund – Supporting Emily Stowe Scholars Program Mentors and Leadership

Our mid-career and senior scientists work within the Women’s College Research Institute (WCRI), which is a multidisciplinary research institute based at Women’s College Hospital. Women’s College Hospital is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a member of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network.

Women's Academics is one of only a few hospital-based research institutes worldwide to focus on health equity. Our scientists, all of who have academic appointments at the University of Toronto, conduct research that improves the health of women, helps people prevent and manage complex chronic conditions, and delivers innovative health system solutions.

Our scientists are expanding and exporting knowledge about health conditions that have unique implications for women and others throughout their lives – like arthritis, depression, diabetes and heart disease. They are investigating the complexities of these conditions – because rarely does one person experience only one disease or take only one medication. They are exploring the social, political and economic forces that influence health and access to healthcare. They are working to reinvent healthcare for women and pursue equity for all.

The vision for research at Women’s is to lead innovative, high impact health research that changes practice, changes policy, and changes lives.