News Release
Advancing women’s health through innovation
Alberta’s government is investing $5 million to close gaps in women’s health care, supporting new solutions that improve diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes.
The new Closing the Gap: Women’s Health Funding Competition will support innovative solutions aimed at helping women get answers sooner and access care that meets their needs. The first round of funding will prioritize women’s neurological health, focusing on conditions such as migraines, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and neurological conditions associated with pregnancy, postpartum health and menopause. These conditions can affect women differently, more often or uniquely, highlighting the need for approaches that are tailored to women.
Funding will support the development and testing of new products, tools and technologies that show potential to prevent illness, diagnose conditions earlier, and improve treatment or make care more accessible. Projects can focus on improving access to care for women in rural and remote communities, reducing delays in diagnosis, addressing gaps in treatment and expanding access to care.
“Women deserve health care that recognizes their unique needs and helps them get the answers and treatment they need. Alberta has exceptional researchers and health professionals working to make that possible. Our government is supporting their work to help turn promising ideas into better care for women across the province.”
Justin Wright, Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services
This new grant builds on Alberta’s ongoing commitment to improving women’s health. Over the past two years, Alberta has provided $10-million grants to both the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation and Calgary Health Foundation to advance women’s health research, advocacy and clinical care.
“I am proud of the work happening across Alberta to better understand women’s health needs and ensure their experiences are reflected in the services they receive. By supporting this research, our government is helping drive innovation to improve the care and support available to women across the province.”
Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women
Applications are now open until December 2, 2026. Eligible applicants include health-system organizations and providers, recognized post-secondary institutions, non-profit organizations, Indigenous governments and organizations, municipalities and eligible private-sector partners working with a health-system organization.
Quick facts
Eligible projects can receive up to $1 million over two years.
The inaugural competition will prioritize innovations addressing demonstrated gaps in women’s neurological health.
Eligible innovations are expected to be early-stage, with proof of concept and initial validation, but requiring further testing, feasibility assessment or validation.
Projects must demonstrate the potential for measurable improvements in areas such as access, quality, efficiency, provider experience or patient outcomes.
