Grand Challenges Competition
The BJI Grand Challenges Program aligns with the institute's strategic research vision by addressing complex problems through targeted research projects.
The program brings together experts from diverse sectors and fosters interdisciplinary collaborations locally, nationally, and internationally, driving impactful research to address and solve grand challenges.
Teams are awarded $25,000-$50,000 and dedicated BJI staff support time to facilitate team and grant development.
BJI Grand Challenges 2024 Projects
Driving access and innovation to reduce the international burden of neck and back (spinal) pain
To address the current gap in our biopsychosocial understanding of spinal pain, the Spinal Rehabilitation Registry (SPINA) will be expanded to include biological markers.
Situational Awareness for Effective Movement and Engagement (SAFE ME)
A new BJI research team aims to enhance safe mobility by understanding and optimizing situational awareness, commonly used in high-risk occupations, in everyday life.
Combining Advanced Biomaterials and Designer Stem Cells to Treat Disc Degeneration: A Regenerative Medicine Approach to Address the Grand Challenge of Back Pain
An international, interdisciplinary team of experts aims to tackle back pain by developing a novel biomaterials platform to deliver regenerative "designer" stem cells to intervertebral discs.
How to apply
The Grand Challenge Competition is open to BJI members only. Please visit our member resources for more information on how to apply, requirements, and timelines. If you have any questions or you are a member but don’t know how to access our member resources, please reach out to westerns.bji@uwo.ca.
