By Mike Su, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeshore News Reporter
WE-SPARK Health Institute hosted its annual “Cheers to Hope” event, drawing support from students and healthcare professionals in the Windsor-Essex community.
Held at the Ambassador Golf Club, the event aimed to raise awareness and launch fundraising for WE-SPARK’s 2025 grants program, which will support health innovation research in the region. The WE-SPARK grants program consists of two primary funding streams: the Igniting Discovery grants, which support early-stage, innovative health projects, and the Incentive Grants, which help researchers achieve success in national funding competitions.
Since its launch in 2020, the program has provided $1.8 million in funding for 105 projects, involving more than 600 researchers. These grants provide essential seed funding for projects across various health topics and encourage exploratory research.
The event featured five core partners: Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, the University of Windsor, and Windsor Regional Hospital. It also showcased the transformative impact of previously funded projects.
WE-SPARK aims to expand investment in the Windsor-Essex health sector, generate interest that could drive policy reform, create a comprehensive health research portfolio in the region, and secure new funding from other sources.
Each grant proposal must include strategies for knowledge sharing and future funding, with plans for how results will be leveraged.
WE-SPARK hopes to build a strong research environment that will boost national recognition and deliver lasting health benefits for the Windsor-Essex community.
