Historic $93.5 million research commitment to change the future of women and children's health
Originally released by University of Alberta on May 4, 2026
EDMONTON — A landmark $93.5 million gift is making history, cementing a long-standing partnership between some of Alberta’s leading forces in women and children’s health research.
Today, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation (SCHF) and the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation (AWHF) announced a gift of a combined $93.5 million to the University of Alberta-based Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) over the next 10 years — the largest gift in the U of A’s history. It includes commitments of $70 million from SCHF and $23.5 million from AWHF.
WCHRI is Canada’s only research institute dedicated to investigating women’s, children’s and perinatal health. It operates at the U of A through a partnership with the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation and Alberta Health Services.
This commitment marks the third consecutive decade of the collaboration, adding to the foundations’ combined support of more than $112 million since 2006. The new gift secures another decade of funding for critical research, building on these partners as global leaders in health care.
The partnership supports the research of clinicians and scientists who strive to close critical gaps in research for women and children, resulting in healthier pregnancies, more resilient kids, and better outcomes for Alberta families. The research happening through this partnership ranges from reducing children’s pain and distress in hospital to groundbreaking findings that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are three times more likely to develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
About the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation
The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation is the fundraising partner of the Stollery Children’s Hospital. Through the historic $1 billion No Bounds campaign, the Foundation supports world-class care today while helping to build a new stand-alone children’s hospital. Donor support funds equipment, research, training and specialized programs that improve care and outcomes for kids. Together with our partners and community, we are helping every child have the best chance to live a long, healthy life.
About the University of Alberta
The University of Alberta exists to inspire and ignite the human spirit in pursuit of a better tomorrow. Its work is rooted in a commitment to creating a university community where everyone feels valued, barriers to success are removed, and thriving connections are fostered while honoring Indigenous identities, languages, cultures and world views.
As one of the world’s top 100 teaching and research universities, the U of A ranks among the Top 4 in Canada, providing a $19.4 billion annual economic impact in Alberta alone. The U of A seeks to challenge, to change and to always be Leading with Purpose.
About the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute
WCHRI was founded in 2006 as a collaborative partnership between the University of Alberta, Alberta Health Services, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation. It supports research dedicated to improving the health and lives of women and children and is the only research institute in Canada — and one of the few in the world — to focus on both women’s and children’s health, including perinatal health.
About the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation
The Alberta Women’s Health Foundation is dedicated to advancing the health of women and all individuals with female anatomy through research, education, and advocacy. As an initiative of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, the AWHF seeks to bridge the gender health gap and drive meaningful change in women’s health care.
About Alberta Health Services
Alberta Health Services provides acute care services for more than five million Albertans at hospitals, urgent care centres and health centres across the province. Our mission is to provide excellent and accessible patient-focused healthcare for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait times, increasing access to surgeries and improving patient flow.
Media contacts:
Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation
Cheryl Spencer-Morley,
Director, Communications
Cheryl.Spencer-Morley@stollerykids.com
780.989.7392
University of Alberta
Sarah Vernon
Media Strategist
svernon@ualberta.ca
780.818.0901
Alberta Women’s Health Foundation
Lindsay Robertson
Vice President, Communications, Marketing and Brand
lrobertson@royalalex.org
780.217.2612