Meeting men where they are: Movember launches new funding to build the evidence base for community led programs supporting boys’ and younger men’s health

Movember is launching Community Men’s Health Research Program, a new multi-million global research funding opportunity across Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States (California only).

This opportunity is built around a research partnership model—embedding Community Fellows (early-career researchers < 5 years post-PhD) directly within community organizations already making a difference.

The focus is simple: generate high-quality, real-world evidence on what works.

Together, we will build a stronger understanding of how to improve the emotional and relational health of boys and young men aged 12–35 — in the places they already are.

Grounded in community-based participatory research, the program centers equity, shared power, and lived experience.

It focuses on three core areas of men’s health:

• Coping and consumption
• Social connection
• Early fatherhood

Key dates:

• April –May: Register your interest by completing the form. You will receive an email in May with full application details.
• May 7, 2026: The Request for Applications (RFA) opens for early career researchers and remains open for five weeks. The deadline is 12 June 2026 at 5pm EDT / 10pm BST / 12pm PDT.
• May 14, 2026: An information session will be held (and recorded) at 4pm BST for prospective applicants. Please register your interest here.

What is the Community Men’s Health Research Program

Across our focus countries, community organizations are already transforming the lives of boys and young men.

But too often, that work is:

• under-recognized
• under-evidenced
• and invisible to funders and systems

This program changes that!

We are investing in research that sits within communities — not outside them — to generate rigorous, practice-based evidence of what improves boys’ and young men’s emotional and relational health in real world settings.

The goal is not to create new interventions. It’s to understand, strengthen, and evidence what’s already working. That’s exactly why we’re lifting the profile of this vital community work and investing in research that showcases its impact. 

What types of community organizations should researchers look to pair with for this funding opportunity?

Movember is seeking to support Community Fellows who have partnered with organizations working directly with boys and younger men aged 12–35—either through an existing relationship or newly established one.

Strong partnerships will involve organizations that:

• are already delivering programs that support boys’ and younger men’s emotional and relational health, including established service providers or research ready grassroots groups delivering funded programs with strong community trust, lived experience led design, and reach into underserved populations
• are delivering research-ready intervention/program(s) in at least one of the core themes below

Community organizations receive an annual contribution to support their capacity to host the Community Fellow, participate in shared learning and evaluation, and engage in a wider community of practice with Movember and other funded partners. The focus is on working alongside existing programs to better understand, strengthen and evidence what is already working.

The three core themes are:

• Coping and consumption – How younger men cope with stress, trauma and adversity, including the role of alcohol, drugs, gambling, gaming, pornography and other consumption behaviors, and how these shape help-seeking, relationships and health system use.
• Social connection – Loneliness, isolation, peer relationships and belonging, including how community settings create trust, identity and pathways into support for men who are otherwise disengaged from services.
• Early fatherhood and health – The transition to fatherhood as a critical window for men’s emotional and relational health, including how services and community support can better reach, support and retain new and expectant fathers.

What is the funding opportunity for researchers? 

One Community Fellow will be embedded within each community organization, receiving an annual salary over three years (administered through their host university), mentorship from global experts, and access to world-class learning and development. 

Embedded within their partner organization, Community Fellows will design and deliver research to generate high quality, ethical and impactful evidence on how boys’ and younger men’s emotional and relational health is improved in real world settings

Who can apply for the Request for Application (RFA) in May?

Curious, open, and ready… to learn, adapt, and evidence what works?

We encourage Community Fellows (early career researchers <5 years post PhD) in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States (California only) to register their interest in this funding opportunity. There are 16 positions available across four markets (6 in United Kingdom, 6 in Canada, 2 in Ireland, and 2 in California). The full Request for Applications will be published on May 7, 2026.

To apply, you will need to be partnered with a community organization delivering a research ready program or intervention with the following characteristics:

• Has strong local trust and established relationships with boys and/or younger men aged 12–35 
• Demonstrates a proven ability to reach boys and/or younger men who are underserved or face real barriers to engagement 
• Delivers programs in non-stigmatizing, everyday community settings (e.g., youth spaces, educational settings, peer groups, physical activities, arts-based programs, or psychosocial interventions)
• Uses delivery models grounded in lived experience and co-design
• Aligns with one or more of the following themes related to emotional and/or relational health: coping and consumption, social connection, or early fatherhood
• Has limited formal evaluation or organizational maturity, but shows a strong willingness to learn, adapt, and build evidence
• Is committed to generating stronger evidence on what improves younger men’s emotional and relational health 
• Is open to partnership, evaluation, and potential scaling support
• Is located within a reasonable travel distance to enable consistent in-person engagement during the fellowship

Other upcoming research opportunities with Movember

Men's health needs its next generation of research leaders. Are you ready?

The Movember Institute of Men’s Health is launching the Discovery Fellowship—a 5-year award for exceptional early-career researchers to build their own research program, be mentored by world-leading Professorial Fellows, and join a global cohort tackling the most pressing challenges in boys' and men's emotional and relational health.

This isn’t just a fellowship. It's a career-defining opportunity—with salary, dedicated research support, a nested PhD scholarship, and international travel and global collaboration built in.

Positions are based at leading universities across Australia, Canada, Ireland, the UK, and the United States.

Applications for Discovery Fellowships open in the second half of 2026. Fellowships commence in early 2027.

Get in touch

Want to be the first to hear about more about these opportunities?

REGISTER INTEREST:

Register your interest via the form to receive updates on:

• Community Research Program (launching May 2026)
• Discovery Fellowships (launching later in 2026)