The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research is a non-profit society created to attract, train, and support health researchers in British Columbia.

The Foundation is funded by but operates at arms-length from the Government of British Columbia. It is governed by a Board of Directors with representatives from universities, the health profession, the provincial government and the general public and headed by a President who is the CEO. The Directors and President are advised by a Research Advisory Council (RAC) comprised of leading BC health scientists and by advisory bodies that assess, provide advice, and make recommendations to the RAC on the merit of projects, applications, proposals and other issues assigned for their review.