Alberta Health Services (AHS) was awarded a grant from the Alberta Ministry of Human Services to promote applied mental health research within areas of interest to the Ministry. The grant funded the "Collaborative Research Grant Initiative: Mental Wellness in Seniors and Persons with Disabilities" (CRGI), designed to collaboratively generate knowledge to improve the effectiveness of programs, services, and supports to the mental health needs of seniors and adults with disabilities. CRGI researchers received support via workshops that provided grant process information and basic research instruction, as well as an annual conference to share research results and network and connect with each other. We used social network analysis to assess whether CRGI objectives regarding collaboration were achieved and to provide examples of possible future strategic planning. A survey of grant recipients with questions addressing collaboration before and after CRGI events was also completed. Awareness among grant recipients increased drastically from before and after the CRGI. Information workshops and the conference both provided successful support and increased awareness of ongoing work among grant recipients.