Welcome to the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy Researcher Funding Opportunities Index. We have included a number of relevant opportunities for our Faculty based on current research programs. This list is not exhaustive, and we recommend using the comprehensive funding opportunity resources below.

All Applicants submitting through the University of Toronto MUST have submitted their application information online via the My Research Applications (MRA) portal.

Additional comprehensive funding opportunities are available here:

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Internal Opportunities

LDFP BMS Small Equipment Award (Internal Only)

The purpose of the Small Equipment Award is to support the purchase and repair of necessary research equipment for the research and training of Highly Qualified Personnel.  The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy will provide up to $5,000 for successful applications that demonstrate need and where funding for equipment is a challenge to obtain.

Deadline:

Offered 4 times per year: January 31st, April 30th, July 31st and October 31st

Value:

Up to $5,000

For more information, please review the Program Guidelines and the Application Instructions.  Contact Mike Folinas (m.folinas@utoronto.ca) or Sam D'Alfonso (sam.dalfonso@utoronto.ca) with any additional questions.

LDFP CSAP Research Award (Internal Only)

The purpose of the Clinical, Social and Administrative Pharmaceutical (CSAP) Sciences Research Award competition is to support research excellence where funding is not currently held, e.g., pilot project, expand currently funded research, explore new areas of research. The objective of the program is to increase CSAP's research impact by supporting research excellence that leads to publications and externally funded research proposals. Capacity building is encouraged, yet not required.

Deadline:

Offered twice yearly: April 30th and November 30th.

Value:

Up to $10,000

For more information, please review the Program Guidelines and the Application Instructions.  Contact Mike Folinas (m.folinas@utoronto.ca) or Sam D'Alfonso (sam.dalfonso@utoronto.ca) with any additional questions.

LDFP Near-Miss Pilot Award

The purpose of the LDFP Near-Miss Pilot Award is to provide pilot funding for meritorious, unfunded CIHR Project Grant applications from LDFP faculty. This initiative is designed to support high-potential projects, ensuring they have the resources needed to succeed in a subsequent funding competition.

Eligibility:

The University of Toronto recognizes that diversity is essential to the creation of a vibrant intellectual community that allows our researchers to maximize their creativity and their contributions. All full-time LDFP faculty members (tenured or tenure-stream) and teaching-stream are eligible to apply. Status-only and adjunct professors at LDFP are not eligible to apply for this award.

Value of the Award:

The value of each award is up to $5,000. It is expected that at least 2 applications will be funded through the program yearly. One award will be funded after the Fall and another after the Spring CIHR Project Grant competition.

Competition Deadline:

The LDFP Near-Miss Pilot Award will be held biannually.  The application deadlines are February 25th and August 25th each year.  If the date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.

Please contact Lia Cardarelli for more information.

External Opportunities

Acceleration Consortium: 2026 Research Funding Opportunities

The Acceleration Consortium (AC) is pleased to announce the 2026 Accelerate research grants. These grants provide funding for research across physical, life, computational, and social science domains relevant to, but not limited to the following:

  • the development of self-driving labs (SDLs) or the development of the artificial intelligence (AI) and automation tools required to build SDLs,
  • the use of SDLs for materials or molecule discovery,
  • policy or other frameworks to support the responsible use and uptake of SDLs, or
  • the implications (economic, social, etc.) of AI and automation for accelerated discovery and the community-based use of these technologies.

End-uses of the research should support advances in sustainability, wellbeing, or human health. Applications from all disciplines are encouraged. Indigenous science and technology and community-engaged research are focus areas for the AC.  

VALUE:

Moonshot Funding: 

Translation Funding: 

  • Accelerate Translation Funding: up to $500,000 (2 years) with the possible addition of $300,000 for equipment.

SUBMISSION DEADLINES:

ELIGIBILITY:

MORE INFORMATION

Please contact acceleration@utoronto.ca if you have any questions.

Alliance International Collaboration Program

We are pleased to share details regarding the reopening of the Alliance International Collaboration program, scheduled for September 2, 2026.  Please note the following has changed:

  • Given the increased demand, the program will now operate on a competitive basis, with three proposal submission deadlines per year. The deadline for the 2026 competition is November 25, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Deadlines for 2027 will be announced in January 2027.
  • In light of the competitive process, the maximum time allowed between the official award letter received by the international collaborator and the submission of the Canadian application to NSERC has been extended to 120 days.
  • As a transitional measure intended to include Canadian researchers who were unable to submit an application by the May 20, 2025 deadline, the requirement to submit an application to NSERC within 120 days of the award date of the corresponding international grant will not apply, provided that applications are submitted to NSERC no later than November 25, 2026, 8pm ET. All such applications must meet the program requirements, and the proposed collaborations must remain viable, particularly where the grant awarded to the international collaborators was awarded more than 120 days earlier. Applications submitted by the May 20, 2025 deadline that were not selected for funding are not eligible for resubmission.
  • Proposals submitted to NSERC will now be evaluated internally using two criteria: Impact and Benefit to Canada (60%) and Quality of training in Canada (40%), including considerations related to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in training opportunities.
  • A copy of the international proposal and the official award letter must be included in the NSERC application. If these documents are not in English or French, applicants must provide a translation of the award letter and of all sections of the international proposal that describe at a minimum the Canadian team and its role in the global project.
  • To ensure balanced participation, each party’s budget (Canadian and international) must represent at least 25% of the total project budget—for example, if the combined Canadian and international budget is CAD $200,000, the budget submitted to NSERC or to the international funding agency must be at least $50,000.
Anthropic Economic Futures Research Fund - Request for Proposal

The Anthropic Economic Futures Research Fund is a $200 million fund that supports ambitious external research on interventions designed to prepare society for the economic impacts of AI. The Fund supports research on programs that could make the economy more flexible and resilient, ensure the benefits of AI are shared broadly, and minimize the harm that AI-driven disruption could cause. As AI capabilities continue to advance, we do not yet know how quickly AI will diffuse throughout the economy, how it will evolve over time, or what its economic impacts will be. In their Economic Policy Framework (EPF), Anthropic proposed policies for different AI-driven scenarios. However, more evidence is needed to identify interventions that might work best in an AI-powered economy. The goal is to build that needed evidence so workers, businesses, and governments can adapt effectively.

Research Priorities

The Fund will support evidence-based research across five key priority areas:

  • Shaping AI's impact on workers at the firm and workplace level
  • Equipping people to navigate AI-driven transitions
  • Modernizing income support for AI-driven displacement
  • Building worker stakes in AI-driven growth before disruption arrives
  • Generating new evidence on public investments

See their full Research Agenda for additional details and examples of fundable projects within each priority area. 

Award Size and Duration

They expect to primarily fund projects in the $5 million to $30 million range. Small-scale research projects are out of scope for this RFP and projects below $1 million will not be considered. Projects are expected to run 24–48 months from contracting close, ideally with initial results available within the first 12 months. 

Timeline

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis through the online application form and will be reviewed as they come in. Depending on the volume of applications, we may not be able to respond to every one.

Contact Information

econ-futures-fund@anthropic.com

Full program information: https://www.anthropic.com/news/economic-futures-research-fund-agenda

Please note:  the applicant must also upload and submit the application through the university's My Research Application (MRA) System. The MRA approval process should be started well in advance in parallel to ensure a successful submission since it can take several business days to complete the approval process.

No deadline applies, as the sponsor accepts applications on a rolling basis.

Berlin's Humboldt University Seed Funding for U of T Collaborations

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), one of Germany's leading research universities, has announced the availability of flexible grants aimed at initiating or enhancing collaborations with strategic partners, including the University of Toronto.
The call welcomes collaborative projects encompassing diverse formats, such as the development of research collaboration, preparation of joint publications, joint teaching activities, organization of workshops and exhibitions, and staff exchanges.

Funding

  • Up to €2,500 (about CAD $4,000) may be awarded to approved projects
  • Funds are provided by HU and managed by HU applicant's department   

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to faculty, researchers, and non-academic staff, depending on the type of project

Application Deadline

November 1, 2026 

Submission

Applications are submitted by HU applicants.

For more information on this call, including detailed submission instructions, please visit U of T's External Grants webpage.
If you have questions, please contact Elina Tulla, Regional Lead, Office of the Vice-President, International, at elina.tulla@utoronto.ca.

Faculty are encouraged to review U of T’s safeguarding research resources when developing their proposals.  

The Brain Tumour Charity - Translation Award

The Translational Award supports projects that bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and the clinical development of new treatments, diagnostics, drug delivery technologies, and medical devices for brain tumours. The program is designed to accelerate promising innovations toward patient benefit by supporting key translational proof-of-concept studies and generating the data required to secure further funding and advance projects into clinical testing.

This funding opportunity provides a unique translational development pathway, combining research funding with guidance and support from The Brain Tumour Charity to strengthen projects and optimize their route toward clinical application. The application process is intentionally iterative, with support provided to successful applicants invited to the full application stage. 

Funding Available

  • Up to £400,000 per project.
  • Funding duration of 12–18 months.
  • Supports development of novel diagnostics, therapeutics, devices, and drug delivery mechanisms for primary brain tumours.

Program Scope

Projects should:

  • Focus on any type of primary brain tumour.
  • Have a clear pathway to patient benefit.
  • Include strong target validation and robust preliminary data generated in clinically relevant models.
  • Generate the data package needed to support future clinical development and secure onward funding.

For therapeutic projects, applicants are expected to demonstrate evidence of efficacy, blood-brain barrier penetration where appropriate, and identification of a lead candidate. The scheme is intended to support projects that are sufficiently mature for translational advancement but not yet ready for clinical studies.

Eligibility

  • Open to academic researchers and, on a case-by-case basis, biotechnology companies.
  • International researchers and organizations are eligible to apply.
  • Principal applicants may submit only one proposal per funding round.
  • Collaborative teams should demonstrate the expertise required to advance discoveries toward patient benefit.

Patient and Public Involvement Applicants are strongly encouraged to engage individuals affected by brain tumours through The Brain Tumour Charity’s Involvement Network and incorporate patient and public involvement into project design and development.

Important Dates

  • Stage 1 Outline Application Deadline: November 25, 2026 (13:00 GMT)
  • Invitation to Full Application: March 17, 2027
  • Stage 2 Full Application Deadline: May 12, 2027 (13:00 BST) 

For More Information:

Please visit the sponsor website.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s (CIHR) - Free online training on patient engagement

Click here to start any module of the course.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s (CIHR) Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) has developed a set of online, self-directed, free modules related to Patient Engagement (PE) in research! IMHA’s patient partners identified a need for more training in patient engagement and set to work filling the gap for practical tools and resources to help people do patient engagement in research. Modules must be completed in chronological order; after completing each module, you will receive a certificate. While the modules have been developed by IMHA, they are not disease- or condition-specific and are applicable to any research where patient partners are engaged.

Course: A How-to Guide for Patient Engagement in Research

  • Module 1: What is patient engagement?
  • Module 2: The research process: (a) Understanding the research process for patient partners and (b) Supporting patient partners throughout the research process for other members of the research team
  • Module 3: Setting up a research project for a successful partnership
  • Module 4: Patient engagement for research teams: (a) Being part of a research team for patient partners, and (b) Engaging patients on your research team for other members of the research team

If you have any questions about the training or accessing the modules, please contact imha-iala@cihr-irsc.gc.ca and follow @CIHR_IMHA for related announcements!

CANSSI Ontario AI Applications in Statistical Sciences Research Grant

The Ontario Regional Centre of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute (CANSSI Ontario) is pleased to share the following funding opportunities with the University of Toronto research community.

CANSSI Ontario AI Applications in Statistical Science Research Grants: 

Offering funding of up to $12,500 for one year to support early-stage research using AI to enhance statistical methodology or theory. The goal of the program is to support nascent research programs and proof-of-concept projects that may lead to larger-scale funding opportunities.
Applications are due by February 1, 2027. Click here to learn more.

Banting–CANSSI Discovery Awards in Biostatistics: 

Offering up to $30,000 for one year to support early-career investigators in biostatistics who collaborate with scientists in fields related to biomedicine, occupational health, or environmental health. Notice of Intent is due in November 2026. Click here to learn more.

CANSSI Ontario Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genome Data Science:

Open to postdoctoral fellows undertaking full-time research at a CANSSI Ontario-partner university or at its affiliated research institutes. This fellowship supports research in genomics and data science, with an emphasis on new genomic technologies and multi-genomic integration, and provides up to $50,000 per year for two years. Applications due Mar. 1, 2027. Click here to learn more.

CANSSI Ontario Postdoctoral Fellowship in Statistics: 

Offering up to $70,000 per year in salary support for up to two years for postdoctoral fellows conducting full-time statistics research at a CANSSI Ontario-partner university. While theoretical statistics is the primary focus, other statistical research areas will also be considered.

  1. Postdoctoral applications are due from November 2026 to January 2027. Click here to learn more.

Application process: 

Please follow the instructions provided in each funding opportunity announcement.

An MRA is not required for these funds as awards from CANSSI Ontario are not set up in a restricted research fund.

For more information about the above funding opportunities, please contact: Esther Berzunza at: esther.berzunza@utoronto.ca

CIFAR Global Scholars Program (2027-2029 Cohort)

CIFAR has launched the call for applications for the 2027-2029 CIFAR Global Scholars Program: an opportunity designed to support early-career researchers.

The program provides:

  • $100,000 CAD in unrestricted research funding over two years
  • Leadership development and mentorship through a CIFAR research program
  • Opportunities to apply for time-limited seed funding to support interdisciplinary collaborations

Applicants may be based anywhere in the world and must:

  • Hold a PhD (or equivalent); postdoctoral fellows are not eligible to apply
  • Hold a full-time position at an institution of higher education or research
  • Have started their first position no earlier than July 1, 2022 and no later than December 31, 2026 (special consideration may be given to those who have taken leaves)
  • Be leading independent research and supervising/teaching degree-seeking graduate-level trainees (e.g. Assistant Professor level or equivalent)

Applicants’ research interests must align with one of the following eligible CIFAR research programs for 2026/2027:

Internal Deadline: October 28, 2026, 5:00 pm EST. Submit an MRA through the My Research system that includes a near-final draft of your CIFAR application.

Sponsor Deadline: November 4, 2026, 12:00 pm EST. Applications must be submitted online using the form linked at cifar.ca/global-scholars. Note, among other components, applications must include two letters of recommendation.

Resources:

  • CIFAR Global Scholars Program website
  • Detailed Overview document: contains program details, eligibility requirements, and application instructions
  • Instructions for starting your application: here
  • Contact scholars@cifar.ca for questions regarding the CIFAR program and application process
Collaborate2Commercialize (C2C): Funding Industry-Academic Collaborations

The Ontario Centre of Innovation’s Collaborate2Commercialize (C2C) program helps Ontario researchers and industry partners work together to solve real-world business challenges and accelerate the commercialization of innovative technologies and intellectual property. The program supports collaborative R&D projects that leverage the expertise, talent, and specialized infrastructure available at Ontario’s post-secondary institutions and research hospitals. 

Why researchers and companies choose C2C:

  • Up to $150,000 in project funding
  • 1:1 industry matching requirement, with up to 50% of the company contribution eligible as in-kind support
  • Close to 90% application success rate
  • Fast application processing, typically 6–8 weeks
  • Supports industry-academic collaborations with strong commercialization potential

Industry Partner Eligibility 

To participate, the industry partner must be:

  • An Ontario-based, for-profit company
  • Incorporated for at least two years
  • Employing 5–499 employees globally
  • Maintaining at least 50% of its workforce in Ontario

NSERC Alliance Stream

  • Individual proposals can request from $20,000 up to $50,000 from NSERC Alliance grants and from $20,000 up to $50,000 from OCI C2C, with a corresponding $20,000 to $50,000 from the industry partner (at least 50% must be cash provided to the academic institution).

If you are a researcher with an industry partner interested in collaborating on an innovation or commercialization project, please contact Joco Amante at jamante@oc-innovation.ca to discuss eligibility and application opportunities.

Learn more: https://www.oc-innovation.ca/programs/collaborate-2-commercialize/

2026-27 Connaught Innovation Award

The Connaught Innovation Awards provide one-time funding of up to $150,000 to support technology validation, product development, and commercialization for projects at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and above as defined by: 

Successful projects will have strong socio-economic and/or commercial potential, enabling the technology to make a positive impact on society.  

The total funding available for this year’s program is $1,500,000. Applicants can request up to $150,000 per project. Applicants requesting more than $100,000 require strong evidence of industry interest, leveraged funding opportunities, or investment.  

Projects must be led by a full-time faculty member whose primary employer is the U of T, and who is Tri-Agency active.   

Proposed projects must be based on an existing invention disclosure filed to and approved by IPO by September 14, 2026, and cannot have been used as the basis for previously funded Connaught Innovation Awards. 

A Notice of Intent (NOI) must be submitted to the Connaught Secretariat for each project by September 25, 2026. Full applications are by invitation only and will be accepted following NOI approval. The deadline for full application submissions is October 26, 2026. 

For more information, please see the Fund Opportunity   

CRIS Leadership & Personal Effectiveness Fall Webinar Series

Join the Centre for Research & Innovation Support (CRIS) for an online workshop series focused on enhancing leadership and personal effectiveness for researchers. Each themed session begins with a faculty peer panel sharing experiences and strategies, followed by an interactive workshop for participant collaboration and discussion. 

Building Thriving Research Teams 

This workshop engages faculty with approaches and strategies to lead inclusive research teams that thrive. This interactive peer-to-peer session will engage faculty with team leadership reflection, approaches and strategies to foster research environments where inquiry and belonging can work together.  

 Featured Speakers: 

  • Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education 
  • Joanne Chung, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, UTM 
  • Christina Guzzo, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, UTSC and Immunology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine 

Date and Time: Thurs Nov 20, 1:00-2:30 pm 
Format: Virtual 
Registration: Session Information and Registration  

Questions about registration for either session can be directed to cris@utoronto.ca. For additional program and event information, visit our Programs Page. 

Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs

The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) originated in 1992 to foster novel approaches to biomedical research in response to the expressed needs of its stakeholders - the American public, the military, and Congress.

Housed within the US Department of Defense (DoD), CDMRP has released additional funding opportunities for the following programs:

Descriptions of each of the funding opportunities, eligibility, key mechanism elements, and funding can be found in the respective Program are found here.

Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP)

  • Exploration Hypothesis Development Award
  • Investigator-Initiated Research Award
  • Neurofibromatosis Research Award (NFRA)
  • NFRA Leadership Award
  • NFRA Scholar Award
  • Synergistic Idea Award

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program

  • Idea Development Award
  • Clinical Translation Research Award

Parkinson’s Research Program

  • Early Investigator Research Award
  • Investigator-Initiated Research Award

Combat Readiness—Medical Research Program

  • Translational Research Award

Orthopaedic Research Program  

  • Applied Research Award
  • Clinical Research Award

Rare Cancer Research Program

  • Concept Award
  • Idea Development Award
  • Resource and Community Development Award

Reconstructive Transplant Research Program

  • Concept Award

Application Process

Funding opportunities have a two-stage application process with pre-application, and then selected applications invited to full application.

UofT campus-based faculty members should select Toronto, University of for the institution and indicate the appropriate Research Services Office contact (see below) as the Business Official in their pre-application in the eBRAP System.

  • Krista Montgomery (krista.montgomery@utoronto.ca): for UofT faculty appointed within Dalla Lana, Applied Sci & Eng, Dentistry, Kinesiology & PE, Nursing, Pharmacy, UTM, and Medicine (last names A-M only).
  • Corinne El-Feghali (corinne.feghali@utoronto.ca): for UofT faculty appointed within Architecture, Arts & Science, Law, Rotman, Information, Social Work, OISE, UTSC, Music, and Medicine (last names N-Z only).

Faculty members whose primary appointment is with an affiliated hospital should reach out to their hospital research office to confirm their institutional details in eBRAP and the submission process.

Department of National Defence - MINDS Targeted Engagement Grants

The Government of Canada's Department of National Defence has announced the launch of the second round of the MINDS Targeted Engagement Grants (TEGs) and Young MINDS Initiative for the fiscal year of 2026/27. 

Context: MINDS Targeted Engagement Grants provide funding for projects related to defence and security policy, and a proposed project must:

Streams of funding: The MINDS Targeted Engagement Grants program includes two funding streams:

  1. Targeted Engagement Grants (TEGs): up to $100,000 in funding for defence and security-related projects such as conferences, roundtables, workshops, research and publications.
  2. Targeted Engagement Grant (TEG): Young MINDS Initiative: up to $10,000 for undergradate and master's students to fund their defence and security-related project, publications or events.

For both streams, DND's expectation is that projects awarded funding will be completed as outlined in the original application within one year of receipt of funds.

DND MINDS Deadline: Calls for proposals are issued twice a year, in the spring and fall. The next deadline for the submission of applications for both of the above streams is October 26, 2026. Applications are submitted directly by applicants to the sponsor as per the information included in the application guide on the MINDS website.

UofT deadlines/guidelines: 

  • For the TEGs, applicants must be eligible as per UofT's PI eligibilty guidelines. In addition to submitting the application to DND by Oct 26, eligible PIs must submit an MRA at least one week prior to DND's deadline.
  • For the TEG: Young Minds Initiative, eligible applicants must be (among other things) enrolled in an undergraduate or master's program at UofT. Additionallly, the undergraduate/master's student applicant's supervisor must submit an MRA at least one week prior to DND's deadline, for if awarded, the grant would be set up for the studnent awardee under their supervisor's name (and therefore the supervisor must be eligible to hold research grant funding at UofT, as per UofT's PI eligibility guidelines).

For complete information in terms of guidelines, eligibility and the application submission process, please vist the following websites:

Department of National Defence - Collaborative Networks competition

The Government of Canada's Department of National Defence, through its Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) Program, has announced the launch of of its 2026 Collaborative Networks competition. 

Collaborative Networks involve multi-disciplinary teams of experts from across Canada and abroad. Networks increase and diversify research on defence and security issues in Canada, with the aim to meet the Defence Team’s need for relevant and timely policy advice. 

Funding: Grants are up to $250,000 per year, for up to 3 years. Funding can support:

  • research and analysis
  • conferences, workshops and other knowledge sharing activities
  • written and oral briefings for the Defence Team
  • support for students
  • engagement with the Canadian public
  • other activities that contribute to the network's research objectives

***Please note that as per the application guide, eligible expenditures include (among other things) institutional overhead (up to 10% of the overall budget, which must be identified in the proposed budget). Accordingly, an overhead amount of 10% of the overall budget should be included in the application (and included in the MRA for UofT applicants). 

Other organizations: as per the program guidelines and application guide, your network must:

  • include researchers and experts from at least two (2) different types of organizations, such as:
    • academic institutions
    • think tanks
    • non-government organizations
    • private sector organizations
      • The application form/instructions will ask applicants to identify the academic, think-tank, NGO, private sector organizations or other organizations that are involved in the proposal, and it must include at least two (2) different organization types to be eligible.
  • demonstrate representation from at least three (3) regions within Canada (you will be asked in the application form to identity the regions of Canada involved in the proposal)

Also note that that proposed projects/networks must (among other things) aling with the MINDS program objectives, and must respond to one or more MINDS Defence Policy Challenges. For full eligibility guidelines, please see the application guide.

DND Deadline: The deadline to submit applications is Monday 23 November 2026, at 11:59pm (PCT). Applications received passed this deadline will not be accepted. Applications are submitted directly by applicants to the sponsor as per the information included in the application guide on the MINDS website.

UofT deadlines/guidelines: 

  • Applicants must be eligible as per UofT's PI eligibilty guidelines. In addition to submitting the application to DND by Nov 23, eligible PIs must submit an MRA at least one week prior to DND's deadline.

For complete information in terms of guidelines, eligibility and the application submission process, please vist the following websites:

Developing Medicines through Open Science (DMOS) - Call for Letters of Intent

Conscience Medicines Network is excited to share that applications are now open for the second round of the Developing Medicines through Open Science (DMOS). The program aims to foster collaborations that undertake preclinical and clinical work to develop drug candidates in areas of unmet medical need, establish proof of concept (POC) for an open science path to drug development and further translate innovations into affordable medicines, generate economic activity, and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Canada.

With total funding of $15M, this program supports projects focused on life-threatening or severely debilitating diseases that have demonstrated strong target validation and tractability to enable clinical proof of concept and undertake either IND-enabling preclinical studies or human safety and efficacy studies.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for DMOS funding, applicants must:

  • Propose a preclinical or clinical research plan in an area of unmet medical need with a commitment to developing accessible medicines
  • Conduct research at Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 2-7
  • Include at least one Canadian SME
  • Provide proof of matching funds to cover the remaining cost, as Conscience will fund a maximum of 33% to researchers, academic institutions, and large enterprises, and 50% to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
  • Commit to Open Science Policy

Learn More and Apply:

The application process consists of two key phases: a Letter of Intent (LOI) application, followed by an invitation for selected applicants to submit a full proposal. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis until all funding is allocated. 

Detailed information about the application process, including required documents and evaluation criteria, can be found at the official website: Conscience Medicines Network.

For any program-related questions, please refer to the FAQs, watch the Virtual information session, or contact the Senior Program Manager, Resham Chhabra, at resham.chhabra@conscience.ca.

The applicant must also upload and submit the application through the university's My Research Application (MRA) System. The MRA approval process should be started well in advance, in parallel, to ensure a successful submission, since it can take several business days to complete the approval process.

DFG and SSHRC joint initiative - German-Canadian International Research Training Group

SSHRC and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) have announced that they have launched a new joint initiative, German-Canadian International Research Training Group (IRTG). The deadline to submit the required draft proposal is March 31, 2027, and the deadline to submit the full proposal is April 1, 2028. IRTGs are structured doctoral programs run by German universities in conjunction with institutions abroad. The German-Canadian IRTG will be run by two teams of participating researchers, one in Germany and one in Canada.

Summary of application process: 

The German-Canadian consortium will first need to submit a joint IRTG draft proposal to the DFG. The draft proposal is submitted to the DFG by the German host university on behalf of the consortium. The lead principal investigator in Canada must be affiliated with a Canadian SSHRC eligible post-secondary institution, and the proposal must align with SSHRC’s subject matter eligibility guidelines. On average, approximately six to nine months are needed for the review of the draft proposal. If the DFG concludes the review with a positive decision, the consortium will be invited to submit a joint establishment proposal according to the above-mentioned timeline. The joint establishment proposal must be submitted to the DFG in accordance with the DFG’s guidelines and through the established submission system. Should the joint establishment proposal be successful, the DFG will issue a grant to the team in Germany, and, following the submission of additional administrative documents, SSHRC will issue a grant to the team in Canada. Renewal proposals for the second funding period are submitted about one year before the end of the first funding period. They are submitted by the German host university to the DFG.

Funding available for the Canadian team: 

SSHRC will support one meritorious German-Canadian IRTG, covering costs related to Canada’s participation in the research training group. Applicants in Canada can request up to $236,000 per year for total of up to $2,124,000 over 9 years (5 years plus an additional 4-year grant dependant on a successful renewal proposal).

MRA requirement: 

Eligible UofT faculty members acting as the Canadian team's PI on an application for this funding opportunity are asked to have a submitted and approved MRA in place two weeks prior to the sponsor's March 31, 2027 deadline for the draft proposal (so by March 17, 2027).

For more information, including full guidelines, eligibility rules, and application instructions, please visit the DFG's website for this funding opportunity here.

For questions to the sponsor, please contact partnerships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca.

Halo Science: Various Research Funding Opportunities

Halo Science provides a platform where companies seeking scientific engagement can post their research needs and offer sponsored research opportunities to address them. Halo features a growing list of partner companies across a broad spectrum of fields. These partners contribute to a dynamic list of projects that require academic involvement.

There is no cost to academic researchers to join the mailing list or to respond to opportunities presented at Halo. U of T investigators are invited to register and propose solutions to posted challenges in their respective fields by submitting a brief, non-confidential summary. Companies may then reach out directly to engage in standard sponsored research arrangements.

Since responding to an opportunity is primarily an expression of interest and not a commitment of resources, an MRA will only be required once any subsequent discussion with the sponsoring company proceeds to the stage of budgeting and contract negotiations.

Halo Science sends out periodic lists of open projects to registered investigators and institutions. However, researchers can browse the Halo website at any time for open opportunities of interest.

As the list of opportunities offered by Halo clients is constantly evolving, researchers are encouraged to use the direct link to check their marketplace for current opportunities.

Halo hosts webinars with their partners to discuss their opportunities. By signing up on their portal (which is free), you will receive invitations to register for upcoming webinars.

Horizon Europe Consortium - Development Seed Grants

The Office of the Vice President, International (OVPI), in collaboration with the Division of the Vice President, Research & Innovation (VPRI), are hosting a call for proposals from Principal Investigators (PIs) who are forming international consortia for a Horizon Europe Pillar II proposal.   

Funds from this grant must be used to support U of T PIs in consortium building and/or Pillar II proposal development activities. 

Eligibility: 

All U of T faculty members who meet the University’s definition of a Principal Investigator (PI) are eligible to apply. 

Application Deadlines: 

Thursday, November 19, 2026 

Value and Duration 

  • Maximum seed grant is $10,000 CAD, to be spent by April 30, 2027. 
  • Can be used as matching funds for SSHRC Destination Horizon Grants. 
  • Pillar II grants typically range from €4-15 million. 

Questions? For more information on this call, including detailed instructions on how to submit an application, please see the funding opportunities page.

If you have questions, please be in touch with Elina Tulla, Research Officer, Office of the Vice-President, International at elina.tulla@utoronto.ca. 

Faculty are encouraged to review U of T’s safeguarding research resources when developing their proposals.  

Do not use MRA to submit this application. 

Horizon Europe Matchmaking Events in Clusters 1, 4 and 5

Horizon Europe matchmaking events are a cornerstone of the European research community’s approach to research partnerships. Network with researchers, companies, and stakeholders, find existing research teams who may need your expertise, and build strong grant proposals. Here is a selection of upcoming ones in clusters 1, 4, and 5, presented chronologically.

ERRIN-UniLiON Joint Brokerage Event on Horizon Europe Cluster 5 - Climate, Energy & Mobility 2027 Calls

Date: November 4, 2026
Time: 4:00-6:00am EST (10:00am-12:00pm CET)
Place: Online
Organizers: European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN) & Universities Informal Liaison Offices Network (UniLION) 

This event will bring together researchers and stakeholders from the public and private sectors to explore collaboration opportunities for proposals addressing Europe’s green and digital transitions, including clean energy systems, resilient grids, sustainable mobility, climate adaptation, and cross?sectoral innovations.

Registration is open until the event, but those wishing to present an optional 3-minute pitch must send it to Olga Roig (o.roig@creaf.uab.cat) and Paul Prunet (Paul.Brunet@errin.eu) by October 25. Note that a maximum of 20 pitches will be accepted.

For more information and to register, visit the event page.

Horizon Europe Info Days: Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy, and Mobility)

Learn about research and innovation funding opportunities in climate, energy and mobility pursuing the twin green and digital transitions and climate neutrality. This event will take place in a hybrid format, hosted at the Charlemagne conference facility in Brussels and streamed online via the European Commission’s web platform. 

Date: Nov 19, 2026
Time: 3:30-11am EST (9:30am-5pm CET)
Place: Brussels and Online
Organizers: European Commission

More information and registration

Horizon Europe Info Days: Cluster 1 (Health)

Learn about the 2027 funding opportunities of the forthcoming Health Work Programme. The info day follows a Nov 24-25 online brokerage event dedicated to helping researchers, innovators and stakeholders build strong international consortia for the upcoming Cluster 1 Health calls.

Dates: Brokerage event Nov 24-25, 2026. Info day Nov 26, 2026
Time: 3-11am EST (9am-5pm CET)
Place: Online
Organizers: European Commission

More information and registration

ERRIN-UniLiON Joint Brokerage Event on Horizon Europe Cluster 6 - Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment 2027 Calls

Date: November 25, 2026
Time: 4:00-6:00am EST (10:00am-12:00pm CET)
Place: Online
Organizers: European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN) & Universities Informal Liaison Offices Network (UniLION) 

This event will bring together researchers and stakeholders from the public and private sectors to explore collaboration opportunities for proposals to Horizon Europe Cluster 6 topics, including sustainable food systems, biodiversity protection, circular bioeconomy solutions, soil and water resilience, sustainable agriculture, forestry, and environmental monitoring. Several topics emphasize systemic approaches, nature-based solutions, and cross disciplinary research integrating environmental sciences, biotechnology, agronomy, socioeconomic analysis, and digital tools.

Registration is open until the event, but those wishing to present an optional 3-minute pitch must send it to Viltaré Platzner (viltare.platzner@stuba.sk) and Ana Nava (ana.nava@errin.eu) by November 17. Note that a maximum of 20 pitches will be accepted.

For more information and to register, visit the event page.

Interdisciplinary Pathways towards Green Transition & Resilient Societies

Date: December 1, 2026
Time: 3:30-7:00am EST (9:30am-7:00pm CET)
Place: Online (B2Match)
Organizers: Net4Society

This brokerage event brings together researchers, innovators and stakeholders working on green transition and climate resilience topics across Horizon Europe (Clusters 1, 2, 5 and 6, the New European Bauhaus, and relevant EU Missions), with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration between SSH and STEM. Connect with applicants preparing proposals in the areas of health, climate and environment, energy, mobility, cities and communities, where the integration of SSH expertise can play a key role in achieving the expected outcomes.

Register to set up your research profile, search the list of attendees, book introduction meetings, and submit an optional pitch presentation.

For more information and to register, visit the event page.


For further details about Horizon Europe Pillar II, please visit the VPRI Funding Opportunity page.

ISI Defence & Sovereignty Network (DSN) Seed Funding Program

The ISI Office is pleased to announce the following revisions to the Defence and Sovereignty Network Seed Funding Program:

  1. Applicant & Co-Applicant Eligibility has been expanded to include all faculty members who meet the University's definition of a Principal Investigator (PI), including Clinical and Status Only faculty.
  2. The deadline for applications has been extended to Monday November 2.
  3. We have added a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) link to the program web page.

Defence and Sovereignty Network Seed Funding

The University of Toronto’s (U of T’s) Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) Office  launched the Defence & Sovereignty Network Seed Funding Program to strengthen U of T’s capacity for interdisciplinary research in defence, sovereignty, and dual-use innovation.

Aligned with the ISI mandate to launch, grow, and sustain large-scale interdisciplinary strategic research networks, the program will support the development of cross-divisional research networks positioned to respond to priorities emerging from Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy and related funding and partnership opportunities. These networks will become part of a broader network of networks under the U of T Defence & Sovereignty Network (DSN), connecting expertise across the University and strengthening U of T’s ability to develop and lead ambitious collaborative research initiatives in defence and sovereignty research, including but not limited to research in the following areas:

  • Technological capability: Artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, robotics and aerospace
  • Health and emergency preparedness: Biosecurity, health systems resilience and related areas of public-health readiness
  • Human performance: physical readiness, injury prevention, mental resilience, environmental adaptation
  • Arctic and environmental research: Atmospheric composition, climate dynamics and environmental change in the North
  • Democratic resilience and governance: Cybersecurity, public trust, policy development and responses to disinformation and surveillance

Seed Funding for Network Development

This competition will offer up to two years of funding support to develop networks of U of T researchers that can develop and lead large collaborative research programs in response to existing and emerging defence and dual-use funding and partnership opportunities from BOREALIS (DISH), IDEaS, MINDS, Mitacs, NSERC Alliance, Horizon Europe and others. Networks should also be competitive for other large-scale collaborative research funding opportunities such as NFRF Transformation and CFREF. Funding will support network-building and the development of plans to secure significant external funding.

Amount: 

Up to $70,000 per network

Duration:

12 to 24 months

Application deadline: 

November 2, 2026

Applicant & Co-Applicant Eligibility: Faculty members who meet the University’s definition of a Principal Investigator (PI) are eligible to apply. This includes Clinical and Status Only faculty at the rank of assistant professor or above. The Applicant must be able to hold funds at UofT.   

FAQs: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions have been posted here.  

Program Guidelines and Application Instructions:
https://research.utoronto.ca/secure/institutional-strategic-initiatives/defence-sovereignty-network-seed-fund 

VPRI Contact
Institutional Strategic Initiatives Office (ISI)
strat.initiatives@utoronto.ca

Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation

Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation of Vancouver, BC would like to welcome research groups to apply for funding opportunities in the field of major illnesses with a primary focus in oncology. We specialize in providing support to research projects that are novel and innovative and/or that otherwise experience difficulties in receiving support from other sources, potentially resulting from the inability to create intellectual property or from lack of peer support – in other words, high-risk, unconventional and disruptive research.

Because of that premise, the research project must be of high quality. We welcome all spectrums of experimental design initiatives, from meta-analyses and pilots to randomized controlled double-blinded trials and operational support; both pre-clinical and clinical projects are invited, with preference being given to clinical trials.

Deadlines:

Currently, applications are reviewed three times per year, and the potential for funding starts in April, August, and December for successful applicants.

Submission Guidelines:

Applicants should telephone the Foundation to discuss their project before submitting a proposal. If appropriate, a letter of intent and supporting documents will be requested.

Additional Information:

For more information, please email anakonechnaya@hecht.org or visit our website at hecht.org.

Examples of previously funded research include:

  • Lessening organ dysfunction/injury with vitamin C (LOVIT trial) / University of Sherbrooke / ClinicalTrials ID – NCT03680274
  • Phase II randomized crossover study of the efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acid supplements on lung cancer-promoting inflammatory markers in heavy smokers / BC Cancer
  • Histamine receptor 2 antagonists as enhancers of anti-tumour immunity / Dalhousie University, through a collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Society
  • Fecal microbial transplantation in combination with immunotherapy in melanoma patients (MIMic trial) / Lawson Health Research Institute / ClinicalTrials ID – NCT03772899
Mexico–Canada Research and Development Partnership Platform

The Embassy of Canada in Mexico invites University of Toronto researchers to visit the Mexico–Canada Research and Development Partnership (RPP) Platform, a binational matchmaking and collaboration tool connecting Canadian and Mexican researchers to initiate joint research and development projects. 
The platform currently hosts seven research areas:  

  • Semiconductor 
  • Cybersecurity 
  • Renewable energy 
  • Agrotechnology 
  • Indigenous knowledge and language preservation 
  • Radical political ideology 

By facilitating direct engagement, this platform supports efforts to develop talent pipelines, enhance innovation ecosystems, and highlight the leadership of both nations in these sectors. 

Click here to access the Mexico–Canada RPP Platform.  

Microsoft AI Economy Institute - Call for Proposals

Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute (AIEI), has launched its fourth call for proposals focused on AI and Jobs: Designing for Augmented Work.

The call seeks research on how AI is reshaping work, productivity, skills, organizational design, and economic opportunity, with a focus on practical insights for policymakers, employers, educators, and workers. Research themes include:

  • AI, management and accountability: How AI is changing organizational decision-making, the delegation of tasks and authority, and how responsibility and accountability are assigned between people and AI systems.
  • Augmentation, skills and new work: How AI complements or substitutes for human capabilities, reshapes labour demand and job design, and creates opportunities for new roles and forms of work.
  • Organizational design and workflows: How organizations can redesign workflows, management practices and business processes to integrate AI effectively and translate adoption into sustained productivity gains and economic value.
  • Building expertise and early-career pathways: How AI is changing the development of professional expertise, entry-level opportunities, on-the-job learning and the pathways through which workers build skills and advance in their careers.
  • AI-mediated markets and value creation: How AI is transforming consumer discovery and purchasing decisions, reshaping competition and market dynamics, and creating new opportunities for businesses of different sizes.

Key details:

  • Funding: US$75,000 per selected research proposal, plus travel support to attend an in-person workshop.
  • Eligibility: Researchers affiliated with accredited universities or research institutions worldwide. Principal Investigators must hold a PhD or equivalent terminal degree and have held it for at least three years at the time of application. Proposals may include up to two eligible PIs.
  • Application requirements: A researcher biosketch and a project overview of no more than one page outlining the research question, methodology, contribution, and policy relevance.
  • Timeline: Applications close November 30, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Pacific, with awards announced in December and research running from January to June 2027.

Selected researchers will join the AIEI Senior Fellows cohort, participate in virtual and in-person workshops, and have opportunities to contribute to an edited book and submit research to an academic journal.

Full details and application: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/group/aiei/aiei-open-call-4/

UofT Internal Deadline:

Please send an email to IPO of your intent to apply at your earliest convenience: innovations.partnerships@utoronto.ca

The applicant must also upload and submit the application through the University's My Research Application (MRA) System. The internal deadline for institutional authorization (via MRA) is November 23, 2026

Please ensure the MRA approval process is initiated as early as possible and in parallel with the proposal preparation, as the approval process may require several business days to complete.
MITACS Elevate proposals are now accepted year-round

As of today, the Mitacs Elevate program will be open all year round to provide more flexibility and unlock more opportunities for postdoc researchers across the globe!

This evolution is part of an ongoing effort to make Mitacs Elevate a more inclusive and accessible program and support academic-industry collaboration throughout the seasons. Plus, the evergreen Elevate program now offers the following benefits:

No more deadlines — apply anytime
Elevate proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis.

A more efficient and accessible application process
Proposals can now be submitted through the Registration and Application Portal (RAP) for quick and easy access.

Agile research projects, $60K/year in funding
One-year projects will now be accepted for a standard $60,000 award per year to allow more researchers to participate in training and gain valuable experience.  Two-year projects are also still available as per previous guidelines.

Open to all sectors and disciplines
To simplify requirements, the thematic award will no longer be offered. This means postdocs from any sector or academic discipline can apply anytime.

For detailed program and application information, please visit: https://research.utoronto.ca/funding-opportunities/db/mitacs-elevate

Please note:  the applicant must also upload and submit the application through the university's My Research Application (MRA) System. The MRA approval process should be started well in advance, in parallel, to ensure a successful submission, since it can take several business days to complete the approval process.

Network for Healthy Populations Evidence-to-Impact Grant

The Novo Nordisk Network for Healthy Populations (NHP) at the University of Toronto is pleased to announce a call for applications for its Evidence-to-Impact Grant.

Value: Up to $100,000 per project.
Duration: 12-24 months.
Purpose:
The NHP’s Evidence-to-Impact Grant supports multidisciplinary, community-engaged research teams to generate actionable evidence that can inform policies, programs, health services, and other population-level approaches to reducing the burden of type 2 diabetes and related cardiometabolic conditions.

Research Priorities: Projects must address at least one of three research streams:
• Better Care — Health Care Systems and Services;
• Lower Risk — Health Behaviours and Communities;
• Healthier Environments — Built Environments and Urban Policy.

Eligible Applicants: The Nominated Principal Applicant must hold a faculty appointment at the University of Toronto, including faculty whose primary appointment is at a University of Toronto-affiliated hospital. Teams must also include multidisciplinary research expertise, a Peel-focused community partner or organization, a Peel-focused knowledge user, and trainee/early-career and senior/mid-career research representation.

Contact us directly at director.novonordiskhp@utoronto.ca

NIH Funding Opportunity: Collaborative International Research Project

NIH has now released its first funding opportunity under the new PF5 activity code allowing for the participation of foreign institutions (including the University of Toronto) as funded collaborators: the NIH Collaborative International Research Project. 

In September 2025, NIH announced a new application structure for NIH-funded international collaborations, replacing the previous foreign subaward structure that had been cancelled by NIH earlier that year. Under this new structure, the only mechanism by which foreign institutions can receive NIH funds from awards led by United States based institutions (i.e., sub-awards) is through funding opportunities under the new activity codes: PF5 (for grants) and UF5 (for co-op agreements). 

This newly-launched PF5 funding opportunity (#PA-26-002) is intended for projects involving a funded collaboration with a foreign institution. Applications must be led by an eligible U.S. entity and include at least 1 foreign subproject. The proposed project must relate to the programmatic interests of one or more of the participating NIH Institutes/Centers/Offices (ICO). The application will follow the instructions for a multi-project application and the application details are outlined in the funding opportunity. 

Once awarded, the U.S. lead and each foreign (subproject) institution will receive a separate Notice of Award (NOA). 

Timelines

Application Due DatesReview and Award Cycles
NewRenewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed)AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowedScientific Merit ReviewAdvisory Council ReviewEarliest Start Date
January 25, 2027 *January 25, 2027 *May 07, 2027 *July 2027October 2027December 2027
May 25, 2027 *May 25, 2027 *September 07, 2027 *November 2027January 2028April 2028
September 25, 2027 *September 25, 2027 *January 07, 2028 *March 2028May 2028July 2028
January 25, 2028 *January 25, 2028 *May 07, 2028 *July 2028October 2028December 2028
May 25, 2028 *May 25, 2028 *September 07, 2028 *November 2028January 2029April 2029
September 25, 2028 *September 25, 2028 *January 07, 2029 *March 2029May 2029July 2029
January 25, 2029 *January 25, 2029 *May 07, 2029 *July 2029October 2029December 2029

Important NIH Applications & Awards Policy Updates for Fiscal Year 2027

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have recently announced two policy updates that will affect grant applications and award management beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2027. 

1. Letters of Support to be Replaced by Letters of Collaboration With the implementation of Application Forms J in FY2027, NIH will no longer accept traditional Letters of Support. Instead, applicants must use Letters of Collaboration to document planned access to materials or collaborations with individuals that are not identified in the application as senior/key personnel or other significant contributors. These letters must be limited to a brief statement of intent (maximum 100 words) and may not include endorsements or evaluations of the proposed project. Applications that continue to include Letters of Support after implementation may be returned without review. 

2. Updated Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan Requirements NIH is also implementing a new standardized DMS Plan format for all applications and awards subject to the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. Beginning in FY2027, investigators with active awards and pending applications will be required to transition to the updated format according to NIH's implementation schedule. In addition, effective October 1, 2026, recipients will report DMS Plan changes and data-sharing progress through the RPPR, eliminating the need for prior approval requests for DMS Plan modifications. 

Researchers planning NIH submissions or managing active NIH awards are encouraged to review these notices and prepare for these changes ahead of FY2027 implementation.

More information:

For additional information & guidance on this new funding opportunity, please see here. 

NSERC Alliance International

Please note that the website for the Alliance International Collaboration program now up to date and that the NSERC Online application system will accept applications in this program as of September 2, 2026.

UofT Internal Deadline:

  • Please send an email to IPO of your intent to apply at your earliest convenience: innovations.partnerships@utoronto.ca
  • The applicant must also upload and submit the application through the University's My Research Application (MRA) System. The internal deadline for institutional authorization (via MRA) is November 18, 2026.
  • The MRA approval process should be started well in advance in parallel to ensure a successful submission since it can take several business days to complete the approval process.

Changes to the Alliance International Program:

  • Given the increased demand, the program will now operate on a competitive basis, with three proposal submission deadlines per year. The deadline for the 2026 competition is November 25, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Deadlines for 2027 will be announced in January 2027.
  • In light of the competitive process, the maximum time allowed between the official award letter received by the international collaborator and the submission of the Canadian application to NSERC has been extended to 120 days.
  • As a transitional measure intended to include Canadian researchers who were unable to submit an application by the May 20, 2025 deadline, the requirement to submit an application to NSERC within 120 days of the award date of the corresponding international grant will not apply, provided that applications are submitted to NSERC no later than November 25, 2026, 8pm ET. All such applications must meet the program requirements, and the proposed collaborations must remain viable, particularly where the grant awarded to the international collaborators was awarded more than 120 days earlier. Applications submitted by the May 20, 2025 deadline that were not selected for funding are not eligible for resubmission.
  • Proposals submitted to NSERC will now be evaluated internally using two criteria: Impact and Benefit to Canada (60%) and Quality of training in Canada (40%), including considerations related to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in training opportunities.
  • A copy of the international proposal and the official award letter must be included in the NSERC application. If these documents are not in English or French, applicants must provide a translation of the award letter and of all sections of the international proposal that describe at a minimum the Canadian team and its role in the global project.
  • To ensure balanced participation, each party’s budget (Canadian and international) must represent at least 25% of the total project budget—for example, if the combined Canadian and international budget is CAD $200,000, the budget submitted to NSERC or to the international funding agency must be at least $50,000.
NSERC 2027 Discovery Grants Competition: Update to IECA Requirements

NSERC has announced an update to the Indigenous Engagement and Collaboration Agreement (IECA) requirements for the 2027 Discovery Grants competition.

Following feedback from the research community regarding implementation challenges and varying levels of institutional readiness, NSERC has reverted to the approach used in the 2026 Discovery Grants competition.

What has changed?

  • An IECA is now required only for applications involving Indigenous research, as defined on the NSERC website.
  • An IECA is no longer required solely because research activities will take place on lands or waters in which Indigenous Nations or communities have interests or rights.

While this requirement has been removed for the 2027 competition, NSERC continues to encourage researchers to reflect on the relationship between their proposed research and the lands and waters on which it will be conducted, and to consider whether engagement with relevant Indigenous communities would be appropriate.

The updated IECA template and application instructions specific to the IECA requirements are now available on the NSERC website within the "Instructions for completing the full application" section.

For questions, please contact IndigenousInitiatives@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.

NSERC Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) Grants - 2027 Competition

This is a reminder of the upcoming deadlines for the 2027 NSERC RTI Grants competition. 

The RTI program supports the purchase, upgrade, repair, rental, or fabrication of research equipment needed to advance research in the natural sciences and engineering. Funding requests may be up to $150,000 for equipment with a net cost between $7,001 and $250,000.

Key Deadlines

  • U of T internal deadline (approved MRA received by RSO): October 19, 2026, by 5:00 pm.
  • NSERC Research Portal submission deadline: October 26, 2026, by 9:00am; administrative reviews will be conducted on applications submitted before this deadline.
  • NSERC sponsor deadline for RSO: October 26, 2026, by 8:00pm; this is RSO’s deadline to forward applications to NSERC - applicants must submit applications by 9:00am as above.

Applicant and Co-Applicant Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for and hold RTI funds, both applicants and co-applicants must:

  • Meet NSERC's individual eligibility requirements.
  • Hold, or be applying for, at least one eligible NSERC research grant as either an applicant or a co-applicant.
  • Not hold an RTI grant from the previous competition year.

Please review the full eligibility requirements before preparing an application.

Submission Process

  • Submit a My Research Application (MRA), including all required attachments, and obtain the necessary departmental/divisional approvals well in advance of the October 19 internal deadline.
  • Prepare and complete the RTI application in NSERC's Research Portal, including all required attachments.
  • Submit the completed application in the Research Portal for administrative review no later than 9:00 am on October 26, 2026.
  • *You must click on the Submit button at the bottom of the Application Overview page.
  • The Research Services Office will forward applications to NSERC before the sponsor deadline.

Please visit the NSERC RTI Program webpage for complete program information, eligibility requirements, and application instructions.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to start the MRA process early, as departmental/divisional approvals may take time.

Ontario Centre of Innovation: Collaborate 2 Commercialize - Call for Applications

The Ontario Centre for Innovation’s Collaborate 2 Commercialize program (C2C, formerly VIP) supports Industry/Academia collaboration solving an industry-based problem and driving the commercialization of Intellectual Property [IP]. The institution leverages the unique skills and specialized infrastructure instrumental in streamlining internal innovations and commercialization needs. Benefits include targeted training of individuals and direct engagement with Industry to work on commercially viable solutions.

Grant Program: Collaborate 2 Commercialize (C2C, formerly VIP)

C2C has two variants/options:

1:  C2C R&D Standalone Grant

2:  C2C grant combined with NSERC Alliance Grant

  • OCI cash contribution $20K-$30K (Industry Direct Cash $10K-$15K + in-kind, cash matched 2:1 by OCI, and also matched 2:1 by NSERC for an additional $20K-$30K Project duration 6-12 months
  • Companies must be Ontario SMEs (global headcount <500 employees)
  • More info: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Innovate-Innover/VIP-BIP_eng.asp  (NSERC website may still refer to VIP rather than C2C)

For full application information and guidelines, please visit: https://research.utoronto.ca/funding-opportunities/db/ontario-centre-innovation-collaborate-2-commercializ.e

Please note: the applicant must upload and submit the application through the university's My Research Application (MRA) System.  MRA is the internal University approval system that confirms support for your application from your department/faculty.

 

Open Science Framework (OSF) - Changes

Open Science Framework (OSF) has announced plans to phase out the OSF Projects workflow. Researchers currently using OSF Projects should consider whether any data management procedures and/or regulatory or compliance documentation (e.g., ethics protocols) referencing OSF Projects require updating. 

Important dates to note: 

  • November 16, 2026: No new projects can be created.  
  • February 19, 2027: All projects will become read-only. Existing content, links, and DOIs will remain accessible, but no further changes can be made. 

Registrations and preprints are unaffected and continue to operate as before. 

Further information is available at cos.io

In need of a new data repository? Our institutional data repository, U of T Dataverse in Borealis, may meet your needs. 

Questions? Contact rdm@utoronto.ca 

Research Catalyst Grants for Collaboration with Indian Partners

The University of Toronto, together with the U of T India Foundation and the School of Cities India, invites proposals from U of T researchers and India-based partners to co-create impactful research that will lead to more sustainable Indian cities and city-regions through the Research Catalyst Grants 2027-2028. 

Funding and Duration

  • Up to ten grants, each valued at approx. CAD $25,000 (INR 1,500,000) will be awarded
  • The funding can only be used for activities and expenses incurred in India
  • Grant funding will be disbursed in tranches from April 2027 to March 2028

Eligibility  

  • Proposals must include at least one Principal Investigator (PI) from U of T and at least one co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) from an Indian partner organization. The U of T PI must meet the University’s definition of a Principal Investigator.
  • The Indian partner organization must be based in India and may be a university, a research center, an NGO, a foundation, or a government body. For-profit or industry organizations are ineligible.
  • The Indian Co-PI should be employed by an eligible Indian partner organization. 

 Key Dates

  • Submission deadline: February 15, 2027

Submission

The complete Call for Proposals, including submission instructions, can be found here. 

A webinar will be held for India-based organizations and partners on October 27, 2026, at 6:30 PM IST (9:00 AM EDT). You may register here. 

Questions regarding the call and/or guidance on connecting with Indian organizations with similar research interests can be directed to Andrea Russell (andrea.russell@utoronto.ca), Director, International Relations, Office of the Vice-President, International.

South Africa-Canada Seed Grant for Collaborative Research Joint Initiative

A new joint funding opportunity between SSHRC and South Africa’s National Research Foundation has been launched.

South Africa-Canada Seed Grant for Collaborative Research

South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) are partnering to launch the South Africa-Canada Seed Grant for Collaborative Research funding opportunity. This joint initiative will support collaborative research in areas of mutual interest between South Africa and Canada, while also building capacity, fostering new and existing partnerships, and developing networks and/or consortia among the Canadian and South African research communities. For this funding opportunity, applicants based in Canada must partner with South African applicants and submit a joint application through the NRF’s application portal.

Funding

For each funded project, NRF and SSHRC commit to supporting the teams in their respective country. The value of the SSHRC grant for the Canadian teams is set at $100,000 over three years.

Themes

Projects must address one of the following themes:

Theme 1: Just and Resilient Societies
Theme 2: Environmental Sustainability
Theme 3: Artificial Intelligence
Theme 4: Sustainable Growth
Theme 5: Mathematics Education

Additional information

Further details, including application information, are available on the NRF website at the following link (funding call titled SA Canada Funding Framework):  https://www.nrf.ac.za/funding/nrf-call-for-proposals-for-funding-in-2026-and-2027/?hilite=NRF+Call+Proposals+Funding+2026

Should you have questions related to Canadian eligibility requirements, please contact partnerships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. For all program-related questions, please contact the NRF directly at VL.Mashiloane@risa.nrf.ac.za.

SSHRC - Indigenous Capacity and Leadership in Research Connection Grants and Indigenous Innovation and Leadership in Research Network Grants – Stage 1

SSHRC has updates on the recently announced Indigenous research funding opportunities from Canada’s Tri-Agencies: NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR. As announced in Budget 2024, the federal government committed $30 million to support and increase Indigenous participation in research. In response, and following extensive engagement with Indigenous research partners, the Tri-Agencies have introduced a suite of new programs to strengthen Indigenous leadership and capacity in the research ecosystem.  For First Nations and Métis as well as Indigenous post-secondary institutions and not-for-profit research organizations serving more than one distinction, these include:

Indigenous Capacity and Leadership in Research Connection Grants – Now open. These grants aim to contribute to growing the capacity and leadership of First Nations and Métis communities to conduct research and partner with the broader research community.  Webinars for the ICLR Connections Grants were presented at the end of June. To receive a copy of the webinar information, please contact SSHRC. 

Indigenous Innovation and Leadership in Research Network Grants – Stage 1  – Now open. These institutional grants will support will fund networks for Indigenous-led research that support Indigenous research methodologies and knowledge systems.

Important note: These grant funds can only be administered by a Canadian, Indigenous postsecondary institution or Indigenous not-for-profit organization that holds SSHRC institutional eligibility, so these grants cannot be applied for or administered through the University of Toronto, but this funding opportunity is being shared with the University of Toronto research community for informational purposes only in case there are researchers who would like to connect with other, eligible institutions that may be interested in applying. 

SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grants: Changing Nature of Security and Conflict - Joint initiative with NordForsk

SSHRC, in partnership with NordForsk (the Nordic research council), has launched a Knowledge Synthesis Grants (KSG) competition to mobilize, examine and synthesize social sciences and humanities research on The Changing Nature of Security and Conflict. The resulting syntheses will help identify roles the academic, public, private and not-for-profit sectors could play in promoting more inclusive and equitable societies; and could inform development of effective tools and technologies, robust policies, and sustainable practices needed to support the path toward a diverse and inclusive future for all. For a full description, please visit the SSHRC KSG website here.

SSHRC and NordForsk have partnered on this funding opportunity to support research that will foster a deeper understanding of the state of knowledge about the global challenge of The Changing Nature of Security and Conflict. This competition includes two streams:

  • Stream 1 (domestic) will be reserved for applications submitted by an applicant affiliated with an eligible Canadian institution. SSHRC may fund up to 16 grants of $10,000 to $40,000 per project for one year each.
  • Stream 2 (international) applications must include two applicants, with one based in Canada and one based in one of the Nordic countries, as well as a co-applicant from a different Nordic country. The applicants and co-applicant must be affiliated with eligible institutions in their respective countries. SSHRC, along with NordForsk, may co-fund up to 15 grants of $10,000 to $78,000 per project for one year each. If you are looking for a new or additional Canadian or international team member for this funding opportunity, SSHRC and NordForsk have set up a networking form that one can add their research interests and contact information to.

Please note that Knowledge Synthesis Grants are not intended to support original research. Rather, they are intended to support the synthesis of existing research knowledge and identify knowledge gaps. This call is particularly focused on the state of research produced over the past 10 years. Successful applicants will (among other things) be required to complete a synthesis report (max 40 pages, due May 2028) and two-page evidence brief (due Dec 2027). For full expected outcomes, please see the description on the KSG webpage.

Deadlines

Internal deadline #1 (MRA) - noon, Tuesday, November 24, 2026: 

  • receipt by Research Services of an approved MRA - please include at least a draft application and finalized budget amount (note that after you submit it, your MRA may take several days to receive approvals from department, division etc. so please submit it well before the deadline)

Internal deadline #2 (full application submission on SSHRC's convergence portal) - 9 am, Tuesday, December 1, 2026

  • applications submitted on the convergence portal through UofT by eligible PIs (as per SSHRC eligibility guidelines, but also UofT PI eligibility guidelines) by this Dec 1, 2026 internal deadline, for which an MRA has been received (as above), will go through an administrative review by UofT Research Services prior to being forwarded to SSHRC by SSHRC's final deadline of Dec 3, 2026.

For full competition details and to access the form and application instructions, please visit the SSHRC KSG website here.

For information on internal deadlines for UofT applicants for this KSG competition, please visit the UofT Research and Innovation website here.

SSHRC Partnership Engage Grants - update on the value of PEGs

SSHRC has announced that the value of its Partnership Engage Grants (PEG), starting in the March 2026 PEG competition, will be increased to $10,000 - $50,000 (previously, they were valued at $7,000 - $25,000), and will continue to be one year in duration.

As per SSHRC's PEG website, PEGs provide short-term and timely support for partnered research activities that will inform decision-making at a single partner organization from the public, private or not-for-profit sector. The small-scale, stakeholder-driven partnerships supported through Partnership Engage Grants are meant to respond to immediate needs and time constraints facing organizations in non-academic sectors. In addressing an organization-specific need, challenge and/or opportunity, these partnerships let non-academic organizations and postsecondary researchers access each other’s unique knowledge, expertise and capabilities on topics of mutual interest. 

Deadlines: SSHRC PEG competitions occur quarterly (in March, June, September and December). Final SSHRC deadlines are available on the SSHRC PEG website, but for UofT applicants, internal deadlines (including for MRA and the final submission on the SSHRC site) can be seen on the UofT Research and Innovation funding database here.

For more information on the PEG program, please visit SSHRC's PEG website.

SSHRC Partnership Development Grants - November 2026 competition now open

SSHRC has now released the updated guidelines and application instructions for the November 2026 Partnership Development Grants competition.

SSHRC's Partnership Development Grants provide support to:

  • develop research and related activities in the social sciences and humanities, including knowledge mobilization and the meaningful involvement of students and new scholars, by fostering new research partnership activities involving existing and/or potential partners; or
  • design and test new partnership approaches for research and/or related activities that may result in best practices or models that either can be adapted by others or have the potential to be scaled up at a regional, national or international level.

Highlights

Proposals to this funding opportunity can have a duration of 1-3 years with a budget that can range between $75,000 and $250,000 (***NOTE that this has been increased from the previous maximum amount of $200,000).  Applicants are required to secure Cash/In-Kind contributions towards their proposal but no minimum value is required.  Partners, as outlined in the proposal, must provide evidence that they have entered into a formal partnership.

For UofT applicants: Information on internal deadlines (including the required MRA), proposal development and editorial review options, any upcoming and previous webinars, and links to other resources may be found on the SSHRC PDG listing on the UofT Research and Innovation Funding Opportunities Database

SSHRC Partnership Grant Stage 1 2027 competition – now open

The Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC) has launched the 2027 Partnership Grant Stage 1 competition. 

Partnership Grants are intended for large teams working in formal collaboration between postsecondary institutions and/or organizations from the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors, to advance research, research training and/or knowledge mobilization in any of the disciplines eligible for funding at SSHRC. 

  • Value: Up to $2.5million 
  • Duration: 4-7 years 

The application is a two-step process. Only applicants successful at Stage 1 will be invited to submit a Stage 2 application. Applications successful at Stage 1 may receive up to $30,000 towards development of the Stage 2 proposal.

Researchers considering an application to the Partnership Stage 1 competition should contact their divisional research office as early as possible to discuss their plans and seek proposal development support, while also informing the University’s central research office by emailing Mark Bold, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Funding Manager, at mark.bold@utoronto.ca. 

Information on UofT internal deadlines and resources is available on the Research Services website. Here is a summary of those internal deadlines: 

  • Deadline #1: Monday, November 16, 2026 - internal Expression of Interest (mandatory for UofT applicants, especially those who wish to submit for internal peer and editorial review, as per deadline #2 below).
  • Deadline #2: by 9 am on Monday, December 14, 2026 for Internal Peer Review and Editorial Review (reviews to be completed by January 15, 2027, and returned to Project Directors shortly thereafter) 
  • Deadline #3: Thursday, January 28, 2027 - MRA deadline, administrative review for UofT Letter of Support 
  • Deadline #4: Thursday, February 4, 2026 - Deadline for online submission of completed application via the SSHRC website 

Please visit the Research Services website for more details on those internal deadlines, and for full competition details, please see the main SSHRC PG stage 1 website and its related instructions.  The SSHRC PG team can be contacted at partnershipgrants@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. 

2027 T-CAIREM Summer Research Program

The Temerty Centre for AI Research and Education in Medicine (T-CAIREM) at the University of Toronto is seeking faculty supervisors for its 2027 T-CAIREM Summer Research Program. The program will support 30 paid summer research positions, providing undergraduate, professional degree, and eligible course-based master's students from Canadian universities with hands-on experience in AI and health research from May 3 to September 3, 2027

Objectives

The program provides funding to support undergraduate and students in professional programs undertaking full-time summer research projects in artificial intelligence and health. Eligible projects can span a wide range of areas, including basic, clinical and population health research, AI ethics and governance, implementation science, patient engagement, and the development or application of AI methods in health.

U of T faculty members conducting AI-in-health research are encouraged to submit potential summer research projects. Selected students will work with supervisors for a minimum of 10 weeks during summer 2027.

Funding

Each funded student will receive a stipend of at least $7,200 for 350 hours of research. Funding is shared between:
• T-CAIREM contribution: $3,600
• Supervisor contribution: Minimum $3,600 plus applicable employment costs (CPP, EI, vacation pay)

Supervisors who contribute an eligible dataset to the Health Data Nexus may have the full student stipend covered by T-CAIREM.

Important Dates:

  • Faculty supervisor application deadline: November 16, 2026 (11:59 PM ET)

More Information & Application

Call for Faculty Supervisors for our 2027 Summer Research Program

National Taiwan University – U of T Joint Call for Research Proposals

The University of Toronto (U of T) and National Taiwan University (NTU) are hosting a joint call for proposals to support collaborative research initiatives that aim to strengthen institutional ties, explore complementary research strengths, and catalyze future collaboration. 

The fund is open to proposals in all research areas. 

  • All U of T employees who meet the University’s definition of a Principal Investigator (PI) are eligible to apply 
  • NTU applicants must be tenure-track faculty members 
  • Each application must include one PI from U of T and one from NTU. Early Career Researchers are encouraged to apply. 

Important Dates: 

  • Deadline for submission: October 30, 2026 
  • Notification of results: Early December 2026 
  • Funding period: January 1 to December 31, 2027 

Value & Duration: 

  • Up to seven proposals will be selected  
  • Each project may receive up to CAD $10,000 from U of T and up to NTD $230,000 (approximately CAD $10,000) from NTU
  • Funding supports travel, workshops, and related activities to develop sustained research collaboration

For more information on this call, including detailed instructions on how to submit an application, please see the Joint Calls for Proposals page.   

If you have questions, please contact Luke Li (Regional Lead, East Asia, Middle East, and North Africa, Office of the Vice-President, International) at luketx.li@utoronto.ca.  

Faculty are encouraged to review U of T’s safeguarding research resources when developing their proposals.  

National University of Singapore - U of T Joint Call for Proposals

The National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of Toronto (U of T) are opening a joint call for proposals to support collaborative research initiatives. The aim of the fund is to provide initial support for the development of research links and catalyze further collaboration in the following research areas:

  • Decarbonization and Sustainability
  • AI for Science – Materials Discovery and AI

Funding and Duration

Up to five successful proposals in each theme will be funded  for a maximum duration of 18 months in the following way:

  • NUS will provide each approved project up to SGD $25,000 to support NUS applicants
  • U of T will provide each approved project up to CAD $25,000 to support U of T applicants
  • U of T faculty members who meet the University’s definition of a Principal Investigator (PI) are eligible to apply. PIs must hold an appointment for the full duration of the grant’s funding period plus one year
  • NUS PIs must be full-time academic staff with contracts exceeding the project period
  • Proposal must include one PI from U of T and one from NUS 

Timeline

  • Applications close: November 1, 2026
  • Projects start: February 15, 2027
  • Projects end: August 1, 2028

Submission

A joint application should be submitted by the U of T and NUS PIs. For more information on this call, including detailed submission instructions, please see the Joint Calls for Proposals page.

If you have any questions, please contact Alicja Sobecka (Regional Lead for Southeast Asia, Japan, and Oceania, at the Office of the Vice-President, International), at alicja.sobecka@utoronto.ca

Faculty are encouraged to review U of T’s safeguarding research resources when developing their proposals. 

University of Osaka Workshop and Joint Seed Fund

The University of Osaka (UOsaka) and the University of Toronto (U of T) Seed Fund has been established to develop collaborative research and education initiatives between the two institutions, and strengthen or initiate connections, by enabling researchers to jointly undertake preliminary research or pilot initiatives, and organise meetings, workshops and events.

The joint call invites proposals in Health, Material Science, AI and Quantum, including interdisciplinary areas.

Seed Fund

Funding and Duration

  • In this round, up to three proposals will be funded for a maximum duration of 12 months
  • UOsaka will provide each approved project up to JPY 1,000,000 (approx. CAD 9,000) to support UOsaka participants

  • U of T will provide each approved project up to CAD 15,000 to support U of T participants

     

    Eligibility

  • U of T faculty members who meet the University’s definition of a Principal Investigator (PI) are eligible to apply
  • PIs must hold an appointment for the full duration of the grant’s funding period plus one year

  • PIs must be able to hold funds at U of T

    Important Dates

  • Applications close: December 15, 2026
  • Project start: April 1, 2027

  • Project end: March 31, 2028
     

    Submission   

A joint application should be submitted by the U of T and UOsaka PIs. Please use the call guidelines and templates published on OVPI website

If you have any questions, please contact Alicja Sobecka, Regional Lead for Southeast Asia, Japan, and Oceania, at the Office of the Vice-President International, at alicja.sobecka@utoronto.ca

Faculty are encouraged to review U of T’s safeguarding research resources when developing their proposals. 

U of T Public Policy Reports Collection: Call for Submissions

The Division of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (VPRI) and University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) is calling for submissions to the U of T Public Policy Reports Collection. 

This collection assembles public policy research reports produced by the U of T community that are categorized as grey literature (research not published through traditional channels like academic journals). This collection improves the discoverability of U of T contributions to public policy at all levels, while also providing a frequently updated, permanent and search engine-optimized host. The reports are housed on TSpace, a free and secure high-traffic research repository established by UTL to disseminate and preserve the scholarly record of UofT.  

Eligibility: 

Public policy reports are eligible to be added to this collection if they meet the following criteria: 

  • At least one author was a faculty, fellow, student or staff at U of T when the report was issued. 
  • The report has not been published in an academic journal in an identical format. 

There is no submission deadline.  

For more information and instructions for submitting public policy reports to the collection, please visit: https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/tspace/deposit 

Overton Policy Database: U of T offers access to Overton, the world’s largest searchable policy database and tool for measuring your research impact. Log in here to see how your work is influencing public policy documents, government, NGO proceedings, clinical guidelines and white papers globally. 

UofT Research Security Self-Assessment Tool

The Division of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation is pleased to announce the launch of the Research Security Self-Assessment tool. 

Before applying for federal or provincial research funding, researchers are strongly encouraged to use this tool to help them identify research security policies that may be applicable to their project.  

Researchers applying for research funding or requesting non-funded agreements may access this tool directly from the Research Security web page or via a new page in My Research Applications & Agreements (MRA). The new page in MRA provides helpful resources and does not collect new information for your application/agreement. 

If you have questions, U of T’s Research Security Team is here to help you navigate research security requirements for funding applications and non-funded agreements. For assistance, please contact them early in your application process at researchsecurity@utoronto.ca. 

Weston Family Foundation - Microbiome Innovations for New Therapies (MINT)

Weston Family Foundation - Microbiome Innovations for New Therapies (MINT) - Call for Applications Now Open! 

Microbiome Innovations for New Therapies (MINT), a new program designed to help move promising microbiome discoveries closer to the clinic and ultimately improve the health of Canadians. The Weston Family Foundation has supported microbiome research for nearly a decade. Through MINT, they are expanding that commitment with up to $37 million over seven years to accelerate microbiome-based treatments for chronic diseases and help navigate the path toward real-world impact.

Stage I: up to $500,000 - over 30 months, with group-level mentorship from industry, regulatory, and clinical experts.

Stage II: up to $$2,000,000 - over 36 months, with individualized mentorship to advance toward clinical and commercial readiness. (successful stage I projects will be invited to apply)

IMPORTANT DATES

LOI Deadline: October 30, 2026

Award Announcement: April/May 2027

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Principal Applicants must be:

  • At or above the level of Assistant Professor
  • Working in Canada at least 50% of the time.
  • Affiliated with a Canada Revenue Agency-qualified donee institution or nonqualified
    donee organization located in Canada pursuing charitable work.

Projects should:

  • Focus on advancing a microbiome-based intervention by addressing key
    translational barriers such as efficacy in human-relevant systems, clinical
    feasibility, regulatory readiness, manufacturability, scalability,
    commercialization, or implementation.
  • Form part of a longer-term development pathway toward clinically viable
    interventions with the potential to improve the health of Canadians.

Submit applications on Weston Family Foundation's application portal.  Additional details can be found on Weston Family Foundation's website and Linkedin. 

Awards

Biomaterials Science Lectureship

This annual lectureship is presented by the Royal Society of Chemistry (U.K.) to recognise early career researchers, typically within twelve years of attaining their PhD or equivalent degree, who have made significant contributions to the field of biomaterials. Nominations open in the autumn, and the winner is announced in the spring. 

The Lectureship recipient receives:

  • £1,000 to cover travel and accommodation costs to attend and present at a leading international meeting
  • An invitation to contribute an article to Biomaterials Science and to receive a complimentary cover for the issue in which the article appears

Nominations Closing Date: 31 January 2027 5:00pm

Application Details and more information: Biomaterials Science Lectureship

Harvey A.K. Whitney Lecture Award: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)

Nominations for ASHP's highest award, the Harvey A.K. Whitney Lecture Award, are currently being accepted.

The deadline for nominations is October 30, 2026.

 

The Harvey A.K. Whitney Lecture Award was established in 1950 by the Michigan Society of Hospital Pharmacists. It has been given annually in honor of Harvey A.K. Whitney to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to health-system pharmacy. 

The award will be presented at ASHP’s Pharmacy Futures 2027 in Seattle, Washington June 12–16, 2027.

Donald E. Letendre, the 2026 recipient, serves as Chair of the Selection Committee for the award this year.

Process
  1. Please review the Criteria and Procedure for Selection of the Harvey A.K. Whitney Lecture Award Recipient.
  2. Once you complete your review of this document, please submit your nomination materials for the nominee of your choice via the online submission form. You will be asked to enter your contact information along with your nominee’s contact information, and you will have the ability to upload several documents, including a letter of recommendation and curriculum vitae. In cases where two or more individuals wish to collaborate in the nomination of the same person, those individuals should write a single letter, which they each may co-sign. The body of the letter should have no more than 2,000 words.

If you have any questions, please contact the ASHP Executive Office at ashpeo@ashp.org or 301-664-8794.

If you would like to be nominated for this award please contact Sam D'Alfonso in the Research Office. 

McLean Award

The purpose of the award is to support outstanding basic research at the University of Toronto in the following fields: physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, engineering sciences, and the theory and methods of statistics. One award of $150,000 will be made annually to an outstanding researcher relatively early in their career, to attract and support graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

Eligibility for the McLean Award is limited to full-time faculty members whose primary employer is the U of T and are within twelve years or less of having received their Ph.D., as of the submission deadline.

Submission is by nomination only. Eligible nominators include Chairs/Directors of academic units, or Deans/Principals of non-departmentalized divisions. As only one award is available each year, nominators are encouraged to be selective. Nomination packages are to be submitted electronically to the Connaught Secretariat (Connaught.secretariat@utoronto.ca) by November 17, 2026.

Program Materials:

NSERC Geoffrey Hinton Prize

New for the 2026 Fall Discovery Grant Competition, NSERC has announced the launch of the Geoffrey Hinton Prize to recognize Discovery Grant applicants whose creative application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE) has generated or is poised to generate significant impact.

Named in honour of Nobel laureate Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, the prizes aim to accelerate discovery and innovation across the NSE by recognizing and supporting early-stage researchers from any NSE discipline who are leveraging AI in novel, innovative, and impactful ways. Each year, up to three prizes, valued at $100,000 each, will be awarded.

Value and duration

$100,000 research grant paid over a period of 2 years

Up to three prizes per year

Applicant Eligibility

Applications for the Geoffrey Hinton Prize are open only to researchers who have submitted their Fall 2026 Discovery Grant applications via the NSERC Research Portal. Interested applicants must submit their full Discovery Grant application package to NSERC by the competition deadline of November 2, 2026 at 8 pm EST. In order to apply in November 2026, applicants must have an appointment start date on or after December 1, 2016. The 10-year eligibility window may be adjusted if applicants experienced an eligible delay in research. 

Eligible delays or leaves of absence may include maternity and parental leaves, personal illness, chronic illness or disability associated with reduced research activity, leaves taken for family-related illness or bereavement, or delays related to COVID-19. If you had an eligible delay in research, NSERC will extend your eligibility window by twice the length of your leave. For example, if you took a 7-month parental leave after starting your appointment, your eligibility window would be extended by 14 months. NSERC does not extend the eligibility window for professional leaves (for example, training, sabbatical or administrative leaves).

You are ineligible to receive a Geoffrey Hinton Prize if you have received an Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship.

Applications of AI must be within the natural sciences and engineering.

Application deadline

You must submit your supporting document and the terms and conditions  form for the Geoffrey Hinton Prize before 8 pm EST on November 5, 2026.

For additional information, please see the Research Funding Opportunity , the NSERC newsletter announcing the award and the NSERC funding opportunity page. 

For any questions or to register for an information session, please contact hinton@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.

Pain Awareness Award

The goals of the Pain Awareness Award are to raise awareness of the problem of undermanaged pain in Canada, to highlight efforts towards finding solutions to the problem, and to reach a wide Canadian audience.
Projects involving electronic or printed media, visual, fine arts, dance, music or other creative expressions will be considered.

Eligibility

The nominee and person(s) nominating (when applicable) must have an active Canadian Pain Society membership. Nominee must have an active Canadian Pain Society membership.

Award

  1. Plaque
  2. Complimentary registration to the 2027 Annual Scientific Meeting
  3. The recipient(s) will be invited to present their project at the 2027 Annual Scientific Meeting. The format of the presentation (ie. poster, concurrent session, display table) will be determined by the awardee in collaboration with the Scientific Program Committee. The CPS may seek permission to reproduce the work to continue raising awareness.

Nomination Deadline: November 27, 2026

Website https://www.canadianpainsociety.ca/careerawards

If you are interested in pursuing this award please contact Sam D'Alfonso in the Faculty Research Office. 

Education Awards

Access Programs University Fund (APUF)

The Access Strategy & Partnerships Office (ASPO) defines “Access Programs” as initiatives that support traditionally underrepresented groups with pathways and opportunities for post-secondary education. Currently, there are over 100 access and outreach programs at U of T.  Please see our Access Programs Database for more information.

APUF funds new and enhanced programs, including transition to university, bridging programs for adults with diverse educational backgrounds, and exposure to career paths for underrepresented youth. Access also involves service-based planning and programming within university divisions, departments, learning approaches, technologies, and student services.  

APUF priorities include expanding existing programs, developing new initiatives, improving current programs, fostering community partnerships, and providing experiential learning opportunities for U of T students. 

Eligibility

Submissions will be accepted from University of Toronto faculty and staff with continuing appointments.  

The primary beneficiary of the proposal must be domestic or permanent resident status learners from Ontario who are underrepresented at universities and who might not access or thrive in post-secondary education without the provision of supports, pathways, structured programs and/or opportunities to continue learning at the post-secondary level. 

Application Timeline

Anticipated Spring 2026

Additional information

Please visit the APUF website for more information about this program.  Please also visit the APUF Funded Initiatives to learn more about the past projects.

International Student Experience Fund (ISEF)

The goal of the International Student Experience Fund (ISEF) is to foster a supportive environment on U of T’s campuses by funding initiatives that enhance the experience of the university’s international students, in alignment with the U of T’s international strategy. The ISEF supports two streams of activities; Seed ($5,000-$15,000 per year) and Impact ($15,000-$75,000 per year). This two-tiered system is intended to provide opportunities for projects that explore, implement, and scale up promising practices at different stages of their development and implementation, and create a pathway for projects from their initial inception to their full potential. ISEF grants are awarded for a maximum of 2 years.

Thematic Areas

All proposals should address one or more of the following themes:

Programs, Services, and Policies

Identification and leveraging of existing forums and channels for dialogue. Addressing barriers to participation.

Intergroup interaction across biographies (multilingual speakers/unilingual speakers of English, Canadian/international, interaction amongst communities from various regions of the world, etc.).

Listening to and encouraging the voices of international students

Shift from deficit mindset/approach (international students as a problem to solve) to one of global inclusion (international students as valuable members) among faculty, staff, and students.

Interactional Diversity – Required in a learning environment at a global university

Serving all students well through institutional and operational competence. Consideration of existing programs, policies, and practices from the lens of international students (1/3 of the university’s student population) at all points of the student journey, from pre-arrival to preparing for life after U of T.

Changing Mindset – Building an inclusive community and fostering belonging

Eligibility

Submissions will be accepted from U of T faculty and staff with continuing appointments only. The primary beneficiaries of the proposal must be U of T international undergraduate and/or graduate students. Projects must engage each of the U of T’s student, faculty, and staff communities, even if only in an advisory capacity.  Projects must also include collaboration with other divisions, either from the start of the project, or as a means of expanding the project in its final year of funding.

Funding Streams

The International Student Experience Fund (ISEF) supports two levels of grant activities:

Seed ($5,000-$15,000) x 2 years maximum Impact ($15,000-$75,000) x 2 years maximum

 

Impact grants are designed to support large-scale projects with the potential to significantly enhance core elements of international student experience within or across units and divisions at the University. This can range from projects designed to scale, sustain and institutionalize high-impact initiatives that have already experienced successful experimentation in their local contexts, to the development of new mechanisms and tools for proliferating innovative practices.

These two funding streams are intended to provide opportunities for projects that explore, implement, and scale up promising practices at different stages of their development and implementation, and create a pathway from initial inception to a project’s full implementation.

Seed grants are intended to encourage experimentation as a means of fostering small-scale innovations or pilots with the potential for future scalability. These projects should hold significant promise for scalability within their home unit/division or transferability into other University of Toronto contexts.

2025-2026 Application Deadlines

Applications for the two funding streams will be accepted according to the following timelines:

  • Seed grants ($5,000-$15,000 per year) will be accepted on a rolling basis.
  • Details on the application can be found here.

Contact

The International Student Experience Fund is sponsored by the Office of the Vice-President International. For additional information regarding the Fund, please contact international@utoronto.ca.