Funding Opportunities: Researchers

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:

• Pivot Funding Opportunities Database
• U of T Research Funding Opportunities Database 
• University of Toronto Research & Innovation Awards, Honours & Awards
• University of Toronto Research & Innovation Research Alerts

Search Pivot Funding Opportunities Database

Search for various funding opportunities by entering a search term into the Pivot search widget below. Please note that this will open up a new tab and may require a login or the creation of an account.

Take full advantage of all the features Pivot has to offer.  Register for an account to make searching for new and updated funding opportunities easier. You can even setup weekly email notifications that are based on your profile to ensure you do not miss any relevant opportunities.

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 Caregiver Research Support Grant – Call for Applications

The Acceleration Consortium is pleased to announce Caregiver Research Support Grants are now open for applications.  

Value:

• up to $90,000 for Associate and Assistant Faculty to provide additional support to maintain the productivity of their research group while on long-term leave.

Duration: 

• One year 

Purpose: As the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted, caregiving responsibilities produce inequitable impacts on researcher productivity, especially early and mid-career researchers, threatening to widen existing gaps. Funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), the AC’s caregiving grants will provide research funding support to Associate and Assistant Professors members on leave due to caregiving responsibilities. These resources aim to mitigate the impact of caregiving duties by maintaining research group productivity during caregiving leave.     

Eligibility Requirements: 

To be eligible for funding, applicants should be: 

1. An Associate or Assistant professor at the University of Toronto.
2. On a long-term (>3 months) parental, pregnancy, or caregiving leave. Training, sabbatical, or administrative leaves are not eligible.
3. A full or affiliate member of the Acceleration Consortium (AC). The AC’s membership definitions, requirements and application can be found here: link.  
4. Planning to support research relevant to the AC. This can include research across all research domains, but not limited to, the following:
   1. the development of self-driving labs (SDLs) or the development of the AI and automation tools required to build SDLs;
   2. the use of SDLs for materials or molecule discovery;
   3. policy or other frameworks to support the ethical use and uptake of SDLs, or
   4. the implications (environmental, economic, social, etc.) of AI and automation for accelerated discovery and the community-based use of these technologies. 

Eligible Expenditures:  

Associate and Assistant Faculty can apply for up to $90,000 for one year to provide support to maintain the productivity of their research group while on long-term (>3 months) leave.  

This funding is primarily intended for compensation for lab personnel and can support but is not limited to the following: 

• Research Associate 
• Post-Doctoral Fellows 
• Lab Manager 
• Other supports that facilitate research group productivity during the absence of the principal investigator 

Application method: 

Application form  

Evaluation Criteria 

Applications will be evaluated based on the case made for utility/benefit the funding will provide, and the relevance of the PI’s research to the AC.

Deadline: 

Funding applications will be accepted twice a year: Dec 20th, 2025 

Acceleration Consortium announces Social Sciences and Humanities Funding Grant Program

The Acceleration Consortium (AC) announces the launch of its 2026 Social Sciences and Humanities research grants.

OVERVIEW

Eligibility: Applications are open to University of Toronto faculty members.

Amount: Maximum $100,000 total, direct research costs for 1-2 years.

Key dates:

• Hybrid launch event: Jan 14, 2026
• NOI Intake: Jan 23, 2026-Feb 20, 2026
• Full application intake: March 3, 2026-April 10, 2026
• Award Notifications: May 5, 2026

Funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), these grants provide funding for social sciences and humanities research relevant to the AC. They aim to advance research related to the AC’s focus areas by exploring the economic, social, cultural, and ethical implications of emerging technologies such as AI, robotics, and self-driving labs. The grants are designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration that support social science and humanities research in areas relevant to AC such as: 

• Economic and social impacts: Research on how AI-driven advanced material discovery will influence labor markets, organizational change, policy, and public sector adoption.
• Ethics and governance: Investigating ethical considerations, policy frameworks, and the societal governance of AI-driven advanced material discovery. 
• Cultural and social change: Exploring how SDL technologies affect cultural dynamics, education, social behavior, and communication.
• Indigenous knowledges and collaboration: Collaborating with Indigenous communities to integrate Indigenous ways of knowing and understandings of technology's impact on land, environment, and society.
• Responsible discovery: How can researchers better understand and mitigate potential negative impacts arising from their research. 

How to apply

Eligible applicants are invited to submit a ~2000-character notice of intent (NOI) through an application form that will be used to evaluate project eligibility and identify applications that could be merged. Projects that are deemed not to be in scope will not be rejected, but a discussion with the project lead will be held to determine if the grant should go to the full application stage.

To kickstart this round of funding, the AC is hosting a launch event to answer questions about the grants during the hybrid launch event online or at 700 University Ave, Toronto on Wednesday Jan. 14, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Please RSVP online by January 7, 2026.

Visit the AC website for full grant eligibility requirements and more information.

About the Acceleration Consortium

The Acceleration Consortium (AC) at the University of Toronto is leading a transformative shift in scientific discovery that will accelerate materials development and commercialization. The AC is a global community of academia, industry, and government that leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, materials sciences, and high-throughput chemistry to create self-driving laboratories (SDLs). These autonomous labs rapidly design materials and molecules needed for a sustainable, healthy, and resilient future, with applications ranging from renewable energy and consumer electronics to drugs.     

To learn more about the AC, please visit: acceleration.utoronto.ca/vision

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!

Cancer Research Society: 2026 Operating Grants competition 

The Cancer Research Society (CRS) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2026 Operating Grants competition. This program offers $140,000 over two years per grant to support fundamental and early translational cancer research across Canada. Open to researchers from early-career to established, it plays a crucial role in advancing cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.

The Operating Grant program from the Cancer Research Society funds some of the most promising research projects in Canada. It supports researchers whose work advances essential knowledge to better prevent, detect, and treat all types of cancer.

Selected through a rigorous peer review process, these projects help accelerate the discovery of concrete and innovative solutions to outsmart the disease. This support is made possible thanks to the commitment and generosity of our donors and partners.

Funding

Apply for operating grants of $140,000 over 2 years.

Deadlines

Letter of Intent: Dec 10, 2025 11:59 pm (EST)
Full Application: Feb 11, 2026, 11:59 pm (EST)

Please Apply online or to access the forms and guidelines, please visit this link.

Additional Information

For more information, please refer to the program guidelines and general descriptions available on our website.

CANSSI Ontario AI Applications in Statistical Sciences Research Grant

The Ontario Regional Centre of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute (CANNSI Ontario) is pleased to share the upcoming funding opportunity with the University of Toronto research community.

• CANSSI Ontario AI Applications in Statistical Sciences Research Grant. These one-year grants, of up to $12,500 each, will fund research that uses AI to enhance statistical methodology or theory. The goal of the program is to support a nascent research program or proof of concept, that could go onto more substantive grants. The deadline to submit applications is Feb 3, 2026. CANSSI Ontario will fund up to three projects. Click here to Learn More.
• Application process: Please follow the instructions on applying contained in the funding opportunity by following the “Click here to Learn More” link. 

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

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

Connaught Major Research Challenge for Black Researchers 2025-26

Coordinated in collaboration with the Black Research Network, the purpose of the Connaught Major Research Challenge for Black Researchers program is to provide support to Black researchers addressing and developing solutions to major research challenges. Black-led major research challenge teams will initiate new collaborations involving U of T researchers and students from multiple disciplines, along with collaborators, innovators and thought leaders from other sectors, and international jurisdictions as appropriate.

The program objective is to seed new research and research collaborations that will both address major research challenges and advance the research initiative, making it competitive for subsequent external (e.g. Tri-agency) funding opportunities.

Competition Budget: 

Up to $250,000. Applicants may request up to $50K, $100K or $250K depending on the scale of the initiative.

Eligibility:

• Project team: The project must be led by a Black researcher at the University of Toronto, with a primary appointment at one of U of T’s three campuses, with a team consisting of faculty representing a minimum of two SGS divisions, including junior and senior level faculty members.
• Project Expenses: The fund can be used flexibly providing support to develop new research collaborations and to conduct preliminary research activities that will strengthen the case for subsequent external funding.

Questions regarding eligibility can be directed to the Connaught Secretariat.

Deadlines:

• Notice of Intent (NOI): February 9, 2026
• Full Application: April 15, 2026

2025-26 Connaught Mid-Career Researcher Award

The Connaught Fund's Mid-Career Researcher Award is a nomination-based program that provides one-time funding of up to $250,000 to support mid-career researchers in leading significant, innovative research and continuing to grow their research programs, with the goal of attracting large-scale external funding, particularly from the Tri-agencies.   

Nominations must be submitted through one of two streams: 

1. Accelerator stream: for those investigators aiming to lead larger or significantly different research programs than they have previously.  
2. Resurgence stream: for those investigators experiencing mid-career challenges. 

Eligibility for the Mid-Career Researcher Award is limited to tenure-stream faculty members at the University of Toronto in any discipline, who hold the rank of Associate Professor and are between 5 and 15 years of their first academic appointment. 

Submission is by divisional nomination only, endorsed by the relevant Vice/Associate Dean/Principal Research. Each Division will be given a quota of nominations that can be submitted.  Interested mid-career faculty members should consult with their divisional research office for local selection processes and timelines. 

Nomination packages are to be submitted electronically to the Connaught Secretariat (connaught.secretariat@utoronto.ca) by March 16, 2026.  

Full program details and nomination materials can be found on the VPRI Funding Opportunities database page: Connaught Mid-Career Researcher Award page 

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. 

Addressing Ableism in Academia 

This workshop explores critical issues of ableism – the discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities – within academic research environments and advances strategies for inclusive change. This session provides an opportunity for researchers, including those with lived experiences of disability and those working with team members with disabilities, to explore how ableism impacts academic institutions and research teams.  

Featured Speakers: 

• Terry Gardiner, Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education
• Chavon Niles, Assistant Professor, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Temerty Faculty of Medicine
• Tanya Titchkosky, Professor of Disability Studies, Department of Social Justice Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

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

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. 

IDEaS Speed Meets Strategy Innovation Network Challenge

In response to the rapid development and deployment of maneuvering hypersonic weapons, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) are seeking to stimulate the application of hypersonic technologies, including propulsion, flight dynamics, detection, and materials, in the defence and security domain to understand these weapons.

This Call for Proposal invites innovators to submit proposals in support of Canada’s defence and security related to the Challenge:

Speed Meets Strategy: Building Canada’s Hypersonic Innovation Network

The objectives of the Innovation Networks element are to:

• Encourage, enhance, sustain and support interdisciplinary research collaborations to build a critical mass of expertise and knowledge applicable to the defence and security of Canada;
• Support basic and applied research, analysis, technology development and knowledge transfer leading to innovative solutions to key challenges for defence and security; and
• Enable researchers from varied disciplines and areas of expertise to work together to demonstrate an added value that each researcher, if funded individually, would not have been able to reach alone.

The outcomes of this Challenge concentrate on areas that align with immediate priorities in Canada’s NORAD Modernization Plan that develop expertise and advance DND/CAF understanding of hypersonic technologies in aerodynamics, propulsion, structures and materials, and flight control.

Eligibility

The Call for Proposal (CFP) is open exclusively to multidisciplinary teams of researchers. The primary affiliation of the Micro-net partners must be from at least three separate institutions and/or organizations.

Eligible Lead Applicant organizations or institutions are:

• Canadian university institutions chartered in Canada.

Eligible Partner organizations or institutions are:

• Canadian universities and educational institutions chartered in Canada;
• Canadian incorporated for-profit organizations;
• Canadian incorporated not-for-profit organizations; or
• Canadian provincial, territorial and municipal government organizations.

Funding

Successful applicants will be required to enter into a non-repayable Contribution Agreement with DND (“Canada”). The maximum contribution per Micro-net is $1 million. The duration for the provision of funding is up to the end of January 2028. The total funding available under this Challenge is expected to be $6 million. 

Proposal Form and Submission

Applicants must use the Innovation Networks Proposal form. The proposal must be submitted by an eligible Canadian university by the stated deadline. Proposals not using the DND proposal form will not be accepted for consideration. 

Important Dates

Internal MRA deadline: Thursday, January 29, 2026

The deadline to submit proposals to sponsor is Thursday, February 5, 2026, 2:00 PM (Eastern Time).

For more information, please visit: Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) - Canada.ca

Please note: By the internal deadline, the applicant must upload and submit the application through the university's My Research Application (MRA) System. The MRA approval process should be initiated well in advance of the internal deadline to ensure a successful submission, as it may take several business days to complete it.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Broad Agency Announcement for the Advanced Research and Development of Regulatory Science

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued its 2026 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to fund advanced research and development proposals that support regulatory science and innovation. These projects aim to advance scientific knowledge and help fulfill the FDA's mandate to protect and promote U.S. health. The FDA will use a contract mechanism, when funding successful proposals. 

Proposals must focus on one or more areas of interest listed on the BAA call, and align with the FDA’s mission to:  

• Modernize development and evaluation of FDA-regulated products 
• Strengthen post-market surveillance and labeling of FDA-regulated products 
• Invigorate public health preparedness and response of the FDA, patients, and consumers 

For more information on the funding announcement and application requirements, please click here  

Submission Deadlines 

Early applications are highly encouraged by the FDA. 

U of T Internal Deadline: One week before the intended submission, or February 18, 2026, at the latest. 

Sponsor Deadline: February 24, 2026 

By the internal deadline, the application needs to have been submitted through the University’s My Research system for institutional approval. 

Faculty members whose primary appointment is with an affiliate hospital are encouraged to reach out to their hospital research office to confirm their submission process and timelines, as these will vary from the above.

GlycoNet: Current Funding Opportunities

The Canadian Glycomics Network (GlycoNet) mobilizes Canada’s glycomics expertise into transdisciplinary, focused research and development programs to deliver breakthrough solutions for human and animal health and sustainable agri-food systems.

GlycoNet funds projects along the following research innovation continuum: translational research and development, clinical engagement, technology development, and knowledge mobilization.

GlycoNet currently has several open grant competitions.

Key program information is summarized below, and detailed Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are available on GlycoNet’s website.

Current Call Competitions:

Research Pipeline Grant

These grants fund early and mid-stage projects, the successful completion of which would provide preliminary data to support other funding applications to GlycoNet or other funding sources. Early-career researchers (ECRs) are encouraged to apply. This opportunity is open only to individuals who do not currently hold GlycoNet funding. Proposals may request up to $50,000 in funding (matching requirement is 1:1).

How to Apply: Potential applicants must register by sending their Letter of Intent (LOI) to info@glyconet.ca and vsharko@glyconet.ca. Upon registration, applicants will receive access and instructions for completing the full application in the Forum.

Application Deadline: January 30, 2026

For more details, see the Research Pipeline RFP.

 

Collaborative Team Grant

This Request for Proposals seeks to fund projects that involve two or more research groups, preferably in different institutions. Proposals may request up to $150,000/year over two years (matching requirement is 1:1).

How to Apply: Potential applicants must register by sending their Letter of Intent (LOI) to info@glyconet.ca and vsharko@glyconet.ca. Upon registration, applicants will receive access and instructions for completing the full application in the Forum.

Application Deadline: March 31, 2026

For more details, see the Collaborative Team RFP.

Rolling Call Competitions:

These programs operate on a rolling basis, with proposals reviewed quarterly until the funds are fully allocated:

Translational Grant

These grants seek to fund multidisciplinary projects with clear endpoints to advance and de-risk them to a state at which translation is possible and could attract partners. Maximum request: $150,000 for one year, 1:1.5 matching required.

For more details, see the Translational Grant RFP and the LOI Template.
 

Strategic Initiatives Grant

These grants fund partner-led or initiated projects designed to meet partners’ needs. Maximum request: $150,000 for one year, 1:1.5 matching required.

For more details, see the Strategic Initiatives RFP and the LOI Template.

Questions about project suitability and eligibility can be directed to the GlycoNet Administrative Centre at info@glyconet.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.

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: 2026-27 Work Programme Released; Information Sessions and Brokerage Events

The European Commission has released the official 2026-27 work programme for Horizon Europe.

We encourage you to explore the calls for potential alignment with your research interests.

Additionally, Information Days for the thematic cluster areas are scheduled, starting in January 2026. These sessions provide overviews of the new work programme and tips for applying. Registration for associated brokerage events is also open. The brokerage events feature pitch presentations by organizations seeking consortia partners and opportunities for bilateral meetings with potential partners.

If you cannot attend the sessions due to time differences, presentations are typically available on the EU Science & Innovation YouTube Channels post-event. Registering for brokerage events will also give you access to materials and matchmaking platforms outside of the live events.

Below are details of the events scheduled to date, listed by Cluster/Mission. Check the European Commission’s Events page for updates on events for other clusters.

Cluster 1: Health – Information Day

Date: February 10, 2026
Time: 3am ET
More information
Place: Online
Organizer: European Commission

Cluster 1: Health – Brokerage Event

Date: January 26-30, 2026
Place: Online
More information and registration
Organizer: HNN3.0 Initiative (Cluster 1 National Contact Points)

Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society – Information Day

Date: March 26, 2026
Time: 4:30 am ET
More information
Place: Online
Organizer: European Commission

Cluster 5: Climate, Energy & Mobility – Info Day

Date: January 15, 2026
Time: 3 – 11 am ET
Place: Online
Registration
Organizer: European Commission

Cluster 5: Climate, Energy & Mobility – Brokerage Events

Date: January 14, 2026
Time: Pitch session (4 – 6 am ET);
          Bilateral meetings (6 am – 12 pm ET)
More information and registration
Place: Online
Organizers: GREENET (Cluster 5 National Contact Points)

Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment – Info Day

Date: January 22-23, 2026
Time: Day 1 (3am – 11 am ET);
          Day 2 (3am – 7 am ET)
Place: Online/Brussels, Belgium
More information and registration
Organizer: European Commission

EU Missions - Info Day

Date: January 20 - 21, 2026
Time: Day 1 (3 – 9:30 am ET);
          Day 2 (3:30 – 10 am ET)
Place: Online
More information and livestream
Organizer: European Commission

EU Mission – Brokerage Events

Date: January 28 – 29, 2026
Time: 4 am ET
Place: Online
More Information
Organizer: NCP4Missions (Missions National Contact Points)

For more details and resources about the Horizon Europe funding program, visit the VPRI Funding Opportunity page. You may also want to review previous information sessions from the U of T Horizon Europe Webinar Series.

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Strategic Partnership Funding Call

One of Germany's leading research universities, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HUB), has announced the availability of flexible grants aimed at initiating or enhancing collaborations with U of T. The call welcomes collaborative projects encompassing diverse formats, such as the preparation of joint publications, joint teaching activities including “COIL” (Collaborative Online International Learning), organization of workshops or exhibitions, staff exchange, and beyond. 

Eligibility 

• Tandems consisting of one professor, postdoctoral researcher, or administrative staff member from both HUB and U of T are eligible to apply.  
• Applications must be submitted by the HUB-affiliated applicant. 

Important Dates 

• Application deadline – January 16, 2026

Funding 

• Up to €2,500 to approved projects. 
• Funds are administered by HUB and transferred to HUB PI. 

Questions? 

Application instructions are available on this External Grants 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. 

Indigenous Capacity and Leadership in Research Connection Grants

Canada’s three federal research funding agencies—the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)— have just launched the Indigenous Capacity and Leadership in Research (ICLR) Connection Grants, the first of three funding opportunities in the context of the federal government’s Budget 2024 commitment to support and increase Indigenous participation in research. The ICLR Connection Grants will fund activities to engage with and exchange knowledge that contribute to wholistic, interdisciplinary and distinctions-based approaches.

ICLR Connection Grants are valued at up to $50,000 each over one year. Applications may be submitted by an institution or by individual applicants. All grants for this funding opportunity are reserved for the following eligible organizations or researchers affiliated with them:

• First Nations not-for-profit organizations,
• Métis not-for-profit organizations,
• Indigenous not-for-profit organizations serving more than one distinction, or
• Indigenous postsecondary institutions.

Further details, including application information, are available at the following link:

https://sshrc-crsh.canada.ca/en/funding/opportunities/joint-initiatives/2025/indigenous-capacity-leadership-research/competition.aspx

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

Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation - Basic Research

The Hecht Foundation invites proposals for proof-of-principle basic science and preclinical research with a primary focus on cancer and a secondary emphasis on other devastating diseases (e. g. diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, opioid drug use, etc.). This funding opportunity is designed to support non-mainstream hypotheses and original projects that fall outside traditional funding mechanisms and have not previously received grant or award support.

In 2026, the Hecht Foundation will award up to $450,000 CAD per project over a three-year period.

Objectives

This initiative seeks to catalyze high-risk, high-reward research by attracting emerging ideas that challenge conventional paradigms. Preliminary data is not required; however, proposals must be substantiated through:

• Extensive literature review
• Logical rationale for the hypothesis
• Demonstrated feasibility through cited publications or relevant unpublished data

Applicants must also clearly articulate the capabilities and management of the research team, including relevant expertise, available infrastructure, and access to necessary resources.

Eligibility and Scope for Basic Science Proposals

All submissions must comply with the general eligibility requirements. In addition, basic science competition-specific eligibility may be found below.

Proposals may originate from early-career or established investigators, and may be inspired by:

• Innovations from adjacent or unrelated disciplines
• Collateral findings discovered serendipitously
• Novel methodologies or conceptual frameworks

This funding stream will not support lead investigator salaries, large equipment, and overhead institutional expenses.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

For basic proposal-specific guidelines, please email health@hecht.org.

Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation - Clinical Trials

The Hecht Foundation invites investigator-initiated proposals for early-stage clinical trials (feasibility/pilot studies, phase I, phase II) with a primary focus on cancer. This program is designed to support innovative clinical research that addresses unmet medical needs and has the potential to improve patient outcomes.

Both single-centre and multi-centre clinical trial proposals are welcome. Applicants must provide evidence of ethics approval and/or Health Canada submission at the time of full proposal submission.

In 2026, the Hecht Foundation will award up to $1,000,000 CAD per project over a five-year period, with the possibility of extensions. For proposals requesting funding in excess of $1,000,000, applicants must demonstrate secured or pending co-funding at the time of submission.

Eligibility and Scope for Clinical Trial Proposals

All submissions must comply with the general eligibility requirements. In addition, clinical trial competition-specific eligibility may be found below.

The Foundation seeks to fund novel studies that investigate non-patentable molecules, substances, and treatment regimens which offer meaningful patient benefits but possess limited commercial appeal. Projects that fall outside traditional pharmaceutical development pathways are particularly encouraged.

Examples of eligible research topics include:

• Alternative surgical procedures
• Lifestyle and dietary interventions
• Over-the-counter medication for therapeutic or supportive purposes
• Drug repurposing initiatives
• Treatment regimens not yet adopted in Canada and where further validation studies are required
• Improvement of existing treatment modalities

Proposals must be grounded in extensive basic science evidence or, where basic science is not applicable, supported by comprehensive literature reviews. Only interventional projects are invited to this competition; the type of intervention can be quite broad, and the proposed outcomes may vary from prevention/diagnosis/treatment to improving the quality of life.

Exclusions

Qualitative studies focused primarily on socio-economic, psychological, or behavioral outcomes will not be considered under this funding program.

This funding stream will not support lead investigator salaries, large equipment, and overhead institutional expenses.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

For clinical trial-specific guidelines, please email health@hecht.org.

Mitacs Accelerate Program - Develop Your Ideas with R&D Funding

For more than 25 years, Mitacs has helped researchers across Canada connect their ideas with partners who can bring them to life, translating academic innovation into tangible outcomes. In Ontario alone, more than 4,000 organizations have collaborated with academia and Mitacs to advance technologies, policies, and innovative solutions through applied research.

Mitacs Accelerate creates dynamic collaborations that partner for-profit and not-for-profit organizations with Canada’s brightest academic minds. This research award provides leveraged funding of $15,000 CAD per four- or six-month internship, where interns will work collaboratively with their academic supervisor and partner organization on a research project.

Now is a great time to apply for research funding through Accelerate:

• From now until March 31, 2026, the Mitacs Accelerate program is open for unlimited applications in Ontario to leverage partner contributions for projects ranging from four months to five years.

The Accelerate program aims to:

• Help businesses optimize their budgets, grow their R&D and tap into the expertise of highly skilled students, graduate students, recent grads and post-docs to solve your research challenges.
• Help students broaden their professional networks, tap into funding opportunities, and gain invaluable hands-on experience at for-profit and not-for-profit partner organizations seeking skilled research talent.
• Help professors build game-changing research partnerships with industry leaders, tap into flexible funding, and help drive the innovation of tomorrow.

Eligibility

• Academic supervisors are eligible if they are faculty at a Canadian academic institution who are eligible to hold Tri-Agency funds.
• Partner organizations can be for-profit corporations (must receive more than 50% of their funds from non-government sources), eligible not-for-profit corporations, municipalities, or hospitals in Canada.
• An intern can be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, an international student with a student visa, or an international postdoctoral fellow with a valid work permit.

See guidelines on Eligibility for more information.

How to apply

Please refer to the How to Apply section on Accelerate on the Mitacs’ website: Mitacs Accelerate Program.

Researchers with a Mitacs Accelerate project in development, or those interested in submitting a new application, should contact Mitacs Business Development Advisor Modupe Olufemi (molufemi@mitacs.ca) or Mitacs Regional Director, Ontario, Laura Yu (lyu@mitacs.ca) to discuss their application.

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.

Questions can be directed to accelerate@mitacs.ca. For additional information, please visit the Mitacs Website.

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.

Mitacs Globalink Research Award

Applications are open for the Mitacs Globalink Research Award (GRA), which supports research projects for students and postdocs to build strategic research partnerships abroad and to attract prospective graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to the University of Toronto (U of T).  

Eligibility:  

• Full-time senior (2+ years) undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows travelling internationally to conduct research projects are eligible.  
• Open to students both inbound to U of T and U of T students outbound to institutions abroad. 

Funding and Duration: 

• 12–24 week projects are eligible for $6,000 in funding. 
• Projects between 24-48 weeks may be considered for $12,000 in funding if they cannot be completed in 12-24 weeks. 
• Projects are fully funded by Mitacs, with no co-pay requirement 

Key Dates:  

• Submit by January 31, 2026, to guarantee a spot. 

Please visit this web page for full details about the opportunity, including instructions on how to apply. 

If you have questions, please reach out to globalinkaward@utoronto.ca. 

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

Mitacs x SDGs@UofT Student Mobility Training Program

We are pleased to announce a new collaboration between the SDGs Student Mobility Training Program and Mitacs’ Globalink Research Award. This collaboration expands international research opportunities and funding support for University of Toronto graduate students whose work advances the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

OVERVIEW

The SDGs Student Mobility Training Program supports top graduate students conducting interdisciplinary research related to the SDGs. The program provides the opportunity to work with SDGs@UofT faculty fellows and affiliates at host institutions around the world. This competitive 12-week program, offered from May to August, aims to build a global network of researchers collaborating on projects that generate actionable insights for advancing the SDGs.

Applicants should propose a project under the supervision of an SDGs@UofT Scholars Academy fellow or faculty affiliate. The program includes networking and skill-building opportunities, along with a virtual seminar series led by SDGs@UofT affiliates that focuses on SDGs-related research and essential research skills.

FUNDING AVAILABLE

Mitacs Globalink Research Award

Eligible graduate students may apply for up to $6,000 in funding from Mitacs.

Before applying, students should review the Mitacs program criteria and eligibility guidelines, which you can find here.

SDGs Student Mobility Program Matching Funds
Students can request up to $2,000 in matching funds to support travel, accommodation, meals, and incidental expenses. All expenditures must align with the University of Toronto’s Guide to Financial Management.

Application Deadline: Monday, January 26th, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET

How to Apply: For complete application guidelines and the online portal to submit your application, please visit the SDGs@UofT website.

About the SDGs@UofT

The SDGs@UofT is an Institutional Strategic Initiative (ISI) that aims to advance the United Nations’ 17 SDGs through meaningful research, knowledge mobilization, and partnerships. SDGs@UofT brings together scholars from various disciplines through the SDGs Scholars Academy to address complex global challenges by fostering innovative and transdisciplinary approaches. To learn more, please visit our website: https://sdg.utoronto.ca/

National Tsing Hua University – U of T Joint Call for Research Proposals

The University of Toronto (U of T) and National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) 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, with particular interest in: 

• Materials Science 
• Urban Innovation 
• Sustainability 
• Cultural Heritage, Community, and Social Justice 

Eligibility: 

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

Important Dates: 

• Deadline for submission – February 3, 2026 
• Notification of results – End of March 2026 
• Funding period – April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 

Value & Duration: 

• Up to five proposals will be selected. 
• Each project may receive up to CAD $15,000 from U of T and up to NTD $300,000 from NTHU. 
• Funding supports travel, workshops, and related activities to develop sustained research collaboration.

For full opportunity details, please visit this web page.  

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

Do not use MRA to submit this application. 

Updated NIH Policy on Foreign Subawards: Impact at UofT

The National Institutes of Health in the US updated its Policy on Foreign Subawards effective May 1st, 2025.  Further information on Foreign Subawards was released by NIH on May 7th.   Researchers who hold NIH funding at the University of Toronto, either as a subaward recipient or as a primary award holder, may be directly impacted by these new updates.

What are the updates to NIH’s Foreign Subaward policy?

There are three major changes:

1. NIH will implement a new awards structure by September 30th, 2025 under which NIH may issue awards to foreign recipients directly as an independent subproject rather than permitting the primary institution to issue a foreign subaward. 
2. As of May 1st, 2025 NIH will not issue Notices of Awards for new grants, renewals, or continuations (referred to as non-competing continuations) when a foreign subaward entity is included.   The Primary Institution has three options:  i) find a US-based investigator who can take over the foreign sub-awardee's work, ii) complete the work themselves, or iii) if the work cannot be completed without the foreign sub-awardee's participation, NIH will terminate the primary grant.
3. Foreign co-applicants are no longer permitted on NIH applications until the new awards structure is in place.

Impact on NIH Subaward holders at U of T

• If the Primary Institution issuing your subaward has submitted a Research Performance Progress Report for their grant ‘s continuation, and the Notice of Award was or will be issued after May 1, 2025, NIH will not approve your continued inclusion in the award.  This means your budget for the subsequent year(s) will be cancelled but for certainty please reach out to your collaborator at the Primary Institution to discuss the effect of the policy and their plans for the project moving forward.
• If you received or expect to receive a subaward agreement or amendment based on a Notice of Award that NIH issued prior to May 1st, 2025, your budget for the current year will remain unaffected. We expect more clarity from NIH on the impact for future years when the new award structure is released.

Impact on Foreign-based Primary Award Holders

• At this time, primary awards held outside of the US will continue to be funded, however, the foreign Primary Institution must comply with the same requirements regarding foreign subawards as outlined above.

  • For example, if an NIH grant is held at U of T as the Primary Institution, and the PI submits their Research Performance Progress Report in June 2025, NIH will not issue the subsequent year’s Notice of Award until the subawards to recipients in Canada or anywhere outside of the US are removed.

Next steps

• taff in VPRI will be reaching out to PIs and their respective Chairs and Vice/Associate Deans or Vice-Principals, Research who are impacted by the updated policy to explain the impact of these changes and to answer any questions.
• We encourage PIs to reach out to their collaborator(s) whether you are a subaward holder or the Primary award holder, to discuss any required changes to the project and funding.
• We also encourage PIs to familiarize themselves with this change and to actively review their NIH funded programs to assess impact.
• VPRI will continue to monitor the policy and will share any updates as they occur.
• For those researchers who hold NIH subawards from other institutions, we encourage PIs and their project teams to ensure all expenses related to these subawards are charged/reallocated to their subaward fund (UTRAC) in a timely manner so that final financial reports/cost recovery invoices prepared by the Research Oversight & Compliance Office reflect total expenditures on your grant and to minimize the risk of loss of funding awarded

Questions

You can review the UTRAC for each NIH Subaward or NIH Primary award you hold by accessing the My Research online tool. The name of the Grant Officer in VPRI who is managing your award will be identified on the UTRAC and we encourage you to write to them directly.  

National Research Council of Canada: The Pandemic Response Challenge Program - Call for Expression of Interest

The Pandemic Response Challenge Program is currently structured around four main research areas:

• Rapid detection and diagnosis
• Therapeutics and vaccine development
• Digital health

Purpose: This program will build teams to address challenges requiring further research and development for solutions to meet COVID-19 related needs. The NRC will build these teams drawing on internal-to-government capacity and academic researchers who register using the button below to indicate their interest, and related areas of expertise and capabilities.

The NRC will receive $15M to form dedicated teams to address challenges in the areas of greatest research and development (R&D) need in the fight against COVID-19. The NRC Pandemic Response Challenge Program will accelerate the development of diagnostics and medical countermeasures for a rapid front-line response to protect and treat Canadians. This national vehicle will convene the best Canadian and international researchers from academia and small and medium-sized businesses to collectively accelerate R&D to address specific COVID-19 gaps and challenges as identified by Canadian health experts. 

Researchers at Canadian and international universities, government departments, colleges, and highly innovative firms with relevant expertise can now register their interest to work with NRC on these challenges by Registering via the link below.

On that linked page, you will be asked to identify your primary area of interest.  Please note that, as a 'radio button,' you can only select one Challenge area at a time.

Funding is available to help cover the costs of research for academic institutions, small and medium-sized businesses, and other eligible recipients participating in the challenge teams. Over the coming weeks, NRC will post the specific R&D challenges,  send information to registered researchers, and invite them to indicate the expertise and capabilities they can bring to a team.

https://nrc.canada.ca/en/research-development/research-collaboration/programs/expression-interest-challenge-program-collaboration

Additional Information and Submission Guide

For more information about the different research areas for the NRC Pandemic Response Challenge, please visit the program website. 

In order to manage the University's response to the COVID-19 Challenge, please confirm your registration via a courtesy email to strat.initiatives@utoronto.ca identifying the Challenge stream to which you have registered.  As with other Challenges in relation to COVID-19, this is a rapidly evolving real-world situation, so please be patient as NRC finalizes program details.

Pre-launch: 2026 NFRF International Joint Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technologies to Address Global Challenges

The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) – International Stream has announced the upcoming launch of the 2026 International Joint Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technologies to Address Global Challenges. This call aims to harness the potential of disruptive technology to offer novel solutions to global challenges and accelerate progress towards achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Canada has committed $60M for this call, and international partners will contribute more than $40M, for a total competition budget of over $100M. 

Researchers are encouraged to start contacting international research partners now in anticipation of the call launch.

To this end, NFRF has created a survey to a) build a contact list of interested participants and b) share these details among them to facilitate collaborations.

You are invited to complete this survey by February 9, 2026.

Project Requirements:

• Projects must focus on harnessing disruptive technology to address at least one Sustainable Development Goal or other global challenge.
• Projects must be interdisciplinary, incorporating approaches from two the following three areas: natural sciences & engineering; social sciences & humanities; and health & life sciences.
• Projects are expected to include stakeholders and end-users in co-development and co-leadership.
• Each project team must be eligible to receive funds from at least three participating funding organizations.

Participating funding organizations:

• International Development Research Centre (IDRC)—Canada
• New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF)—Canada
• São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)—Brazil
• Dutch Research Council (NWO)—The Netherlands
• NordForsk—Åland Islands, Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden
• Spanish State Research Agency (AEI)—Spain
• Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)—Switzerland
• National Science and Technology Council (NSTC)—Taiwan
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)—United Kingdom

Key Dates:

• January 2026 – Call official launch
• February 9, 2026 – Deadline for joining NFRF Contact List through the linked survey

Currently available information can be found here.

For questions, please contact rso.usi@utoronto.ca.  

NSERC Alliance Advantage - Updates on extensions with additional funds

Alliance Advantage grants support research projects conducted in collaboration with partner organizations to address organizational challenges and accelerate the application of research results.  

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has observed unprecedented demand for Alliance Advantage grants and is seeking to maximize opportunities to support new applications for partnered research.  

NSERC is pausing the intake of requests for extensions with additional funds, as of February 27, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. (ET).  Until further notice, NSERC will not consider requests for additional one-year funding for existing Alliance Advantage grants beyond this deadline.   

Requests received before 8:00 p.m. (ET) on February 27, 2025, will be processed, and decisions will be subject to the availability of funds.  

To request an extension with additional funding by this date, please contact your NSERC File Manager.  

The Alliance Advantage literature has been updated to reflect this change. Other extension opportunities with no additional funding remain available. 

NSERC Calls on Quantum

Alliance International Catalyst Quantum grants will provide up to $25,000 for one year to support Canadian academic researchers in initiating and developing research collaborations with international academic researchers in the areas of quantum science and quantum technologies. Collaborations can be either with G7 member countries (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom or the United States) or with other non-G7 countries. 

Proposals may address any challenge in quantum science, but they must aim to advance one or more of the National Quantum Strategy missions by addressing research in key areas of quantum technologies, or a combination of the following:

• quantum algorithms/encryption, including post-quantum cryptography
• quantum communications
• quantum computing
• quantum materials
• quantum sensing 

Internal U of T Deadline – 9am Monday January 5, 2026

• Please send an email to IPO of your intent to apply at your earliest convenience: innovations.partnerships@utoronto.ca
• The My Research Applications record (MRA) should be submitted by 9:00 am on the internal deadline mentioned above to ensure approval by department and administrative review undertaken by IPO.

NSERC Application Deadline – Thursday January 8, 2026

• Your final application must be submitted on the NSERC Portal by 8:00 pm

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

• OCI cash contribution $20K-$150K  (Industry Direct Cash $10K-$75K + in-kind, cash matched 2:1 by OCI) Project duration 6-24 months
• companies of any size, but with a demonstrated receptor capacity
• More info: https://www.oc-innovation.ca/programs/collaborate-2-commercialize/

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.

SSHRC Connection Grants

Connection Grants are expected to respond to the objectives of the Research Partnerships program.

These grants support events and outreach activities geared toward short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization initiatives. These events and activities represent opportunities to exchange knowledge and engage with participants on research issues they value. Events and outreach activities funded by a Connection Grant can often serve as a first step toward more comprehensive and longer-term projects.

Connection Grants support workshops, colloquiums, conferences, forums, summer institutes, documentaries or other events or outreach activities that facilitate:

• disciplinary and/or interdisciplinary exchanges in the social sciences and humanities;
• scholarly exchanges between those working in the social sciences and humanities and those working in other research fields;
• intersectoral exchanges between academic researchers in the social sciences and humanities and researchers and practitioners from the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors; and/or
• international research collaboration and scholarly exchanges with researchers, students and non-academic partners from other countries.

Only a Canadian institution that holds institutional eligibility can administer funds. However, the intellectual leadership and governance for Connection Grant activities can come from within the research community and/or from within the not-for-profit sectors.

SSHRC welcomes applications involving Indigenous research, as well as those involving research-creation. To this regard, Connection Grants support events and outreach activities related to research-creation and Indigenous research.

Dedaline

The deadline for this opportunity is February 2, 2026

Value and Duration

Events: $10,000 to $25,000
Outreach activities: $10,000 to $50,000.

Duration is 1 year from the date of award.

Additional information

Additional information can be found on the SSHRC Connection Grant web page.

SSHRC Destination Horizon Grants - UPDATE for 2026

SSHRC has announced that they will be offering their Destination Horizon Grants funding opportunity again in 2026 (two competitions so far have been announced, in January and May, 2026. See below for more). Valued at $15,000 for one year, these grants are intended to support researchers affiliated with eligible Canadian postsecondary institutions to build capacity, foster existing partnerships, and further develop networks and/or consortia with European Union and other “associated countries” researchers, with the ultimate goal of applying to Horizon Europe—Pillar II calls for proposals.

Destination Horizon Grants are not intended to support implementation of Horizon Europe projects. Instead, the grants support activities between researchers that facilitate:

• disciplinary and/or interdisciplinary exchanges;
• scholarly exchanges;
• intersectoral exchanges between academic researchers and practitioners from the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors; and/or
• international research collaboration and scholarly exchanges between researchers affiliated with Canadian postsecondary institutions and researchers, students and non-academic partners from the EU and other associated countries.

Value and duration

Destination Horizon Grants are valued at up to $15,000 for one year.

SSHRC deadlines

In 2026, SSHRC has announced that this competition will be held two times (deadlines of January 22 and May 22, with results announced in March and July respectively).

***NOTE that SSHRC’s guidelines state that an institution may only submit up to three (3) Destination Horizon Grants for a given deadline. Please see below for more on the UofT internal deadlines and selection process.

Matching funds required?

Yes, additional support in the form of eligible cash contributions equivalent to 100% of the amount requested from SSHRC must come from the host institution (a letter of support from the host institution must be included in the application, which clearly confirms the amount and types of the contributions being provided). For more information, please see the "Matching funds" section on RSO's Destination Horizon Grants funding opportunity webpage.

Subject Matter Eligibility

Proposals can involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. See the guidelines on subject matter eligibility for more information.

Projects whose primary objective is to conduct research activities (e.g., literature reviews, field work, data collection, interviews) are not eligible for funding under this funding opportunity. SSHRC has offered additional clarity on this and has stated that the funds from this grant cannot be used to pay for research activities.

To be eligible for this funding opportunity, applicants must demonstrate:

• their eligible affiliation and primary affiliation in the social sciences or humanities;
• their readiness to further develop networks and/or consortia with EU and other associated countries’ researchers, with the ultimate goal of applying to a Horizon Europe—Pillar II call;
• eligible budget requests; and
• 100% matching cash contributions from the host institution.

SSHRC’s review/selection process

As per the Destination Horizon Grants webpage, all applications deemed eligible will be entered into a randomized selection process, so the usual SSHRC review process that includes merit review will not be part of this funding competition. For more information on SSHRC’s review/selection process, please see the Selection Process > Randomized selection process section in the grant guidelines on SSHRC’s website.

UofT internal deadlines and selection process          

As stated above and in SSHRC's guidelines, an institution is only permitted to submit three applications for each deadline for this funding opportunity. Assuming that more than three UofT PIs will be interested in applying for this competition for each of SSHRC's deadlines, a selection process has been decided upon, which inculdes an internal deadline of 9 am on January 7, 2026 (for those wishing to submit for SSHRC's deadline in January) and 9 am on May 4, 2026  (for those wishing to apply for SSHRC's deadline in May). More information on this internal deadline and selection process may be found on UofT's Research and Innovation webpage for this funding opportunity (once on that webpage, scroll down to the "UofT internal deadlines and selection process" heading).

SSHRC webinars

SSHRC will be holding the following DHG webinars (registration is required):

French: 

• Date and time: Dec 4, 2025, 11 am - 12:30 pm

• Link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/fbc358b2-62c8-4dd9-86d1-281d6ffa2e24@fbef0798-20e3-4be7-bdc8-372032610f65 

English: 

• Date and time: Dec 4, 2025, 1-2:30 pm 

• Link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/9867f62e-650c-47ce-9fa2-5e88bc4dce7b@fbef0798-20e3-4be7-bdc8-372032610f65

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 Insight Development Grant

Insight Development Grants are expected to respond to the objectives of the Insight research program.

Insight Development Grants support research in its initial stages. The grants enable the development of new research questions, as well as experimentation with new methods, theoretical approaches and/or ideas. Funding is provided for short-term research development projects of up to two years that are proposed by individuals or teams.

Insight Development Grants foster research in its early stages but are not intended to support large-scale initiatives. Long-term support for research is offered through SSHRC’s Insight Grants.

Proposed projects can involve, but are not limited to, the following types of research activities:

• case studies
• pilot initiatives
• critical analyses of existing research

Projects can also involve national and international research collaboration, and the exploration of new ways of producing, structuring and mobilizing knowledge within and across disciplines and sectors.

Funding is available for two distinct categories of scholars:

• Emerging scholars who will develop new research questions and/or approaches. Such projects can build on and further the applicant’s (or team’s) graduate work and/or represent a continuation of their overall research trajectory.
• Established scholars who will explore new research questions and/or approaches that are distinct from the applicant’s previous/ongoing research. Research projects should be clearly delimited and in the early stages of the research process. Insight Development Grant funding is not intended to support ongoing research for established scholars.

SSHRC welcomes applications involving Indigenous research, as well as those involving research-creation.

Dedaline

The dealine for this opportunity is as follows:

• Noon - Thursday, January 22, 2026 – completed My Research Application form (submitted and approved, i.e. please submit MRA at least two days earlier) - Please check with your administering unit/department to see if they have an earlier internal deadline for the MRA, and whether or not a draft application/proposal (with a firm budget) or a complete/finalized application is needed for their review and approval.
• 9am - Wednesday, January 28, 2026 – completed SSHRC Application (including CCV upload for main applicant and any co-applicants) submitted via the SSHRC Research Portal; please note that this is earlier than SSHRC's posted deadline of Feb 2 because after online submission by the applicant through the SSHRC Research Portal, the application does not go directly to SSHRC, but instead first comes to UofT Research Services. Research Services will then conduct an administrative review of the application (i.e., an eligibility check among other things) before approving and forwarding the application to SSHRC prior to SSHRC's formal deadline, so it is important for applicants to submit their application by the UofT internal deadline so that Research Services has sufficient time to complete its administrative review and forwarding of all applications to SSHRC by Feb 2.

For more information, please visit the IDG webpage on SSHRC's website and the UofT RSO SSHRC IDG webpage

Value and Duration

The value of awards may be $10,000 to $100,000 for a duration of 1 - 2  years.

Additional information

Additional information can be found on the SSHRC Insignt Development Grant web page.

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.

TRANSFORM HF 2026 COLLABORATION STARTER GRANT

Value: Up to $10,000

Duration: One year from April 2026-2027 

Purpose:

TRANSFORM HF is offering Collaboration Starter Grants (CSGs) to support our members in forming collaborations with new partners – either within or outside the TRANSFORM HF network – on early-stage projects that advance our mission. We welcome applications that are innovative, responsible, community-centered, interdisciplinary, and translational. 

Three categories of supports are available: 

• Grants up to $10K for proposal development meetings, collaborative project activities, and patient or Knowledge Keeper compensation¹.  
• Grants up to $10K for preliminary project research and data collection.  
• Grants up to $10K for research proposal writing and editing. 

The total number of grants, distribution across categories, and individual award funding amounts will be dependent upon the mix and quality of applications received. 

Funding will be reserved for at least one CSG that seeks to explore opportunities in alignment with TRANSFORM HF’s Horizon Principles: 

1. Wholistic Health: Solutions that see the whole person, not just the condition. 
2. Global Reach: Breakthroughs that benefit people everywhere – not just in our backyard. 

Eligibility:

• Primary applicants must be members of TRANSFORM HF. Prospective applicants can become a member of the network by completing a short membership form in advance of submission.
• Primary applicants must be investigators or trainees affiliated with the University of Toronto and/or the institutions within the Toronto Academic Health Science Network. 
• The applicant team must be a new research partnership. This means that the majority of team members have not previously worked together in a research capacity OR are exploring new avenues of research outside their previous collaborations with the addition of new partners.
• The proposed project must be in the early stages of development. Applications for proposed research in execution/analysis/dissemination phases will not be considered for funding.
• No applicant involved with a current incomplete CSG will be considered for new funding (i.e., funds not spent or work still in progress). 

Submission:

For more information, please review the Program Guidelines. Complete the online submission form by February 1, 2026 at 11:59PM ET.

About TRANSFORM HF

In response to the grand challenge of inequity in heart failure care, the TRANSFORM HF Institutional Strategic Initiative was formed in partnership between the University of Toronto and the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research in May 2020. The initiative and its network are committed to empowering collaboration and patient-driven, technology-powered, equitable care with the ultimate goal of changing the lived experience of HF care. To learn more about TRANSFORM HF, visit our website.

Tri-Agency and CFI launch new STRAC Policy

As of May 1 2024, the Tri-Agency federal granting agencies (NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC) as well as the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) implemented the Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC) policy which was announced earlier this year.  All applications to these agencies and programs must adhere to the STRAC Policy, as outlined on the Tri-Agency Guidance on the STRAC Policy webpage.   

 To be eligible to receive new research funding in any Sensitive Technology Research Area (STRA) from the CIHR, SSHRC, NSERC and the CFI, each investigator named in the application must provide an individual Attestation that they do not have any affiliation nor are in receipt of funding or in-kind support from any entity on the Named Research Organizations.  

?Additionally, the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP) currently implemented in the NSERC Alliance program will be expanded to multiple Tri-Agency and CFI applications that have a corporate partner. 

As always, applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the federal Safeguarding Your Research portal as requirements and information may be updated. 

Questions or comments directed to NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC and the CFI may be addressed to researchsecurity@nserc-crsng.gc.ca. 

The CFI has launched a new webpage on research security for its programs. 

For U of T specific resources and questions, please consult the internal Research Security website?and email address: 

https://research.utoronto.ca/safeguarding-research/safeguarding-research 

researchsecurity@utoronto.ca. 

U of T India Foundation, U of T & School of Cities India Research Catalyst Grants 2026-2027

In collaboration with U of T India Foundation and School of Cities India, U of T is hosting a call for proposals for the Research Catalyst Grants Program, which will support collaborative partnerships between U of T researchers and Indian academic, research, non-profit, or government entities to co-create impactful research that will lead to more sustainable Indian cities and city-regions.    

Eligibility 

• A proposal must include at least one co-Principal Investigator (PI) from U of T and at least one co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) from an Indian partner organization.  
• The Indian research partner(s) must be based in and operate in India and the Indian co-PI should be employed by the Indian partner organization.  

Important Dates 

• Applications due – February 16, 2026 
• Start Date of grant cycle – April 2026 

Value & Duration 

• Up to five grants each valued up to approximately CAD $25,000 (INR 1,500,000) will be awarded  
• Grant funding will be dispersed in tranches from April 2026-March 2027  

Visit the U of T India Foundation site for full opportunity details. 

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

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. 

United States Department of Defense (DOD) - Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs - Funding Opportunities

US Department of Defense (DOD) Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) has released pre-funding announcements for the following programs:

Hearing Restoration Research Program (HRRP)

Focused Research Award

Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Parkinson’s (NETP)

Early Investigator Research Award
Investigator-Initiated Research Award
Synergistic Idea Award (NEW!)

Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP)

Prostate Cancer Pathology Resource Network Award
*Descriptions of each of the funding opportunities, eligibility, key mechanism elements, and funding can be found in the respective Program pre-announcement at http://cdmrp.army.mil

Application Information:
UofT campus based applicants 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.  

Contact Information:
Krista Montgomery (krista.montgomery@utoronto.ca): for UofT Faculty appointed within Dalla Lana, Applied Sci & Eng, Dentistry, Forestry, Kinesiology & PE, Nursing, Pharmacy, UTM, and Medicine (last names A-M only).

Deadlines: Individual deadlines available at http://cdmrp.army.mil

Awards

2026 President’s Impact Awards - Call for Nominations

The 2026 University of Toronto President’s Impact Awards are now open for nominations. These annual awards celebrate and honour faculty members whose research has led to significant impact beyond academia. President’s Impact Award winners receive an award of $10,000 per year for five years to be used toward their research and are also designated by the University as members of the President’s Impact Academy for a minimum of five years.

The President’s Impact Awards are open to nominations of individual faculty members and to teams of two or more faculty members, who may be nominated for impacts emerging from collaborative research.

Nominations should be led by a Chair, Academic Director, Vice- or Associate-Dean, Research, or Vice-Principal, Research as appropriate, and must be endorsed by the nominee’s or team lead’s academic division. The deadline for nominations is Friday, February 13, 2026. Please check with divisional awards offices for earlier internal deadlines.

Individual nominees whose research impact is related to public policy may be simultaneously nominated for the Carolyn Tuohy Impact on Public Policy Award, a separate award that is presented annually under the banner of the U of T Awards of Excellence.

Eligibility

Nominees must be current faculty members in any discipline who hold full-time academic appointments (tenure stream, teaching stream, clinical or status) and have completed research, primarily during their appointment at the University of Toronto, that has had a significant impact beyond academia.

Teams of eligible faculty may be nominated for significant impacts that have emerged from their collaborative research. Nominated team members must include the director(s) or leader(s) of the collaborative research, and all nominated faculty must have significantly contributed to both the research and its impacts.

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, contributions and impact. The President’s Impact Awards are therefore strongly committed to recognizing diversity in research impact and especially welcome nominations of racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and impact.

For detailed information on preparing a nomination and the selection process, please visit the President’s Impact Awards website.

Please contact Sam D'Alfonso if you would like to be nominated for this award. 

SSHRC Impact Awards

SSHRC Impact Awards are designed to build on and sustain Canada’s research-based knowledge culture in all research areas of the social sciences and humanities. The awards recognize outstanding researchers and celebrate their research achievements, research training, knowledge mobilization and outreach activities funded partially or entirely by SSHRC. Past recipients of SSHRC funding are listed in the Awards Search Engine.

Impact Award recipients are to use award funds for activities that promote and further develop the work being honoured. In recognition of the crucial role postsecondary institutions play in mobilizing research knowledge, at least 10% of each award must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements. Individual recipients and their institutions can choose to devote additional funds, including a higher percentage of the award funds, to these activities.

A multidisciplinary jury made up of distinguished individuals from academia, as well as the public, private and not-for-profit sectors from Canada and abroad, will select award recipients according to the selection criteria associated with each of the five awards.

Before announcing the names of the award winners and finalists, SSHRC will share competition results through the SSHRC Extranet for Applicants.

Eligible institutions are invited to put forward nominations for the:

• Gold Medal ($100,000)
• Talent Award ($50,000)
• Insight Award ($50,000)
• Partnership Award ($50,000)

 

As a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), SSHRC is committed to a more inclusive, diverse and holistic approach to excellence in research evaluation. SSHRC recognizes that the concept of impact is nuanced, and that the assessment of impact may vary depending on numerous factors. As such, the achievements of funded researchers and their academic and non-academic collaborators, and their contributions to the research ecosystem and society at large, should be understood in this light.

Gold Medal ($100,000)

The Gold Medal is SSHRC’s highest research honour. It is awarded to an individual whose sustained leadership, dedication and originality of thought have inspired both students and colleagues.

The recipient’s achievements must have significantly advanced understanding in their respective fields of research in the social sciences and humanities. The exceptional quality and impact of the recipient’s research, and their ongoing efforts to share the results of this work, must have greatly enriched Canadian society, and contributed to intellectual, cultural, social and/or economic life in Canada and/or internationally.

Selection criteria

1. Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
   1. originality and significance of the body of work within the nominee’s fields of research.
2. Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
   1. qualitative and quantitative evidence of the sustained quality, impact and influence of the nominee’s research achievements within and/or beyond the academic community;
   2. level of the nominee’s engagement with—and the quality of training, mentorship (formal or informal) and outreach provided to—students, emerging scholars, participants, community members and/or members of the general public, relative to the nominee’s career level;
   3. nominee’s national and/or international stature;
   4. nominee’s commitment, creativity and successes in mobilizing research knowledge within and beyond the academic community; and
   5. nominee’s overall contribution to knowledge.

Talent Award ($50,000)

The Talent Award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual who, on April 1, 2026, holds a SSHRC-funded doctoral scholarship or postdoctoral award. This includes, but is not limited to, a Canada Graduate Scholarship, Canada Graduate Research Scholarship, Canada Postdoctoral Research Award, SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship or Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship.

The Talent Award is given to an individual who maintains academic excellence, has a talent for research and knowledge mobilization, and has demonstrated clear potential to be a future leader within and/or outside the academic sector.

Selection criteria

1. Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
   1. originality and significance of the body of work within the nominee’s fields of research, relative to the nominee’s career level level.
2. Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
   1. originality and significance of the nominee’s body of academic achievement and research, including, but not limited to, quality of publications, creative outputs, intellectual property, policies, etc., relative to nominee’s career level;
   2. qualitative and quantitative evidence of impact of the nominee’s work within their fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community;
   3. the nominee’s ability and commitment to mobilize research results within and/or beyond the academic community;
   4. level of the nominee’s engagement with—and the quality of training, mentorship (formal or informal) and outreach provided to—students, emerging scholars, participants, community members and/or members of the general public, relative to the nominee’s career level; and
   5. the nominee’s demonstrated potential for leadership and societal contributions within and/or beyond the academic community.

Insight Award ($50,000)

The Insight Award recognizes outstanding achievement arising from a single or multiple SSHRC-funded initiatives. It is given to an individual or a team of six people maximum (including the nominee) whose initiative or initiatives have significantly contributed to knowledge and understanding about people, societies and the world. The research outcomes must have led to demonstrable impact within the nominee’s fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community.

In the case of team initiatives, the nominee must be the principal investigator. If successful, this person will receive the award on behalf of the team.

The nomination package must include the nominee’s tri-agency CV and those of any team members (up to five), if applicable.

Selection criteria

1. Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
   1. originality and significance of the body of work within the nominee’s fields of research.
2. Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
   1. qualitative and quantitative evidence of contributions within the nominee’s fields of research, including, but not limited to, scholarly literature, and other knowledge mobilization contributions, such as commissioned reports, professional practice, public discourse, public policies, products and services, experience in collaboration, etc.;
   2. level of the nominee’s engagement with—and the quality of training, mentorship (formal or informal), outreach and engagement provided to—students, emerging scholars, participants, community members and/or members of the general public, relative to the nominee’s career level; and
   3. qualitative and quantitative evidence of influence and impact on research and/or societal outcomes.

Partnership Award ($50,000)

The Partnership Award recognizes outstanding achievement and societal impact of a project funded through SSHRC’s Research Partnerships funding opportunities in advancing knowledge through research partnerships and/or collaborative knowledge mobilization activities, all while supporting the next generation of scholars.

The Partnership Award is awarded to a partnership (at the local, national and/or international level) that, through mutual cooperation and shared intellectual leadership and resources, has demonstrated intellectual, social, cultural and/or economic impact within and/or beyond a local community, the partner organizations and/or the academic sector.

One project lead must be designated as the nominee to administer the award. However, up to two project co-leads from the winning partnership can be invited to accept the award on behalf of the partnership at the Impact Awards ceremony.

The nomination package must include the nominee’s tri-agency CV and those of any team members (up to five), if applicable.

Selection criteria

1. Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
   1. originality and significance of the research partnership and/or collaborative knowledge mobilization activities.
2. Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
   1. qualitative and quantitative evidence of strengthening knowledge and understanding by leveraging perspectives from across multiple disciplines and sectors;
   2. genuineness of the collaboration among postsecondary institutions, and between postsecondary institutions and organizations from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors;
   3. level of the nominee’s engagement with—and the quality of training, mentorship (formal or informal), outreach and engagement provided to—students, emerging scholars, participants, community members and/or members of the general public, relative to the nominee’s career level; and
   4. demonstrated intellectual, social, cultural and/or economic influence and impact through research knowledge mobilization within academia and other sectors.

Jury Prize ($25,000)

The Jury Prize may be awarded to a nomination, in any of the four Impact Award categories, that the jury considered uniquely outstanding in demonstrating excellence in one to many areas related to research, research-creation, communication and/or knowledge mobilization in the social sciences and humanities, within or beyond the academic community.

The Jury Prize is awarded, at the discretion of the jury, to a nomination whether it is or is not the recipient of one of the Impact Awards.

Eligibility

A nominee must:

• be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, or a “protected person” under subsection 95(2) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, by the nomination deadline;
• be an active social sciences and humanities researcher or student;
• hold or have held SSHRC funding relevant to the award category;
• be in good standing with SSHRC;
• be affiliated with an institution that meets the institutional eligibility requirements; and
• maintain affiliation with an eligible institution for the duration of the Impact Award.

Nominees:

• cannot nominate themselves;
• can be nominated in two sequential years for the same award, following which two years must pass before they can be nominated in the same category;
• can be nominated in only one category in any year;
• can be nominated in a subsequent year for a different SSHRC Impact Award; and
• cannot be a current member of SSHRC’s governing council, a previous Gold Medal winner or a SSHRC Impact Awards jury member.

To be eligible to administer an award, the institution affiliated with an Impact Award winner must provide SSHRC with a promotion strategy (two pages maximum) outlining a proposed approach for promoting and celebrating the impact and outcomes of the award winner’s research initiative.

Institutions affiliated with an Impact award winner are invited to contact SSHRC for help in developing this strategy, and to collaborate with SSHRC’s Communications Division in promoting its winners and/or finalists.

Nomination process

Eligible institutions are invited to put forward nominations for all SSHRC Impact Award categories. Large institutions can submit only one nomination for each award in a given year, up to a maximum of four SSHRC Impact Award nominations. Small or medium institutions, according to the Canada Research Chairs Program’s institution size classification, may choose to wave the nomination quota in each category and submit more than one nomination for any given prize.

Institutions must provide the name and contact information of a person to whom SSHRC will send all questions and correspondence, including results.

Contact information

For more information, contact:

Toll-free: 1-855-275-2861
Email: impactawards-priximpacts@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

Turnbull-Tator Award in Spinal Cord Injury and Concussion Research New accordion title

Turnbull-Tator Award in Spinal Cord Injury and Concussion Research Brain Canada Foundation Government of Canada $50,000 to support a research trainee.  Application Deadline: January 9, 2026

The Turnbull-Tator Award aims to recognize an outstanding publication by a researcher at a Canadian institution in the field of spinal cord and/or brain injury research, including concussion. Please see this link for more details.  Please contact Sam D'Alfonso if you would like to be nominated for this award.

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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.

Graduate Education Innovation Fund

The Graduate Education Innovation Fund (GEIF) contributes to the mission of School of Graduate Studies, by fostering excellence in graduate education, including an exceptional student experience. The purpose the GEIF is to enrich the learning experience of graduate students in both our research-based and professional degree programmes, by supporting projects within and across academic divisions and units, that create positive, innovative changes in the design and delivery of graduate education at the University of Toronto.

Goals of the Graduate Education Innovation Fund

The goal of the GEIF program is to advance excellence and innovation in graduate education through greater exposure to innovative educational practices within and across programs and curricula, including both the classroom, practica, and field settings. Proposals that accomplish at least one of the following themes are invited. Proposals in areas outside the ones listed are encouraged to liaise with SGS to discuss suitability.

• Experiential Learning: Support and enhance the transfer of learning through active learning opportunities, within and beyond traditional educational settings and methods.
• Interdisciplinary Learning: Encourage collaborations among instructors across academic disciplines, units and divisions with the purpose of creating exceptional interdisciplinary learning experiences for graduate students.
•  Technological Innovation: Use of technology to enhance the educational experience.
• Indigenous Ways of Knowing: Renewal of graduate education with specific attention to representation of Indigenous ways of knowing.
• Diverse Cultural Perspectives: Renewal of graduate education with specific attention to representation of racialized perspectives, other minoritized voices, as well as intercultural experiences and civic engagement. Strengthen opportunities to learn abroad, international work, and bringing global and international experiences into our local environment.
• Decolonization, Anti-oppression, and Anti-racism: Enhancing educational practices, such as teaching and curriculum renewal, to build a more just and equitable learning environment.
• Professional Development: Create, strengthen and assess professional development opportunities for graduate students. 
• Public Scholarship: Focusing on engaging the public through a scholarly agenda. Strengthen opportunities for public dissemination of scholarly work (e.g., personal blog post, podcast interview, or op-ed) and for partnerships with a school, community organization, or cultural institution (e.g. museum, theatre, archive) in an ongoing two-way exchange of knowledge and practices.

Research Component

The GEIF is a grant for curricular, teaching, and professional development innovation; it is not a research grant. While a research component to a project may be appropriate, the sole purpose of a proposal should not be the production and dissemination of new research. The fund is for ‘creating’ something innovative that enhances the education, teaching, and curricular capabilities of the University.

If a component of a project proposal involves the production of new research through the engagement of human participants, please ensure that Research Services has been consulted for ethics guidance.

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Eligibility 

University of Toronto faculty members with continuing appointments are eligible to apply (i.e., assistant professor, associate professor, and professor for both the tenure and teaching streams; part-time assistant, associate, and professor that have undergone continuing review). Typically, applicants will hold Graduate Faculty Membership with SGS. Collaborators can include librarians, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows etc., as appropriate to the project.

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Funding Amounts 

Ten seed grants of a maximum of $5,000 each will be available on an annual basis. Applicants are encouraged to seek out contributions from their unit or division and document it in their budget.

Application Information

For details on applying, please take a look at the summary of our September 2023 GEIF information session (PDF).

Please refer to our list of previously funded applications. We encourage applicants to re-submit to a subsequent adjudication cycle if unsuccessful.

The deadline for applications is April 2, 2026.

Apply for the Graduation Education Innovation Fund

Contact

Vina Goghari, PhD
Vice-Dean Research and Program Innovation, SGS
sgs.vdeanprograms@utoronto.ca

Angelique Plata
Executive Assistant to the Vice-Deans, SGS
sgs.vdeanea@utoronto.ca

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 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.

Learning Education Advancement Fund (LEAF)

The Learning & Education Advancement Fund (LEAF) program aims to support the President’s Three Priorities:

Leverage our urban location(s) more fully, for the mutual benefit of University and City; Strengthen and deepen key international partnerships by means of a well-defined strategic focus; Reimagine and reinvent undergraduate education.

Funding:

A two-tiered system of funding, LEAF provides funding opportunities for teaching and learning projects that explore, implement and scale up promising practices at different stages of their development and implementation. Focused on projects connected to the academic curriculum, LEAF creates a pathway for projects from their initial inception to their full potential. 

Seed grants are intended to encourage experimentation at the local level, either within a course or a set of courses, as a means of fostering small-scale enhancements or pilots with the potential for future scalability. These projects should have the potential for either scalability within their home unit or transferability into other undergraduate learning contexts. Grants in this category range from $5,000 to $10,000 per year for up to 3 years.

Impact grants are designed to support large-scale projects with the potential to significantly enhance core elements of undergraduate education within or across academic units and divisions at the University. This can range from scaling high-impact teaching practices that have already experienced successful experimentation in their local contexts, to the development of new pedagogical or curricular approaches and practices. Grants in this category range from $10,000 to $100,000 per year for up to 3 years.

Deadlines

Winter Cycle (Seed Grants only)
Expression of Interest due February 23, 2026​
Full Application due April 28, 2026​

Workshops

1. Workshop: Building an Effective LEAF Application: Assessment Strategies for a Meaningful Project 
   This workshop explores how you measure the effectiveness of a LEAF project. In this session, we examined building a meaningful and integrated assessment strategy from thinking about what sort of assessment tools work for your project to when and how you are assessing your project.
   
   Participants in this session gained an introductory overview of different assessment tools and techniques and clear next steps for how to build an assessment strategy in the context of a teaching grant.
   Access the Recording

2. Workshop: Building an Effective LEAF Application: From Idea to Submission 
   This workshop is designed for instructors and staff interested in applying for the LEAF program. Our workshop explored everything from designing a research question for the Expression of Interest to the basics of building an effective, integrated assessment strategy.
   
   Participants gained insights into strategies and suggestions for successful applications, collaborating with peers on proposals and learned from a panel of former LEAF recipients.
   Access the Recording

3. Workshop: Strategies for Writing an Effective Teaching & Learning Grant
   In support of instructors and staff interested in the LEAF program as well as the Graduate Education Innovation Fund, the Instructional Technology and Innovation Fund (ITIF) and other teaching and learning funding opportunities, this workshop was jointly hosted by our office, the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation and Academic & Collaborative Technologies.
   Access the Recording

Additional Information

Additional information can be found here.