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:

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Internal Opportunities

LDFP BMS Small Equipment Award (Internal Only)

The purpose of the Small Equipment Award is to support the purchase and repair of necessary research equipment for 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 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

External Opportunities

Acceleration Consortium Social Sciences and Humanities Grants – Call for Applications

The University of Toronto’s Acceleration Consortium (AC) is pleased to announce that the call for applications for its Social Sciences and Humanities Grants are now open.

Value: Applicants may request up to $100,000 per year for two years.

Purpose: Funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, AC Social Sciences and Humanities Grants will focus on basic and applied research across all social science and humanities disciplines. We welcome and encourage investigators from all career stages to apply, including early career researchers.

Goals of this program include:

increasing the number of social science and humanities researchers working on questions related to AI-driven discovery using self-driving labs (Accelerated Discovery).
promoting the ethical research, production and use of materials and molecules.
using Indigenous, social justice, and other methodologies to consider the benefits and harms of technology deployment.

Notice of Intent Deadline: Feb 14, 2025

Full Proposal Deadline: March 28, 2025

Eligibility Requirements: Please visit the AC's website for the full list of grant requirements and eligibility.

Lead principal investigators (PIs) must meet the University of Toronto’s eligibility guidelines and be eligible to hold tri-agency funding and identify as social science or humanities researchers.
PIs from physical or life science disciplines can be co-applicants.
PIs from other Canadian universities can be co-investigators and can receive funding via an inter-institutional agreement.
PIs can only submit one application as a lead applicant.

Application method:

Upon submission of the NOI form, NOIs will be assessed to determine if the project is in scope.
Those submitting eligible NOIs will then be asked to submit full application packages which will be reviewed by the AC’s Awards Sub-Committee and additional experts as identified

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 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 - Operating Grants competition

The Cancer Research Society (CRS) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2025 Operating Grants competition. This program offers $135,000 over two years per grant to support fundamental and early translational cancer research across Canada. Open to both new and established researchers, it plays a crucial role in advancing cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.

For the 2024 Operating Grants competition, CRS awarded a record 100 research grants totaling $13M in funding for innovative research!

Deadlines for submission

Letter of Intent

Dec 10, 2024 11:59 pm (EST)

Full application

Feb 11, 2025, 11:59 pm (EST)

Apply online

For more information, please refer to the program guidelines and general descriptions available on our website.
For any questions, please contact us at grants@src-crs.ca

CANNSI Ontario Funding Opportunities

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

CANSSI Ontario Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genome Data Science: Open to early-career researchers. This fellowship supports work in genomics and data science, with a focus on new genomic technologies or multi-omic integration, offering up to $50,000 in salary support per year for two years.
Applications are due by February 3, 2025. Click here to Learn More
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. CANSSI Ontario will fund up to four projects.
Applications are due by February 3, 2025. Click here to Learn More
CANSSI Ontario Postdoctoral Fellowship in Statistics: Offering up to $70,000 per year plus benefits for two years. While the primary focus is on theoretical statistics, other statistical research areas will also be considered.
Postdoctoral fellow applications by January 17, 2025. Click here to Learn More
Data Access Grants: Up to $5,000 to cover costs associated with accessing large data sources for data-intensive research. Each proposal must involve two faculty members from different academic units across CANSSI Ontario's twelve partner universities.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Click here to Learn More
CANSSI Ontario Workshop/Lecture Grants. Supports workshops or lectures in emerging areas of statistical and data sciences, including applied statistics, such as biostatistics and financial statistics, that are organized by members of CANSSI Ontario partner universities. Support amount is $1,000 to $500.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 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 Ontario 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

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 may be directed to the Connaught Secretariat.

Deadlines:

NOI: January 20, 2025
Full Application: March 17, 2025

For more information, please visit: Connaught Major Research Challenge for Black Researchers Program.

Conversations on Research Data Management in Health Sciences: Data Deposit

The Centre for Research & Innovation Support (CRIS) is hosting the second session of the Conversations on Research Data Management in Health Sciences series on the topic of data deposit. This series brings together the University of Toronto tri-campus and Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network (TAHSN) health sciences research community for facilitated conversations about research data management.

The session will consist of a panel discussion and audience Q&A with health sciences researchers on the ins and outs of depositing research data. Topics will include understanding the benefits of depositing data, preparing data for deposit, choosing a repository, managing access, and finding and using secondary data sets.

University of Toronto campus-based and TAHSN hospital-based health sciences faculty researchers and their teams are invited to attend.

Learning Objectives:

Describe procedures involved in preparing research data for deposit, considering the type and sensitivity of the data
Understand key considerations to inform decisions about selecting a repository and managing access to research data based on disciplinary norms, research ethics, and sponsor and publisher requirements
Identify strategies for finding and using secondary data sets

Featured Speakers:

Dr. Rachel Harding, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology & Principal Investigator at the Structural Genomics Consortium?
Dr. Michael Hoffman, Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics & Senior Scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre?
Conrad Pow, Senior Lead for Digital Health at Diabetes Action Canada?
Dr. Daniel Roth, Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto, and a clinician-scientist in the Division of Paediatric Medicine at SickKids

Tuesday, January 21st, 2025 from 1-2:30PM (Virtual)

Registration: https://public.eve.utoronto.ca/events/5173

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

DOD CDMRP Funding Opportunity Announcements

Pre-announcements released:

The Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders Research Program (ASUDRP) released a pre-announcement for the following funding opportunities:

Consortium Award

To view the pre-announcement visit https://cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/press/2024/24asudrppreann

Funding announcements released:

1. The Rare Cancers Research Program (RCRP) released the following funding opportunities:

Concept Award
Idea Development Award
Resource and Community Development Award

To view the funding opportunity announcement and submit a pre-application visit https://ebrap.org/eBRAP/public/ProgramFY.htm?programFYId=587103

2. The Military Burn Research Program (MBRP) released the following funding opportunities:

Patient-Centered Research Award
Technology/Therapeutic Development Award

To view the funding opportunity announcement and submit a pre-application visit https://ebrap.org/eBRAP/public/ProgramFY.htm?programFYId=587105

3. The Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP) released the following funding opportunities:

Clinical Trial Award
Early Investigator Research Award
Exploration – Hypothesis Development Award
Investigator- Initiated Research Award

To view the funding opportunity announcement and submit a pre-application visit https://ebrap.org/eBRAP/public/ProgramFY.htm?programFYId=589102

4. The Tick-Borne Disease Research Program (TBDRP) released the following funding opportunities:

· Idea Development Award

· Therapeutic/Diagnostic Research Award

To view the funding opportunity announcement and submit a pre-application visit https://ebrap.org/eBRAP/public/ProgramFY.htm?programFYId=587104

5. The Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program (TSCRP) released the following funding opportunities:

Clinical Translational Research Award
Exploration – Hypothesis Development Award
Idea Development Award

To view the funding opportunity announcement and submit a pre-application visit https://ebrap.org/eBRAP/public/ProgramFY.htm?programFYId=589101

Process:

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) at https://eBRAP.org prior to the pre-application deadline.

All applications must conform to the final Funding Opportunities/Program Announcements and General Application Instructions which can be found on the Grants.gov website (https://Grants.gov). A listing of all CDMRP and other USAMRDC extramural funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420. Applicant organizations must be registered in SAM (https://www.sam.gov/SAM/) and receive confirmation of an “Active” status before submitting an application through Grants.gov.

For email notification when CDMRP funding opportunities are released, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under “Email Subscriptions” on the eBRAP homepage at https://eBRAP.org. For more information about CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.health.mil).

Additional Information

For more information on types of funding opportunities offered and application strategies, review the CDMRP Webinar Series: https://cdmrp.health.mil/pubs/Webinars/webinar_series.

Horizon Europe Partnership Development Seed Grants

The Office of the Vice-President, International (OVPI), in collaboration with the Division of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation (VPRI), are hosting a call for applications for the Horizon Europe Partnership Development Seed Grants.

This program offers seed grants to support U of T Principal Investigators (PIs) establish or enhance international partnerships leading to Horizon Europe Pillar II applications. These grants will support U of T PIs from all disciplines in collaborating with researchers from European member states and Horizon Europe associate countries.

Eligibility:

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

Application deadlines:

January 16, 2025
April 17, 2025
August 28, 2025
November 27, 2025

Value and Duration:

Maximum seed grant: $10,000 CAD, to be spent within two years.
Can be used as matching funds for SSHRC Destination Horizon Grants (up to $15,000).
Pillar II grants typically range from €4-€15 million.

Funds from this grant must be used to support U of T PIs to build or strengthen international partnerships that are intended to build towards a Horizon Europe proposal/collaboration.

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

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

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

Do not use MRA to submit this application.

Horizon Europe 2025 Work Programme: Calls for Proposals Now Available

The summaries of the 2025 draft work programme for Horizon Europe Pillar II funding opportunities are now publicly available.

We encourage you to explore potential areas of alignment with your research interests. In addition to the summaries, researchers can review early drafts of Cluster 2 (Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society), Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space) and Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility) work programmes containing the full details of funding opportunities within each Cluster and are shared by Science / Business.

If you are interested in applying to Horizon Europe Pillar II funding in 2025, we invite you to contact horizon.europe@utoronto.ca and provide an overview of your proposed project(s) including objectives, potential partners, and anticipated impacts. Our team will follow up with you to review specific 2025 Horizon Europe calls that may align with your proposed projects.

We look forward to supporting your participation in Horizon Europe and exploring significant opportunities for international collaboration and research advancement.

For more details and resources about the Horizon Europe funding program click here.

Horizon Europe: Canadian Researchers are now eligible for Pillar II Funding

We are pleased to share that Canadian researchers can now apply for and receive grants directly from the European Commission’s Horizon Europe, Pillar II Funding programs.

Horizon Europe is the European Union’s main Research and Innovation program, and the world’s largest with a total budget of €95.5 billion (2021-2027).

This wonderful news is the result of Canada achieving “associate country participant” status after recently completed negotiations between Canada and the EU. In the past, Canada’s participation as a non-associated country participant meant Canadian researchers were not normally eligible to receive Horizon Europe funding.

About Pillar II Funding:

Funding under Pillar II is divided among 6 clusters which you can learn more about here: Horizon Europe Pillar II Clusters.
For most Pillar II proposals, an applicant must apply as a team of at least three partner organizations, with at least one partner from an EU country and, two partners from different EU or associated countries. Canadian researchers will count towards the two partners criteria. These partnerships are commonly referred to as a 'consortium' under Horizon Europe funding terminology.
You can explore currently active Pillar II funding opportunities here: Pillar II Funding opportunities.
Each funding opportunity may have some of its own unique requirements and additional eligibility criteria, so it is essential to review the opportunity very thoroughly.
The application process is more time consuming than applicants may have experienced in applying to other funders, which will be important to keep in mind when planning a submission.

More details to follow:

The news about Canada’s ability to apply to Pillar II has come quickly. The Agreement was reached on November 24th followed by notification on December 5th that Canadian applicants could begin applying now. Canadian universities have not been in a position to be the lead institution on past Horizon Europe funding programs. As a result, Research Services is working quickly to understand and navigate through the key components of the application process as a lead applicant, and the steps involved in submitting a completed proposal. We expect to update the community as soon as possible with more details.

Webinar:

See the recent “Horizon Europe and Canada” webinar presented by the Mission of Canada to the EU here.

Additional Information:

Funding Opportunity: for details about the program, how to apply, and additional resources, click here.

In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact: Drew Gyorke (drew.gyorke@utoronto.ca), Amanda Pennings (Amanda.pennings@utoronto.ca) or Krista Montgomery (krista.montgomery@utoronto.ca)

Indo-Pacific Regional Connectivity Envelope - Call for proposals

The Regional Connectivity Envelope is one of the new programs created under the Indo-Pacific Engagement Initiative (IPEI). The IPEI, funded under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, will support and enable Canadians to build new networks in the Indo-Pacific, strengthen Canada’s voice on priority issues and create partnerships on behalf of Canada.

The University of Toronto may submit up to three applications. If more than three PIs indicate their intention to apply (see below), an internal review committee with be struck to select which proposals will move forward.

Eligible project activity categories:

Knowledge Sharing:
- Conferences
- Workshops
- Round Table Discussions
- Panels
Training
Research
Indo-Pacific Cultural Events
Indigenous Events and Reconciliation

Eligibility:

Faculty members in continuing U of T appointments from all disciplines are eligible to submit proposals.

Funding:

Between $20,000 and $250,000
If requesting over $40,000, a 15% match must be brought

Timeline:

Intention to apply deadline, including a truncated proposal for internal review – Oct 7, 9am EST
Results of internal review – Oct 9, 12pm EST
Recommended deadline for full proposal – Oct 14
Final deadline for full proposal – Oct 17, 12pm EST

How to Apply:

Please email Kevin Rowley in Office of the Vice-President International at kevin.rowley@utoronto.ca for details, including the application templates.

Questions? For more information on this call, please see the Government of Canada website.

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

Do not use MRA to submit this application.

Learning Together Discussion Group: San’yas Anti-Racism Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program

The Centre for Research & Innovation Support is pleased to host a new 7-week program, Learning Together Discussion Group: San’yas Anti-Racism Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program. University of Toronto and TAHSN researchers, their teams, and research support staff who are committed to reconciliation and learning how they can respect and work to create cultural safety with Indigenous people and communities are invited to apply. Participants will complete the online San’yas Anti-Racism Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program, coming together weekly as a peer learning community to engage with the topics. Register your interest by January 10th.

How to Participate: Expressions of Interest are due by Friday January 10th, 2025, 5:00pm EST. Applicants will be notified of their course participation status by the following week. Learning Together discussion groups will occur weekly on Fridays between January 24th and March 7th.

Learn more about this program offering on the CRIS website

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

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 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 resulted from inability to create intellectual property, or from lack of peer support – in other words, high risk, unconventional and disruptive research.

Because of that premise, research project must be of high quality. We welcome all spectrum 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 with potential for funding starting in April, August, and December for successful applicants.

Submission Guidelines:

Applicants should telephone the Foundation to discuss their project ahead of 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 cross-over 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-tumor immunity / Dalhousie University, through a collaboration with Canadian Cancer Society
Fecal microbial transplantation in combination with immunotherapy in melanoma patients (MIMic trial) / Lawson Health Research Institute / ClinicalTrials ID – NCT03772899

McLaughlin Centre Accelerator Grants in Genomic Medicine 2025: “Genome Annotation Informatics/Data Science Research

Request for Letters of Intent (LOI):

The University of Toronto McLaughlin Centre (MC) is pleased to announce its 15th research funding competition. The competition will be based on invited grant applications passing an initial letter of intent stage. Both steps will go through committee peer-review adjudicated by the Director. McLaughlin Centre continues to be committed to the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in research and innovation.

Timelines:

LOI Deadline: December 20, 2024
LOI Decision: January 17, 2025
Application Deadline: March 14, 2025
Application Decision: April 25, 2025
Funding Start: May 1st, 2025

Option 1 (Research only)

Genome Annotation Informatics/Data Science: Discovery (data analyses and mining) and technology development (new algorithm, pipeline, database, machine learning/AI) proposals will be considered. Applications can range from across all ‘omic’ types of data and analyses. Funding for data generation experiments may be considered, but preference is to use existing datasets. Participation in the 2024 Genome Canada Precision Health Initiative is also encouraged and projects can be used as co-funding for each other.

Letters of Intent (LOI) up to two pages long should outline (i) background and rationale, (ii) objectives and activities, (iii) relevance to the McLaughlin Centre mission, (iv) planned deliverables and (v) a brief budget summary. Priority will be given to applications demonstrating promise for near-term deliverables, potential to seed larger grants, and those involving two or more institutions from the University of Toronto (UofT) and the hospitals/research institutes fully affiliated with UofT (TAHSN). Successful grants will be awarded for one year with up to $100,000. Matching funds (1:1) to MC Accelerator Grant is required.

Option 2 (Research + Post-doctoral Fellowship) – NEW for 2025!

MC Scholars Post-doctoral Fellowships: Independent from research funding request, each lab/team may opt in to nominate one candidate to apply for the inaugural MC Scholars Post-doctoral Fellowship Award ($100,000/year for two years). Student/trainee in the final 6 months of their PhD and/or MD or those with less than 3 years of post-doctoral experience is eligible to apply. Additional application component for the postdoc candidate will be requested in the LOI form.

Pre-submission enquiries are welcomed to encourage potential applicants to understand the intended scope including matching funds. For enquiries or direct submissions contact:

Hin Lee PhD, Program Manager, McLaughlin Centre

Email: hin.lee@utoronto.ca; Phone: 416-813-7654 ext. 309335

Click here to download LOI form.

Note: This funding is being managed by the McLaughlin Centre. Applicants do not need to create an MRA.

Mitacs Update – Accelerate Internship Units 2024/25 (Update)

Due to changes in the federal funding landscape in addition to provincial funding levels, there will be a significant reduction to the available funding in 2024-2025 for the Accelerate program in Ontario, including joint Mitacs applications with the Tri-Council Agencies.

Mitacs has determined a maximum allowance of Accelerate Intern Units for each university in Ontario and the University of Toronto recently received notification regarding the maximum number of units for the Accelerate program for the current fiscal year (April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025). This allowance equates to just over half of the average annual activity relative to previous years.

Some important considerations:

Projects already pending institutional signature and/or submitted as of June 10 will be accepted and included within the institutional allowance.
Projects previously approved by Mitacs will be honoured, including all variants of the Accelerate program and multi-year Accelerate projects.
Previously approved Accelerate units included within NSERC-Alliance joint projects will continue to be honoured.

Programs which are NOT impacted by these restrictions include:

Accelerate projects in quantum research (see definition below)
Indigenous Pathways program (see definition below)
Globalink Research Awards

Mitacs Elevate and the Business Strategy Internship (BSI) programs will continue to be progress but will be closely monitored to identify any capacity issues.

If you have a Mitacs Accelerate project in development, you are highly encouraged to contact your Mitacs Business Development Advisor or the U of T Lead Advisor, Laura Yu (lyu@mitacs.ca) to assess if there is an opportunity to transfer either the full project, or a portion, to the Elevate or Business Strategy Internship (BSI) programs.

Mitacs will continue to work with the University to ensure applications submitted for funding do not exceed the University’s allowance. If you have any questions regarding the change in funding, please contact Mitacs or refer to the How To Apply section on Accelerate on Mitacs’s website: Mitacs Acceleration Program

Quantum Project Eligibility

“Quantum” projects refer to those in the ‘quantum’ field of science and technology which seek to predict and explain the behaviour of atoms and molecules and involve the manipulation and control of systems at the atomic and subatomic levels. Quantum science and technology projects broadly refer to projects that aim to study one or more of the following:

Quantum computers – a type of computer that exploits the behaviour of microscopic elements of the size of atoms to perform calculations;
Quantum software – software and algorithms that run on quantum computers, and enable the operation and design of quantum computers and/or development and optimization of quantum applications;
Quantum communications – networks that utilize the laws of physics to protect and share data;
Quantum sensors – devices that use quantum science to perform measurements with high sensitivity and accuracy; and,
Quantum materials – materials with unusual magnetic and electrical properties resulting from quantum effects

Indigenous Pathways Eligibility

In order to be eligible to the Indigenous Pathways offering, one of the following requirements must be met:

The partner organization must be a for-profit organization with self-identifying Indigenous persons (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit) who hold 50% or greater ownership shares
The partner organization must be a not-for-profit organization with board membership consisting of 50% or greater self-identifying Indigenous Persons (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit)
The student assigned to the project must be a self-identifying Indigenous person (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit)

On June 14, 2024 the research community was advised of a significant reduction in funding for the Mitacs Accelerate program and the University received a maximum number of Accelerate internship units (IUs) available for the current fiscal year.

Based on the Mitacs Accelerate applications submitted at the time of this announcement, in addition to numerous proposals already under development, the University is currently exceeding the maximum allowable number of internship units for the remainder of the year.

Researchers with applications in development will be contacted directly regarding next steps and in many cases will be required to reduce the number of internships requested.

If you are considering a Mitacs Accelerate application and have not already been in touch with Mitacs and approved to proceed, your application will need to be considered in next year’s allocation.

If you have any questions please contact your Mitacs Business Development Advisor or the U of T Lead Advisor, Laura Yu (lyu@mitacs.ca).

As a reminder, these changes only affect the Accelerate Program. The following Mitacs programs are NOT impacted by these restrictions:

Accelerate projects in quantum research
Indigenous Pathways program
Globalink Research Awards

MITACS Elevate proposals 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 through the seasons. Plus, 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.

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.

New NIH "FORMS-I" Grant Application Forms and Instructions - Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025

NIH is making changes to their application forms and peer review process affecting applications for due dates on or after January 25, 2025, and on or after May 25, 2025. Applicants must use FORMS-I application packages for due dates on or after January 25, 2025.

Required for due dates on or after January 25, 2025

Simplified Review Framework for Most Research Project Grant Applications Revisions to the NIH Fellowship Application and Review Process Updates to Reference Letter Instructions for Referees Updated Application Forms (FORMS-I)

Availability of FORMS-I Application Guides
Application guides for FORMS-I application packages is posted to the How to Apply - Application Guide

Availability of FORMS-I Application Packages
FORMS-I application packages are available through NIH’s application system - ASSIST

Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support

Required for due dates on or after May 25, 2025

NIH - Research Grant Program (R01)

The Research Project Grant (R01) provides support for health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH. R01s are most often investigator initiated in response to either the R01 Parent Announcement or a Program Announcement highlighting particular scientific areas. Requests for Applications (RFAs) may also utilize the R01 mechanism.

NIH runs three open investigator intiated competitions per year for new R01 Research Grants (February, 5, June 5 and October 5). Other deadlines apply for resubmission/renewal of Research Grants, other NIH research program announcements (PA) and for Requests for Applications (RFAs). Applications in response to RFAs are managed through the University's Innovations & Partnerships Office. Internal deadlines: 4 business days in advance of the NIH deadline.

UT Information:

Resources for applications led by UofT Researchers:

University of Toronto Submission Guide found here.
For more information on Writing NIH applications click here.
NIH Tips for Preparing Your Application Using ASSIST can be found here
Please note these documents are supplemental resources only and the details and instructions for applications is found in the specific Funding Opportunity Announcement
Applicants applying to NIH applications a should access the application by signing-in to ASSIST using their eRA Commons user name and password

Resources for UofT co-applicants on proposals led by other institutions:

University of Toronto Submission Guide for Faculty Applying as a Subaward found here
Submission Process

The internal deadline for applications to be submitted to the Research Services Office is 4 business days prior to the NIH submission deadline. Applications must be submitted through My Research Application (MRA) for department and faculty approval prior to the internal deadline.

Help with Application

NIH Grant Application Basics

NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices can be found here. Please consult the Parent Announcement, Program Announcement or RFA to confirm that non-US institutions are eligible to apply.
Register for NIH newsletters, funding announcements, Podcasts here.
NIH has created a series of Podcasts about Grant Writing, Early Stage Investigators and Jump Starting Your Research Program. Access them here.

Additional Information

Visit here to see the National Institutes of Health’s recently released requests for applications and program announcements. For more information on NIH application and the submission process, please visit the University’s Research Funding Opportunities found here.

*NIH is informing the applicant of changes to grant application forms and application guide instructions for due dates on or after January 25, 2022. Application guides for FORMS-G application packages will be posted to the How to Apply - Application Guide page.

NIH Small Research Grant Program (R03)

The R03 grant mechanism will support small research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources.

The common characteristic of the small grant is the provision of limited funding for a short period of time. Examples of the types of projects that ICs support with the R03 include the following:

Pilot or feasibility studies
Secondary analysis of existing data
Small, self-contained research projects
Development of research methodology
Development of new research technology

The current R03 Parent Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for investigator-initiated R03 applications can be found at here and articulates the policies and procedures that apply to this grant mechanism.

Resources for applications led by UofT Researchers:

University of Toronto Submission Guide found here.
For more information on Writing NIH applications click here.
NIH Tips for Preparing Your Application Using ASSIST can be found here
Please note these documents are supplemental resources only and the details and instructions for applications is found in the specific Funding Opportunity Announcement
Applicants applying to NIH applications a should access the application by signing-in to ASSIST using their eRA Commons user name and password
Strategies for Success with NIH Funding Info Session (May 3, 2021)

Resources for UofT co-applicants on proposals led by other institutions:

University of Toronto Submission Guide for Faculty Applying as a Subaward found here

Submission Process

The internal deadline for applications to be submitted to the Research Services Office is 4 business days prior to the NIH submission deadline. Applications must be submitted through My Research Application (MRA) for department and faculty approval prior to the internal deadline.

Please notify the appropriate contact in Research Services Office by e-mail if you are planning to apply to an NIH funding opportunity.

Help with Application

NIH Grant Application Basics

NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices can be found here. Please consult the Parent Announcement, Program Announcement or RFA to confirm that non-US institutions are eligible to apply.
Register for NIH newsletters, funding announcements, Podcasts here.
NIH has created a series of Podcasts about Grant Writing, Early Stage Investigators and Jump Starting Your Research Program. Access them here.

Additional Information

NIH Developmental Research Grants (R21)

The R21 grant mechanism is intended to encourage exploratory/developmental research by providing support for the early and conceptual stages of project development. The NIH has standardized the Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) application characteristics, requirements, preparation, and review procedures in order to accommodate investigator-initiated (unsolicited) grant applications.

The R21 Parent Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for investigator-initiated R21 applications can be found at the Program Home Page and articulates the policies and procedures that apply to this grant mechanism.

Resources for applications led by UofT Researchers:

University of Toronto Submission Guide found here.
For more information on Writing NIH applications click here.
NIH Tips for Preparing Your Application Using ASSIST can be found here
Please note these documents are supplemental resources only and the details and instructions for applications is found in the specific Funding Opportunity Announcement
Applicants applying to NIH applications a should access the application by signing-in to ASSIST using their eRA Commons user name and password
Strategies for Success with NIH Funding Info Session (May 3, 2021)

Resources for UofT co-applicants on proposals led by other institutions:

University of Toronto Submission Guide for Faculty Applying as a Subaward found here

Submission Process

Help with Application

NIH Grant Application Basics

NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices can be found here. Please consult the Parent Announcement, Program Announcement or RFA to confirm that non-US institutions are eligible to apply.
Register for NIH newsletters, funding announcements, Podcasts here.
NIH has created a series of Podcasts about Grant Writing, Early Stage Investigators and Jump Starting Your Research Program. Access them here

Additional Information

NSERC Alliance grants: Canada’s Research Partnerships Program

NSERC is pleased to announce the launch of several improvements to its Alliance Grants program, described below.

Alliance grants encourage university researchers to collaborate with partner organizations, which can be from the private, public or not-for-profit sectors. These grants support research projects led by strong, complementary, collaborative teams that will generate new knowledge and accelerate the application of research results to create benefits for Canada.

Alliance Advantage grants (formerly Alliance Option 1) are for partner-driven projects. They fund projects focused on the partners’ goals, with at least one partner sharing in the costs of research. Research supported by Alliance Advantage grants will:

generate new knowledge and/or technology to address complex challenges;
create economic, social and/or environmental benefits;
contribute to Canada’s long-term competitiveness;
support public policy;
train new researchers in areas that are important to Canada and to the partner organizations;
draw on diverse perspectives and skill sets to accelerate the translation and application of research results.

Alliance Society grants (formerly Alliance Option 2) fund projects with societal impact as the main driver. Research supported by Alliance Society grants will:

address a societal challenge that will result in new natural sciences and engineering knowledge and societal impact;
bring together academic, partner organization and societal perspectives and skill sets throughout the collaboration;
demonstrate how all interested individuals will learn about and use the products, services or policies that stem from this research;
generate new knowledge and/or technology to address complex challenges;
create economic, social and/or environmental benefits;
contribute to Canada’s long-term competitiveness;
support public policy;
train new researchers in areas that are important to Canada and the partner organizations;
draw on diverse perspectives and skill sets to accelerate the translation and application of research results.

Who can apply?

Canadian university researchers who are eligible to receive NSERC funds can apply on their own or as a team with co-applicants who are also eligible academic researchers. Researchers must have at least one partner organization (in the private, public or not-for-profit sector) whose cash contributions will be recognized for cost-sharing (see Alliance Society: Partner organizations and Alliance Advantage: Partner organizations) but may include other partner organizations who play an important role in the research project whether or not the cash contributions are recognized for cost sharing.

Funding the Research Project

The researchers and the co-applicants may receive funds from multiple sources to cover the costs of the research project.

Please see Alliance Advantage - Funding your research project and Alliance Society - Funding your research project to learn about the eligible funds from multiple sources that can be used cover the costs of the research project.

The funds from NSERC and from the partner organization must be paid to eligible universities and cannot be used to buy equipment, products or services from any partner organization, or to cover any part of the travel and travel-related subsistence expenditures for partner organization personnel.

Alliance Society Funding: Value: over $30,000 to $1 million per year, no limit on number of applications per year, duration: one to five years

Alliance Advantage Funding: Value: $20,000 to $1 million per year, no limit on number of applications per year, duration: one to five years

How to apply

Following the instructions for completing an Alliance grant application, fill out the proposal template and complete the other sections of your application. In the case where your application involves one or more partner organizations from the private sector, including when they participate alongside other partner organizations from the public and/or not-for-profit sectors, also complete the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships’ risk assessment form.

You can apply at any time. The number of applications and review mechanism differ for each cost-sharing option (see Funding and Review).

Submit your completed application and supporting documents, including the personal data form with CCV attachment for the applicant and all co-applicants, through NSERC’s online system. Your partner organization’s contact person will be invited through the online system to provide information about the organization following the partner organization instructions.

NSERC and the National Science Foundation - Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF)

NSF, NSERC and several other countries are launching a call for international bilateral multidisciplinary projects to build the fundamental knowledge base needed to advance the design and development of materials with desirable properties and functionality reducing the material-to-use timeline.

The US Principal Investigator (PI) for your partnership is responsible for submitting the complete application package (including the research proposal) to NSF, following their instructions. Canadian researchers involved in a DMREF project must be identified in the NSF application. To be a Canadian applicant or co-applicant on a DMREF application, you must be working in a research area supported by NSERC and meet NSERC’s eligibility requirements at the time of application.

As the Canadian applicant, you must submit a simplified application package to NSERC, and on behalf of any additional Canadian co-applicant if applicable, at the same time that the US PI submits the full application to NSF. Canadian applicants must submit their application via NSERC’s online system using the NSERC-DMREF application template.

Every Canadian research team member participating in the DMREF grant application (the applicant and all co-applicants) must create an account in the NSERC online system if they do not already have one. The applicant and all co-applicants must create and submit a personal data form with CCV attachment (form 100A) with the application. For more information, please refer to the instructions for completing a personal data form with CCV attachment (form 100A) or the NSERC Frequently asked questions page.

More information, please check this page: Apply DMREF NSERC - NSF

Applications must be received by NSERC by February 4, 2025, 8:00 p.m. (ET).

Important: U of T’s Internal Deadline: Monday, January 27, 2025

Please note that a My Research Application (MRA) will be required for the institutional endorsement of the application. The MRA approval process should be started well in advance of the internal deadline to ensure a successful submission. Applications received after the internal deadline may impact IPO's ability to review and process your application prior to the NSERC deadline.

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-commercialize

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.

Research on Research Joint Initiative

Research on research, also known as metaresearch, is the application of rigorous methods and analysis to the practice of research itself—its methods, standards and evaluation (see expanded definition below). Founded in 2019, the Research on Research Institute (RoRI) is a consortium of research funders and institutes that undertakes projects that can support the work of funding organizations. RoRI gathers evidence and data; undertakes experiments; and develops tools to improve how research is funded, practiced, communicated and evaluated.

The three Canadian core partners of RoRI—SSHRC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Michael Smith Health Research BC—have together launched this joint initiative as part of ongoing efforts to support metaresearch in the Canadian context. The goal of this joint initiative is to enhance national capacity for metaresearch, and bring Canadian expertise and perspectives into the international dialogue on improving research funding practices. Metaresearch is a vital element of social sciences and humanities research, as well as multidisciplinary research, as it allows greater insight into the ways in which research is conducted, evaluated and supported.

This joint initiative aims to:

build knowledge and understanding on metaresearch, i.e., the application of rigorous methods and analysis to the practice of research itself—its methods, incentives, standards and evaluation—and the practices of how that research is funded, communicated, applied and evaluated
produce data on metaresearch that may have impacts on research and innovation policy and funding practices in Canada and other jurisdictions
take part in knowledge mobilization among Canadian and international researchers, including members of RoRI’s consortium, to contribute to the development of research and innovation policies and research funding practices;
provide training for students and highly qualified personnel;
build collaborations among researchers working on metaresearch, both in Canada and internationally

Applications that align with RoRI priority areas as identified in the list of current RoRI projects (whether or not directly linked to those current RoRI projects) are welcome in this joint initiative, but the alignment is not mandatory. Applicants are invited to submit applications dealing with metaresearch in any disciplinary context. Possible research areas supported within the objectives of this joint initiative may include (but are not limited to):

research on talent and professional development, including studying the effectiveness of interventions in: training and skills, talent retention, encouragement of entrepreneurship, and/or training and professional development assessment methods in research contexts
research on allocation of research funding, including different peer review methodologies and different modes of funding (e.g., scholarships, fellowships, research grants), and their impacts on the distribution of research funds and associated research and career outcomes
research integrity, including issues of reproducibility and the impact of interventions such as preregistration, open data, research data management, and reproducible code
research on research infrastructure, including physical, digital and human infrastructures
improving the dissemination of research outputs and their impact, including the role of technology transfer offices, varying publication practices, conferences and knowledge dissemination platforms
understanding research impact, including improving the nuance with which the impact of research projects and programs can be defined and measured, and under what conditions various approaches to research facilitate meaningful use of evidence
understanding the impacts of AI on the research ecosystem

Value and duration

Research on Research Joint Initiative grants are valued at up to $200,000 per grant over three years. SSHRC, CIHR and Health Research BC aim to fund approximately nine grants.

Application deadline

February 20, 2025

Additional Information

Additional information can be found here: Research on Research Joint Initiative (sshrc-crsh.gc.ca).

SSHRC Aid to Scholarly Journals - update on delay of next funding opportunity

SSHRC has announced that the next Aid to Scholarly Journals (ASJ) competition will be delayed from summer 2024 to summer 2025, as they say that this delay will allow more time for engagement with the research and journal communities and other stakeholders as the three federal research funding agencies (SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR) conduct a review of the current Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications with the goal of making any peer-reviewed journal articles resulting from agency-supported research freely available, without subscription fee, at the time of publication. That new OA policy will be released by the end of 2025.

Once the new ASJ competition guidelines have been released by SSHRC, then potential applicants may view them on the SSHRC ASJ website, and UofT applicants can also go to RSO's funding opportunities database to view the SSHRC ASJ listing for internal deadlines and other information/resources.

Please see SSHRC's full message sent out about this on Dec 19, 2023, copied below. ***For those who are current ASJ holders, please note the information in bold at the bottom of SSHRC's message, as more information will be forthcoming in the future.

"In July 2023, the three federal research funding agencies announced a review of the current Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications (OA Policy) with the goal of making any peer-reviewed journal articles resulting from agency-supported research freely available, without subscription fee, at the time of publication. The renewed Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications policy will be released by the end of 2025.

SSHRC’s Aid to Scholarly Journals (ASJ) funding opportunity plays an important role in supporting the OA Policy. Transitioning the ASJ funding opportunity to support journals that adopt immediate open access will provide Canadian social sciences and humanities researchers with high-quality publications in which they may publish their research results, while removing barriers to access these research articles.

To facilitate an effective, sustainable and equitable transition of the ASJ funding opportunity toward immediate open access, SSHRC is delaying the launch of the next ASJ funding cycle from summer 2024 to summer 2025. This delay will allow more time for engagement with the research and journal communities and other stakeholders. Current ASJ grant recipients will receive a funded one-year extension to their grants. Further details will be communicated closer to the end-date of the current awards.

If you have questions, please contact scholarlyjournals@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca."

SSHRC Destination Horizon Grants - UPDATE (internal deadline and selection process)

SSHRC has launched a new funding opportunity called the Destination Horizon Grants. 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 2025, this competition will be held three times by SSHRC (deadlines of January 22, May 22 and Sept 22, with results announced in March, July and November 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).

The Vice President, International is pleased to share their new Horizon Europe Partnership Development Seed Grants program which can be used as matching funds for the Destination Horizon Grant program. Applicants who are among the 3 chosen to submit their application to SSHRC (see "UofT internal deadlines and selection process" below), will automatically be considered for the VPI funding, but due to timing, an award decision from VPI may not be known until after SSHRC's deadline. As a result, please ensure you secure your match from other UofT sources in time for SSHRC's deadline on January 22nd and if subsequently successful with the VPI program, you can then use those funds to offset the match you confirmed in time for SSHRC's deadline.

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 January 9, 2025 (for those wishing to submit for SSHRC's first deadline in January). 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 Insight Development Grant 2025 competition and webinar information

SSHRC has now updated their Insight Development Grant funding opportunity for the 2025 IDG competition. The funding opportunity description and link to the application form are available on SSHRC's website.

Insight Development Grants support research in its initial stages. They 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, proposed by individuals or teams. At least 50% of available funding is reserved for applications from emerging scholars.

Maximum budget request: $75,000

Duration: one or two years

Deadlines for UofT applicants:

Noon - Monday, January 27, 2025 – 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 - Friday, January 31, 2025 – 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 SSHRC IDG funding opportunity and the UofT RSO SSHRC IDG webpage

Preliminary SSHRC Long-term Partnership Program in Policymaking

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has announced an upcoming partnership program to support long-term programs of research in targeted areas of strategic importance to Canada and its policymaking communities. The first competition will target research that supports and informs public policy aimed at boosting Canada's productivity. Information about the program is preliminary and has not yet been communicated on SSHRC’s website. SSHRC intends to confirm the program call in early 2025, following required approvals.

We are sharing this program draft to move swiftly to identify UofT-led teams that may have the interest and ability to mobilize for what will likely be a highly competitive application process. Please review the information below. If you have expertise in a target area, and the potential to bring together the necessary federal government department connection, research team, other partners, matching funding and divisional support, complete this Expression of Interest form by January 20th, 2025. The EOI form will route directly to Mark Bold’s attention in the Research Services Office. We will maintain a list of interested individuals. Once the full program is released, we will share those details and convene a meeting to discuss the program. This meeting will clarify which teams are best positioned in the target areas to make a compelling submission for this first round of competition. (We will share EOIs with their relevant academic divisions, but please do ensure that your Chair/Dean/Principal is aware of your interest.)

New Funding Opportunity to Support Long-Term Research in Policymaking

Target Area 2025: Improving Canada's Productivity: The first competition will target research that supports and informs public policy aimed at boosting Canada's productivity.

Goals and Objectives: to support the conduct of a long-term program of research in a target area of strategic importance to Canada and its policymaking communities. This goal is underpinned by the following objectives:

Generate new knowledge to inform policymaking.
Collaborate with government to identify policy needs.
Work with datasets that are relevant to policymakers.
Form partnerships that support research and facilitate knowledge transfer.
Increase the number of HQP through training and mentoring.

Key Features:

Strategic Focus: Each competition addresses a new public policy challenge where long-term, evidence-based research from the social sciences and humanities has the potential for significant impact.

Value and Duration: Grants are valued at up to $400,000 per year, for a total award value of up to $6M over 15 years.

Flexibility: The successful partnership will be able to adapt the scope, priorities and activities of the research program throughout the 15-year duration, allowing it to respond to new developments and changing circumstances.

Call Frequency: Competitions will not be held on a fixed schedule; instead, they will be offered periodically, subject to the availability of funds.

Key Requirements:

The application must be submitted on behalf of an established research entity (e.g., institute, centre, lab, hub) with a demonstrated track record in the target area.
To strengthen Canadian public policy, applicants must partner with at least one federal government department. Additionally, the host institution and/or partners must commit to providing a minimum of 50% in cash and in-kind contributions to ensure a shared commitment to success.
To ensure the grant remains relevant to the needs of Canadian policymakers and that effective knowledge transfer is taking place, impact reviews will be conducted at the 5- and 10-year marks.

If you have any questions, please contact Mark directly at mark.bold@utoronto.ca

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.

TRANSFORM HF 2025 Collaboration Starter Grants

TRANSFORM HF is pleased to announce a call for Collaboration Starter Grants (CSGs) applications.

Value: Up to four grants are available, each up to $10,000

Duration: One year from April 2025-2026

Purpose: TRANSFORM HF is offering Collaboration Starter Grants (CSGs) to encourage and 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 of advancing equitable access to high quality heart failure care through digital innovation.

Three types of supports are available:

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

Funding will be reserved for at least one CSG that seeks to explore opportunities in sustainable digital health (i.e., at the intersection of climate change, sustainability, and digital innovation in cardiovascular care).

Priority will be given to project proposals that were initiated during a TRANSFORM HF network meeting, that expand the network and its reach, and that are led by applicants who have not received previous CSG funding.

The number, type of grant, and funding amount for each award to be supported depends on the mix and quality of applications received. Up to four awards are available.

Application Deadline: January 17, 2025 at 5:00pm EST

Submission: Applications are to be submitted as a single PDF document via email to info@transformhf.ca by the deadline.

How to Apply: Access and complete the Application Form via the TRANSFORM HF website.

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.

U of T Public Policy Reports Collection: Call for Submissions

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

This collection assembles public policy-related research reports produced by University of Toronto units. It is a collection of grey literature (research not published through traditional means such as in an academic journal). It is housed in TSpace, a free and secure research repository established by the University of Toronto Libraries to disseminate and preserve the scholarly record of U of T. The collection aims to improve discoverability of U of T contributions in a variety of areas including local, provincial, national, and global public policy.

Eligibility:

We invite submissions to the Public Policy Reports Collection that meet the following criteria:

At least one report author was a faculty, fellow, student or staff at U of T when the report was issued.
Authored by U of T academic units with explicit U of T branding and affiliation of the author.
Not published in an academic journal in an identical form.

Benefits to Researchers:

The U of T Public Policy Reports Collection provides permanent URLs on a high-traffic repository, enabling timely research to be available sooner than through traditional scholarly publication channels. Many U of T faculty produce public policy reports outside of traditional publishing and dissemination channels. These reports are not easily found through standard bibliometric searches or through search engines and can be lost when department or personal websites are redesigned.

For more information and instructions on submitting public policy reports to the collection, please visit: https://research.utoronto.ca/reports-publications-metrics/public-policy-reports-collection

University of Toronto, U of T India Foundation & School of Cities India: Research Catalyst Grants 2025-2026

The University of Toronto (U of T), the U of T India Foundation and School of Cities India are hosting a call for proposals from U of T researchers and India-based partners. This fund supports the co-creation of 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.

Timeline:

Applications Due – February 15, 2025
Start Date of Grant Cycle – April 2025

Funding

Up to five grants will be awarded, valued up to CAD $25,000 (INR 1,500,000) each.
The funding can only be used for activities and expenses incurred in India.

Visit this link to view the full Call for Proposals.

Questions can be directed to Andrea Russell (andrea.russell@utoronto.ca), Office of the Vice-President, International.

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

Do not use MRA to submit this application.

U of T Public Policy Reports Collection: Call for Submissions

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

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

Eligibility:

Public policy reports are eligible if they meet the following criteria:

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

There is no submission deadline.

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

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

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

2025 Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025 Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences (CSPS) Awards including:

Details regarding nomination and submission information for each award is available on the Awards section on the CSPS website.

Deadline for all nominations and submissions is March 14, 2025.

Please contact Sam D'Alfonso if you are interested in being nominated for any of these awards.

IDRC Research Awards 2025

This year, IDRC will offer research awards related to these development areas or themes: 

Climate-resilient food systems (based in Nairobi)
Democratic and inclusive governance (based in New Delhi)
Education and science  
Ethics in development research 
Global health
Policy and evaluation, and 
Sustainable inclusive economies.

All awards will be based in Ottawa except for the Climate-resilient food systems award that will be based in Nairobi, and the Democratic and inclusive governance award based in New Delhi.

Apply now

2025 Ludwik & Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize

The 2025 Ludwik & Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize, is an award within the Pinnacle Awards Program—part of the broader University of Toronto Awards of Excellence (AWEX) program.

The prize recognizes exceptional contributions by administrative staff, librarians, faculty members, and students for their scholarship, personal service to others, and / or activities in support of the University of Toronto’s commitment to human rights and equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The award was established in 1995 in memory of two Polish educators who risked their lives during the Holocaust to rescue Jewish people. Ludwik & Estelle Jus believed deeply in the moral value of human beings, irrespective of race, nationality, class, or religion.

Nominations can be made in one of two categories:

Emerging Leader – presented to a current student or administrative staff member who has consistently made positive and lasting contributions in the areas of scholarship, service to others, and / or action against discrimination; and

Influential Leader – presented to a faculty member, librarian, or administrative staff member who has consistently made positive and lasting contributions in the areas of scholarship, service to others, and / or action against discrimination.

Any member of the University of Toronto community can nominate another member of the University community.

Nomination Details

Nominations can be submitted to the Employee Recognition & Engagement Team until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 20, 2024.

The AWEX website provides complete details about both prize categories, including program criteria, eligibility and submission guidelines, and the nomination form.

Questions?

Please contact Sam D'Alfonso.

McLean Award

The purpose of the McLean Award is to support outstanding basic research at the University of Toronto in the following fields: engineering sciences, physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and the theory and methods of statistics.

One award of $150,000 is made annually to provide meaningful support to an outstanding researcher relatively early in their career, by assisting the awardee to attract and support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows of great promise as part of their research team.

Submission is by nomination only. Eligible nominators include Chairs/Directors of academic units, or Deans/Principals of non-departmentalized divisions. As only one award is available each year, nominators are encouraged to be selective.

Nomination packages are to be submitted electronically to the Connaught Secretariat (Connaught.secretariat@utoronto.ca). Nominations are due no later than January 7, 2025.

More information: McLean Nomination Guidelines 2024-25

2025 President’s Impact Awards

The 2025 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 Wednesday, February 19, 2025. 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 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 welcomes 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.

If you are considering being nominated for the President's Impact Award, please contact Sam D'Alfonso.

Education Awards

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.

The next funding cycle is expected in Summer 2024

Workshops

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.
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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.
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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.
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Additional Information

Additional information can be found here.