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The Arts & Science (A&S) Collaborative Research Funding Program aims to leverage our research excellence in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences and offers seed funding to support new cross-disciplinary research collaborations between tenure stream faculty members (with a primary budgetary appointment within A&S, St. George campus) from different A&S academic units and disciplines.

The purpose of the program is to support novel collaborative research projects that seek to:

• answer research questions that are best addressed through interdisciplinary approaches;
• advance new ways of thinking about research questions, ideas, approaches, and methods; and
• provide leading-edge training for highly qualified personnel (HQP) in interdisciplinary research environments.

Application Deadline

March 1, 2025 (17:00 EST)

Note: When a deadline falls on a weekend, the deadline will shift to the next immediate business day.

Value and Duration

Applicants can choose from one of two streams, depending on the amount of funding that is required to complete the project:

Stream A: $20,000 per year for two-year projects (for a total of $40,000)
Stream B: $35,000 per year for two-year projects (for a total of $70,000)

Project Team & Eligibility

• Each project requires a minimum of two co-principal investigators (Co-PIs).
• Each Co-PI must be tenure stream with a primary budgetary appointment within the Faculty of Arts & Science, St. George campus.
• Applicants must have an active academic appointment at the time of award start date (May 1 in each competition year).
• Co-PIs cannot share the same primary academic unit or have previously collaborated on a funded research project within the last five years. The proposed project must explore new research questions and/or approaches that are distinct from previous collaborations between the Co-PIs.
• Faculty members who hold a primary appointment in another division or from outside the University of Toronto can be listed as collaborators. These team members will not be eligible to receive funding from this grant.

Evaluation Criteria and Scoring

All proposals will be assessed on the following evaluation criteria:

• Quality of the research (30%) — provide a clear and original overarching goal and set of research questions/objectives.
• Plan for collaboration (20%) — outline how the Co-PI’s expertise will be united to solve an important, unsolved, interdisciplinary research problem. Describe the role of additional collaborators, if applicable.
• Excellence of the research team (10%) — provide evidence of established or emerging leadership of each Co-PI in their respective research area(s).
• Training highly qualified personnel (HQP) (20%)
  • Describe the plans for the training and development of HQP
  • Incorporate equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) considerations in the training plan
• Annual milestones (10%) — define the milestones and timelines that will form the foundation of the collaboration during the funding period, and how the project could provide the basis of future collaborative grant applications beyond the funding period.
• Feasibility (10%) — describe the appropriateness of the research team, the research plan, and the research environment, and provide a justification for the proposed budget.

Scoring Table

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

Applicants are expected to describe EDI challenges and considerations that have been addressed in the development of the project team, and how EDI has been integrated into the research design, as applicable to the project. Actions taken to form the research team are expected to remove identified barriers and provide opportunities for the integration of individuals from all groups, including but not limited to women, Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized minorities, persons with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ2S+ community.

Sex and Gender-Based Analysis Plus (SGBA+)

Applicants are expected to effectively integrate evidence-based sex-and gender-based analysis plus in their proposed research methodology, where appropriate.

Indigenous Research

The Faculty of Arts & Science is committed to the appropriate peer review of research with and about Indigenous peoples and communities. All applicants are asked to indicate whether the proposed project involves or impacts Indigenous individuals, communities, peoples, topics, lands, or areas of interest. In cases where an applicant indicates “Yes,” they are asked to elaborate in their research proposal.

Budget & Use of Funds

Applicants may request $20,000 per year (for a total of $40,000) under stream A, or $35,000 per year (for a total of $70,000) under stream B.

• Eligible costs are those deemed necessary for carrying out the research project, including but not limited to:
  • Employment and compensation expenses: Research personnel costs, including student salaries or stipends;
  • Services: costs for professional and technical services;
  • Honoraria for research participants and to support community involvement in the research;
  • Travel: costs associated with research-related travel to conduct the proposed research and for research participants, where applicable;
  • Knowledge dissemination: costs associated with knowledge dissemination including publication costs and conference attendance travel costs;
  • Consumables: materials and supplies required to conduct the research;
  • Non-consumables: non-consumable expenses to conduct the research (e.g. data sets; software)
• Ineligible costs:
  • Equipment
• Proposed project expenses must adhere to the University of Toronto Guide to Financial Management.

Competition Results

We anticipate funding up to three (3) new projects under stream A and up to two (2) new projects under stream B annually. Results will be communicated in May of each year.

Contact & Resources

For program inquiries, please contact Stephanie Fisher: s.fisher@utoronto.ca.

Application Process

Completed submissions must include (as one single PDF attachment):

1. Application form
2. Research proposal (4 pages maximum)
3. Short CVs for each Co-PI (3 pages max. per CV)

Applications are to be combined into a single PDF and emailed to research.artsci@utoronto.ca. Please include "A&S Collaborative Research Funding Program" in the subject line. An MRA is not required for this program.

Style Guide

• Body text minimum 12 pt. Times New Roman font
• Single-spaced, with no more than 6 lines of type per inch
• All margins set at a minimum of 3/4" (1.87 cm)

Application Preparation Guidelines (Narrative Sections)

• Research proposal (4 pages maximum)

All three sections outlined below must be addressed.

Proposed Research Activities (2 pages maximum) including the following 6 sections

1. Project Description and Research Design (approx. 3/4 page)

Describe the research goals and objectives, theoretical context, methodological approach, and research challenges and opportunities to be tackled through the collaboration.

If applicable, describe how 1.) sex- and gender-based analysis plus (SGBA+), 2.) EDI considerations, and/or 3.) Indigenous research concepts, principles, and protocols for conducting respectful research with Indigenous Peoples and communities are integrated into each stage of the research process.

Applicants engaging in community-based research are also encouraged to describe whether an agreement, partnership, or understanding is already in place with the relevant communit(ies).

2. Complementarity of Research Expertise (approx. 1/4 page)

Describe how the Co-PI’s expertise will be united to solve an important, unsolved, interdisciplinary research problem, and the added value of taking a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to the proposed project. Describe additional collaborators and the contribution to the research project of these individuals, if applicable.

3. Expected Impact (approx. 1/4 page)

Describe the expected significance and impact of the research as a result of the proposed collaboration.

4. HQP Training Plans (approx. 1/4 page)

Describe the plans for the training and development of HQP, including a description of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the recruitment and training plan.

Faculty members from social sciences and humanities disciplines may find the following document helpful for illustrating how highly qualified personnel (i.e., students and other trainees) can be incorporated into proposed projects: Tips for Incorporating Students and Trainees into Research Projects.

5. Plans for future collaboration (approx. 1/8 page)

Detail the potential and plans for future research collaborations as a result of this project (e.g., joint publications, joint research grant funding opportunities, collaborative community outreach, or other research collaborative opportunities).

6. Project Milestones and Timeline (approx. 1/8 page)

Describe the project timeline, milestones, and planned outputs.

Budget Table & Justification (1 page maximum)

Using the budget categories listed below, explain how you will use the funds over the two years to achieve the project objectives. Please indicate the amount that will be allocated to each Co-PI.

Fully justify all budget costs in terms of the needs of the research, keeping in mind that the appropriateness of the requested budget and justification of the proposed costs are part of the feasibility evaluation criterion. Proposed project expenses must adhere to the University of Toronto Guide to Financial Management. For up-to-date rates for each of the categories and further information about hiring personnel, please consult the A&S Research Costs Table.

Note: equipment costs are not eligible.

Budget Categories

• Employment and compensation
• Services (professional and technical)
• Travel
• Knowledge dissemination
• Consumables (materials and supplies)
• Non-consumables
• Other (please describe)

References (1 page maximum)

List all references cited or works referred to in your proposal.

Short Curricula Vitae (3 pages maximum per CV)

For multi-authored publications, as applicable, identify any students and trainees supervised by underlining their names.

Adjudication Process

• The Faculty of Arts & Science, vice dean, Research & Infrastructure or delegate shall chair the selection committee. The composition of the selection committee shall reflect the broad diversity of individuals and disciplines within A&S, St. George campus. The values of equity, diversity and inclusiveness are an institutional priority for the University of Toronto, and A&S wants to ensure that its internal review processes and committee reflect this commitment.
• Selection committee members shall review the applications, individually and in an adjudication committee meeting, using the program evaluation criteria to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each respective application.
• Members of the selection committee are expected to reinforce standards of rigor, fairness, respect and equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the adjudication process.
• The VPRI Best Practices in Peer Review Guide shall serve as a resource for members of the selection committee.

Previous Recipients of the A&S Collaborative Research Funding Program (2024–26)

• Al-Amin Dhirani, Department of Chemistry and Xiang Li, Department of Physics — New Class of Plasmonic-enhanced, Quantum Optoelectronic Devices Based on Metal Nanoparticle Nanosheets
• Samuel Akinbo, Department of Linguistics, Comfort Azubuko-Udah, Department of English and Kariuki Kirigia, School of the Environment — Ecology and Oral Narrativization in African Indigenous Communities
• John Calarco, Department of Cell & Systems Biology and Haissi Cui, Department of Chemistry — Visualizing Genetic Code Interpretation in Living Animals
• Marsha Chechik, Department of Computer Science and Jason Plaks, Department of Psychology — Eliciting and Operationalizing Ethical Principles for Intelligent Systems: A Case Study with Social Chatbots

The Arts & Science (A&S) Fund for Indigenous Research Excellence (FIRE) program provides funding support for faculty-member-led research taking place in partnership with Indigenous organizations and communities and on Indigenous territories and/or about Indigenous lands. The FIRE program responds to the commitments outlined in the A&S Academic Plan, the A&S Strategic Research Plan, 2023–28 and the A&S Decanal Advisory Committee on Indigenous Research, Teaching and Learning, the latter of which guides A&S in answering the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

FIRE is intended to enhance the support of Indigenous research and scholarship and advance research that is ethical, respects Indigenous ways of knowing and engages Indigenous communities and nations here on Turtle Island (North America), specifically through offsetting the unique costs related to working in and with Indigenous communities.

The purpose of the program is to:

• Support Indigenous community-based and/or fieldwork research, with a particular emphasis on supporting Indigenous faculty members.
• Provide funding for costs unique to Indigenous community-based and/or field work research that may not be sufficiently funded with other funding opportunities.
• Advance sustainable and respectful research relationships between A&S faculty members and Indigenous organizations and communities.
• Support community-engaged research with Indigenous communities.

Value and Duration

The program will provide up to $15,000 per project (based on project need and a justification for the requested amount). The funds must be used within two years of the award start date.

Application Deadline

Anytime

Eligibility

Applicants:

This program will support faculty members with a full-time A&S (St. George campus) primary budgetary appointment, who are eligible principal investigators (PIs) according to the University of Toronto PI Eligibility Guidelines. While applications are welcomed from all eligible A&S faculty members, funding for the program is primarily intended to support Indigenous faculty-member-led research.

The fund is envisioned as complementary to tri-agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) research grant funding, and it may be leveraged for all stages of community-based and field research on Indigenous lands with Indigenous communities, including early-stage research planning with Indigenous communities to facilitate co-development of research studies and activities. If the funds will be used to supplement an already funded project, the active grant must have received an ethics review (as applicable to the research).

Research areas:

This funding opportunity is open to all research fields and disciplines. All field work requires Indigenous community consultation and engagement, including research that does not directly involve humans (e.g., environmental sciences). Applicants are encouraged to consult the tri-agency webpage on Indigenous research for further guidance.

Evidence of partnership:

While the FIRE program can be used to support both nascent and established partnerships, the application should be accompanied by some form of agreement with an Indigenous organization or community (i.e., an appended agreement, letter, other form of communication, or symbol of partnership/cooperation).

Use of Funds

Eligible costs are those deemed necessary for carrying out the research project while meaningfully engaging with the Indigenous community. This includes but is not limited to:

• Employment and compensation expenses: Research personnel costs including student salaries or stipends and non-student salaries
• Services: Costs for professional and technical services
• Honoraria (for community participants, elders, etc.)
• Travel: Costs associated with research-related travel to conduct the proposed research, and for research-participant travel, where applicable
• Consumables: Materials and supplies required to conduct the research
• Non-consumables: Non-consumable expenses to conduct the research (e.g., data sets, software)
• Research-related gifts
• Research-related hospitality items

In developing your planned budget and project activities, you are encouraged to consult the University of Toronto Payments to Indigenous Payees Guidelines.

Proposed project expenses must adhere to the University of Toronto Guide to Financial Management.

Additional helpful guidelines:

• University of Toronto Guidelines for the Compensation & Reimbursement of Research Participants

Adjudication Process and Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be assessed by the Vice-Dean, Research & Infrastructure in consultation with an Arts & Science review panel that includes a senior Indigenous faculty member and an Indigenous community member, based on the following evaluation criteria:

• Need for funding — Justify the need for the requested funds to carry out the proposed research.
• Indigenous engagement — Describe the process of engagement with the Indigenous community including steps taken/to be taken to ensure engagement is responsible, respectful and reciprocal.

Application Process

Completed submissions must include:

• Application form (one page proposal + budget)
• Documentation of Indigenous-community engagement

Please combine applications into a single PDF and email to research.artsci@utoronto.ca.

Questions

Please contact Gabrielle Sugar, Funded Research Officer at gabrielle.sugar@utoronto.ca.

The Arts & Science International Research Events Fund is a matching funds program, designed to facilitate hosting research-related events that contribute to increasing the international research profile of A&S research.

Eligibility

Faculty members who have full-time faculty appointments in A&S units (i.e., St. George campus faculty members) are welcome to apply to the fund in support of events they are organizing or co-organizing on campus.

Faculty members and researchers who hold graduate-only appointments, other types of cross-appointments, or the rank of emeritus/emerita are not eligible.

Events Arts & Science supports through other means (e.g., a SSHRC-Connections-Grant-funded project that has A&S funding support) are not eligible for funding through this program.

Application Deadline

Any time. Applications must be made at least one month in advance of the event.

Value and Duration

Arts & Science will match A&S academic unit cash contributions up to $7,500. Applicants have up to one year from the time of the award to use the funding.

Frequency of Request

Eligible faculty members may apply for (and receive) funding from this program no more than once every three years (based on the U of T fiscal year — May 1 to April 30).

Eligible Sources of Matching Funding from Academic Units

1. Operating reserves within a Faculty of Arts & Science (St. George campus) academic unit.
2. Available funding within an individual principal investigator’s (the applicant's) PI fund centre (i.e., start-up funding, etc.).
   • Note: Funding from your personal expense reimbursement allowance (PERA) is not eligible for matching against this award.

Application Process

To submit your application, please email the following to research.artsci@utoronto.ca:

1. Your application form
2. Email or letter confirmation of matching funds (from the individual who has budgetary signing authority, such as the chair or director)

Questions

Please contact research.artsci@utoronto.ca with any questions.

Arts & Science International Research Events Fund Application Form

The Arts & Science Tri-Council Bridge Funding Program is designed to help bridge research funding gaps for full-time A&S faculty members (i.e., St. George campus) whose Tri-Council grant applications have been unsuccessful. The program is designed to allow researchers to continue their work and become more competitive on their next application. Faculty members and researchers who hold graduate-only appointments, other types of cross-appointments, or are emeritus faculty, are not eligible. While we accept requests for bridge funding for all of the below listed programs, first priority will be given to applicants in the SSHRC Insight, SSHRC Insight Development and NSERC Discovery Grant competitions. The CIHR and NSERC RTI programs will require some vetting depending on the quantity and magnitude of the requests.

The Tri-Council Bridge Fund is a 1:1 matching funds program. Principal investigators must first apply for funding through their department chair or director. Matching fund requests are to be submitted by the unit chair or director to the A&S Research Services Office for review and approval by the Vice-Dean, Research & Infrastructure.

Opportunities & Deadlines

SSHRC Insight, SSHRC Insight Development, NSERC Discovery and NSERC Discovery Horizons Grants Bridge Funding

A&S will match unit contributions, up to $15,000, for one year.

• Deadline: Any time before August 1 (immediately following an unsuccessful application).

CIHR Project Grant Bridge Funding

A&S will match unit contributions, up to $20,000, to PIs on CIHR Project grants that were unfunded in the Spring or Fall competition.

• Deadlines:
  • Fall competition: apply for Bridge Funding by April 15 (immediately following an unsuccessful application).
  • Spring competition: apply for Bridge Funding by August 1 (immediately following an unsuccessful application).

Note: Principal investigators who are awarded a bridge fund after an unsuccessful grant application in either the SSHRC Insight, SSHRC Insight Development, NSERC Discovery, NSERC Discovery Horizons or CIHR Project grant competition must submit an (A&S Tri-Council Bridge Funding Program-eligible) operating grant proposal to the same funding council in the next competition cycle (fall or spring round for CIHR applicants).

NSERC Research Tools & Instruments (RTI) Bridge Funding

A&S will match unit contributions, up to $50,000.

• Deadline: any time before August 1 (immediately following an unsuccessful application)

Eligible sources of matching funding from Academic Units

1. Operating reserves within an academic unit.
2. Available funding within an individual principal investigator’s (the applicant's) PI Fund Centre.
3. Funding for graduate students from an academic unit’s graduate program account*

*Note: Graduate program account funding cannot be transferred directly to a PI account and must be transferred directly to the student via a ROSI/ACORN award.

Arts & Science Tri-Council Bridge Funding Program Application Form

XSeed is an interdivisional research funding program led by the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE), which is designed to promote multi-disciplinary research and to catalyze new innovative partnerships between a co-PI from FASE and a co-PI from another University of Toronto division. Funding is available for a maximum of fourteen (14) new collaborative projects, four of which will be allocated to the Faculty of Arts & Science. Two Arts & Science projects will be earmarked for co-PIs from either the humanities or social sciences. FASE has also allocated funding for at least one project that proposes inclusive and culturally safe research on the promotion of Indigenous health.

For complete program details, visit the FASE Call for Proposals page, where you can also view past recipients.

Deadline

The current application deadline is 12 pm on Monday, March 10, 2025.

Value

$60,000/year for a maximum of 2 years. $15,000 each from the collaborating faculties and home unit of each co-PI.

Eligible sources of matching funding from Arts & Science academic units:

1. Operating reserves within an academic unit.
2. Available funding within an individual principal investigator’s (the applicant's) PI Fund Centre.
3. Funding for graduate students from an academic unit’s graduate program account*.

*Note: Graduate program account funding cannot be transferred directly to a PI account and must be transferred directly to the student via a ROSI/Acorn award.

Contact and Resources

For Arts & Science applicant inquiries, please contact Carrie-Lynn Keiski: carrie.keiski@utoronto.ca.

$1 million annually will be awarded to support approximately 4 team initiatives of up-to $250,000 each. The program aims to heighten U of T’s contribution to important issues facing society through the advancement of knowledge, and the transfer and application of solutions. Global Challenge teams will represent new collaborations involving leading U of T researchers and students from multiple disciplines, along with innovators and thought leaders from other sectors. The program objective is to enhance U of T’s capacity to achieve meaningful outcomes and impact, including but not limited to: major new external funding to further develop solutions to the global challenge, important new partnerships, and/or new research oriented academic programs.

Value: $250,000 (over two years)

View complete program details

The Connaught Innovation Fund was created to accelerate the development of promising technology and promote commercialization and/or knowledge transfer. Connaught applications will be at or above Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 as defined by Science and Economic Development Canada (SEDC) to support evolving the innovation to the next level with potential commercial partners. Information regarding SEDC TRL Scale can be found here. Successful projects will have strong socioeconomic and/or commercial potential, and will strive to have a positive impact on society.

Deadline: Fall

Value: $50,000

View complete program details

The Connaught Mid-Career Researcher Award program is a nomination-based program to support mid-career researchers in leading significant, innovative research and continuing to grow their research programs, with the goal of attracting large scale external research funding, particularly from the tri-agencies.

Value of Award

Up to $250,000 each, to support 4 awards, provided to the highest ranked proposals, with a funding envelope of $1,000,000 for this year’s competition. Normal duration of the award is 2 years.

Arts & Science Allocation (2024-2025)

4 nominations

Arts & Science Nomination Deadline

Monday, February 3, 2025 (17:00 EST)

Note: When a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day will be considered the deadline date.

Eligibility Requirements

To be nominated for the mid-career researcher award in the Faculty of Arts & Science, candidates must be tenure-stream faculty members with a primary budgetary appointment (at least 51%) in the Faculty of Arts & Science, St. George. Awards are open to all tenure-stream faculty members at the University of Toronto in any discipline, who hold the rank of associate professor and are between 5 and 15 years of their first tenure-stream professorial appointment (at U of T or elsewhere). See program guidelines for details.

Divisional nominations must be submitted through one of two streams:

1. Accelerator stream: for those investigators aiming to lead larger or significantly different research programs than they have previously, while developing leadership skills and training the next generation of scientists/scholars. Goals may include but are not limited to: establishing national/international networks, changes in research direction or incorporating new disciplines.
2. Resurgence stream: for those investigators experiencing mid-career challenges, including but not limited to: expanding team sizes, increased committee / administrative duties, or a lack of success in securing external funding in an increasingly competitive climate.

In both streams, nominees are required to indicate, amongst other objectives, at least one specific external research funding opportunity that they intend to apply for. Priority should be given to tri-agency funding programs given the importance of these in driving CRC and other allocations for the University.

Mentorship is a critical component of this program, and nominees must identify one or more faculty members who will provide professional and academic mentorship during the Connaught-funded project.

Arts & Science Nomination Submission Instructions

The chair or director of the academic unit (or delegate) in which the candidate holds a primary appointment (51%) shall submit completed nomination packages on behalf of candidates to: research.artsci@utoronto.ca

Submission Instructions

Each nomination package should be submitted containing all materials as listed below (see program guidelines for details). Incomplete nomination packages will not advance in the divisional selection process:

A nominee research project information form, to be completed by the nominee (found on the program webpage) outlining:

• the selected nomination stream (Accelerator or Resurgence)
• excellence and impact of their research achievements to date
• future research plans, identifying both short-term and long-term objectives, and including:
  • enhanced training opportunities for HQP
  • incorporation of EDI principles in the research design and methods (as appropriate to the research project) and in the research team and environment
  • future external funding opportunity(s) (emphasis on tri-agency programs) to which they will apply and how the MCR award will help to increase competitiveness
• demonstrated need for the funding
• proposed budget

A DRAFT nomination letter (Word doc version; 2 pages max) that if selected to go forward in the competition will form the basis of the Vice-Dean, Research & Infrastructure endorsement letter. The letter should outline:

• why the nominee should be considered for this award, with emphasis on demonstrated excellence in the field and positive impact on society, industry, culture or technology.
• the nominee’s publication record relative to norms within the discipline.
• how the MCR award will help the nominee advance their research program and, as relevant, challenges encountered by the nominee in moving their research program forward.
• divisional supports that will be provided to the nominee, including designated mentors (required).

An academic or standard Canadian Common CV

Arts & Science Evaluation & Selection Process

• Selected nomination packages will be submitted to the Connaught Secretariat, by the nominating division only, endorsed by the Arts & Science Vice-Dean, Research & Infrastructure.
• If Arts & Science receives more than four nominations, a selection committee will be chaired by the Vice-Dean, Research & Infrastructure to evaluate and recommend the top candidates. The selection committee reflects the broad diversity of individuals and disciplines within the Faculty of Arts & Science (St. George Campus) and includes equal representation by academic leaders from the humanities, social sciences and science sectoral units in Arts & Science. Members of the selection committee are expected to reinforce standards of rigor, fairness, respect and equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the adjudication process.

Nomination Timeline

• February 3, 2025 by 5 pm (EST): Arts & Science internal nomination submission deadline. Chair or director of the academic unit to submit complete nomination packages to research.artsci@utoronto.ca.
• Mid-February: Nominees informed of divisional selection committee results.
• No later than February 28: Editorial feedback sent to selected nominees by Arts & Science Research Services team.
• March 14, 2025 by 12 Noon (EST): Final Arts & Science deadline for nominees to submit their final nomination package to Arts & Science Research Services (research.artsci@utoronto.ca).
• March 15, 2025: Deadline for A&S Research Services to submit nomination packages to the Connaught Secretariat on behalf of all nominees.
• Results will be announced in spring 2025.

Questions

• Should you have any questions on the Arts & Science nomination process, please contact Monica Caverson, Associate Director, Strategic Research Development: monica.caverson@utoronto.ca.

View Complete Program Details

The purpose of this program is to help new tenure stream faculty members establish competitive research programs. Up to $1 million awarded: support for approximately 50 awards of up to $20,000 will be provided to the highest ranked proposals (no matching required). These awards are intended to establish a strong research program, thereby increasing the faculty member’s competitiveness for external funding.

Deadline: November 15

Value: $30,000

View complete program details

The Major Research Project Management (MRPM) Fund is an initiative of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation to enhance the competitiveness of U of T-led research funding applications, and to ensure the effective administrative oversight of the project, enabling faculty members to focus on research.

To be eligible for MRPM, an application will be multi-PI, multi-departmental, and/or multi-institutional, led by full-time faculty members whose research is campus-based and administered through the university. Other sponsors/programs that attract indirect costs will also be considered on a case-by-case basis where all other eligibility criteria are met. The budget request from the sponsor for these large, complex projects are typically in excess of one million dollars (total project cost) at the level of hundreds of thousands per year.

The MRPM program comprises two potential funding streams that may be applied for separately or in combination. In both streams, MRPM funds must be matched dollar-for-dollar by cash contributions from the supporting division(s).

MRPM Stream 1 funding is provided to support proposal development for submissions at the full proposal stage. Up to $10,000 will be provided by the MRPM fund, which must be fully matched by the applicant’s division/department (up to $20,000 total when matched). Stream 1 is currently under moratorium and unavailable.

MRPM Stream 2 funding is provided for compensation for a dedicated Project Manager or equivalent. During this period of financial constraint, Investigators may request up to $25K (previously $50K) per project year, which must be fully matched by the applicant’s division/department. Very limited funding is vailable. Once the remaining MRPM funds have been committed, a moratorium will also be applied to Stream 2.

Note, only new incremental administrative resources are eligible. This fund is not intended to recover salary of existing staff members.

Deadline: Any time

View complete program details

Joint workshops help lay the groundwork for future international collaborative research. They allow faculty members and students to leverage complementary research strengths and increase their access to the unique capabilities of other international institutions. The Office of the Vice-President, International will provide up to $5,000 to help facilitate a joint research workshop. Please note: workshop organizers must demonstrate a match of $10,000 in order to be eligible for the full $5,000.

Deadline: Rolling

Value: Up to $5,000 (matching commitments required)

View complete program details

Through engagement in meaningful research collaborations with international partners, U of T faculty members and students contribute to solving complex global problems. One way the Office of the Vice President, International helps support this work is through various joint calls for research proposals with select international institutions. The collaborations supported through this seed funding leverage each institution’s unique research strengths, foster the mobility of researchers, and accelerate discovery.

Each call varies with respect to project length, allocated funding, and prioritized field depending on the nature of the partnership.

View current opportunities