PhD and Post-Doc Fellow Openings at Western University
C-CBC Member Prof. Ying Zheng has a PhD opening and a Post-Doc Fellow (PDF) opening. The PhD position is on catalytic biofuel deoxygenation and the PDF position is on surface modification of cellulose and lignin. Please click here for a job description of the PDF position. Potential applicants may email Prof. Zheng to inquire or apply.
Climate Change AI Innovation Grants
Deadline:
October 15, 2021
With the support of Schmidt Futures and the Quadrature Climate Foundation, we will fund year-long research projects at the intersection of climate change and machine learning for up to USD 150K per project, for a total of USD 1.8M. The program will be focused on fostering pathways to deployment for data-driven work on climate change, and on funding the creation of impactful datasets that can spur further work in this area.
Website: https://www.climatechange.ai/calls/innovation_grants
Clean Fuels Fund - Building New Domestic Production Capacity
Deadline:
September 29, 2021
Canada’s clean fuels industry must immediately, and significantly, increase its current capacity to play the critical role needed in our net-zero future. To do this, it will be essential to overcome the barrier of the upfront capital cost that private sector investment faces in the buildout of new clean fuels production capacity.
To that end, the Clean Fuels Fund will provide the private sector with cost-shared, conditionally repayable funding to build new, or retrofit or expand existing, clean fuel production facilities in Canada.
Support is also available for feasibility studies, basic engineering studies and detailed front-end engineering studies for new facilities, facility expansions or facility conversions.
Website: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/clean-fuels-fund-building-new-domestic-production-capacity/23726
New Frontiers in Research Fund
Deadline:
November 2nd, 2021
The objective of the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Transformation stream is to support large-scale, Canadian-led interdisciplinary research projects that address a major challenge with the potential to realize real and lasting change. The challenge may be fundamental, leading to a scientific breakthrough, or applied, with a social, economic, environmental or health impact. Projects are expected to be world-leading, drawing on global research expertise, when relevant.
Transformation stream grants will support projects that:
tackle a well-defined problem or challenge;
propose a novel world-leading approach that is different from the current state-of-the-art approaches to the issue;
are interdisciplinary, bringing different perspectives to the defined problem; and
have the potential to be transformative, defined as the potential to create a significant and real change or impact—a noticeable leap or tangible breakthrough rather than an incremental advance.
In the NFRF program, the definition of “transformative” is linked to the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s proposed definition of convergence research (PDF, 726 KB), where “convergence research is increasingly seen as the way to solve pressing challenges.” It is aligned with the National Science Foundation’s definition of convergence research, focusing on research driven by a specific and compelling problem and deep integration across disciplines. It also has strong parallels to Horizon Europe in its reference to mission-oriented research and innovation with bold and concrete objectives to respond to societal challenges.
To better promote ground-breaking and interdisciplinary research, the NFRF program has a mandate to explore innovative merit review processes and the flexibility for competition parameters and processes to evolve from one competition to the next. The 2022 Transformation competition merit review processes include elements that are distinct from those used in flagship tri-agency programs. It is important to read all material related to the competition to ensure that submissions at each stage are complete.
It is anticipated that Transformation competitions will be held every two years with a similar competition budget.
Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) Theme Partnership Program on climate mitigation
Deadline:
November 15, 2021
The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) is proud to offer British Columbia-led teams the opportunity to pursue innovative and cutting-edge original research that addresses the greatest challenge of our time, climate change.
A call is now open for proposals under the institute’s Theme Partnership Program, which supports complex, and critically important, climate mitigation and adaptation research projects, funded up to $1 million. This flagship program currently supports three $1M projects that are investigating wildfire and carbon (storage), coastal adaptation to sea level rise and flooding, and negative emissions technology.
Theme partnerships involve interdisciplinary teams of researchers and climate solution decision-makers (from the private and public sector) working together from project outset, to results implementation.
Application involves a two-phase review process beginning with a Letter of Intent (LOI) submitted by a full-time faculty member from a PICS university—i.e. the University of Victoria, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University or the University of Northern British Columbia. Selected candidates are then invited to complete a full proposal.
Theme Partnership projects are funded to a maximum of $250,000 per year for up to four years.
Website: https://pics.uvic.ca/programs/theme-partnership-program
Innovative Solutions Canada by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Apply anytime
The Government of Canada is looking for innovators to solve challenges. As the single largest purchaser of Canadian goods and services, the Government of Canada has a unique opportunity to support the growth of Canadian innovators and entrepreneurs.
We need you, Canadian small businesses and innovators, to develop novel solutions to these challenges. Through the Innovative Solutions Canada program, we're partnering with eligible Canadian small businesses and facilitating the early development, testing and validation of prototypes, as well as preparing a pathway to commercialization.
If your idea is selected, you could receive up to $150,000 in support to develop a proof of concept.
If your proof of concept is approved, you could receive up to $1 million in support to develop a prototype.
If the developed innovation solves the Government of Canada's challenge, we could be your first buyer.
What is this opportunity?
Collaboration can increase the impact of clean energy investments and enhance the pace and scale of the adoption of clean energy technology. In partnership with Breakthrough Energy, this Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) led call for proposals will leverage financing and expertise to support the advancement of Canadian clean energy technologies that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
What successful applicants will receive
This program will make available a total initial investment of up to $30M for breakthrough energy technologies. It is also a unique opportunity for Canadian entrepreneurs and start-ups to access potential funding and valuable insight from private investors, like Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV). The successful cohort of companies will also have the opportunity to attend annual “pitch events”, where they can showcase their innovations to investors like BEV and have the opportunity to be considered for additional private investment.
Website: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/101.nsf/eng/00001.html
Going Global Innovation Program by Global Affairs Canada
Apply anytime
The Going Global Innovation (GGI) program is specifically designed to promote and enhance Canada's international innovation efforts. The program supports researchers who aim to commercialize technology by pursuing collaborative international research and development (R&D) opportunities through partnerships with key players in foreign markets.
Who are the beneficiaries?
Eligible beneficiaries are Canadian innovators from small or medium size enterprises, universities and nongovernment research centres.
How does the funding work?
GGI provides assistance by contributing up to 75% of eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $75,000 for any approved project. Eligible expenses may include: international and local travel, accommodation, meals, meeting costs, legal fees to support formalized partnerships, and other costs related to international collaboration. Going Global Innovation supports project driven technology commercialization efforts and is not event driven. Only in very exceptional circumstances will GGI support conference fees. It must be clearly demonstrated to the Department that the meeting with a pre-confirmed foreign entity could not be held anywhere else in the world or at any other time.
More details see webpage:
Full scholarship for joint Phd supervision by Southern University of Science and Technology, China
UBC Faculty of Applied Science and Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) partnered to facilitate students who are interested in pursuing a PhD program of study at UBC. Students in this program are co-supervised by UBC and SUSTech professors and spend around 2 years at each university. Completing this program will entitle the students with regular UBC PhD degree and a SUSTech completion certificate. A scholarship has been established to support successful candidates by providing $25,000 per year for 4 years of study.
Professors can nominate potential candidates to the coordinator of either university. The program can help to identify co-supervisor(s) and guide qualified candidates to apply.
Contacts:
Accelerate Program by Mitacs
Apply anytime
Funding to support graduate students or postdocs to research in a Canadian organization. Internships start at four months and can scale up. Projects receive $15,000 in funding for each four-month.
Eligibility:
Students: Full-time grad students at all Canadian universities
Postdocs: Postdoctoral fellows at all Canadian universities (except those who have previously held a Mitacs Elevate award). PhDs must have been granted no more than five years prior to the project’s start date
Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and international students
All academic disciplines
Faculty at all Canadian universities who are eligible to hold Tri-Council funds
Businesses and not-for-profit organizations
More details see webpage:
https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/accelerate