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

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:

1. tackle a well-defined problem or challenge;

2. propose a novel world-leading approach that is different from the current state-of-the-art approaches to the issue;

3. are interdisciplinary, bringing different perspectives to the defined problem; and

4. 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.

Website: https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/nfrf-fnfr/transformation/2022/competition-concours-eng.aspx

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:

https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/funding_support_programs-programmes_de_financement_de_soutien.aspx?lang=eng

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:

Siduo Zhang, Coordinator, UBC

Bao Zhu, Coordinator, SUSTech 

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