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CIFAR Catalyst Funds Application
Opens Mar 31 2025 09:00 AM (EDT)
Description

CIFAR aims to facilitate and support interdisciplinary research through Collaborative Research Catalyst Funds. Catalyst funding is designed to provide seed funding for new innovative, high risk/high reward collaborative projects. Funding is for short-term, time-limited research collaborations between program members (minimum 2), either within the same program or across programs. 

The aim is to spur new collaborations that: provide flexibility for early stage or seed projects that are often difficult to fund; encourage interdisciplinary collaborations that push research boundaries at the vanguard; and/or address emerging and exploratory themes within research programs. They can include:

  • Proof of concept projects

  • Interdisciplinary projects involving a shared trainee

  • Extended collaborative visits for fellows and trainees

  • Extended collaboration with non-academic partners to advance program societal impact plans

  • One-time, small-scale research workshops (at least 50% of participants must be CIFAR members)

General Parameters: 

Eligibility: 

  • All program members (Fellows, Advisors, Associate Fellows and Global Scholars) are eligible to participate in Catalyst projects.

  • At least two CIFAR program members (either within or across research programs) must be involved. 

  • Program members may participate in more than one Catalyst grant at a time.

  • Catalyst grants are one-time-only grants and are non-renewable.

Duration: Catalyst Grants will be no more than two years in length. 

Award amount: Catalyst grants generally have a maximum value of $50,000 CAD and budgets must be justified. No overhead or administrative fees are to be charged on these funds. Teaching release is an ineligible expense. 

Method of payment: Grants will be awarded in a single payment at the start of the project. Payments may also be divided between fellows at different institutions by request.

If you have any questions, please contact catalystfunds@cifar.ca.


Apply

CIFAR Catalyst Funds Application


CIFAR aims to facilitate and support interdisciplinary research through Collaborative Research Catalyst Funds. Catalyst funding is designed to provide seed funding for new innovative, high risk/high reward collaborative projects. Funding is for short-term, time-limited research collaborations between program members (minimum 2), either within the same program or across programs. 

The aim is to spur new collaborations that: provide flexibility for early stage or seed projects that are often difficult to fund; encourage interdisciplinary collaborations that push research boundaries at the vanguard; and/or address emerging and exploratory themes within research programs. They can include:

  • Proof of concept projects

  • Interdisciplinary projects involving a shared trainee

  • Extended collaborative visits for fellows and trainees

  • Extended collaboration with non-academic partners to advance program societal impact plans

  • One-time, small-scale research workshops (at least 50% of participants must be CIFAR members)

General Parameters: 

Eligibility: 

  • All program members (Fellows, Advisors, Associate Fellows and Global Scholars) are eligible to participate in Catalyst projects.

  • At least two CIFAR program members (either within or across research programs) must be involved. 

  • Program members may participate in more than one Catalyst grant at a time.

  • Catalyst grants are one-time-only grants and are non-renewable.

Duration: Catalyst Grants will be no more than two years in length. 

Award amount: Catalyst grants generally have a maximum value of $50,000 CAD and budgets must be justified. No overhead or administrative fees are to be charged on these funds. Teaching release is an ineligible expense. 

Method of payment: Grants will be awarded in a single payment at the start of the project. Payments may also be divided between fellows at different institutions by request.

If you have any questions, please contact catalystfunds@cifar.ca.


Apply
Opens
Mar 31 2025 09:00 AM (EDT)