ARI Internal Funding - Cultivate Fund
The Cultivate Fund supports Humber employees engaged in original, externally-focused research and innovation by providing funding to employees exploring strategic research or innovation initiatives with an industry, community or academic partner. The Cultivate Fund application and review process is designed to be competitive, transparent, and equitable.
- $25,000 max per project
- Funding period: one year maximum
- Applications are accepted year round, on an ongoing basis.
The application and guidelines can be found here.
Mitacs Accelerate - Internship Program
The Accelerate program connects companies with postsecondary students to offer hands-on learning experience for students, while also helping businesses solve real-world challenges through student internship placements.
Mitacs Accelerate is now accepting applications from applicants at colleges and polytechnics as part of a pilot initiative for the sector.
More information about the Mitacs Accelerate program can also be found here.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
Connection Grants support events and outreach activities geared toward short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization initiatives. $7,000 to $25,000 can be awarded for events, and up to $50,000 for other outreach activities up to one year.
Humber Application Deadline: two weeks prior to SSHRC deadline
SSHRC Application Deadline: Feb 1, May 1, August 1
Partnership Engage Grants provide short-term and timely support for partnered research activities that will inform decision-making at a single partner organization from the public, private or not-for-profit sector. $7,000 to $25,000 can be awarded for up to one year.
Humber Application Deadline: two weeks prior to SSHRC deadline
SSHRC Application Deadline: March 15, June 1, September 15, December 15
New Frontiers in Research Fund – Exploration
The objective of this inaugural competition is to generate opportunities for early career researchers (ECRs) to conduct high-risk, high-reward and interdisciplinary research not available through funding opportunities currently offered by the three agencies. It seeks to inspire highly innovative projects that defy current research paradigms, propose a unique scientific direction, bring disciplines together beyond the traditional disciplinary approaches, and/or use different perspectives to solve existing problems.
Notice of Intent: January 11, 2019
SSHCC Application Deadline: February 7, 2019
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) - College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program
The College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program is managed by NSERC in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Proposed projects can be across the spectrum of natural and social sciences, engineering, humanities or health.
Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants
The objective of the ARTI Grants is to support the purchase of research equipment and installations to foster and enhance the capacity of colleges to undertake applied research, innovation and training in collaboration with local companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). ARTI Grants are one-year awards that support the purchase of applied research equipment costing between $7,000 and $150,000. The proposed equipment may be a single item or a collection of items targeted at a particular applied research area.
Humber Application Deadline: two weeks prior to NSERC deadline
NSERC Application Deadline: March 21, 2019
Engage Grants are designed to give innovative companies that operate from a Canadian base access to the unique knowledge, expertise and capabilities available at Canadian universities and colleges. These grants are intended to foster the development of new research partnerships by supporting short-term research and development projects aimed at addressing a company-specific problem. Up to $25,000 can be awarded for up to six months.
Applied Research and Development Grants
Applied Research and Development (ARD) Grants are intended to provide companies that operate from a Canadian base access to the unique knowledge, expertise and capabilities available at Canadian colleges and to train students in essential technical skills required by companies. ARD projects can be at any point in the research and development (R&D) spectrum that is consistent with the college's applied research, training and technology transfer mandate. Up to $150,000 can be awarded for up to three years.
Innovation Links Grants support college-university collaborations working with the business sector to realize successful commercialization. Direct project costs are shared by the company partner(s) and the CCI Program. Projects may span up to three years in duration. The maximum grant is $125,000 per year. The eligible company partner(s) contribution(s) must be at least equal to the amount requested from NSERC, in cash and/or in-kind – of which at least one third must be in cash.
Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE)
Voucher for Innovation and Productivity I (VIP I) and Voucher for Innovation and Productivity II (VIP II)
VIP I and VIP II grants enable the development of new products and/or processes, facilitate productivity improvements, and help generate new revenues and high-value jobs for Ontario. The VIP I program supports collaborations between industry and post-secondary institutions that lead to knowledge mobilization, commercialization and increased productivity with significant economic impact for Ontario, these projects are up to 12 months in duration with a maximum award of $20,000. The VIP II address company needs by enabling the development of new products and/or processes, or facilitating productivity improvements, by leveraging post-secondary institutions' skills and resources, for 12-24 months in duration with a maximum award of $75,000/year.
Canadian Foundation for Innovation
College-Industry Innovation Fund
College-Industry Innovation Fund (CIIF) seeks to enhance the capacity of colleges to support business innovation in Canada by providing them with state-of-the-art, industry-relevant research infrastructure to foster partnerships with the private sector in a specific area of strategic priority to the institution. The CFI will fund up to 40 percent of a project’s eligible infrastructure costs. Colleges can submit up to two proposals per competition under each stream of the CIIF and request up to $1 million per proposal from the CFI.
Stream 1 – Research infrastructure
| Dates* | Activities |
| Annually on March 15 | Deadline for the submission of notices of intent |
| Annually on May 15 | Deadline for the submission of proposals |
| Annually in November | CFI Board decisions |
Stream 2 – Research infrastructure associated with a NSERC CCI-Build IE grant application
| Dates | Activities |
| May 24, 2018 | Deadline for the submission of notices of intent |
| August 2018 | Invitation to submit a proposal |
| October 25, 2018 | Deadline for the submission of proposals |
| March 2019 | CFI Board decisions |
Ontario – Early Research Awards (ERA) Program
The Early Researcher Awards program gives funding to new researchers working at publicly funded Ontario research institutions to build a research team.
Each award to a leading researcher is a maximum of $100,000 for up to 5 years duration, and must be matched by an additional $50,000 from the researcher’s institution and/or partner organization.
The government will provide up to $40,000 to your research centre for indirect costs.
View the program guidelines for more information.
You are eligible if you:
- are a full-time faculty member or principal investigator at an eligible research institution
- have started your academic career on or after July 1, 2013
- have completed your first Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, Medical Doctor or terminal degree on or after July 1, 2008
- have not already held an Early Researcher Award
- are not a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair
2019 call for application not yet announced:
Anticipated Notice of Intent Deadline - June 2019
Anticipated Full Proposal Deadline - August 2019
If you are interested in applying for these funding opportunities or if you would like more information about Applied Research & Innovation opportunities at Humber, please contact crystal.williams@humber.ca.