Internal Funding Programs

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The OVPRI offers research funding opportunities for UTSC faculty across all disciplines

University of Toronto Scarborough Internal Programs

DOWNLOAD DETAILED PROGRAM GUIDELINES

INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION FORMS: 

1) NOTICE OF INTEREST (NOI) & SUGGESTED REVIEWERS    

2) PROPOSAL COVER PAGE      

3) BUDGET TEMPLATE

 

Program Purpose

The purpose of the Clusters of Scholarly Prominence Program (CSPP) is to promote self-sustaining, interdisciplinary, interdepartmental and, if appropriate, interdivisional collaborative clusters of scholarship in areas of established and emerging strength at UTSC that have a demonstrable capacity to augment the University of Toronto’s (U of T) global standing through prominence in scholarship, creative activity, and exceptional learning. Funded clusters can contribute in new ways to the enterprises of the three institutes that represent UTSC’s established strengths or can contribute to emerging strengths.

 

AWARD DETAILS

Proposals can request funding ranging up to $200,000 per year. The budget does not have to be equal each year of the proposed project if the expected spending each year is based on the research goals, objectives, and methods proposed and justified in the application. Successful applications will be funded for 1, 2 or three years.

 

DEADLINE

·       A mandatory Notice of Intent (NOI) must be submitted by February 15th.

·       The deadline for the submission of full proposals is March 31st. 

If either of the above deadlines falls on a weekend or public holiday, the deadline is the next business day.

 

Contact

If you have any questions about this fund, please contact Brice Rousseau, Research Partnership & Business Development Officer (brice.rousseau@utoronto.ca

 

 

EaRTH District Collaborative Research Grant (EDCRG) – An EaRTH Initiative

This EaRTH Initiative aims to develop collaborative projects with industry and government partners in the eastern GTA including Scarborough, Durham Region, and Peterborough. It will explore synergies that can strengthen and enhance the Canadian clean technology sector, and provide increased opportunities for economic development that will foster the creation of highly skilled jobs and support the transfer of knowledge to society. The Initiative includes shared research facilities, joint research projects, and collaborations on teaching and learning.

 

2022-23 Competition

The University of Toronto Scarborough, Centennial College, Fleming College, Ontario Tech University and Trent University are pleased to announce the 2022-23 call for research projects in the EaRTH District Collaborative Research Grant (EDCRG) competition, an exciting research opportunity that was launched in February 2021.

The overall aim of this opportunity is to provide initial seed funding for the development of high-quality collaborative research projects in areas of mutual strength and shared interest that advance the Environmental and Related Technologies Hub (EaRTH) Initiative. This seed funding is available for faculty/staff at the participating institutions to undertake short-term visits to initiate, deepen and extend collaborative research links with the goal of enabling principal investigators to make joint proposals to external funding sources for the next phase of their research.

The theme for the 2022-23 call is Sustainable Transportation, Mobility, and Electric Vehicle Innovations. Please click here for further details and the complete guidelines

 

Institutional Contacts

Interested faculty with questions about this opportunity should contact their institutional representative, identified below.

 

Centennial College: Jonathan Hack, Executive Director, Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Services (jhack@centennialcollege.ca / 416-289-5000: Ext. 8152)

Fleming College: Brett Goodwin, Vice President, Applied Research and Innovation (Brett.Goodwin@flemingcollege.ca / 705-324-9144 x 3093)

Ontario Tech University: Jennifer Freeman, Executive Director, Office of Research Services (research@ontariotechu.ca / 905-925-9966)

Trent University: Inna Seviaryna, Research Facilitator, Office of Research and Innovation (innaseviaryna@trentu.ca/ 705-748-1011: Ext. 6186)

UTSC: Jason Darby, Research Partnership and Business Development Officer (j.darby@utoronto.ca

 

Please visit the website of the Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean to download the grant guidelines and application cover sheet.

 

Fund Summary

  • The fund supports scholarly events that enhance the profile of U of T Scarborough in the wider scholarly community.
  • Preference given to events that take place on the U of T Scarborough campus and those that have a clear research benefit to the faculty and/or students at U of T Scarborough. 
  • Applicants must also seek support from other sources for which they may be eligible (external agencies and internal sources).

Download the Sponsorship Request memo in pdf

Request the Sponsorship Request memo in Word by writing to researchoffice.utsc@utoronto.ca

Program Purpose

The Offices of the Vice-Principal Research and the Dean & Vice-Principal Academic will jointly decide on the level of support to be provided.  The Office of the Vice-Principal Research is the first point of contact if the sponsorship request is related to an external research conference grant application (e.g. SSHRC Connections Grant).

When considering these requests, the Office of the Vice-Principal Research will give preference to:

  • conferences/symposia/workshops that take place at the University of Toronto Scarborough 
  • conferences/symposia/workshops that have a clear research benefit to the faculty and/or students at U of T Scarborough 
  • contributions toward the travel costs of a keynote speaker, poster sessions, student travel bursaries, best student poster/ presentation awards or other research related activity.

The Office of the Vice-Principal Research is unable to provide support for pedagogical conferences.

Requests from faculty members/ student groups must have the endorsement of their Department Chair or Centre Director and include details on the support the department centre will be providing towards the costs of the event. 

Guidelines

The Offices of the Vice-Principal Research and the Dean & Vice-Principal Academic regularly receives requests for sponsorship and support for events organized by U of T Scarborough faculty members or student groups that enhance the profile of U of T Scarborough in the wider scholarly community. When considering these requests, preference will be given to conferences/ symposia/ workshops organized by U of T Scarborough faculty/ students that take place on the U of T Scarborough campus. 

Eligible Support

  • Support from the Office of the Vice-Principal Research: Preference will be given to conferences/ symposia/ workshops that take place at U of T Scarborough and have a clear research benefit to the faculty and/or students at U of T Scarborough. Preference will be given to contributions towards the travel costs of a keynote speaker, poster sessions, student travel bursaries, best student poster/ presentation awards or other research-related activity. The Office of the Vice-Principal Research is unable to provide support for pedagogical conferences.   
  • Support from the Office of the Dean & Vice-Principal Academic: Preference will be given to conferences/ symposia /workshops that take place at U of T Scarborough and have a clear academic benefit to the faculty and/or students at U of T Scarborough. Pedagogical conferences are eligible for funding from the Dean. Funds may also be requested for disability accommodation as needed for a particular event.   
  • Faculty and students seeking support from either Office must also seek support from other sources for which they may be eligible (e.g. for faculty - SSHRC Connections Grant; e.g. for students - Partnership Fund, SCSU, GSAS).

Procedure

  1. Each event must have a sponsor, normally from the host unit. Requests from faculty member/ student groups must have the endorsement of their Department Chair/Centre Director, who will forward the request to the Dean's office or the Office of the Vice-Principal Research.   
  2. Requests must include the following information:
    • Overview of the event, including location. 
    • Rationale for support (e.g. how the event is the most appropriate venue for the communication of the research; impact of the event on the discipline; impact of the event on U of T Scarborough's profile in the scholarly community). If the event is not being held at U of T Scarborough, please address this in the rationale. 
    • Involvement of U of T Scarborough faculty/ students 
    • Specific details on the needed U of T Scarborough sponsorship, including a rationale for the need and identification of costs.   
  3. Requests will be evaluated using the following criteria:
    • Appropriateness of the event, with specific reference to the department's academic plan and/or U of T Scarborough's Strategic Plan
    • Enhancement of U of T Scarborough's profile in the scholarly community 
    • Need for Funds   
  4. The Vice-Principal Research and the Dean & Vice-Principal Academic will jointly decide on the level of support to be provided.   
  5. The decision will be communicated to the Department Chair/Centre Director under the signature of the Vice-Principal Research and Dean.   
  6. Payment of Support: Transfer to U of T conference account or by expense reimbursement depending upon the nature of the sponsorship
  7. The sponsorship of both Offices will be acknowledged on all conference advertising (print, website, etc.).   
  8. Report: Recipients must submit a report of one to two pages in length describing what was accomplished and how the funds were expended to the Dean's office or the Office of the Vice-Principal Research no later than two months after the event. Please include information on the impact of the U of T Scarborough support as well as a breakdown of conference attendance number (U of T Scarborough, St. George, International) in order for the Offices of the Vice-Principal Research, and of the Dean & Vice-Principal Academic to assess the impact of their support. 

For any further questions or concerns, please email researchoffice.utsc@utoronto.ca

Please submit your Sponsorship request to researchoffice.utsc@utoronto.ca. Your application will be confirmed by the Office of the Vice-Principal Research.

 

Fund Summary

  • The fund provides financial aid to Principal Investigators who have submitted to one of four Tri-Agency grant programs: SSHRC Insight Grants, SSHRC Insight Development Grants, NSERC Discovery Grants or CIHR Project Grants.
  • Faculty must meet several eligibility conditions for the funding. Please contact your department Chair or unit Director for more information.

Download Guidelines in pdf

Download Guidelines in Word

Program Purpose

Changes at the Tri-Agencies have made the securing or renewal of funding a greater challenge. To help offset these challenges, UTSC has implemented a Bridge Funding Program to provide financial aid for UTSC researchers. Principal Investigators (PIs) eligible for Bridge Funding must have submitted to one of the following Tri-Agency grant programs:
 
I. SSHRC Insight Grants
II. SSHRC Insight Development Grants
III. NSERC Discovery Grants
IV. CIHR Project Grants
 
(Please note that the NSERC Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) grant is not eligible for Bridge Funding support.)

Conditions

  • Bridge funding is available only for PIs who have full-time research faculty appointments in UTSC departments. Faculty and researchers holding teaching or graduate-only appointments, other types of cross-appointments, or emeritus faculty, are not eligible.
  • Applicant must commit to responding to reviewer feedback.
  • Applicants must re-apply within the next two Tri-Agency program deadlines. An application to another Tri-Agency Research Council is permitted (e.g. CIHR to NSERC, or NSERC to SSHRC).
  • Applicant must commit to submitting their proposal for peer review and/or OVPR review.

Funding and Deadlines

  • Department Chairs or Directors are expected to coordinate Bridge Funding within their units and to communicate requests to the OVPR.
  • Bridge Funding levels will depend on the grant amount requested in the Tri-Agency proposal and the number of unsuccessful proposals meeting the Bridge Funding eligibility criteria in the given year.
  • Applicants can only be eligible for one Bridge Funding opportunity per year.
  • As long as the total of all requests for Bridge Funding in a given year does not exceed the total budget available, all eligible proposals will receive bridge funding.
  • Funding levels will be communicated to departments and PIs, and funds transferred to PI account.
  • Note that funds are limited and availability will be confirmed year-to-year.

Application Process

  • Upon receiving results from Tri-Council competitions, Department Chairs and the OVPR will communicate to identify eligible faculty members.
  • Department Chairs or Directors will confirm that eligible faculty members wish to be considered for funding.
  • Funding levels will be communicated to departments and PIs, and funds transferred to PI account.

Contact

If you have any questions about this fund, please contact researchoffice.utsc@utoronto.ca

 

 

Fund Summary

  • Located on the north side of campus, east of the Toronto Pan-Am Sports Centre, and beyond the Morningside Athletic Fields, is the U of T Scarborough Campus Farm. The 10-acre, brownfield site is dedicated to teaching, research, and community engagement on campus. 
  • The U of T Scarborough Campus Farm provides faculty with the opportunity to use the farm as an outdoor classroom for lectures, seminars, tutorials, hands-on workshops/class field trips, and more.
  • The plots for research initiatives provide tenure-stream research faculty and their students an opportunity to carry out research studies on the Campus Farm. Each research plot is 5 metres x 5 metres.

Download Guidelines in PDF

Purpose

The purpose of the UTSC Plots for Research initiative is to provide UTSC tenure stream research faculty and their students an opportunity to carry out research studies on the north side of campus. The research plots are 5m x 5m square plots.

Guidelines

  1. Requests for using the Campus Farm will be reviewed by the Campus Farm Program Committee which will make recommendations to the Campus Farm Steering Committee which will make the final decisions about programming.

    The Program Committee may include the following members:

    • Committee Chair
    • Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences (or designate)
    • Chair of the Department of Human Geography (or designate)
    • Chair of the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences (or designate)
    • Chair of the Department of Sociology (or designate)
    • Director of the Culinaria Research Centre (or designate)
    • 2 faculty members-at-large
    • 1 faculty member from a tri-campus unit with related expertise & interest (e.g., Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design)
    • 1 graduate student or post-doctoral fellow
    • 1 undergraduate student
    • 1 staff from Community Partnerships
    • 1 staff from the Doris McCarthy Gallery
    • Campus Farm Coordinator
    • U of T Scarborough Grounds Supervisor
    • (consultation with Occupational Health & Safety and AccessAbility Services)

     

    The application can be found here. Application deadline is December 20, 2021. If you have questions about the application form or how the farm can support your course or your research project, please contact Campus Farm Coordinator, Béatrice Lego, beatrice.lego@utoronto.ca

University of Toronto Internal Programs

The Connaught programs are open to emerging and established scholars across disciplinary, career stage, geographic, and sectoral boundaries. Full program details and application materials can be found on the Connaught website.

Questions may be addressed to connaught.secretariat@utoronto.ca or 416-978-3211.

The mandate of the UofT Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) portfolio is to seed, launch and sustain large-scale interdisciplinary strategic research networks with scholars from multiple units and divisions; meaningful tri-campus representation; the potential for high impact scholarship and training; and the potential to secure external funding. The portfolio coordinates university-wide and divisional resources to support two main activities.

1.       Seeding and building potential initiatives

2.       Supporting large-scale research initiatives

General Inquiries, Institutional Strategic Initiatives Office: strat.initiatives@utoronto.ca

UTSC OVPRI Contact: Suhail Asrar

The Major Research Project Management (MRPM) Fund is an initiative designed 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.

More information

The Joint EMHSeed and XSeed program is an interdivisional research funding program designed to promote multi-disciplinary research and catalyze new innovative partnerships between a coPI from the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering (FASE) and a coPI from outside Engineering. Partner divisions for these programs are:

  1. For EMHSeed: Temerty Faculty of Medicine (FoM), UofT Affiliated Hospitals, Medicine by Design (MbD), Translational Biology and Engineering Program (TBEP) Knowledge, Innovation, Talent, Everywhere (KITE)
  2. For XSeed: Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS), University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC)/EaRTH District Collaborative Research Grant (EDCRG), Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), as well as other UofT Divisions.

 

Click here for the 2023 Call for Proposals (Deadline March 6 2023)

Click here for the 2023 Application Form (Deadline March 6 2023)