Funding Opportunities

Research Funding Opportunities

If you are interested in any of the opportunities listed below, please e-mail the Research Officer Eric Pilles (epilles2@uwo.ca).    

Current Opportunities:  

If you are interested in any of the opportunities listed below, please e-mail the Research Coordinator Eric Pilles (epilles2@uwo.ca).   

NEW! 

Space Brain Hack 

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is seeking a Contractor to engage and support educators working with youth in grades 6-12 (grade 6 to secondary 5 in Quebec) for the national implementation of its Space Brain Hack activity. Through this initiative, youth are invited to brainstorm and propose solutions, innovations, and inventions to open-ended problems, within specific limitations, to the same challenges that experts are actively working on as Canada prepares to visit the Moon as part of the Lunar Gateway program. The solutions brainstormed and out-of-box thinking coming from Canadian youth may help inspire experts and shape Canada's space program. Applications are due December 14th, 2022. For more details click here! 

NEW! 

Enhancing Industry-University Collaboration with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) funding for highly qualified personnel (HQP) training - Research Component 

The objective of the "Enhancing industry-university collaboration with CSA funding for HQP training (EIUC)" initiative is to award grants to support industry-academia collaborative space research projects through Canadian Universities for projects that have already received an NSERC Alliance Grant under the NSERC - Alliance Grants Program and are either about to begin or are still underway. Applications are due December 16th, 2022. For more details click here! 

NEW! 

Research Opportunities in Space Science (2022 – 2027) 

Through this Announcement of Opportunity (AO), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is furthering its mandate to advance the knowledge of space through science. Key areas to advance scientific knowledge have been identified based on CSA priorities, goals, and objectives: planetary science and astronomy, atmospheric and solar-terrestrial science, and Lunar Gateway science and technology. Grants awarded through this AO will support researchers at Canadian Universities and Post-Second Institutions acting as co-investigators on international missions, guest observers with partnerships external to the CSA, as well as researchers performing data analysis of measurements from CSA supported instruments. The first round of applications are due December 22, 2022. Future application cycles will have deadlines each year in July. For more details click here! 

Supplements to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Postdoctoral Fellowships (PDF) Program 2022 

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is issuing this Announcement of Opportunity (AO) to to award a grant supplement to postdoctoral researchers who will have been awarded an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship under NSERC's PDF program. the CSA will offer up to five (5) supplements in the amount of $20,000 to eligible postdoctoral researchers who are involved in a promising research project that is aligned with and that will contribute to the priorities outlined in the Space Strategy for Canada. Applications are due January 13, 2023. For more details click here! 

Health & Life Sciences Data and Sample Mining or Research Models 

The intent of this AO is to provide financial support to researchers in Canadian Universities and post-secondary institutions to conduct science investigations that will lead to a better understanding of human spaceflight risks while contributing to improve remote medicine and health benefits here on Earth. This AO is divided in two categories: Topic 1 (Data and Sample mining) solicits proposals for scientific analysis, using databases or samples derived from existing collections to improve the understanding of the risks of spaceflight or for initial validation of new countermeasures; and Topic 2 (Research Model), soliciting proposals for research using non-human subject research models such as animals, cells, organoids, cell-free systems and model organisms. The studies selected for this AO are expected to be precursors of Canadian investigations on the ISS or other space research platforms. Applications are due January 16th, 2023. For more details click here! 

Technology Demonstration AO 

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is issuing this AO to specifically support the Canadian space sector with funds to demonstrate new technologies in space, before December 2026. This AO will award non-repayable contributions of up to $2M per research and development project, that expect benefits in the short to medium term (i.e. 1 to 5 years). This AO will be open continuously until March 29th 2024 or until complete subscription of the total amount of the AO. For more details click here! 

Notice – Financial Support for XRISM Guest Scientist (XGS) Opportunity 

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is informing universities and post-secondary institutions of its intention to support researchers selected through the NASA Solicitation for the XRISM Guest Scientist (XGS) Program. This is part of the CSA's Grants and Contributions Program to support Research, Awareness and Learning in Space Science and Technology – Research Component. Deadline: For guidance, the Announcement of Opportunity (AO) publication is targeted in summer 2022 on the CSA website. It is anticipated that the Application deadline will be approximately one month after NASA solicitation results are communicated. Several factors may influence these dates. For more details click here! 

Western Innovation Fund (WIF) Competition  

The Western Innovation Fund awards are supported by the Vice-President (Research) and are intended to fund projects that will advance innovative research results towards application and commercialization. This competition is for one-time projects based on existing research initiatives. Applicants can only receive one grant per type of project or technology. WORLDiscoveries personnel are available for consultation on issues related to intellectual property and commercialization. Projects are expected to be of short duration (6-12 months). Up to $100,000 in funding is available and is repayable only if there is a positive commercial outcome. The submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) is required before a full application can be submitted to Western Research. A new LOI is not required if WORLDiscoveries has requested a resubmission to a new competition; however, a new ROLA Proposal must accompany the resubmitted application. Researchers may apply at any time. For more details click here! 

LOOKNorth Technology Investment Program (TIP) 

LOOKNorth`s Technology Investment Program (TIP) promotes the deployment of monitoring technologies to provide breakthroughs in the safe and sustainable development and transportation of Canada’s natural resources. The program co-funds technology validation projects and is intended as a precursor to long-term implementation of remote sensing and other monitoring technologies in the resource sectors; its primary goal is sustained commercialization of these technologies. This grant opportunity is ongoing with a rolling deadline. Funding amount is $200,000 per project. For more details click here! 

Bell-Western 5G Research Grant  

Bell Canada and Western are partnering to establish a national centre for research development of 5G networks. This centre will engage the strengths and research expertise at Western in the areas of 5G capacity planning and small cell deployment, intelligent 5G management and operations, disruptive applications of 5G, QoS and QoE provisioning, smart cities planning and infrastructure, mental health and wellbeing, and policy development. Funding amount is $500,000 for a duration of one year. For more details click here! 

CFI - John R. Evans Leaders Fund 

The JELF program is designed to help universities attract and retain the very best of today and tomorrow’s researchers at a time of intense international competition. To this end, the JELF program enables a select number of an institution’s excellent researchers to undertake leading-edge research by providing them with the foundational research infrastructure required to be or become leaders in their field. In turn, this enables institutions to remain internationally competitive in areas of research and technology development, aligned with their strategic priorities. The fund also offers institutions the opportunity to create competitive research support packages in the form of infrastructure and a portion of the operating and maintenance costs, coupled with direct research costs from partner organizations. For more details click here!