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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Internal Funding

The Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation coordinates a number of internal funding programs designed to support research by Ontario Tech University faculty and reward research excellence.
  • Building EDI Knowledge in Research-Pilot Initiative

    Note: Open to all Faculty members and post-doctoral fellows, across all disciplines

    Objective

    Through the Women in Research Council, in partnership with the Office of Research Services and the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, the Building EDI Knowledge in Research – pilot initiative is being launched. This pilot initiative reflects Ontario Tech University’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and research excellence by building capacity and leadership in EDI, in both faculty members and post-doctoral fellows. Faculty members and post-doctoral fellows are key drivers in creating and implementing practices and initiatives for an equitable, diverse and inclusive research environment at Ontario Tech. This initiative aims to support EDI knowledge building to cultivate new capacity and/or continue to expand an inclusive culture and inform EDI practices in research.

    Specifically, this initiative will:

    • Engage individuals/research team/unit EDI training opportunities
    • Cultivate new capacity and/or continue to expand an inclusive culture and inform EDI practices in research.
    • Allow awardees to share their learning with the Ontario Tech community

    Eligibility

    Post-doctoral fellows and all faculty members are eligible to apply (TTT, LTF, TF). Limited-term faculty (LTF) and teaching faculty (TF) members are eligible to apply provided that research is part of their workload and with Dean approval.

    NOTE: There must be a nominated eligible principal applicant, however, applications can be for an individual or to support a team/unit.

    Value

    $500 to $5,000

    Term of Funding

    Term of Funding: November 2023 to March 31, 2024. Funds must be spent before March 31, 2024.

    Eligible Expenses

    The following expenses will be considered eligible for funding received through this funding opportunity:

    • Travel, accommodation and meals for participant(s) (faculty member, postdoctoral fellow) or invited speaker(s)
    • Speaker fees or other associated costs to support the delivery of training
    • Training/workshop registration fees
    • Other expenses may be eligible with a justification
    • NOTE: All expenses must adhere to Ontario Tech policies and procedures. Specifically, the Internal use of Research Funds and the Expenses Policy

    Timeline

    • Launch: September 6, 2023
    • Application Deadline: October 6, 2023
    • Results announcement: Early November 2023

    Funding Criteria and Process

    This initiative aims to support EDI knowledge building to cultivate new capacity and/or continue to expand an inclusive culture and inform EDI practices in research. It is intended to support those interested in furthering their EDI credentials and knowledge beyond what is offered at Ontario Tech. Engagement in EDI training can be implemented in one of two ways:

    • Applicant attending a conference with a focus on EDI in research; a specific course, workshop or program focused on an EDI topic (e.g., workshops on developing EDI action plans; sex and gender-based analyses (SGBA+) and integration of sex and gender considerations in the research proposal; EDI barriers to research in specific disciplines and practices to address these barriers, etc.).
    • Inviting an expert(s) to the university to offer a course, workshop or training focused on EDI in research for a research team or unit.

    The following evaluation criteria will be used, each rated on a 5-point scale:

    • Value of the EDI conference/training for enhancing the applicant’s or applicant’s team/unit's EDI knowledge and research program
    • Quality of the plan for mobilization of the knowledge gained after participating in the EDI training/conference

    All applications will be reviewed by a committee composed of the Executive Director, Office of Research Services; Women in Research Council Chair; 1-2 Faculty Members or Associate Deans/Deans; Ad Hoc Reviewers, as needed. The committee members will receive training on the potential negative impact of unconscious bias. Notification of results will be sent to all applicants once decisions have been finalized. All decisions are final.

    Conditions of Funding

    • Each recipient is required to engage in Knowledge Mobilization activities upon completion of the training to share their learning and create awareness with the Ontario Tech University community. These Knowledge Mobilization activities can take various forms: g., sharing knowledge through the Women in Research Council (WIRC) talks series, lab meetings; or talks to the larger Faculty/university community.
    • Recipients are required to submit a report at the completion of the training/course and to describe what they learned and how it was disseminated. The report must be submitted no later than March 31, 2024. The report has to be sent via email to Raluca Dubrowski. Additionally, recipients are expected to share resources available from these events with the Office of Research Services to broaden the institutional knowledge.

    How to Apply

    • Complete the attached Application Form. Note that Limited-term faculty (LTF) and teaching faculty (TF) members who conduct research as part of their workload need Dean approval, provided via email.
    • Send the completed Application Form by email to Raluca Dubrowski by October 6, 2023.

    Application Form
  • Research Excellence Chairs Program

    Ontario Tech University established the Research Excellence Chairs Program to recognize and retain outstanding researchers at Ontario Tech University. The program has three streams and is designed to enable researchers to complete a major research program. Further, the program is meant to emphasize the importance of research at Ontario Tech in strategic areas, while highlighting and promoting the outstanding achievements of our scholars and the university’s commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

    Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Focus

    We encourage participation and representation from persons in the federally recognized Four Designated Groups (FDGs), which include women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities and racialized scholars, and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. In addition, principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion will guide the application and adjudication process.

    Eligibility 

    The program is open to researchers from all disciplines. Current Research Excellence Chairholders are only eligible to apply in their final year. The program has three streams:

    • Stream 1 (Transform): Open to previous Chairholders, including, Canada Research Chairs, Industrial Research Chairs and those who have been awarded and completed an Ontario Tech University Research Excellence Chair.
    • Stream 2 (Ignite): Open to all Tenured and Tenure-Track (TTT) faculty members at Ontario Tech University.
    • Stream 3 (Social Innovation): Open to all Tenured and Tenure-Track (TTT) faculty members at Ontario Tech University (including previous Chairholders) whose research contributes to social innovation, defined as the process of developing and deploying effective solutions to challenging and often systemic social and environmental issues in support of social progress.

    Deadlines

    • Full Application: May 8, 2024
    • Decisions: June 2024
    • Start Date of Award: July 1, 2024

    Value

    Up to $15,000 per year of the award.  The number of Chairs that the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (VPRI) will support is dependent on available funding.  

    Duration

    • Stream 1 (Transform): Three years, renewable based on performance and available funding.
    • Stream 2 (Ignite): Two years, non-renewable. 
    • Stream 3 (Social Innovation): Two years, non-renewable.

    How to Apply

    See attached guidelines for details on how to apply.

    Contact Information  

    Grants Officer: Raluca Dubrowski
  • Research Excellence Awards

    The Research Excellence Awards (REA) are prestigious awards granted annually to recognize up to three tenured and/or tenure track faculty members for their outstanding contributions and achievements in research while at Ontario Tech University.

    Eligibility Criteria and Award Categories

    All current tenured and tenure-track faculty members who have been at Ontario Tech for at least one year are eligible to be nominated. Nominations may be submitted individually or collectively by current tenured or tenure-track faculty members, including Faculty Deans. Permission should be sought from the potential nominee before submission. Self-nominations are welcome. In addition, each nomination must be endorsed by two current Ontario Tech faculty members. Endorsements can be obtained from any Ontario Tech tenured or tenure-track faculty member. Faculty members may not endorse more than one nomination in each category. Faculty members may only receive each category of award once.

    • Emerging Researchers: Individuals within the first six (6) years of their first independent academic appointment. This award recognizes both early excellence in research and future promise.
    • Mid-career Researchers: Individuals who are between the seventh and twelfth (7-12) years of their first independent academic appointment. This award recognizes recently established research programs that are opening up new fields or insights of inquiry.
    • Established Researchers: Individuals who are beyond the twelfth (12) year of their first independent academic appointment (i.e. 13th year and beyond). These awards recognize recent national and/or international leadership in research in the last 6 years. These awards are not intended to be career research awards.

    Note: The time since first academic appointment for each category will be considered as of July 1 of the competition year.

    The full application is due May 8, 2024.  Decisions will be given June 2024 and the start of the award is July 1, 2024.  

    Up to three awards (one in each category) will be presented annually. The budget for each competition year is $3,000, which will be distributed amongst the awards.  If there are three awards, each awardee will receive $1,000. If there are fewer than three awards, the $3,000 will be split proportionately between the awardees.

    For more information, see the guidelines, nomination letter instructions, nomination form and supplemental information form.

     

    Contact Information  

    Grants Officer: Joanne Hui

  • EaRTH District Collaborative Research Grant - CLOSED

                          Centennial College Logo                             Fleming College LogoOntario Tech Logo          Trent University Logo               UTSC Logo

    EaRTH District Collaborative Research Grant

    The EaRTH District Collaborative Research Grant (EDCRG) competition 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.

    The theme for the 2022-23 year is Sustainable Transportation, Mobility, and Electric Vehicle Innovations.

    Eligibility

    Faculty members/Staff from all disciplines and at all stages of career are welcome to apply. The lead applicant(s) must be a full-time faculty/staff member(s). Please note that eligibility criteria may differ at participating institutions, as such, please contact your research office for details.

    Timeline

    Call for proposals opens - December 15, 2022

    Deadline for submission of LOI - February 1, 2023 - CLOSED

    Deadline for submission of proposal - March 6, 2023

    Communication of results to applications - Spring 2023

    Project start and end dates - May 1, 2023 to November 1, 2024

    The detailed program guidelines provide further information. This document is also available as a PDF.

     

    Contact Information

    Interested faculty should contact their identified institutional representative for further details. For Ontario Tech, please email research@ontariotechu.ca

    COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH CONSORTIUM INFO      2023 Call for Joint Research Proposals     
    Letter of Intent
  • SSHRC Small Grants 2023 Competition - CLOSED - next round anticipated in Winter 2023-2024

    The Office of Research Services (ORS) receives funds from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Institutional Grant program to support and strengthen Ontario Tech University's research capacity in the social sciences. More specifically, these funds are used to support research activities that enhance the research programs and expertise of Ontario Tech researchers, leading to the development of competitive applications to external SSHRC programs, or to effectively mobilize social sciences and humanities research knowledge within and beyond the academic community.

     

    SSHRC SMALL GRANTS 2023 COMPETITION  

Internal Selection - For Allocation Based Funding

Some external funding opportunities are allocation based, meaning the agency limits the number of applications that can be submitted by the university. An internal selection process has been developed for these programs to determine which application(s) will be submitted to the agency.

  • NSERC CREATE Internal Selection

    The NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program is designed to improve the mentoring and training environment for the Canadian researchers of tomorrow by improving training in areas associated with Canada’s research priorities through an innovative training program that provides training in professional skills, communication and collaboration, as well as providing experience relevant to both academic and non-academic research environments. The objective is to create a value-added training program for graduate (master’s and doctoral) students beyond that of normal graduate programming. It should provide improved job readiness and professional skills and soft skills training is a 'core required element' of any CREATE project. Explicit training (courses, workshops) is required. The Committee expects to see innovative pedagogy or interestingly different methods of training (e.g. immersive experiences).

    NSERC has a quota system at the Letter of Intent (LOI) stage of this program. An internal competition must be held to determine the Ontario Tech LOIs to be submitted to NSERC if the number of internal applications exceeds the quota.

    Internal Results 2025 CREATE LOI Information 

    Ontario Tech NSERC CREATE Internal LOI NSERC CREATE Tip Sheet

  • CFI JELF Internal Call for Proposals

    The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) enables researchers to undertake cutting-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. JELF is an allocation-based fund whereby CFI predetermines the maximum amount of funding for which each eligible university may apply. 

    2024 CALL FOR PROPOSALS