MECP Call for Proposals: Ontario Great Lakes Academic Research Projects

Sponsor/agency: Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Program: Ontario Great Lakes Academic Research Projects

Description 

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is inviting submissions for project proposals to support academic research projects related to the protection, conservation and restoration of the Great Lakes. As you know, academic research plays a crucial role in protecting the Great Lakes, which are vital to Ontario’s economic prosperity.

If a proposal is selected, MECP will reach out for more information on the project. Please note that funding is not guaranteed and an agreement will be required with non-negotiable terms. 

Program Summary 

Deadlines:

• July 10, 2025: Mandatory internal administrative review deadline
• July 18, 2025: Agency deadline

Value: There is no maximum budget allowance per project. Please refer to Research Topic Descriptions below on the potential extent of projects.

Indirect costs: Up to 25%

Duration: Please see Research Topic Descriptions below for timeframes.

How to Apply

 Interested researchers must complete the Project Proposal Template and submit it, along with:

• A current CV
• Three reference contacts for relevant research collaborators

 Submissions must be sent to: GreatLakesResearch@ontario.ca by July 18, 2025. Please send a signed RGA form and completed application to Amber Zapletal by July 18. 

Contact: ORS Grants Officer - Amber Zapletal

Agency Program Contact - GreatLakesResearch@ontario.ca

Eligibility 

1. Project must take place within the Canadian Great Lakes Basin.
2. Each researcher may submit one proposal only, addressing one of the following research topics (see attached topic description for more information): 

• Nutrient trends and transport among the Great Lakes and interconnecting channels.
• Non-target/suspect screen workflows with passive samplers in combination with effects-based screens.
• PFAS sampling and screening approaches for enhanced monitoring and assessment.
• Identifying changes in runoff from urban and agricultural areas.
• Developing extremely high-resolution climate projections in support of climate change risk assessment and adaptation over the Great Lakes Basin.
• Cladophora sentinel assessment and growth modelling.
• Environmental impacts of large amounts of sulphate in effluent discharges into the Great Lakes and interconnecting channels.

3. Applicants must demonstrate:

• Expertise in the research topic area
• A track record of strong, collaborative research relevant to Great Lakes protection

 Optional Consultation

Prior to the submission deadline, researchers are welcome to contact: GreatLakesResearch@ontario.ca, to discuss how their proposed work may align with the identified research topics. 

Additional Information

What is the range for the amount of funding available per project-year and timeframe of the project(s)?

Maximum limits for budget by project are not stipulated. The topic descriptions should be referred for information on potential extent of projects.

Generally, projects of up to or less than 3 years would be preferred (with initial funding before March 2026 or initial funding in 2026-27; and funding through 2027-28 – Ending by March 2028). If project have compelling reason (with rationale) for an extra year (2028-29), that could be included in the proposal.

What is the final deadline for submission on July 18th?

Proposals will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on July 18th

Are there a page limits for the proposal template and/or CV submitted, is there a preferred format (pdf, word)?

• Concise proposals are being sought through this call, ideally a filled in template of less than 3 pages, however up to 5 pages would be acceptable if required.
• There are no specific requirements (format, length) for the CV.
• Documents can be submitted in either pdf or word format.

 Is there a limit on the size of the investigative team, e.g., principal investigator and co-investigators?

There are no limits to the size of the investigative team.

Are overhead/indirect costs eligible in this funding opportunity. If so, at what %?

Overhead can be included and the program has an upper limit of 25 %.

Can you include travel to research and conferences?

Travel for research and conferences can be included.

Are partners and/or partner (in kind or cash) contributions mandatory for this funding?

No, partners or in-kind or cash contributions towards the project are not mandatory.

Are the three reference contacts for relevant research collaborators individuals at MECP or are these external individuals who could review the grant?

Are the three reference contacts the same as the proposed project partners?

Are there any preferences regarding who the partners should be, such as other academic researchers or industry professionals?

The references can be either internal (MECP) or external collaborators on projects that are relevant; they won’t be participating in the review process.

The reference contacts do not need to be the same as proposed project partners and there are no preferences as to who suitable project partners might be (industrial, governmental, academic etc).

Would ministry collaborations be possible, especially in terms of collecting samples and metadata?   

A collaboration with ministry scientists may be feasible, however, we would reach out to explore that possibility following the submission, evaluation and identification of top concise proposals.

Some general information on the ministry’s Great Lakes monitoring program is available via the meta data record for our online datasets: Water Chemistry (Great Lakes Nearshore Areas) - Dataset - Ontario Data Catalogue.

It appears that institutional signature is not required on the form, is anything needed from the institution in the application stage?

Nothing is required from the institution at this stage.

What is the typical success rate for this competition?

This is a new process, so we don’t have a success rate estimate for this call.

Is there a web site we could refer to?

Protecting the Great Lakes - The website doesn’t reference the call specifically but provides general information on ministry initiatives and projects to protect the Great Lakes and includes descriptions of multi-year projects that received funding in 2024 awarded to a range of recipients.   

2025 Research Topic Descriptions

1. Nutrient trends and transport among the Great Lakes and interconnecting channels

Research Question: Are there long-term spatial and/or temporal trends in nutrients important for Great Lakes ecosystem health (e.g., inorganic nitrogen, dissolved and reactive phosphorus) within nearshore zones of the Great Lakes, through interconnecting channels and export towards the St. Lawrence Seaway?

Potential Data to be Used: Historical data collected under Great Lakes Monitoring Unit Nearshore Program, Great Lakes Intakes Program, Drinking Water Surveillance Program, wastewater treatment plants and tributary monitoring open datasets. Lake wide open datasets are available from Environment and Climate Change Canada and United States agencies.

Estimated Timeframe: Two- or three-year project for one postdoctoral researcher or one university graduate student (PhD).

Potential Deliverables: Updated and enhanced state-of-the-science and knowledge on long-term trends (i.e., ~ 30 years) of nutrients important for algae and invasive mussel growth dynamics in the nearshore zones of the Great Lakes. There also exists opportunity to provide comment on long-term nutrient export trends from the Great Lakes (i.e., Lake Ontario) to the St. Lawrence Seaway.

2. Non-target/suspect screen workflows with passive samplers deployed in the Great Lakes and their watersheds in combination with effects-based screens

Research Question: Do non-target screening analyses characterize chemical mixtures and complement effects-based screening approaches to assess / prioritize contaminant assessments in waters of the Great Lakes and their watersheds?

In-kind Contributions: Archived passive samplers from 2023 and 2024 deployed concurrently to samplers used for effects-based screening bioassays. Results of previously conducted effects-based screening bioassays for samplers co-located with those available for non-target chemical analyses.

Estimated Timeframe: Approx 18 months (partial PhD funding or partial post-doc researcher).

Potential Deliverables: Development and application of analytical workflows for nontarget/suspect screening techniques providing an assessment of emerging contaminants/chemical mixture characterization for Great Lakes monitoring programs. Publication and presentation of results, comparisons with effects-based screening information and recommendations on an overall assessment approach.

3. PFAS sampling and screening approaches for enhanced monitoring and assessment

Research Question: What are the optimum approaches to enhance sampling and chemical screening/analyses of the large, diverse and complex PFAS contaminant class? Given the number of chemicals in broad use, their transformation in the environment and regulation/management of PFAS as a class, it is necessary to assess and evaluate sampling and analysis approaches to enhance and complement existing monitoring, analytical and assessment approaches and where/when best to apply them (e.g. active/passive sampling, sampling methodologies, analyses (e.g. suspect screens, non-target mass-spectrometry, total oxidizable precursors, total organic fluorine, etc)).

Estimated Timeframe: Approx 2-2.5 years; graduate student funding (e.g. partial PhD student). Potential to need multiple collaborators.

Potential In-kind Contributions: Facilitating the use of sampling platforms (program area sampling coordination, provision of samples (multi-media, could potentially include: groundwater, surface waters, wastewater effluent, passive samplers, soils, sediments, vegetation, biota - fish, invertebrates).

Potential Deliverables: i) Comparative assessment of sampling and analytical methodologies with respect to the information gained and how best used in assessments (e.g. literature review and analysis, analytical comparisons across matrices and sampling approaches); ii) approximately 2 peer-reviewed publications (methods comparisons/review; applications to matrices); recommendations on best approaches in various applications.

4. Identifying changes in runoff from urban and agricultural areas

Research Question: Have significant changes in flow patterns occurred in agricultural and urban areas in last four to five decades? If so, are these changes proportionate to variations in precipitation and what are their impacts on sediment and phosphorus transport?

Potential Data to be used: Flow data from long-term Water Survey of Canada stations and/or long-term stations being monitored by Conservation Authorities, publicly available water monitoring datasets and Climate Data from Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Estimated Timeframe: Three-year graduate student project.

Potential deliverables: Potential deliverables include: (1) quantitative information on changes in flow within selected agricultural and urban watersheds in the Great Lakes Basin and an understanding of whether these changes are the result of corresponding variation (amount and pattern) in precipitation; (2) approximately two peer-reviewed publications.

5. Developing extremely high-resolution climate projections in support of climate change risk assessment and adaptation over the Great Lakes Basin

Research Question: How is the local climate projected to change in the future over the Great Lakes basin and surrounding regions considering their unique local geophysical features such as the Great Lakes and the Niagara Escarpment? These local scale, Ontario-specific climate projections will provide the foundation for all climate change related risk assessments under the Great Lakes Initiative.

Estimated time frame: Three-year project. The project can be funded year-to-year, although funding guarantees for the full project-period will be crucial for ensuring project deliverables are realized.

Potential Deliverables:

• Extremely high resolution, Ontario-specific local scale climate projections for over 40 climate variables (e.g., temperature, precipitation, IDF curves, etc.) over the Great Lakes basin and surrounding regions based on a state-of-the-science downscaling methodologies and the most up-to-date climate data (latest IPCC AR6 Assessment). These climate projections will update and replace the soon-to-be-outdated Ontario specific local projections currently available on the Ontario Climate Data Portal. These updated projections will serve as one of the key inputs for all proposed climate change related risk assessments under the Great Lakes Initiative.
• A state-of-the-science AI-based and physics-constrained climate downscaling methodology. This advancement in downscaling methodologies will be a major contribution to the entire climate science research community which can be applied to anywhere in the world.
• At least 1 peer-reviewed publication summarizing the climate downscaling methodology in a top-ranked climate science journal; multiple publications are possible.

6. Cladophora assessment and growth modelling

Research Question: There is a research need to further describe and understand Cladophora growth dynamics in the nearshore zone of the Great Lakes, including growth across variable nearshore benthic habitat, Cladophora sloughing and shoreline washup. To best address these research themes, critical questions remain:

• Can nearshore instrument data be used to quantify in-lake growth of algae (cameras, oxygen sensors, chlorophyll)?
• Will hydrodynamic and growth modeling identify key drivers of Cladophora growth and/or sloughing?
• What are the physical, chemical, biological conditions associated with excessive growth and nuisance shoreline washup (e.g. bathymetry, substrate, temperature, light, nutrients, mussels)?
• How do tributaries and other shoreline sources of nutrients compare with offshore sources (e.g., nutrients, phytoplankton)? Are there locations where Cladophora can be managed locally or is lakewide management required?

Potential Data to be Used: Assessment of monitoring data collected over ~ 6 years at three MECP Cladophora sentinel stations inclusive of water quality sensors for exploration of suitability to describe nuisance algal growth (e.g., temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-α, turbidity, conductivity). Nearshore water quality and tributary monitoring datasets from Lake Ontario for chemistry. Inter-agency partners have generated datasets related to Cladophora biomass and remote sensory monitoring.

Estimated Timeframe: Two- or three-year project for one postdoctoral researcher or one university graduate student (PhD).

Potential Deliverables: Updated and enhanced state-of-the-science and knowledge on nutrients and nearshore conditions important for Cladophora growth dynamics in the nearshore zone of the Great Lakes. This may be represented as a publicly available report or as peer-reviewed manuscripts in scientific journals related to the Great Lakes.

7. Environmental impacts of large amounts of sulphate in effluent discharges into the Great Lakes and interconnecting channels

Research Question: What are the potential environmental and ecosystem impacts associated with large quantities of sulphate in effluent discharges (tonnes per day) into the Great Lakes and interconnecting channels? The focus of the research is on non-lethal impacts of elevated sulphate (i.e., not direct toxicity), such as sulphate-induced internal eutrophication from mobilization of sediment bound phosphorus or ecosystem impacts associated with changes in salinity supporting more salt tolerant biological communities. Note: the influence of sulphate on mercury methylation under certain environmental conditions is of concern but is not the focus of this research question.

Potential Data to be Used: Sulphate is an emerging environmental concern due to expected large quantities of sulphate discharged in effluent associated with some key industries. Facilities associated with larger sulphate loadings include the electric vehicle (EV) battery sector and petroleum facilities that are adding control measures to reduce sulphur dioxide levels in air emissions with resulting increases in sulphate loadings levels in wastewater. Research findings from these studies would be used to support regulatory decisions related to assessing and managing effluent discharges that are protective of adverse impacts beyond the direct toxicity of sulphate.

Estimated Timeframe: Two- or three-year project for one postdoctoral researcher or one university graduate student (PhD).

Potential Deliverables: Currently, the relationship between elevated sulphate loadings and environmental impacts in Ontario waters is not known. Additional information on the underlying mechanisms, potential thresholds of effect and the relative importance of key parameters and/or modifying factors are needed to better understand the potential environmental impacts to larger water bodies (e.g. Great Lake or connecting channel) from extremely large sulphate discharges. These could be presented in the form of a comprehensive, publicly available report or as peer-reviewed manuscripts in scientific journals related to the Great Lakes.