External Research Funding
Applying for external funding opportunities
External funding applications (with the exception of student scholarships) must be approved internally by ORS before you submit them to the funding agency.
Questions?
For help with applying for external grants contact your faculty grants officer.
ORS distribution lists
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Health & medical sciences: subscribe to
Natural sciences & engineering: subscribe to
Social sciences, arts & humanities: subscribe to
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
CIHR offers various funding opportunities throughout the year. Check for the current opportunities and deadlines.
Supports individual researchers or groups of researchers to advance fundamental or applied health-related knowledge in all areas of health.
- Variable value, no minimum or maximum, ~$200,000/year average
- Up to 5 years
- RASF submission deadline: 3 weeks prior to external deadline
- External deadlines: September and March
Supports activities, partnership development, and events to prepare to conduct health research or to share results.
- Variable funding limits, ~$10,000-50,000/year maximum
- 1 year
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- External deadlines: variable, Summer and Winter
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Supports individual researchers’ long-term program of research.
- Variable ~$47,000/year average
- 5 years
- RASF submission deadline: October 11
- External deadline: November 1
- NOI: August
Supports research collaborations across two streams: Advantage (to address partner needs) and Society (to address societal challenges).
- Varies by stream up to $1,000,000/year
- Up to 5 years
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- External deadline: ongoing
Supports teams of researchers to offer training and mentoring opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
- Maximum of $1.65M total
- Up to 6 years
- RASF submission deadline: September 8
- External deadline: September 22
- LOI: May 1
Supports NSERC-funded researchers to purchase rent, repair, upgrade, or fabricate equipment.
- Up to $150,000
- 1 year
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- October application
Supports outreach initiatives promoting the natural sciences & engineering to young people in Canada, particular under-represented groups.
- Up to $200,000/year
- Up to 3 years
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- September application
Social Sciences Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
Supports longer-term (2-5 year) research projects that build knowledge about people, societies, and the world. Can be used to support ongoing research.
- $10,000 - $500,000
- 2-5 years
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- October Application
Supports the initial stages of research that build knowledge about people, societies, and the world. Established Scholars may only apply to pursue new research questions and/or approaches. This restriction does not apply to Emerging Scholars.
- $7,000 - $75,000 (may be subject to increase in 2026)
- 1-2 years
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- February Application
Supports short-term knowledge mobilization initiatives (outreach activities and/or events). Applicants can apply for funding exceeding the $50,000 limit for outreach activities if the request is well justified.
- $7,000 - $50,000 ($25,000 max. for event component)
- 1 year
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- Feb, May, Aug, Nov Applications
Supports short-term (1 year) research projects that respond to the needs of a single partner organization.
- $7,000 - $25,000
- 1 year
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- Mar, June, Sept, Dec Applications
Supports shorter-term (1-3 year) projects to develop partnership-based research or knowledge mobilization projects, or design/test new partnership approaches.
- $75,000 - 200,000
- 1-3 years
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- November Application
Provides long-term (4-7 year) support for new or existing partnerships to advance research training and/or knowledge mobilization. Includes a two-stage application process
- Stage 1: up to $30,000
- Stage 1: 1 year
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- Stage 1 Feb Deadline
- Stage 2 up to $2.5M
- Stage 2: 4-7 years
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- Stage 2 Oct Deadline
New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF)
Supports novel interdisciplinary research that has the potential to make a significant impact (high reward) but which carries a potential risk of failure (high risk).
- Up to $125,000/year
- Up to 2 years
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline for full application
- 2-stage application process: NOI and full application; annual competition with variable deadlines
Supports transformative, large-scale Canadian-led interdisciplinary research that has the potential to make a significant impact (high reward) but which carries a potential risk of failure (high risk).
- $2M - $4M/year
- Up to 6 years
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline for full application
- 3-stage application process: NOI, LOI, full application; biennial competition with variable deadlines
Health Research BC
Health Research BC offers other programs that are currently suspended. This webpage will be updated when the programs launch.
Individual award to provide salary support to postdoctoral or health professional researchers.
- $60,000 + allowance
- up to 3 years
- Winter Application
- RASF submission deadline: 2 weeks prior to external deadline
- LOI: November
Mitacs
offers several internship-based funding for students and postdoctoral fellows to complete discrete research projects with partner organizations. Explore their website for the current programs.
Contact Mitacs Advisor Nolan Beise to discuss your project ideas and assess partner organization eligibility.