Grant and Funding Programs Offered by CIM Foundation (CIMF)

The CIM Foundation is a national charitable foundation created in 1972 to support the educational and charitable mission of Canada’s mining and mineral industries. Closely associated with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), the Foundation fundraises and then redirects the money it receives to scholarships, training initiatives and public outreach programs that benefit both the sector and Canadian society.

CIMF concentrates its support on education at every level. It finances high-value scholarships for students in mining engineering, geology and related disciplines at universities and technical colleges, and administers several named scholarship funds endowed by industry partners such as Caterpillar and its Canadian dealers, Scotiabank and Scotia Capital Markets, McIntosh Engineering, as well as bequests like the Foley Scholarships. The Foundation also manages and promotes scholarship programs created by CIM branches and technical societies.

Beyond scholarships, CIMF provides funding for a wide range of educational and promotional programs about mining. It supports initiatives like the CIM Distinguished Lecturer Series, which brings recognized experts to conferences and local branches across the country, and public-education events such as CIM’s Mining for Society (M4S) exhibition. Historically, it has also contributed to school-based programs including PDAC’s Mining Matters and the Mineral Resources Education Program of B.C.

CIMF-funded activities span classroom resources, hands-on exhibitions, site visits, field trips, conferences and lecture programs. Its partners include CIM technical societies such as MetSoc, CMP, MERS, MES and SMS, for which the Foundation administers dedicated funds that provide travel support, student conference participation, educational exhibitions and other student-focused activities in metallurgy, mineral processing and related fields.

The Foundation also enters into multi‑year agreements with CIM student chapters and local branches, such as the Saskatoon Student Chapter, to co-fund educational events and prizes. These collaborations are designed to keep student chapters open to multiple disciplines and to align with the evolving needs of the mining workforce.

CIMF operates independently from CIM, with its own volunteer Board of Trustees. Guided by a conservative investment policy and professional fund management, it aims to maintain stable support for its scholarships and programs through economic cycles. New initiatives are launched when sustainable funding is in place, reinforcing the Foundation’s long-term commitment to education, innovation and the heritage of Canada’s mining industry.