New Frontiers in Research Fund — Exploration Stream

• Notice of Intent to Apply
• Full application
• Required application attachments
• Completed profiles for research team members
• Required declarations, certifications, licences and permits

Who is eligible?

This competition encourages high-risk, high-reward interdisciplinary research that pushes boundaries and involves collaboration across diverse fields in social sciences, humanities, health, natural sciences, and engineering.

Eligible expenses

Eligible projects for this grant focus on high-risk, high-reward, and interdisciplinary research initiatives. These projects are encouraged to challenge existing paradigms and integrate diverse disciplines to achieve innovative outcomes.

• Research that challenges current paradigms and pushes boundaries into new areas.
• Projects that involve combining disciplines in unexpected ways to innovate.
• High-risk research proposals with potential for game-changing impacts.
• Interdisciplinary projects involving perspectives from social sciences, humanities, health, and natural sciences and engineering.

The evaluation and selection of projects for the NFRF 2024 Exploration competition are based on several critical criteria, each contributing a specific percentage towards the overall score.

• High risk: 40% of overall score
• High reward: 40% of overall score
• Feasibility: 20% of overall score
• Interdisciplinarity/fit to program: pass/fail
• EDI in research practice: pass/fail

• Step 1: Prepare the Notice of Intent
  • Complete the NOI in the Convergence Portal.
  • Submit it through your institution’s research administrator.
• Step 2: Prepare the full application
  • Complete the full application in the Convergence Portal.
  • Ensure required team member profiles and attachments are in place.
• Step 3: Submit the application
  • Submit the application through your institution’s research administrator.
  • Use the Convergence Portal to complete submission.

• Applications are reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel.
• Top-rated applications are discussed during virtual panel meetings.
• Review comments are finalized after the meetings.
• Final funding decisions are made by the NFRF steering committee.
• Results are released to applicants by March 31, 2025.

The New Frontiers in Research Fund 2024 Exploration competition aims to support high-risk, high-reward, interdisciplinary research. This fund encourages proposals that push boundaries and may not conform to current paradigms.

• Diversity of perspectives is encouraged, with no restrictions on research led from any discipline.
• The competition includes specific guidelines for Indigenous research and emphasizes equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in research practice.
• Applications are reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel, which considers a mix of criteria including high risk, high reward, and feasibility.
• Confidentiality and conflict of interest policies are strictly enforced throughout the review process.
• Applications that do not meet guidelines or are incomplete may be rejected by NFRF staff.
• Review panel co-chairs are responsible for ensuring objective and fair assessments and moderating discussions.
• Funding recommendations are made by the review panel, but final decisions are subject to approval by the NFRF steering committee.
• Early career researchers (ECR) are given particular consideration, with the program committing to fund a proportion of ECR-led projects.