New Frontiers in Research Fund — Transformation Stream
Canada
The New Frontiers in Research Fund 2024 Transformation competition supports large-scale Canadian-led interdisciplinary research projects addressing major challenges with high-reward potential.
grant_single_labels|summary
grant_single|eligibleFinancing
- grant_single|noCondition
grant_single|deadlines
- grant_single|timelineUnspecified
grant_single|financingType
Grant and Funding
grant_single|eligibleIndustries
- grant_single|allIndustries
grant_single|grantors
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
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grant_card_status|closed
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The Transformation stream of the New Frontiers in Research Fund aims to support large-scale, interdisciplinary Canadian-led research projects that address significant challenges with potential for lasting change. Eligible activities include both fundamental research that may lead to scientific breakthroughs and applied research with social, economic, environmental, or health impacts. Applications must be submitted by interdisciplinary teams of five or more members.
grant_single_labels|projects
The NFRF 2024 Transformation competition supports large-scale, interdisciplinary research projects that address major challenges and have the potential to result in significant, lasting impacts. Eligible projects include both fundamental research leading to scientific breakthroughs and applied research with social, economic, environmental, or health impacts.
- Scientific breakthroughs
- Social impact research
- Economic impact research
- Environmental impact research
- Health impact research
grant_single|admissibleProjectsExample
$500,000
Calgary
Development of eco-friendly packaging alternatives to reduce plastic waste.
$350,000
Halifax
Research on the social impact of digital inclusion programs for seniors.
$650,000
Montreal
Development of sustainable urban farming practices to enhance food security.
$700,000
Vancouver
Advancing AI algorithms to improve healthcare diagnostics.
$500,000
Toronto
Investigating microplastic pollution in Canadian freshwater ecosystems.
$850,000
Yellowknife
Pilot project for renewable energy solutions in remote northern communities.
grant_single_labels|admissibility
The 2024 Transformation competition eligibility criteria require applicants to provide complete and sufficient information, adhering to the Convergence Portal instructions for attachments and completing all application stages.
- The applicant must provide all required information as per the Convergence Portal instructions at each stage (NOI, LOI, and full application).
- The application should be complete and adhere to the guidelines provided for preparing application materials.
- Eligibility decisions are the responsibility of NFRF program staff; review panel members should refer potential issues to them.
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_cannot_apply
The provided context does not specify any types of companies that are ineligible for the grant.
nothing
grant_eligibility_criteria|eligible_expenses
There are no eligible expenses mentioned for this grant.
grant_eligibility_criteria|zone
The grant is open to applications from entities located within Canada. The eligible geographic zones encompass the entirety of Canada.
- All provinces and territories in Canada
- Urban and rural areas across Canada
- Both large metropolitan areas and smaller communities
grant_single_labels|criteria
Yes, there are evaluation and selection criteria for the NFRF 2024 Transformation competition. The criteria focus on assessing high risk, high reward, feasibility, interdisciplinarity, and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in research practices and design.
- High Risk: 20% of overall score
- High Reward: 60% of overall score
- Feasibility: 20% of overall score
- Interdisciplinarity: Pass/Fail
- EDI in Research Practices (EDI-RP)/Early Career Researcher (ECR): Pass/Fail
grant_single_labels|register
- Step 1: Submit Notice of Intent to Apply (NOI)
- Deadline: January 10, 2024
- Content: Provide initial project idea and team details
- Implications: Determines initial eligibility and project relevance
- Step 2: Receive Assignments for LOI Review
- Date: January 19, 2024
- Content: LOI submissions assigned to reviewers
- Implications: Reviewers begin assessment for eligibility and merit
- Step 3: Indicate Conflicts of Interest for LOI
- Deadline: January 31, 2024
- Content: Reviewers disclose any conflicts of interest
- Implications: Ensures unbiased review process
- Step 4: Record Scores for LOI
- Deadline: March 18, 2024
- Content: Reviewers evaluate and score LOI submissions
- Implications: Initial assessment for consideration to invite full applications
- Step 5: LOI Stage Review Panel Meeting
- Dates: April 15 to 19, 2024
- Content: Virtual meeting to discuss and recommend LOIs to be invited for full application
- Implications: Determines which LOIs proceed to the application stage
- Step 6: Feedback Finalization for LOIs
- Dates: April 22 to May 1, 2024
- Content: Provide consolidated feedback to applicants
- Implications: Applicants receive evaluation and recommendations
- Step 7: Release LOI Results
- Date: May 6, 2024
- Content: Notify applicants of their LOI outcomes
- Implications: Successful LOIs invited to submit full applications
- Step 8: Submit Full Application
- Deadline: September 5, 2024
- Content: Detailed project proposal and budget
- Implications: Comprehensive review and final selection for funding
- Step 9: Assign Expert Reviewers for Full Application
- Date: September 6, 2024
- Content: Applications assigned to expert reviewers
- Implications: Begin detailed evaluation and scoring
- Step 10: Indicate Conflicts of Interest for Full Application
- Deadline: September 24, 2024
- Content: Reviewers disclose any conflicts of interest
- Implications: Ensures unbiased review process
- Step 11: Conduct Expert Panel Virtual Meetings
- Dates: October 7 to 10, 2024
- Content: Virtual meetings to discuss applications and prepare consensus summaries
- Implications: Finalizes expert assessments
- Step 12: Record Scores for Full Application
- Deadline: October 15, 2024
- Content: Reviewers evaluate and score applications
- Implications: Determine which applications proceed to the final panel meeting
- Step 13: Full Application Stage Review Panel Meeting
- Dates: November 12 to 22, 2024
- Content: Discuss and select top applications for jury presentation
- Implications: Identifies best applications for final consideration
- Step 14: Notify Successful Full Application Applicants
- Date: December 6, 2024
- Content: Inform applicants of jury invitation
- Implications: Prepare for project pitch to jury
- Step 15: Conduct Jury Meeting
- Dates: January 13 to 17, 2025
- Content: Project pitches and final evaluation by the jury
- Implications: Final recommendation for funding decisions
- Step 16: Release Final Application Results
- Date: February 2025
- Content: Notify applicants of final funding decisions
- Implications: Completion of the application process
grant_single_labels|otherInfo
This grant has several miscellaneous pieces of information related to the application process, legal and ethical guidelines, and document handling protocols.
- Merit review documents must be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act, the Access to Information Act, and the Policy on Government Security.
- Improper use, disclosure, retention, and disposal of information can lead to privacy breaches.
- Applicants' personal information is protected and must be used only for assessing applications and making funding decisions.
- Activities are subject to the Canadian Human Rights Act, ensuring equal opportunities and non-discrimination based on various personal characteristics.
- Obligations and rights under the Official Languages Act must be respected by review panel members and NFRF program staff.
grant_single_labels|contact
NFRF-FNFR@chairs-chaires.gc.ca
613-995-4273
Apply to this program
NFRF 2024 Transformation Competition: Funding for Large-Scale Canadian-Led Interdisciplinary Projects
The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 2024 Transformation competition aims to support Canadian-led interdisciplinary research projects that address major challenges and have the potential to create significant and lasting change. This initiative seeks innovative proposals that may lead to scientific breakthroughs or substantial social, economic, environmental, or health impacts.
About the NFRF 2024 Transformation Competition
The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 2024 Transformation competition is a major funding initiative designed to support large-scale, interdisciplinary research projects that address significant challenges and possess the potential for lasting and transformative impacts. Managed by the Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC), this competition encourages innovative research that can lead to scientific discoveries or substantial impacts in social, economic, environmental, or health domains.
Principles of Merit Review
The competition adheres to stringent principles of merit review to ensure fairness, transparency, and the highest standards of excellence. The competition is driven by the following key principles:
Fairness
The NFRF relies on the willingness and ability of reviewers to be fair and reasonable, exercise rigorous judgment, and consider the specific context of each application. Fairness ensures that all applicants receive an equitable evaluation.
Bias Mitigation
Reviewers are tasked with guarding against biases, whether conscious or unconscious, that could influence decision-making. Bias could be due to various factors, including the school of thought, research discipline, institutional reputation, or personal characteristics of applicants. Completion of an unconscious bias training module is mandatory for all reviewers to ensure fairness.
Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest
The competition maintains strict confidentiality and conflict of interest protocols. Personal and commercial information within applications is protected under the Privacy Act, and the management of conflicts of interest follows the Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy of the Federal Research Funding Organizations. Reviewers must declare any conflicts and recuse themselves from evaluating such applications.
Roles and Responsibilities
Various roles within the competition ensure effective evaluation and decision-making:
Steering Committee
The CRCC acts as the steering committee, ensuring the evaluation process is rigorous, objective, and transparent, upholding standards of excellence. The committee makes final decisions on which applications receive funding based on recommendations from review panels.
Multidisciplinary/Multisectoral Review Panel
Comprising experts from various disciplines and sectors, these panels review applications and make recommendations. The panel's responsibilities include ensuring integrity and quality in merit review, equitable assessment of applications, and handling documents securely.
Chairs
Chairs guide the review process, ensuring adherence to conflict of interest and confidentiality policies, fairness, and quality in evaluations. They foster an environment conducive to thorough and unbiased assessment of applications and ensure compliance with the Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research.
Review Panel Members
Panel members evaluate assigned applications in depth, provide ratings, and participate in consensus discussions. They ensure the principles of fairness, transparency, and equity are upheld throughout the process.
NFRF Staff
NFRF staff support the panel by managing conflict of interest declarations, providing policy guidance, and documenting procedural aspects. They also facilitate final approval of recommended applications by the steering committee.
Application and Review Process
The NFRF 2024 Transformation competition follows a multi-stage review process comprising the Letter of Intent (LOI), Full Application, and Jury stages.
Letter of Intent (LOI) Stage
The LOI stage identifies the most promising proposals to be invited for full application submission. Each LOI is reviewed by five panel members, scored based on high risk, high reward, feasibility, interdisciplinarity, and EDI-RP/ECR criteria. Only top LOIs, based on overall scores and specific assessments, proceed to the next stage.
Full Application Stage
In the application stage, expert reviewers evaluate the applications, and multidisciplinary/multisectoral review panels review the expert feedback and scores. Applications are assessed according to high risk, high reward, and feasibility criteria, with consideration for Indigenous research and EDI in research design. The best proposals proceed to the jury stage.
Jury Stage
At this stage, selected teams present their proposals to an international and Canadian jury composed of diverse sector representatives. The presentations include a project pitch and a Q&A session. The jury evaluates the potential for transformative impact and considers diversity in terms of topics, geography, research teams, and communities impacted.
Final Approval and Confidentiality
Based on the jury's recommendations, the NFRF Steering Committee makes final funding decisions. Throughout the process, strict confidentiality is maintained to protect personal and commercial information. All participants must adhere to guidelines set out in the Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Agreement.
Eligibility and Guidelines
Eligibility for applicants is determined by the NFRF program staff. Applicants must provide complete and sufficient information in adherence to Convergence Portal instructions. Indigenous research proposals must follow SSHRC’s Indigenous Research Statement of Principles and Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research.
Conclusion
The NFRF 2024 Transformation competition represents a significant opportunity for Canadian researchers to lead interdisciplinary projects with substantial and lasting impacts. By adhering to principles of merit review and maintaining rigorous standards, the competition ensures support for world-leading research that addresses some of the most pressing challenges. Researchers are encouraged to submit transformative and innovative proposals that can drive meaningful change in various domains.
