COVID-19 Funding Opportunities & Updates

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES & UPDATES

Overview

Funding Opportunities Related to COVID-19
Updates from Tri-Agencies – Response to COVID-19
- Competition Deadline Updates
  1. CIHR
Policy Updates
McMaster COVID-19 Research Fund Recipients & Projects

Funding Opportunities Related to COVID-19

Sponsor	Program	Internal deadline	Agency deadline	Contact for more information
CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC	Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund (CRCEF)	See Program Page	See Program Page	Sherisse Webb, Director, ROADS
NGen	NGen Funding Program to Scale COVID Response	Notify MILO ASAP	Continuous	Gay Yuyitung, Executive Director, MILO
National Research Council Canada	COVID-19 Programs	Notify MILO ASAP	ASAP	Ross Huyskamp, MILO
Mitacs	Accelerate for COVID-19 Related Projects	Notify MILO ASAP	ASAP	Ryan Caldwell (MILO)
SOCIP	COVID-19 Response	Notify MILO ASAP	ASAP	Ross Huyskamp, MILO
The Digital Technology Supercluster	Call for COVID-19 Solutions	Notify MILO ASAP	ASAP	Amber Metham, MILO
AWS	Diagnostic Development Initiative (DDI)	ASAP	ASAP	Ross Huyskamp, MILO
Genome Canada	COVID-19 Regional Genomics Initiative	ASAP	ASAP	Virginia Viscardi, Senior Advisor, ROADS (for non-FHS researchers) H ealth Research Services

Updates from the Tri-agencies (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) – Response to COVID-19

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the websites of the Tri-agencies (Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)) are being updated periodically with information about changes to their deadlines and policies, as applicable.

Below are the most current funding and policy updates from the Tri-agencies. Please consult CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC websites as they continue to update in response to COVID-19.

Competition Deadline Updates

CIHR

Program	Previous internal deadline	New internal deadline	Previous agency deadline	New agency deadline	Contact for more information
Strategic / Institute-Driven Funding Opportunities	CIHR has placed a moratorium on all other existing and any new strategic/institute-driven funding opportunities. The exception is that any funding competitions related to COVID-19 will continue to go forward.	Virginia Viscardi (for non-FHS researchers) Health Research Services

Program

Previous internal deadline

New internal deadline

Previous agency deadline

New agency deadline

Contact for more information

Strategic / Institute-Driven Funding Opportunities

CIHR has placed a moratorium on all other existing and any new strategic/institute-driven funding opportunities. The exception is that any funding competitions related to COVID-19 will continue to go forward.

Virginia Viscardi (for non-FHS researchers)

Health Research Services

CIHR

Topic	Program	Policy	Contact for More Information
Travel and travel cancellations	All programs	Non-refundable costs associated with travel or events paid through agency funds and cancelled or postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will be considered as allowable project expenses, provided they align with agency policies.	Research Finance (for non-FHS researchers) Faculty of Health Sciences Research Finance
Grant extensions	Project Grants	CIHR will financially extend all existing Investigator-Initiated Research grants scheduled to expire between June 30, 2020 and March 30, 2021, for one year. This includes providing an extension to all Nominated Principal Applicants (NPAs) with a grant expiring within the date range who applied to the Spring 2020 competition, as these applicants were applying for a grant to replace one that was expiring.The amount provided will be equivalent to one year of the grant’s average annual value. Those who accept the extension will not be allowed to apply as an NPA to the Fall 2020 competition to help ease some of the pressure on this competition. Additionally, CIHR will financially extend all bridge grants provided to Nominated Principal Investigators (NPIs) in the Fall 2019 Project Grant competition. This extension will be provided to all NPIs who received a bridge grant in the Fall 2019 competition and applied to the Spring 2020 competition. The amount provided will be the equivalent of 6 months of their bridge grant amount. NPIs who are provided this bridge grant extension will be allowed to apply in the role of NPA to the Fall 2020 competition.	Leanna Fong, Senior Advisor, ROADS (for non-FHS researchers) Health Research Services
Financial reporting	All programs	The deadline for submitting financial reporting (Forms 300 and 301) for the 2019-20 (April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020) Annual Reconciliation of Active Awards was postponed to September 30, 2020.	Research Finance (for non-FHS researchers) Faculty of Health Sciences Research Finance
Other exceptional expenditures	All programs	Given the ever-evolving circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC recognize that grant recipients and/or research team members may continue to incur ongoing research costs, as well as incremental costs that would not normally be incurred (for example, compensation and travel) related to agency- funded research activities.The agencies would like to remain as flexible as possible to support grant recipients during this time and acknowledge that some of these costs may be eligible to be paid from agency grant funds. The agencies will therefore defer to administering institutions to determine if incremental costs are consistent with the principles and directives set out in the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration (and if they are, then those expenses will still be eligible to be paid from grant funds). The agencies also understand that not all planned research activities are possible as research institutions are closed requiring that the majority of people work remotely, if they are able to work at all. The agencies consider that continuing to pay any members of the research team, eligible to be paid from an agency grant, is an eligible expense in the context of COVID-19 (and that these individuals should continue to be paid).	Research Finance (for non-FHS researchers) Faculty of Health Sciences Research Finance
Support for research personnel	Project, Foundation, Operating, Catalyst, Team, Collaborative Health Research Projects, Chair	To lessen the impact due to COVID-19 on students, trainees, and research support personnel funded through research grants, CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC will provide additional funding to eligible grant recipients.All three agencies will provide additional funding to research grant holders so that they can continue to support trainees and research support personnel during the crisis. More information about the wage supplements can be found at the COVID-19 Supplement page.	Leanna Fong, Senior Advisor, ROADS (for non-FHS researchers) Health Research Services

NSERC

Topic	Program	Policy	Contact for More Information
Travel and travel cancellations	All programs	Non-refundable costs associated with travel or events paid through agency funds and cancelled or postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will be considered as allowable project expenses, provided they align with agency policies.	Research Finance (for non-FHS researchers) Faculty of Health Sciences Research Finance
Grant extensions	All Programs	Academic institutions can immediately approve extensions requests up to 12 months for Agency grants with an end date between February 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 inclusively. This provision applies to all grants, regardless of whether they have received a previous time extension of any length for any reason (including, where applicable, automatic extensions).	Leanna Fong, Senior Advisor, ROADS (for non-FHS researchers) Health Research Services
	Discovery Grants	To lessen the impact due to COVID-19 and to support all researchers and highly qualified personnel, all active Discovery Grants can elect to receive a one-year extension with funds at their current funding level. This includes grants from the recent 2020 competition. Grantees due to apply in competition 2021 can elect not to apply for funding this summer/fall during these tumultuous times.This one year extension will be granted for the following programs: Discovery Grants, Discovery Grants – Subatomic Physics (Individual, Project and Major Resources), Discovery Grants – Northern Research Supplements and Discovery Development Grants. In light of these extensions, the 2021 Discovery Grants competition will be for new applicants (those not currently holding a Discovery Grant) and those who choose not to accept the extension
	Discovery Grant holders who are Early Career Researchers	NSERC grantees who have received the last installment of their active Discovery Grant or NRS in April, 2020 and who were classified as Early Career Researchers (ECR) at the time of their award may be eligible to extend their grant by one year, with funds. Grantees who take advantage of this optionwill receive an additional installment at their current level of funding. The objective is to provide additional time and resources to early career researchers to establish their research program and career. If you accept the ECR extension, you may still accept the COVID-19 extension with funds at a later date for an additional installment in April 2022. Should you decline the ECR extension, you cannot apply for the COVID-19 extension with funds.
Financial reporting	All programs	The deadline for submitting financial reporting (Forms 300 and 301) for the 2019-20 (April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020) Annual Reconciliation of Active Awards was postponed to September 30, 2020.	Research Finance (for non-FHS researchers) Faculty of Health Sciences Research Finance
Other exceptional expenditures	All programs	Given the ever-evolving circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC recognize that grant recipients and/or research team members may continue to incur ongoing research costs, as well as incremental costs that would not normally be incurred (for example, compensation and travel) related to agency- funded research activities.The agencies would like to remain as flexible as possible to support grant recipients during this time and acknowledge that some of these costs may be eligible to be paid from agency grant funds. The agencies will therefore defer to administering institutions to determine if incremental costs are consistent with the principles and directives set out in the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration (and if they are, then those expenses will still be eligible to be paid from grant funds). The agencies also understand that not all planned research activities are possible as research institutions are closed requiring that the majority of people work remotely, if they are able to work at all. The agencies consider that continuing to pay any members of the research team, eligible to be paid from an agency grant, is an eligible expense in the context of COVID-19 (and that these individuals should continue to be paid).	Research Finance (for non-FHS researchers) Faculty of Health Sciences Research Finance
Support for research personnel	Project, Foundation, Operating, Catalyst, Team, Collaborative Health Research Projects, Chair	To lessen the impact due to COVID-19 on students, trainees, and research support personnel funded through research grants, CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC will provide additional funding to eligible grant recipients.All three agencies will provide additional funding to research grant holders so that they can continue to support trainees and research support personnel during the crisis. More information about the wage supplements can be found at the COVID-19 Supplement page.	Leanna Fong, Senior Advisor, ROADS (for non-FHS researchers) Health Research Services

SSHRC

Topic	Program	Policy	Contact for More Information
Travel and travel cancellations	All programs	Non-refundable costs associated with travel or events paid through agency funds and cancelled or postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will be considered as allowable project expenses, provided they align with agency policies.	Research Finance (for non-FHS researchers) Faculty of Health Sciences Research Finance
Grant extensions	All Programs	Academic institutions can immediately approve extensions requests up to 12 months for Agency grants with an end date between February 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 inclusively. This provision applies to all grants, regardless of whether they have received a previous time extension of any length for any reason (including, where applicable, automatic extensions).	Leanna Fong, Senior Advisor, ROADS (for non-FHS researchers) Health Research Services
Grant extensions	Insight Development Grants	Academic institutions can immediately approve extensions requests up to 12 months for Agency grants with an end date up to May 31, 2021 (including the one-year automatic extension, where applicable) for IDG only. This provision applies to all grants, regardless of whether they have received a previous time extension of any length for any reason (including, where applicable, automatic extensions).
Financial reporting	All programs	The deadline for submitting financial reporting (Forms 300 and 301) for the 2019-20 (April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020) Annual Reconciliation of Active Awards was postponed to September 30, 2020.	Research Finance (for non-FHS researchers) Faculty of Health Sciences Research Finance
Other exceptional expenditures	All programs	Given the ever-evolving circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC recognize that grant recipients and/or research team members may continue to incur ongoing research costs, as well as incremental costs that would not normally be incurred (for example, compensation and travel) related to agency- funded research activities. The agencies would like to remain as flexible as possible to support grant recipients during this time and acknowledge that some of these costs may be eligible to be paid from agency grant funds. The agencies will therefore defer to administering institutions to determine if incremental costs are consistent with the principles and directives set out in the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration (and if they are, then those expenses will still be eligible to be paid from grant funds). The agencies also understand that not all planned research activities are possible as research institutions are closed requiring that the majority of people work remotely, if they are able to work at all. The agencies consider that continuing to pay any members of the research team, eligible to be paid from an agency grant, is an eligible expense in the context of COVID-19 (and that these individuals should continue to be paid).	Research Finance (for non-FHS researchers) Faculty of Health Sciences Research Finance
Support for research personnel	Project, Foundation, Operating, Catalyst, Team, Collaborative Health Research Projects, Chair	To lessen the impact due to COVID-19 on students, trainees, and research support personnel funded through research grants, CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC will provide additional funding to eligible grant recipients.All three agencies will provide additional funding to research grant holders so that they can continue to support trainees and research support personnel during the crisis. More information about the wage supplements can be found at the COVID-19 Supplement page.	Leanna Fong, Senior Advisor, ROADS (for non-FHS researchers) Health Research Services

NFRF

Topic	Program	Policy	Contact for More Information
Grant extensions	2018 Exploration Grants	In recognition of the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, grantees will receive approximately 2.2 months’ worth of additional funding. The decision to allocate additional funds is to help ensure continued support of students, fellows and research personnel during the pandemic and, when research resumes, to permit the completion of the project.The terms of all grants have been extended by 12 months as well.	Leanna Fong, Senior Advisor, ROADS (for non-FHS researchers) Health Research Services

Topic

Program

Policy

Contact for More Information

Grant extensions

2018 Exploration Grants

In recognition of the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, grantees will receive approximately 2.2 months’ worth of additional funding. The decision to allocate additional funds is to help ensure continued support of students, fellows and research personnel during the pandemic and, when research resumes, to permit the completion of the project.The terms of all grants have been extended by 12 months as well.

Leanna Fong, Senior Advisor, ROADS (for non-FHS researchers)

Health Research Services