CFI Innovation Fund: Internal Call for Letters of Intent (August 28 Internal Deadline)

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has released its call for proposals for the 2025 Innovation Fund (IF) with an external deadline of October 2, 2024.

Please note that Lakehead University’s Internal deadline for receipt of Letters of Intent (LOI) in the Office of Research is August 28, 2024.

 

Overview

The main objectives of the 2025 IF are to: 

• Enable internationally competitive research or technology development through the equitable participation of expert team members. 

• Enhance the capacity of institutions to conduct the research or technology development program over the useful life of the infrastructure. 

• Generate benefits for Canadians.

Please note that total project costs must be greater than $1 million for proposals to be considered by the CFI for this competition.  The CFI will fund up to 40 percent of a project’s eligible infrastructure costs. It is anticipated that the Province of Ontario through the Ontario Research Fund will contribute an additional 40% of eligible costs.  The remaining 20% must be found from other sources by the researcher. Funds from CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC, as well as Tri-Council programs (e.g. the Networks of Centres of Excellence and the Canada Research Chairs) are not considered to be acceptable funding partners. However, the CFI will allow the cost of eligible item(s) to be covered in part by the aforementioned funding sources, provided that this portion is not used to leverage CFI funds. Equipment discounts beyond the best educational price are eligible as in-kind contributions towards the 20% matching funds required.  Please note that project leaders should be aware that once the relevant taxes (3.41% HST) are applied to the total cost of the requested infrastructure in the application budget, the contribution by a vendor may actually work out to be slightly less than the required 20%. Additional matching funds may be required to make up the resulting short-fall. A cash contribution of 20% is required for projects requiring renovations or construction.  In essence, projects need to be considered as being “shovel-ready”.  Finally, it is highly recommended that a 10% contingency be built into project budgets to deal with unforeseen circumstances (see CFI internal budget worksheet below).

Under the IF, an eligible infrastructure project would involve the acquisition or development of research infrastructure for the purpose of increasing research capacity as well as supporting world-class research.  Under the current IF call the CFI has introduced three streams:

  • Stream 1: Leading edge of exploration and knowledge generation (open) - This stream is open to proposals from all disciplines.
  • Stream 2: Leading edge of exploration and knowledge generation in the social sciences, humanities and arts (SSHA) - To access this stream, the primary field of research must be in the SSHA.
  • Stream 3: Creation, renewal and upgrade of core facilities 

The CFI IF is a very competitive competition and the success rate for smaller universities leading projects without external partnerships has historically been very low. Thus we strongly encourage submissions where we are partners with another institution either as lead or non lead. As well, please note that for this competition, the CFI is strongly encouraging the submission of projects that can be finalized quickly and brought to completion in an efficient manner (i.e., projects that are “shovel-ready”).

CFI Information Session

Please note that the CFI will be holding the following webinar on June 18, 2024 to provide information on the call and to answer questions.  Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the session:

As in past IF competitions,  each institution has been allocated an institutional envelope for submissions.  Lakehead University has been allocated an institutional envelope of $4 million.  Institutions generally cannot exceed the envelope except for the following situations: 1) An institution only submits (as lead or collaborator) one proposal.  2) An institution can submit one proposal with a primary field of research in SSHA and this would not count towards its institutional envelope.  In other words, if an institution submits or collaborates on a proposal from any research discipline or on two proposals with one from an SSHA field of research, that institution would not be restricted by its institutional envelope.

 

Required Submission Documents / Internal Deadline

Interested teams are required to complete a letter of intent using the  CFI Awards Management System (CAMS). It must then be submitted to the Office of Research Services (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca) by August 28, 2024.  In addition to the completion of the CFI LOI document, researchers are required to submit the following additional internal items by the internal deadline:

  •   CFI Request for Quotations Form - plus one quote for each major equipment item.

  •   CFI Internal Budget Worksheet and one quotation in CFI format (List Price/Best Educational Price/Discount Beyond Best Educational Price/Net CFI Price) for all equipment/renovation items.  When entering pricing into the spreadsheet is it highly recommended that an exchange rate of 1.40 be used for any US pricing that needs to be converted to Canadian funds.

  •  Letter from the relevant dean confirming support for the proposed project and confirming space. Space must be confirmed by the internal LOI deadline (note that requests for renovations to new space (not currently allocated to the applicant) must be approved by the Lakehead University’s Space Committee prior to the internal deadline).

  •  Required Documents/Confirmations Related to Renovations 

    • Projects requiring renovations must include:

      • a cost estimate (from Physical Plant) prior to the internal application deadline.

      • Evidence of the required cash contributions to offset the 20% matching fund requirements.

    • Note: Please note that if renovations are not required as part of acquiring and installing the requested infrastructure, the applicant(s) must indicate in the CFI package why renovations are not required (including written confirmation from Physical Plant).

As institutions can only exceed their institutional envelopes by up to 10% at the CFI LOI deadline, LOI packages will be assessed by an internal review committee to determine which LOIs are submitted to the CFI by the October 2, 2024 deadline (if applicable, any collaborating institutions must confirm their participation and the use of a portion of their institutional envelopes at this stage).  Following the LOI deadline, depending on the funds requested in the proposed projects and their potential impact on the institutional envelope, an additional internal adjudication process may need to take place prior to the CFI IF full application deadline on February 4, 2025 to determine the final project(s) to be submitted by Lakehead.  Peer review is essential to ensuring the strongest and most competitive applications are submitted.

For further information, please review the CFI IF guidelines or contact Anne Klymenko (aklymenk@lakeheadu.ca) or Andrew Hacquoil (ahacquo@lakeheadu.ca) in the Office of Research Services.

Early Researcher Award Round 18: Internal Call for Proposals

Background
In the past, Lakehead University has been successful in securing awards through the previous rounds of the Ministry of Colleges and Universities’ Early Researcher Award (ERA) program.  The funds are to be used over a period of five years to fund eligible expenses for a research team of undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, associates, and technicians.

Eligible Applicants
Lakehead University invites early career researchers who meet the ERA program criteria, to apply to the 2024 internal ERA competition.  You are eligible to apply for this award if you:
  • are full-time, faculty or principal investigator (PI) based at an eligible institution in Ontario (adjunct positions do not qualify)
  • have started your independent academic research career on or after January 1, 2018; and
  • have completed your first Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, Medical Doctor or terminal degree on or after January 1, 2013 (anywhere world-wide)
  • have not already held an Early Researcher Award, and 
  • not a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair.  
To be competitive, researchers are encouraged to be actively involved in conducting research that has been supported by peer-reviewed funding and to demonstrate academic independence from previous supervisors.


Available Amount/Number of Lakehead University Applications
Under this program, an ERA award to a leading researcher is worth a maximum of $100,000 and must be matched by an additional $50,000. For this competition, Lakehead University will provide the required matching contribution of $50,000 ($10,000 per year over 5 years) towards five applications.  If more than five qualified applications are received a special review committee will be established to rank the applicants to determine which application(s) will be submitted to the ERA program. Please note that awards administered by the federal granting councils (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) are not eligible partner contributions.


Internal ERA Deadlines
1.  May 15, 2024:  Potential applicants are required to e-mail the Office of Research (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca) by May 15 to a) indicate their intention to apply to the ERA program, and b) to provide our office with a list of three external individuals (who are not in a conflict of interest with the ERA applicant) who our office can approach to write a letter of reference for the applicant's ERA application.  Please contact your three ERA referees to confirm their willingness to write a letter of support for your ERA application - please ensure that you follow the ERA guidelines when selecting referees.  Once they have agreed, please inform the Office of Research.
 
Please note the ERA program's guidelines for reference letters:
  •   One letter must come from a non-arm's length relationship. Non-arm’s length letters are letters written by a referee who knows the candidate personally (e.g., through mentoring relationships, co-employment relationships in the same school or institute, joint publications, or joint grants). Examples of non-arm’s length relationships: 
                  • Present or past colleague, student, post-doctoral fellow, faculty member, co-practitioner, etc. 
                 • Past mentor 
                 • Collaborator (joint publications, grants, etc.) 
  • Two letters must come from arm's length recommendations. Arm's length letters are defined as those from external referees who are not the candidate's dissertation or thesis chair or mentor, the candidate's co-author or collaborator, a family member of the candidate, or a friend of the candidate. External referees may not have a significant relationship with the candidate and must have the ability to write a non-biased letter that speaks to the candidate's background, work and standing in the field. However, it is acceptable for an external referee to be a professional acquaintance. A "professional acquaintance" is defined by circumstances where the candidate and the external referee know each other from a professional society or association or from participating together on a panel, chairing meetings or sharing a similar research interest. The external referee cannot have a personal friendship or family relationship with the candidate or have had a mentoring relationship, co-employment, a former professor, co-author or collaborator, joint publications or joint grants (see exceptions below). 
              Examples of acceptable levels of acquaintance: 
                  • Served on an association committee together 
                  • Met at a conference or chaired a conference or sections of a conference 
                  • Served on a panel together; or 
                  • Has been 5 years or more since the applicant: 
                      • has had a mentoring relationship with the individual 
                      • has had co-employment with the individual 
                      • was taught by the professor 
                      • co-authored or collaborated with the individual 
                      • jointly published with the individual; or 
                     • received a joint grant with the individual  It is recommended that the arm’s length letters be from researchers of international stature familiar with the researcher’s (PI) work, where possible.
 
2.  June 3, 2024:  ERA applicants are required to submit their ERA research proposals and CVs to the Office of Research (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca) by June 3 so that our office can forward the information to the external reference letter writers.

3.  June 24, 2024:  Full Applications,using the ERA form, are due in the Office of Research Services no later than June 24, 2024. 
 
For More Information
The official call for this program can be found on the  Ministry of Colleges and Universities  website.  The website includes the ERA application form, complete program guidelines and instructions including a list of ineligible partner contributions, eligible expenses, evaluation criteria, application forms, letter of reference requirements, etc.  There is also a list of upcoming information sessions on the site.


Internal Call for Proposals: 2024-2025 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Competition

2024-2025 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Competition - Internal Call for Proposals: Lakehead University Internal Information/Process

 

Background

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellows (BPDF) program is a very prestigious and competitive postdoctoral fellowship program supported by the Government of Canada. 

Please refer to the program website for the latest guidelines.

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program is designed to support world-class postdoctoral researchers. The fellowship provides $70,000 per year for two years. The program is open to both Canadian and international researchers who have recently completed a PhD, PhD- equivalent, or health professional degree.

Applications must be completed in full collaboration with the proposed host institution.  As a potential host institution, Lakehead University is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals including women, racialized persons, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities and other equity-seeking groups. All qualified candidates are therefore encouraged to apply.

Since this is an extremely competitive program and only a limited number of BPDFs are awarded each year, universities have put in place internal peer review processes to review and facilitate the submission of the strongest applicants to the Banting Program.  The Banting program expects universities to be highly selective in their endorsement of applications and to only put forward the highest quality of applicants.

The BPDF differs from traditional funding programs in that its specific emphasis is on the synergy between the applicant and the proposed institution. It is important to note that a BPDF applicant must be able to demonstrate how their proposed Banting-funded research is a strong fit with both their supervisor and Lakehead University's Research Plan priorities.

An internal peer review committee will be appointed by the Vice-President Research and Innovation and will rank/recommend applicants to be submitted to the program (with the final approval of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation).  The Committee will include representatives from equity seeking groups. All committee members will be required to have reviewed the resources available on the Banting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion page, and to complete the  Tri-agency unconscious bias training module.

 

Lakehead University’s Internal Application and Selection Process

Procedures and Timelines  

June 10, 2024:  After a potential candidate has contacted and finalizes arrangements with a proposed Lakehead University supervisor, by June 10, 2024, the supervisor informs the Office of Research Services (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca) that an application will be submitted as part of the internal process). It is at this time that our internal Banting Review Committee will be set-up.

July 10, 2024:  Deadline for submission of complete Banting application packages. As part of the internal review process, candidates will be required to complete the online Banting application and submit supporting documents. Please submit your package as a single PDF file to the Office of Research (to Andrew Hacquoil, Research Facilitator, Institutional Programs, at ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca).  Incomplete applications will not be accepted.*  The Office of Research will check application packages for completeness and eligibility of applicants.

Checklist

*The following components of the BPDF application (which can all be found in the official Application Guide on the BPDF website) are required by the internal deadline of July 10 (please note the three referee letters are not required as part of the internal submission package):

●    [   ] CCV - using the Vanier-Banting academic template

●    [   ] Banting application details - a pdf file of the actual application that is completed in ResearchNet (a pdf file of the preview version is required.  Please note that this is NOT a print screen); normally 5-6 pages)

●    [   ] Significance of Research Contributions - maximum of one page

●    [   ] Significance of Leadership Contributions - maximum of one page

●    [   ] Fulfillment of degree requirements form - this form is required even if a PhD has not yet been completed (for Lakehead University applicants that have not yet completed their PhD, this form must be completed by the relevant academic unit's graduate coordinator).

●    [   ] Special Circumstances, if applicable – maximum of one page (including justification for remaining in the same research environment where the candidate received their PhD). 

●    [   ] Research Proposal – maximum of four pages

●    [   ] Bibliography – maximum of four pages

●     [   ] Attachment: Supervisor's statement – to be completed by the proposed supervisor - maximum of four pages

August 12, 2024:  Internal peer review committee completes internal peer review of applications and submits recommendations to the Vice-President Research and Innovation.  

August 15, 2024:  Notification of successful and unsuccessful applicants and their proposed supervisors. A summary of the feedback from the internal review committee on the BPDF application  will be provided by the Office of Research Services to both successful and unsuccessful applicants and their mentors.  Applicants who are successful in the internal competition will be assigned to a Research Facilitator in the Office of Research Services who will work with the applicant and supervisor on improving the quality of the application considering all feedback available to the applicant.      

September 3, 2024:  Full applications are due to the assigned Research Facilitator in the Office of Research Services for final review.

September 14, 2024:  Institutional support letter provided to the successful applicant(s) 

*All applicants to the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship must follow the internal application process set by the Office of Research Services. A key part of the Banting application process is the institutional support letter. Applicants that do not follow this process will not receive institutional support (see below).  Only applications that have been received by our internal deadline and successfully reviewed by our internal peer review committee will be considered for submission to the Banting Program.

University Support

Please note that for the purposes of submission, Lakehead University is willing to make the following contributions to Banting applications that are submitted through our internal process:


For Banting applications ultimately successful in the national competition,  the Vice President, Research and Innovation (VPRI) will contribute a minimum of $5,000.  In addition, the VPRI will contribute an additional $2,500 if matched by an additional $2,500 from the respective Faculty Dean for a potential institutional contribution of $10,000.  The match from the Dean must be requested by the proposed postdoctoral fellow supervisors and confirmed in writing by the internal deadline date of July 10, 2024.

SSHRC Storytellers Competition Internal Call for 2025 Applications

In preparation for the 2025 competition, Lakehead University is holding an internal competition to support up to two students’ submissions to the SSHRC Storytellers Competition.

The SSHRC Storytellers Challenge is an annual competition that asks postsecondary students to demonstrate to Canadians, in up to three minutes or 300 words, how Social Sciences and Humanities research is affecting our lives, our world, and our future for the better.

Who is Eligible to apply?

All Lakehead University undergraduate and graduate students who are Canadian residents, 19 years of age or older, and who are working on a SSHRC-funded research project (either their own or their professor’s/supervisor’s) conducted at Lakehead University at the time of submission are eligible to apply. These requirements are determined by SSHRC.

NOTE: The Storyteller’s Challenge is only open to postsecondary students (i.e., undergraduate or graduate level). It is not open to postdoctoral researchers. It is also not open to SSHRC employees and their immediate family members and those living in the same household (whether legally related or not).

Previous winners are eligible to enter the Storyteller’s Challenge if:

1. the research featured in their submission is materially different, as determined by SSHRC, from that of their previous winning submission(s); and

2. they meet all other eligibility requirements.

What is required to apply?

Eligible students must create a video or audio clip of up to three minutes or a text or infographic of up to 300 words that showcases the SSHRC-funded research in a compelling, creative, and clear manner.

Lakehead University’s Internal Call for Applications

As mentioned above, in preparation for the 2025 competition, Lakehead University is holding an internal competition to support up to two students’ submissions to the SSHRC Storytellers Competition.

Some funding will be available to support up to two students’ submissions. A review committee will consider all eligible applications, and recommend up to two students’ submissions for internal funding and support. Funds can be used to help in the filming and production of either a three minute video, text, infographic, or audio file.

Support will also be available in the planning and producing the final submission, including script development and, for videos, filming support on campus (if required).

Application Process and Requirements:

Please complete the application, linked here by Friday, May 10, 2024 at 11:59PM.

Selection Process

A review committee will be established to evaluate and rank applications according to the three areas outlined by SSHRC: 1) Creativity/Engagement (compelling your audience), 2) Persuasiveness (communicating the impact), and 3) Clarity (explaining the research). The committee will make a final recommendation to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation.

Successful applicants will be notified by the end of May 2024. It is expected that recipients will begin working on these projects in the spring term and complete the project by the beginning of November 2024. The SSHRC Storyteller’s Challenge submission period will open in November 2024 and close by January 15, 2025.

For questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Dr. Batia Stolar, Associate Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies at: admin.research@lakeheadu.ca

Call for UArctic Chair EOIs

The UArctic has issued a call to its member institutions to submit expressions of interest to nominate researchers (at the level of full professor or equivalent) to serve as a UArctic Chair.  Each Chair will have a five-year term.  Lakehead University is seeking expressions of interest from faculty members interested in being nominated as a  UArctic Chair.  A Chair would be expected to spend 20% of their time on their UArctic Chair duties and undertake international travel.  Lakehead University is willing to nominate up to two Chairs and provide the appropriate release time support as well support for at least two international travels each year.  The two-stage nomination process initially involves the submission of an EOI by the nominating institution.  If the EOI is successful, a full proposal would then be submitted.
 
If you are interested in being nominated for UArctic Chair, you are asked to contact Andrew Hacquoil (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca), no later than April 15, 2024 to express your interest.  For more information on the UArctic call for expressions of interest, please click here.  You are also encouraged to review the UArctic Chairs – Terms of Reference for further information regarding what is expected of a UArctic Chair.


Call for Application: NSERC Discovery Enhancement Program 2024

We are now accepting applications for the 2024 NSERC Discovery Enhancement Program (deadline April 26, 2024). Details about this program, including how to apply are below.

 

NSERC Discovery Grant Enhancement Program

The Office of Research Services at Lakehead University is pleased to announce the continuation of the NSERC Enhancement Program in the spring of 2024. This program is designed to encourage and support researchers at Lakehead University to begin preparation of their NSERC Discovery Grant applications well in advance of the internal deadline, with the goal of increasing overall success rates.

 

Eligibility:
While the program is designed to support early career researchers in obtaining NSERC Discovery Grant funding, application to the program is open to all faculty. Those who have participated in previous enhancement programs are welcome to re-apply to the program on an audit-only basis. Priority will be given to tenure-track faculty. The number of participants will not exceed 10 per year.

 

Proposed Dates:
Workshops will run once a week for 4 consecutive weeks (specific dates and times to be determined in collaboration with participants).
Start: Week of May 21st - May 24th, 2024

End: Week of June 10th - June 14th, 2024
Discovery Grant Draft Submission: On or before July 15th, 2024

 

 

Program Structure:

Four, 1-hour workshops will be led and facilitated by Dr. Lexi Haslehurst, NSERC Research Facilitator, outlining the primary components of the Discovery grant application and adjudication criteria.

Participants are expected to draft and submit a preliminary application to the Facilitator one month after completion of the program (July 15th, 2024). The participant will then be provided with feedback intended to assist in further development of a Discovery Grant for submission in the autumn term.

Topics to be discussed include: 1) An overview of the Discovery Grant program; 2) Evaluation criteria for applications; 3) Demonstrating research excellence; 4) Developing an HQP training plan; 5) Incorporation of equity, diversity, and inclusion; 6) Budgets; 7) Developing a research proposal.

Award:

Participants in the program will be eligible for a research grant of up to $1500, distributed in two installments, to aid in the development of their Discovery Grant applications. Researchers may use this grant for costs associated with research, including but not limited to hiring research assistants and grant writers/editors, collecting preliminary data, and meeting with research partners. Participants may only receive this grant once but may audit future Discovery Grant Enhancement programs if desired. 

The $1500 grant will be distributed in two allotments: 1) $750 following completion of the four modules; and 2) $750 after they have applied to the NSERC Discovery Grant program in the autumn.

Apply:

To be considered for participation, researchers will need to submit an application through ROMEO (click on Apply New à Tri-Agency Grant Enhancement Programs). Applications will include a brief project summary, a summary of the applicant’s experience with tri-agency grants, and a budget for the $1,500 research grant. 

Applications are due Friday, April 26th, 2024.

If you need help using the ROMEO system, please contact Darren Lampson, ROMEO administrator, at  research@lakeheadu.ca

For general questions about the program, please contact Dr. Lexi Haslehurst at nserc.research@lakeheadu.ca 

NOHFC Administrative Internship Call - Internal Deadline: April 24, 2024

NOHFC Administrative Internship Call   
 
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) – Workforce Development Stream / Indigenous Workforce Development Stream Regular (administrative) Internships:  
  • One Position Available

 

Overview

Workforce Development Stream:  The intent of the Workforce Development Stream is to strengthen and develop Northern Ontario’s workforce through business partnerships by offering internships.  

Indigenous Workforce Development Stream:  The intent of the Indigenous Workforce Development Stream is to strengthen and develop Northern Ontario’s Indigenous workforce through business partnerships by offering internships to Indigenous persons.

Lakehead University will have one NOHFC administrative-related internship (out of its quota of two administrative-related placements) become available after the end of May 2024 through the NOHFC Workforce Development / Indigenous Workforce Development Streams.  The internal deadline for the submission of regular internship applications to the Office of Research is April 24, 2024. Please email a copy of your NOHFC application to Andrew Hacquoil, Research Facilitator (Institutional Programs), Office of Research, at ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca.  Do not submit your application to the NOHFC. Note that you will need to create an account on the NOHFC website in order to create an application. If more than one application is received, an internal competition will need to be held to determine which application will be submitted to the NOHFC.  Final decisions will be made by the Executive Team Working Group.

 

  • Important Note:  Under this NOHFC administrative internship call, priority will be given to applications from Lakehead University administrative units.

 

Eligible Candidates/Costs

Salaries/wages and employer’s portion of Mandatory Employment Related Costs (MERCs) (e.g.: Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, mandatory minimum vacation pay, as per Employment Standards Act) for a limited-term internship position of 52 weeks (with at least 35 hours of work per week) for candidates that:

  • Are new entrants into the workforce, are transitioning to a new career, or the unemployed or underemployed who are entering a new field;
  • Have not previously participated in a NOHFC-funded internship;
  • Are at least 18 years of age; and
  • Reside, and be legally entitled to work, in Canada.
  • For the Indigenous Workforce Development Stream:  Identify as an Indigenous person, including First Nation, Metis, or Inuit. 

 

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

  • The extent to which the position addresses a labour shortage or supports the development of a skilled trade or profession in Northern Ontario;
  • The opportunity for the placement to result in a full-time, permanent job with the applicant or another Northern Ontario business;*
  • The quality of the skill development opportunity and the potential for the position to provide specific and recognizable transferable skills, and 
  • The quality of the position’s work/training plan and direct onsite supervision methods   

*Please note that applicants, in order to demonstrate the possibility of the internship resulting in permanent employment, must outline in their application:

  • How the internship could result in a permanent job with the applicant, or
  • How the skills and training acquired by the intern by working with the faculty member on the proposed project will make them more employable in a certain field or industry (please give specific examples from your project that will show what skills and training will be acquired by the intern).

Applications that indicate No employment opportunities will result, will be declared ineligible and removed from the internal competition.

 

Funding

For eligible municipalities, Indigenous communities and not-for-profit organizations, funding is in the form of a conditional contribution of up to 90% of an intern’s salary and employer’s portion of MERCs to a maximum of $35,000 per year. It is important to note that the applicant must provide the remaining 10% of the cost of the intern.  Therefore, when submitting your internship application to the Office of Research Services, A separate statement of where the required matching funds (plus benefits) will come from must be provided as well.  Applications submitted by the April 24, 2024 internal deadline without information on matching funds will be considered ineligible in the internal competition. 

 
For more information about the NOHFC program, please click here.  


Call for Proposals - SSHRC SIG Community-Engaged Research Grant (CERG) Program Deadline: March 25, 2024

Lakehead University is pleased to again announce a program in support of community-engaged research with community organizations, and not-for-profit partners. We invite all tenure-track, tenured and three-year limited-term appointment Lakehead faculty members who are eligible to apply to the disciplines supported by SSHRC to submit applications to the 2024 Community-Engaged Research Grant (CERG) Program.

Community-engaged research is a collaborative process between universities and diverse communities. The goal of such research is to improve community well-being and to describe, through participatory knowledge creation and creative expression, how this is accomplished. Community-engaged research respects the capacity of all stakeholders to contribute to the development of new knowledge and incorporates them in the design, conduct and dissemination of the different phases of the research process. Community-engaged research is founded upon the principles of social responsibility, respect, reciprocity, democratization of knowledge creation, and social and/or ecological justice.

This initiative will support funding for collaborative research initiatives that are aligned with Lakehead University’s commitment to Social Responsibility and Community Engagement with community partners as outlined in the 2023-2025 Strategic Plan Extension.

A maximum amount of $60,000 is available to support projects for the following types of research initiatives:

1.  Research funds to support community-engaged research where there is evidence of an existing partnership with a community organization (up to $15,000); and

2. Partnership development seed funds to support planning activities with community partners, including travel, meetings, workshops, etc. (up to $7,500).

Please note that research grants must be completed, and all funds spent by March 31, 2025. Successful applicants must commit to completion of a final report within 30 days of completion of the project; the Office of Research Services will provide successful grantees with the Romeo Internal Grant final report template.

Funding for this research initiative is made possible through the SSHRC Institutions Grant (SIG) Small Universities Supplement program; the objective of the SSHRC SIG is to enable small universities to develop and strengthen focused research capacity and excellence in the social sciences and humanities. Proposals must demonstrate how this funding will lead to a successful and competitive external SSHRC application within one year following the end of the grant.

Eligibility: Tenure-track, tenured or 3-year LTAs are eligible to apply for this program. Lakehead University Research Centres and Institutes are also encouraged to apply. Community partners may include, but not be limited to: Indigenous communities, not-for-profit organizations, grassroots organizations, municipal departments, and health agencies. Government agencies and other postsecondary institutions are not eligible as partners.

Application Process: Applications must be submitted through the Romeo Research Portal no later than March 25, 2024. Appendix A provides a description of the information that will be required in the Romeo application.

Selection Process: An internal peer-review committee will be established to evaluate and rank proposals. The committee will rank and make a final recommendation of the projects to be supported through the program to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation.

 

Evaluation Criteria

Challenge—The aim and importance of the project (60%):

  • strategic value of the chosen research development area to the partner, and clarity of alignment between the proposed research and Lakehead’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan Extension;
  • evidence that communities/organizations are/will be genuine partners in the initiative;
  • expected contribution to knowledge;
  • appropriateness of the research methods/approach; and
  • potential influence and impact within and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community.

 

Feasibility—the plan to achieve inclusive research excellence (20%):

  • probability of effective and timely attainment of an increase in research capacity at Lakehead University and within community organizations;
  • quality of the proposed community-engagement plan;
  • appropriateness of the requested budget and justification of proposed costs; and
  • an indication of financial and in-kind contributions from community partners and other sources, as appropriate.

 

Capability—Track record and the potential to succeed (20%):

  • the track-record of the proposed research team working with community organizations;
  • indication of human, financial and institutional resources available and to be committed;
  • where applicable, evidence of outputs and outcomes resulting from previous related funding.

 

 

Should you have any questions about the program, please contact Andrew Hacquoil, Acting Director, Office of Research Services, at ext. 8092 or ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca. If you need assistance with completing the Romeo application, please contact Darren Lampson at research@lakeheadu.ca.

 

 

Appendix A

 

Proposals should be no more than approximately 2,500 words (the equivalent of approximately five typed pages @ 500 words per page) and include the following information:

  • Research Project Summary (100 words), written in lay language describing the uniqueness and importance of the proposed research program.
  • Objectives (500 words) – Describe the short-term objectives of your project and how the project will contribute to your long-term research plan.
  • Context (600 words) – Describe the background of your proposed project/group including relevant prior research and/or meetings or events that have occurred.
  • Methodology (800 words) – Describe specifically what you will do to meet the objectives of your project/group.
  • Community-Engagement Plan (500 words) - Indicate how your proposed project or the work of your proposed team engaged your community partner in the design of the project and research questions.
  • Budget and budget justification (template in Romeo)
  • Letters of support from partners (not included in five typed pages)
  • SSHRC Common CV – CCV required for all Lakehead University faculty (not included in five-page total)

NSERC CREATE Program - Internal Call for Expressions of Interest

NSERC's Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program supports the training and mentoring of teams of highly qualified students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada and abroad through the development of innovative training programs that:

  • encourage collaborative and integrative approaches, and address significant scientific challenges associated with Canada’s research priorities, and 
  • facilitate the transition of new researchers from trainees to productive employees in the Canadian workforce
Even though NSERC CREATE LOIs will no longer be adjudicated and will proceed directly to the full application stage, NSERC's system of LOI quotas for universities remains in place (for non-international stream LOIs).  Please note that as in the past, it is anticipated that Lakehead University will have a quota of two letters of intent (regular stream) that it can submit to this competition. If you intend to submit an LOI to this program, you are asked to notify the Office of Research Services (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca) by February 22, 2024 of your intention to apply to this opportunity.     
 
If more than two teams indicate that they are submitting an LOI to the CREATE program (again, under the regular stream), an internal competition will need to be held to determine which two LOIs may be considered for submission to NSERC. If it is determined that an internal competition needs to be held, further information on the specific materials that are required to be submitted by internal applicants will be provided at that time.
 
Given the highly competitive nature of the NSERC CREATE program and the requirement for institutional support, Principal Investigators will need to work closely with assigned research facilitators from the conceptualization of the project proposal to final submission.
 
Please note that the NSERC CREATE guidelines and LOI form have not yet been updated by NSERC.  However, information on the changes to the NSERC CREATE program can be found here.

Call for Applications: NOHFC Research Internships - One Position Available

NOHFC Research Internships:  One Position Available 

Overview

  • Workforce Development Stream:  The intent of the Workforce Development Stream is to strengthen and develop Northern Ontario’s workforce through business partnerships by offering internships.  
  • Indigenous Workforce Development Stream:  The intent of the Indigenous Workforce Development Stream is to strengthen and develop Northern Ontario’s Indigenous workforce through business partnerships by offering internships to Indigenous persons.

Under this program, covering both streams, Lakehead University has a quota of five research-related placements.  Of these five, one is currently available.  The internal deadline for the submission of internship applications to the Office of Research Services is December 1, 2023.   Please note that you will need to create an account on the NOHFC website in order to create an application, however please do not submit your application to the NOHFC.   Instead,  please email a copy of your application to Andrew Hacquoil, Research Facilitator (Institutional Programs), Office of Research Services, at ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca. 

If more than one internship application is received, an internal competition will need to be held.   Applications will be reviewed and ranked by the Senate Research Committee (SRC).  The SRC will then make a recommendation to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation regarding which applications should be submitted to the NOHFC.

 

Eligible Candidates/Costs

Salaries/wages and employer’s portion of Mandatory Employment Related Costs (MERCs) (e.g.: Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, mandatory minimum vacation pay, as per Employment Standards Act) for a limited-term internship position of 52 weeks (with at least 35 hours of work per week) for candidates that:

  • Are new entrants into the workforce, are transitioning to a new career, or the unemployed or underemployed who are entering a new field;
  • Have not previously participated in a NOHFC-funded internship;
  • Are at least 18 years of age; and
  • Reside, and be legally entitled to work, in Canada.
  • For the  Indigenous Workforce Development Stream:  Identify as an Indigenous person, including First Nation, Metis, or Inuit.  

 

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

  • The extent to which the position addresses a labour shortage or supports the development of a skilled trade or profession in Northern Ontario;
  • The opportunity for the placement to result in a full-time, permanent job with the applicant or another Northern Ontario business;*
  • The quality of the skill development opportunity and the potential for the position to provide specific and recognizable transferable skills, and 
  • The quality of the position’s work/training plan and direct onsite supervision methods   

 

*Please note that applicants, in order to demonstrate the possibility of the internship resulting in permanent employment, must outline in their application:

  • How the internship could result in a permanent job with the applicant, or
  • How the skills and training acquired by the intern by working with the faculty member on the proposed project will make them more employable in a certain field or industry (please give specific examples from your project that will show what skills and training will be acquired by the intern).

Applications that indicate No employment opportunities will result, will be declared ineligible and removed from the internal competition.

 

Funding

For eligible municipalities, Indigenous communities and not-for-profit organizations, funding is in the form of a conditional contribution of up to 90% of an intern’s salary and employer’s portion of MERCs to a maximum of $35,000 per year. 

It is important to note that the applicant must provide the remaining 10% of the costs for the intern.  Therefore, when submitting your internship application to the Office of Research Services, a Research Proposal Approval Form (RAPF) must be included in the package.  A statement of where the required matching funds (including MERCs) will come from must be included in, or attached to the signed and completed RPAF as well.  Applications submitted by the December 1, 2023 internal deadline without an RPAF will be considered ineligible in the internal competition. 

 

An Important Note on Research Internships

Please note that for a proposal to be considered as being a research internship, the application must be written so as to meet the NOHFC's definition of research:  

Q:  What is a research intern under the Internship Program?

A:   An employer applying for a research internship must engage in research activities as part of their mandate. NOHFC considers both pure (scientific) and applied research positions.

  • Pure (scientific) research internships must contribute to the development of documents that are generated for public consumption and peer review.
  • Applied research internships involve conducting studies and research that seeks to solve practical problems and find solutions to everyday problems. This often involves original investigation into the development of new technology, products, and services.

 

For the purpose of defining an applied research internship the following criteria must be met:

a)   The applicant must be involved in research aimed at developing a new technology and or products (i.e. a solution to everyday problem)

b)  The internship duties will focus on assisting the applicant organization in development and research of a new technology, products, or service.

 Applicants are required to state in their submissions how they meet the NOHFC's criteria for a research internship. This would include a description regarding where the results of the research generated by the intern will be made available (i,.e, in a journal publication).  Applications that are not deemed to be research-related (i.e., the duties of the intern will be more administrative in nature instead of involving a research activity) will be considered ineligible in the internal competition. 

 

For More Information

 For more information about the NOHFC internship program, please click here.

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