Sponsor

Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR)

Program

Research Workshops

For More Information

Visit the Program Website [1]

Description

For more than three decades, CIFAR’s global research programs have connected many of the world’s best minds – across borders and disciplines – to shape new perspectives and spark ground-breaking ideas. Our commitment to sustained research interactions and engagement through interdisciplinary research networks offers researchers the rarest of commodities: freedom to take intellectual risks that are essential for creating truly transformative knowledge.

CIFAR is announcing the launch of a new opportunity to explore key questions of global importance that can best be addressed through interdisciplinary, international teams. We have designed a research workshop program for short-term, time-limited interactions of 10 to 20 people.

We invite the global research community to submit proposals for workshops that are centred on complex, fundamental questions of importance to the world. Topics selected for workshops should have the potential to impact multiple sectors of society internationally. Topics that are timely in the context of world events, high-risk or which have strong potential for advancement or refinement through a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach are encouraged.

Eligibility

• Workshops must be comprised of a core team of three to four international and interdisciplinary researchers who intend to address topics of global importance. At least one researcher must be based in Canada. Other participants are expected to be geographically diverse. One of the core team members must serve as the lead applicant for the proposal. CIFAR will work with the core team to identify and recruit additional participants.
• Workshops must address a new area of research, or a gap in the research agenda.
• Workshop proposals submitted by existing CIFAR fellows must be outside the research scope and evolution of the current CIFAR programs.
• Proposals should outline the plan for the Workshop, including themes and anticipated outcomes, possible location(s) and length.  A high-level budget (travel, accommodation, meals and onsite costs, pre- and post-meetings for planning) is required for up to a maximum of $50,000 CAD. Proposals that exceed this cost will be excluded from consideration. CIFAR will work with selected applicants to further develop a detailed budget.
• It is expected that all members of the core team will be internationally recognized researchers who are considered experts in their field.

Maximum Project Value

up to $50,000 CAD

Indirect Costs

0%

Special Notes

CIFAR will accept proposals for workshops submitted to either an open call or to targeted areas.

Open call proposals

The open call is now open for workshop proposals from any field of humanities, engineering, social, natural, or biomedical sciences that address critical questions of global importance.

Open call workshop proposals will be accepted and assessed on a rolling basis. CIFAR will strive to make decisions on successful proposals as promptly as possible. CIFAR will provide two weeks’ notice in advance of when the call for workshops will close for the year.  Where multiple proposals are submitted on similar research questions, CIFAR may encourage the applicants to collaborate and will facilitate that process.

Targeted proposals

CIFAR will be launching targeted calls in the areas of Child Well-being, Quantum Science, Brain/Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of Energy. Proposals submitted under these themes will be assessed based on a predetermined timeline; there will not be rolling submissions. If your workshop theme falls into one of these areas, please contact workshops@cifar.ca [2] before submitting to the open call. Child Well-being will be the first target area, with an anticipated launch in early March. Please continue to visit this website for more information about target area workshops.

Selection Process
CIFAR will screen proposals for eligibility. Please note that proposals that are similar to, or natural extensions of, existing CIFAR programs will be eliminated at this stage. Eligible proposals will be sent for external peer-review by internationally recognized researchers. Additional review and advice will be provided by members of the CIFAR Research Council. Final decisions rest with CIFAR.

Selection criteria

Proposals for the CIFAR Research Workshops will be evaluated based on the following four criteria:

• Evidence of unique nature or novelty of the proposal theme and its potential impact.
• Need for an international and interdisciplinary approach to address the identified question or theme and the need for CIFAR involvement to help develop this approach.
• Excellence of the proposed core research team and the logic for how to expand this group in order to best   address the proposed theme or question.
• The proposed workshop plan.

How to Apply

Please allow five business days prior to the date you wish to apply to CIFAR for internal review and approval by Office of Research Services. Send a copy of your application, including all appendices with a signed OR-5 form to research.services@uoguelph.ca

Kindly note: Open call workshop proposals will be accepted and assessed on a rolling basis.

CIFAR will be launching targeted calls in the areas of Child Well-being, Quantum Science, Brain/Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of Energy. Proposals submitted under these themes will be assessed based on a predetermined timeline; there will not be rolling submissions. Child Well-being will be the first target area, with an anticipated launch in early March. Please continue to visit the workshop [3]website [4] for more information about the target areas.

Information For Co-applicants

If you need to meet a deadline set by the lead institution for this opportunity, please ensure that you provide the Office of Research with at least five days in advance of the lead institution’s deadline to review the application, or your proposed component of the project. Please be in touch with the Office of Research (contact information below) ahead of the deadline if it looks like it will be difficult for you to submit all the required documentation on time (i.e. budget, proposal, OR-5 Form).