Funding Opportunities

Description: The McDonald Institute Experimental Postdoctoral Fellow Award in Astroparticle Physics is to support faculty at a recognized Canadian academic institution to hire a postdoctoral fellow. The program will support several postdoctoral fellows by covering 75% of the direct cost, up to an annual salary of $70,000 CAD plus benefits, for up to two years. Other components of the package (e.g., relocation, travel allowance, etc.) are 100% paid by the host institution. This opportunity is limited to faculty members in Astroparticle physics.

Applications will be evaluated based on scientific merit, alignment with the objectives of the McDonald Institute, and incorporation of equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenization (EDII) principles into applicant’ research environment and recruitment and onboarding processes. The scoring matrix is available for review at the end of the application form.

Eligibility:

• The applicant must be a faculty/PI/Group/Institution in experimental APP research at a recognized (Tri-Council funding eligible) Canadian academic institution
• The research must be aligned with the McDonald Institute Research Strategy.
• The applicant must be planning to fill a postdoctoral position that will commence no later than September 30, 2026.

Application process:
The applicant must provide the following:

• Application form together with two-page response to Section B.
• Salary package for the postdoc fellow, that is the total salary, the source(s) of other funding with an explanation, and the amount of funding requested.

Application documents should be sent to admin@mcdonaldinstitute.ca with “MI-EPDF R1 – [Applicant’s Last name]” as the subject line.

Timeline:
Competition opens: November 25, 2025
Competition closes: January 14, 2026
Results Released: February, 2026

• Download the program guidelines here [PDF, 69 kb]
• Download the application form here [PDF, 231 kb]

Description: One year of research funding for new high-risk, high-reward research areas that help maximize the scientific output from the suite of experiments that are currently operational or under development at SNOLAB or internationally.

Eligibility: Funding is for faculty members at any Canadian academic institution, who can currently hold funds from of any the granting agencies including CFREF.

Projects must be one year in length and address one of the following:

• Unique capacity building/training/professional development opportunities within existing research projects.
• Seed funding of new research and development initiatives to build new teams or enable proof of principle that will lead to follow-on funding from other sources of research support.
• Funding can be used for salaries, equipment, materials, supplies, and travel.

How it works: Successful recipients will be notified by award letter, which stipulates the terms of the funding. The one-year window begins when the funds are released, upon signing of the award letter. Funds will be transferred to the faculty’s institution using the standard processes.

Eligibility: The applicant must be able to supervise at a Canadian academic institution and be eligible to hold an institutional account for grants or awards (e.g., granting agencies, or currently receives McDonald Institute funding).

The proposal must be in line with the McDonald Institute’s vision and scientific goals.

Proposal: Applicants can apply for multiple positions; however, a separate application form for each position must be completed. Where applicable, certain information may be copied between your applications, but each position is unique and will be considered based on the merits of the application package. Template completion is mandatory and includes several sections with assigned page limits.

For this graduate stream, a student may not need to be identified at the time of applying.

Applications that are incomplete or fail to follow the template will not be considered. Once a proposal has been submitted, a confirmation email will be sent.

How it works: Successful supervisors will be granted one ticket for each successful position. The awarded ticket is expected to be filled by Sept 2025. The position is considered filled when a signed letter of offer or comparative letter is received by the McDonald Institute. All unused tickets and/or portions of funding will be returned to the pool.

Ticket Value: The McDonald Institute recognizes that different institutions have different pay scales and arrangements for student salaries. The program is intended to cover the research component of a graduate researcher’s annual salary, with the expectation that a teaching assistantship (TA) or scholarship would cover a significant fraction of the total package. This model may not be achievable at all institutes. Recognizing that the salary packages and number of TAs may vary by institute, applicants should outline the total salary, the source(s) of other funding with an explanation, and the amount of funding requested. The program has a set envelope for this competition. Therefore, if applications successfully request larger amounts on average, then there will be fewer overall tickets.

Timeline:
Competition Closes: April 17, 2025, 4:00 pm EDT
Results Released: Early May 2025

Completed applications should be sent to admin@mcdonaldinstitute.ca with the subject line “HQP Pooled Resources Round 11 – {Faculty Last Name}”.

• Download the program guidelines here (177 KB)
• Download application form and scoring matrix here (65 KB) 
• Download the ‘Alignment with the McDonald Institute Research Strategy’ document here (133 KB)

Research Partnership-Building Workshops Program – Open

The Research Partnership-Building Workshops program aims to mobilize astroparticle physics researchers working in Canada by supporting novel workshops, training events, and short-term visits that either initiate or expand opportunities for eligible research or training partnerships.

Funding preference is given to activities that expand research networks internationally, but any activities meeting the “Core Application Criteria” below are eligible for funding. Applications should specify one of three streams for funding (via reimbursable voucher).

Proof of Concept Seed Fund Pilot Program – OPEN

Description: The McDonald Institute Proof-of-Concept Seed Fund Program provides early-stage support for technology innovation supervised by an awardee. Funding of up to $20,000 CAD is currently available to offset the real costs to an eligible astroparticle physics researcher developing an early-stage demonstration of practical technologies either adapted, or transferred from research-driven activities. Funding may be used for a portion, or the entirety of costs incurred for, prototype development, technology integration, or technology demonstration. Once funds for the current Pilot are exhausted, the opportunity will close until the next fiscal year (April 2022- March 2023).

Applicant Eligibility: Any researcher focused on astroparticle physics and already eligible to hold funds from Tri-Council granting agencies (or currently in receipt of CFREF funding through the McDonald Institute) may apply if they are eligible to manage an institutional research account. Any researcher working under the direct supervision of a researcher meeting the above criterion may act as the application lead (proponent), but all funds must flow through a Tri-Council eligible researcher’s account (awardee).

Eligible Expenses: Successful awardees may invoice the McDonald Institute to recover up to $20,000 of proof-of -concept costs including salary costs of awardee-supervised research personnel (post-doctoral, graduate, undergraduate students, or technical or engineering staff); materials, licences and fees required to fabricate, operate or demonstrate the proof of concept (including fees for machining work, assembly, software development). Up to 20 percent of an award is eligible for travel support related to proof-of-concept activities. Documented expenses incurred in the three months prior to an award letter may be reimbursed if they are CFREF eligible, provided that the applicant has disclosed such prior spending in their application budget.

Ineligible Expenses: Awardees will not be eligible for the reimbursement of intellectual property protection costs, legal advice, hospitality, or the recovered costs of goods that are subsequently sold to a third party (e.g., prototypes or services that are sold as products). This list is not exhaustive, please reach out to the program contact staff for confirmation of eligibility.

How it works: Successful applicants will be granted an award letter committing the McDonald Institute to reimburse up to $20,000 CAD of receipted expenses incurred up to 12 months from the award date. The target of the first award call is to bolster community members’ experience in mobilizing research technology to address practical problems and to de-risk such mobilizations by demonstrating feasibility (problem-solution “fit”). Applications are welcomed at any time for this funding opportunity Once this funding pool (currently $20,000 CAN) has been exhausted, this competition will close for the current fiscal year. Contact Dr. Alexandra Pedersen (Business Development Officer) for additional application information and guidance.

Timelines:  
Call for applications opens: April 18, 2022. Results will be announced within one month of each application submission.

Potential applicants must contact Dr. Alexandra Pedersen, the McDonald Institute Business Development Officer, at admin@mcdonaldinstitute.ca prior to submitting an application to discuss the project.

Completed applications may be sent to admin@mcdonaldinstitute.ca with the subject line “Proof of Concept Seed Fund – {Applicant Last Name}”.

• Download the Application Document (PDF, 187KB)
• Review the Mcdonald Institute Research Strategy Guidelines (PDF, 133KB)
• Download the Guidlines (PDF, 150KB)

Pilot: Innovation Validation Program – OPEN

Introduction: This program provides an opportunity for students to validate a product- or policy-based solution to a current problem facing astroparticle physicists and their collaborators.  

What: Voucher of $2,000 max. reimbursing eligible receipted expenses for validating an innovation model. 

How it works: If you apply, your team agrees to meet with Edward Thomas (Associate Director, External Relations) to learn uses of a Lean Model Canvas and the ways that your team would use this simple validation tool as part of the voucher’s terms and conditions. The team will commit to a 45-min professional development training session that will cover the following expectations for the voucher: 

• Submit a Lean Model Canvas for their Idea 
• Must have tested three assumptions of their Lean Model Canvas . 
• Student teams must also submit a proposed budget outlining how the $2,000 voucher will be spent. The budget must be approval prior to the date of receipts to be reimbursed. No costs incurred prior to the start date of the voucher will be accepted.  

Successful applicants will be granted an award letter committing the McDonald Institute to reimburse up to $2,000 CDN of approved and receipted expenses incurred up to 6 months from the award date.  

The purpose of Competition Round 1 (2022) will be to bolster community members’ experience in mobilizing research technology to address practical problems and to de-risk such mobilizations by demonstrating feasibility (problem-solution “fit”). This competition will prioritize problem-solution opportunities identified in the 2022 (Un)Hacking Downstream Consequences event sponsored by the McDonald Institute. 

Methodology: All teams must complete a Lean Model Canvass (instructions, template) as their guiding methodological framework for testing assumptions when validating an innovation model. A version of the model must be submitted with post-award deliverables. 

Team Eligibility: Any student group focused on validating an innovation model may apply if it includes either 1 or more Queen’s University students, or 1 or more students working under the supervision of an astroparticle physics researcher at a Canadian post-secondary institution or scientific facility. For Competition 1, the following additional eligibility criteria shall apply: 

• Must have one student from the 2022 (Un)Hacking Downstream Consequences event.  
• Root premise of the innovation should be from their solution, above. 
• A team may onboard or offboard as many members as they like, but each member must have a role.  
• There must be at least one currently enrolled student at Queen’s University engaged in the team. 

Students meeting the above criterion may act as the application lead (proponent) with an eligible supervisor’s co-signed acknowledgement if no Queen’s student is part of the team. All funds reimbursed to an institution must flow through a Tri-Council eligible researchers’ account (awardee). This means a faculty supervisor may expend funds used for the award and invoice the McDonald Institute to recover up to the value of the voucher. Eligible and receipted expenses borne by student awardees may be invoiced directly to the McDonald Institute for reimbursement by cheque. 

• Expenses: All expenses must be approved prior to purchase by the Business Development Officer and reimbursement is upon submission of receipts. 

1. • Eligible Expenses: Successful awardees may invoice the McDonald Institute to recover up to $2,000 of Proof-of-Concept costs including: salary costs of research personnel (post-doctoral, graduate, undergraduate students, or technical research personnel); materials, licences and fees required to fabricate, operate or demonstrate the proof of concept (including fees for machining work, assembly, software development). Economy fare travel expenses for prototyping and research costs are eligible. Market research from third party providers are eligible up to a maximum of $500. 
   • Ineligible Expenses: Awardees will not be eligible for the reimbursement of intellectual property protection costs, legal advice, hospitality, or any goods that are subsequently sold to a third party (e.g., prototypes that are sold as products). Salary costs for members of applicant teams are ineligible.  

• List of Likely Expenses:  

• • Materials for minimum viable product (applicants must include two (2) recent quotations for any item(s) over $500). 

• • Licences and fees required to fabricate, operate or demonstrate the proof of concept (including fees for machining work, assembly, software). 

• • Professional development training intended to advance the team’s ability to demonstrate their innovation (cannot exceed 50% of the voucher’s cost) 

Conflict of interest: An actual or apparent conflict of interest arises when a member of the awardee team is placed in a situation where their personal interest, financial or other, or that of an immediate Family member or of a person with whom there exists, or has recently existed an intimate, personal relationship, conflicts, or appears to conflict, with their responsibility to the terms of this award or with the interests of the McDonald Institute or Queen’s University. This includes situations which may arise where the awardee is in a position to influence directly or indirectly McDonald Institute or Queen’s University business or other decisions in ways that would lead to a gain/benefit for the awardee or immediate family member. 

• Application and Guidelines (PDF, 116KB)
• Review the Mcdonald Institute Research Strategy Guidelines (PDF, 133KB)

Early Demonstration Fund Program – OPEN

Description: The Early Demonstration Fund provides an opportunity for researchers to advance a technology solution to a practical problem that has already been shown to be feasible (i.e., has already been subjected to successful proof-of-concept test or demonstration), but has not been sufficiently constituted to provide an assurance of reliable application (i.e., reproducibility in solving a practical problem). The above statement is equivalent to moving from a Technology Readiness Level of 2 or 3 to a Technology Readiness Level of 4 or 5 (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_readiness_level). Once funds for the current Demonstration Fund are exhausted, the opportunity will close until the next fiscal year (April 2023 to March 2024).

Applicant Eligibility: Any researcher focused on astroparticle physics and already eligible to hold funds from Tri-Council granting agencies (or currently in receipt of CFREF funding through the McDonald Institute) may apply if they are eligible to manage an institutional research account. Any researcher working under the direct supervision of a researcher meeting the above criterion may act as the application lead (proponent), but all funds must flow through a Tri-Council eligible researcher’s account (awardee).

Eligible Expenses: Successful awardees may invoice the McDonald Institute to recover up to $20,000 of demonstration development costs including salary of contracting costs of awardee-supervised research personnel (post-doctoral, graduate, undergraduate students, or technical or engineering staff); materials, licences or fees required to fabricate, assemble or demonstrate proposed technology, prototyping-driven travel costs and travel for engaging technology end-users or assessors.

Ineligible Expenses: Awardees will not be eligible for the reimbursement of intellectual property protection costs, legal advice, hospitality, or the recovered costs of goods that are subsequently sold to a third party (e.g., prototypes or services that are sold as products). This list is not exhaustive, please reach out to the program contact staff for confirmation of eligibility.

How it works: Successful applicants will be granted an award letter committing the McDonald Institute to reimburse up to $20,000 CAD of receipted expenses incurred up to 12 months from the award date. The target of the first award call is to bolster community members’ experience in mobilizing research technology to address practical problems and to de-risk such mobilizations by demonstrating feasibility (problem-solution “fit”). Applications are welcomed at any time for this funding opportunity. Once this funding pool (currently $20,000 CAN) has been exhausted, this competition will close for the current fiscal year. Contact Edward Thomas (Associate Director) for additional application information and guidance.

Timelines: Call for applications opens: Dec. 1, 2022. Results will be announced within one month of each application submission.

Potential applicants must contact Edward Thomas, Associate Director, at edward.thomas@mcdonaldinstitute.ca to discuss the project prior to submitting an application. Completed applications may be sent to admin@mcdonaldinstitute.ca with the subject line “Proof of Concept Seed Fund – {Applicant Last Name}”.

• Download the Application MS-Word Template (DOCX, 220 KB)
• Review the Mcdonald Institute Research Strategy Guidelines (PDF, 133KB)
• Download the Guidlines (PDF, 150KB)