Funding Opportunities

This page showcases successful funding opportunities and previous recipients from the McDonald Institute. These include all awarded competitions and opportunities, completed or in progress, as described under Current Funding Opportunities and Internships.

The information below is a snapshot of the key information of each successful funding opportunity. To meet the people behind the projects, visit our People page or go to the opportunity of interest.

Novel Collaborations with Astroparticle Physics

Description: Funding to host a collaboration meeting, targeting the creation of new scientific outcomes. BlueSky ideas that seed exploration of research interests or address overlap between research groups are encouraged.

Eligibility: Meetings will take place in Canada between Canadian collaborators, including any person who holds a position at a Canadian academic or research institute with a focus on Astroparticle physics. Participants must be groups that have not previously interacted scientifically (previously collaborated or jointly published), and interdisciplinary research is encouraged.

International Astroparticle Physics Collaborations

Description: Funding to host international collaboration meetings in Canada to create international linkages on research ideas, or meetings at international locations that demonstrate clear evidence for future opportunities in Canada.

Eligibility: Meetings must be between a Canadian Delegation and an International Delegation, and led by senior research officials. Individual travel may be considered, however the goal of this fund is to promote larger group interactions, ideally with a minimum of three team members.

Catalyst Workshops Program

Description: Output driven workshops to advance/influence theoretical or experimental astroparticle physics research. Outputs may include finalizing publications, progressing the development of R&D, knowledge mobilization, commercialization, or technology transfer outputs.

Eligibility: Any person who holds a position at a Canadian academic or research institute can apply.

Frontier Research Venture Fund

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

• Programmatic or Network-level research partnership development initiatives.
• 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.

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

HQP Pooled Resources

Description: This competition assists with supervisor incurred salary costs of highly qualified personnel from undergraduate students through post doctoral fellows. Funding for positions is available to those pursuing astroparticle physics research in Canada aligned with the McDonald Institute Research Strategy.

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

Proof of Concept Seed Fund

Description: The McDonald Institute Proof of Concept Seed Fund provides early-stage support for technology innovation supervised by an awardee. Funding is 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.

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).

Graduate Student Exchange (formerly Ph.D. Exchange)

Description: This program allows graduate students at a recognized Canadian academic institution to travel and work with another research group for up to six months to gain experience and bring new knowledge back to their home research group. This opportunity is limited to applicants studying astroparticle physics or a related field being applied to the advancement of astroparticle physics. Funding will only cover pre-approved costs for travel and accommodations during the exchange. Application for partnership-development visits (of no less than two weeks duration) that could potentially lead to an exchange may also be granted.

Eligibility: Open to all graduate students studying astroparticle physics or a related field who are either enrolled at a Canadian academic institution and/or wish to visit a Canadian academic institution as part of the program. There is no restriction on citizenship.

Visiting Scientist (Discontinued)

Description:  A travel bursary for scientists to visit a host institution for collaborative work, similar to a research sabbatical, ranging from 3 to 12 months. The goal is to advance areas of research that align with the objectives of the McDonald Institute and have a scientific impact on the hosting and home institution, thus mobilizing research talent in Canada to international research institutions and bringing international researchers to Canada. Funding will only cover pre-approved costs for travel and accommodations during the exchange.

Eligibility: Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. and be an established researcher working in the area of astroparticle physics. The proposed research program must also be aligned with the objectives of the McDonald Institute and should not be financially supported through other sources of funding.

Cross Disciplinary Internship

Description:The CDI Program provides a salary reimbursement for full- or part-time students registered in non-physics majors to participate in astroparticle physics research. This program is open to students to work with leading astroparticle physics researchers in.

Eligibility: Prospective students must have enrolled in a post-secondary program outside of physics, be eligible to work in Canada, have a strong record of academic achievement, enthusiasm for discovery-based research and intellectual curiosity, and an open mind to cross-disciplinary knowledge sharing and learning about astroparticle physics.

Prospective faculty supervisors must be affiliated with the McDonald Institute, or have astroparticle physics research based in Canada,  be available for hands-on, discovery-based learning over the course of the program, eligible to hold an institutional account for grants or awards, and able to provide office space, lab materials, and a minimum of $500 CAN towards student opportunities.

Find more information on completed CDI projects and recipients here.