Catalyst Funding

Institute awards for members proposing projects and research

Catalyst funds are awarded to Institute members proposing early phases of well-conceived research activities that:

  • support team-building, interdisciplinary collaborations, and new activities;
  • are designed to leverage larger, competitive, national-level, external funding within 24 months;
  • support the mission, goals, and focus areas of the Institute;
  • are scientifically rigorous, informed by evidence, and relevant to stakeholders;
  • are designed to yield significant ensuing academic outputs and societal impact;

Catalyst competitions will be held twice annually, with submission deadlines of April 1 and October 1.  Awards of $10,000 - $15,000 can be requested, for one- (to two-) year projects, and partner contributions from relevant stakeholders are encouraged. Decisions will be made based on the criteria set out in the application template, by a panel of Institute Directors, members, and possibly funding-source representatives. To assess return on investment, and ensure optimal program evolution, awardees are required to submit annual outcomes reports. To enhance the profile of the Institute and recognize sponsors, outputs of Catalyst awards will acknowledge the funding source.

Different sources of funding may be used to offer Catalyst awards, potentially resulting in slightly different guidelines than those outlined above, which are for O’Brien Institute awards.  For each Catalyst intake, select the best aligned topic from the list below, and follow any additional guidelines outlined at the provided link.

Prioritized topics for the current intake (deadline April 1, 23:59:00):

Contact iph@ucalgary.ca with questions