Deadline: 17-Aug-21
CIFAR’s third Global Call for Ideas is soliciting proposals for new CIFAR programs related to The Future of Being Human to explore the long term intersection of humans, science and technology, social and cultural systems, and the environment.
The proposals should confront challenging problems that necessitate a diverse team incorporating multiple disciplines (potentially spanning the humanities, social sciences, arts, physical sciences, and life sciences) to engage in a sustained dialogue to develop new insights, and change the conversation on The Future of Being Human.
CIFAR strongly encourages applications from members of society who face systemic barriers and biases, including, but not limited to, women, Indigenous persons, members of visible minority/racialized communities, 2SLGBTQ+ persons, members of marginalized gender identity communities, and persons with disabilities.
Criteria
The International Review Body and CIFAR’s President’s Research Council will use the following criteria to assess the submissions.
- Research Significance: CIFAR supports research that accelerates cuttingedge knowledge creation and has the potential to make important contributions to the world’s understanding of complex issues. Proponents must clearly articulate the proposed research questions to be addressed through sustained, deep collaboration within an international, truly interdisciplinary research network.
- Knowledge Mobilization: A key component of a CIFAR research program is a program-driven Knowledge Mobilization plan that creates pathways to societal impact. Knowledge Mobilization at CIFAR is not a oneway dissemination or translation of research output.
- Excellence of Research Team: CIFAR’s model for supporting interdisciplinary research involves engaging outstanding groups of scholars committed to deep collaboration over a sustained period. CIFAR is not primarily a funder of research; rather they create global communities of exceptional scientists and scholars dedicated to open, long-term discussions.
- Potential Leadership: CIFAR’s experience is that leadership plays a crucial role in the success of a given program. In addition to the research team members, in the LOI applicants are expected to describe the potential leadership of the proposed program. The two potential leaders should be selected not only for their research excellence, but also for their openness to disruptive thinking and deep collaboration across disciplines and national borders, and their commitment to impact.
- Alignment with CIFAR’s mission and vision: Applicants should make the case why a CIFAR effort, based around a global, deep collaboration, would produce unique and important progress towards advancing the current state of research related to the proposed research challenge.
- Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Efforts to improve equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) help research communities attract and retain the best possible pool of researchers, enable scholars to reach their full potential, and support research outcomes that are strong and more globally relevant.
For more information, visit https://cifar.ca/global-call/