Deadline: 3-Apr-23
The Embassy of Canada to Italy is pleased to accept applications for the 11th edition of the Canada-Italy Innovation Award.
This Award provides funding to members of the Italian innovation ecosystem including start-ups, innovation experts, researchers, scientists, or creative industry professionals to develop collaborative projects with Canadian partners in areas that will drive innovative, inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development. Over the last decade, the award has resulted in transformational discoveries, research and applications, showcasing the significant impact of Canada-Italy cooperation.
Scope and Priority Areas
- Through this Award, the Embassy of Canada to Italy aims to support the development of strong, targeted relationships between leading individuals, researchers and institutions in Italy and their counterparts in Canada.
- Projects must address 1 or more of the thematic priorities detailed below, which are aligned with Government of Canada policy priorities:
- Thematic priority 1: Mental health
- “Mental health is the state of the psychological and emotional well-being, and contributes significantly to the overall ability to thrive. Finding innovative ways to foster healthy lives and promote well-being at all ages is essential to sustainable development.”
- Projects funded through the Award are meant to develop and/or amplify new or existing networks and relationships between Canada and Italy that will:
- Help create a safe and healthy environment where they live, learn, work and play;
- Build resilience and skills to help improve positive mental health; or
- Prevent the onset of mental health problems.
- Thematic priority 2: Collection and recycling of critical minerals
- “Critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements are essential components in many of today’s rapidly growing clean energy technologies – from wind turbines and electricity networks to electric vehicles. Demand for these minerals will grow quickly as clean energy transitions gather pace, however the extraction and processing of these minerals often have negative impacts on the environment and local communities.”
- Projects funded through the Award are meant to develop and amplify new or existing networks and relationships between Canada and Italy that will:
- Enhance the ability to produce critical minerals from secondary sources – e.g. mining waste (tailings), discarded electronics, etc.
- Develop new production methods and product designs that facilitate the recovery and recycling of critical minerals from the products in which they are used.
- Discover any other technologies or techniques that help reduce reliance on critical mineral production from primary sources.
- Thematic priority 3: Production, storage, and transport of hydrogen as an energy source to combat climate change
- “As all countries work to urgently address the impact of climate change and foster a more sustainable future, there is a need to develop effective solutions that will enable an effective and efficient energy transition. Hydrogen fuel may have a key role to play in achieving the climate action goals by providing a source of affordable, low-carbon energy.”
- Projects funded through the Award are meant to develop and amplify new or existing networks and relationships between Canada and Italy that will:
- Develop the use of hydrogen as a fuel;
- Discover new technologies for hydrogen production, storage and transport, as well as fueling station components and technology;
- Facilitate the integration of fuel cells into products;
- Discover new fuel cell engine and electrolyser components and technology (i.e. membrane, catalyst, Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA), plates, Balance of Plants (BOP) components).
- Thematic priority 4: Quantum technology
- “Quantum science presents considerable opportunities for new insights, discoveries, technological developments and applications that can enhance lives and livelihoods. As quantum technologies evolve, there is a need to maximize their benefits.”
- Projects funded through the Award are meant to develop and amplify new or existing networks and relationships between Canada and Italy focussed on:
- Quantum computing and simulation: Co-design of hardware and software to advance the state of the art in quantum computing and/or the development of computer science theory of quantum algorithms and architectures;
- Privacy and security: Concepts, proofs and applications for secure quantum communication, including device-independent protocols, quantum network/repeater protocols, and space-based hardware solutions;
- Application-specific quantum sensor development: Device fabrication and characterization, e.g. for magnetometry, prospection, imaging, navigation, and biomedical applications, employing strategies such as the use of entanglement and error correction;
- Foster greater participation and enhance conditions for women or gender diverse people to engage in the advanced technology and quantum science field.
- Thematic priority 5: Preventing gender based violence
- “Violence against women and girls in all their diversity, including that which occurs in digital contexts, is prevalent in all societies and is a distinctive feature of conflict and crisis. Finding innovative ways to support them to control their own lives, bodies and futures without fear is an essential component of promoting and protecting human rights, freedom of expression and inclusive democracies.”
- Projects funded through the Award are meant to develop and/or amplify new or existing networks and relationships between Canada and Italy that will:
- Foster collective action against gender-based violence, including online harassment and violence;
- Contribute to the development of laws, policies, tools (including digital tools) and institutions that ensure that all people are supported and protected, and that their rights are upheld in both physical and digital spaces.
- Thematic priority 1: Mental health
Funding Information
- Awards are to support the applicant’s travel to Canada. The value of an Award will be up to a maximum of €3,000 (EUR). Travel expenses that are eligible for reimbursement include:
- economy class airfare (not premium economy)
- accommodation
- local transportation
- €60 (EUR) per diem (per day of travel)
- Insurance is not eligible for Innovation Award funding.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Canada-Italy Innovation Award is available to start-ups, innovation experts, researchers, scientists, and creative industries professionals, collaborating with Canadian partners. Private/public partnerships are encouraged.
- Funding through the Canada-Italy Innovation Award is to support expenses incurred by the Italian awardee only for travel to Canada. Successful applicants will be required to complete a report immediately following the completion of the travel or project and must commit to providing brief updates on follow-up activities and outcomes 6 and 12 months after the completion of the project.
- All applicants shall use the tools and concepts of Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) in the development of their project.
- GBA+ is the analytical process that provides a way to assess systemic inequalities and account for how diverse groups of women, men, and gender diverse people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA+ acknowledges that GBA+ is not just about differences between biological (sexes) and socio-cultural (genders). They all have multiple characteristics that intersect and contribute to who they are. GBA+ considers many other identity factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability, and how the interaction between these factors influences the way they might experience government policies and initiatives. Using GBA+ involves taking a gender-and diversity-sensitive approach to the work. Considering all intersecting identity factors as part of GBA+, not only sex and gender, is a Government of Canada commitment.
Evaluation Criteria
- Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Degree of innovation of the proposed project
- Quality of proposed outcomes and expected ability for their delivery
- Relevance to the Canadian priority described above
- Potential for significant, long-term collaboration
- Potential to broaden the collaboration to a wider, institutional level
- Use of creative / innovative collaboration models
- Innovative use of research infrastructures
- Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+)
- Special consideration will be given to applications that demonstrate why the proposed project would particularly benefit from an international collaboration.
- Applications will be reviewed by relevant experts from the Embassy of Canada to Italy.
For more information, visit Embassy of Canada to Italy.