Deadline: 17 April 2017
Discovery Frontiers (DF) grants initiative, sponsored by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), is currently open for applications to identify and capitalize on emerging opportunities where Canada can benefit from its world-class capacity to take a leadership role in key areas of research and innovation. Discovery Frontiers address national research priorities and global challenges by supporting a small number of major new transformative and integrative activities. These initiatives will generate substantial impact from a one-time injection of funding for a defined period, addressing challenges and seizing leadership opportunities in areas of national importance.
This Discovery Frontiers initiative spans a range of disciplines including: evolution, climate change, productivity in managed systems, population dynamics, conservation, invasive species, extinctions, adaptation, and the diversity of life. It will bring diverse researchers together to conduct transformative and integrative research of international impact through studies, assessments, comprehensive experiments and the development of models that will inform and ultimately provide solutions to the global biodiversity-loss crisis and generate new knowledge on the nature of adaptation. This will also be an opportunity to develop improved methods for understanding and facilitating the adaptation, conservation, and health of ecosystems.
Benefits
The anticipated outcomes of this collaborative research initiative will redefine biodiversity science and likely lead to the following benefits:
- a strong evidence-based focus in the development of new models and/or refinement of existing ones to gain a better understanding of ecosystems and the biodiversity they support, and processes of adaptation;
- the development and use of new technologies, strategies or methodologies that advance model building and experimentation, reduce pressures on natural systems, and provide solutions to existing threats to biodiversity;
- an improvement in forecasting future developments and consequently provide more precise directions in terms of implementing mitigation measures;
- the dissemination of data, results, and advancements to the broader community, including the public domain for information and action.
Eligibility Criteria
The following criteria will apply to all DF applications:
- The activity will encompass discovery research and must involve international collaboration; it can involve industrial or receptor sector participation capacity, if appropriate.
- The activity should encourage collaboration and integration across several disciplines within the natural sciences and engineering (NSE) and may include aspects of social science and health research.
- The activity will be distinct from, and will not duplicate, what is being done through other existing NSERC programs such as, but not limited to, the Discovery Accelerator Supplements, CREATE, Strategic Partnership Grants for Networks or Networks of Centres of Excellence programs.
- The proposal should demonstrate that the one-time research contribution has the potential to generate substantial and important advances in knowledge.
How to Apply
Interested applicants must submit Letters of Intent online via given website.
Eligible Country: Canada
For more information, please visit Call for Proposals.