New Frontiers in Research Fund earmarks up to $50M for international research

The Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) released an outline of the international stream of the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), with the first call for proposals to come in Fall 2019. The new stream will include up to $50 million in funding over five years to support the participation of Canadian researchers who are part of global teams funded through Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe—Europe’s major R&D program beginning in 2021.

The international stream is designed to “encourage Canadian researchers to further collaborate with the world’s best and to keep Canada at the forefront of innovation,” according to a statement on the CRCC’s website. It represents the third prong of the NFRF, which was launched to fund international, interdisciplinary, fast-breaking and high-risk research.

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The international stream will have two funding mechanisms: joint funding calls with international research funders “on topics of international relevance”; and, a fund to support Canadian researchers who are part of international teams in projects that are seeking funding from major, global R&D programs, such as Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe.

According to a recent article in Science|Business, the Canadian government is considering membership in the European Union’s lead R&D programs. The international stream announcement indicated that the NFRF will allocate up to $10 million per year for five years to support Canadian participation in international teams applying for funding through Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe.

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Speaking about Canada’s interest in fostering and supporting research collaboration internationally, CRCC chair Ted Hewitt, told Science|Business, “There’s a strong feeling that we punch above our weight” in science. “But we also realize that we’re not a huge country, and tackling big complicated problems also benefits from international collaboration. This government believes we need to promote that kind of international collaboration to put Canadian expertise to work for the world, and for Canada.”

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