New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF)

Launched in 2018, the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) funds interdisciplinary, high-risk / high-reward, transformative research led by Canadian researchers working with Canadian and international partners. The NFRF seeks to inspire innovative research projects that push boundaries into exciting new areas and that have the potential to deliver game-changing impacts

Funding Streams

The NFRF has three streams that each support specific goals, and the flexibility to launch special calls:

For NFRF competitions, Research Administrative Services (RAS) are required to complete compliance and eligibility checks beyond the usual for tri-agency applications. Please schedule to meet the RAS deadlines, not the external deadlines.

NFRF Good to Know

NFRF Selection committees are seeking applications with disciplines which do not normally partner, eg: Engineering, Religious Studies and Forestry; Physics, Music and Native Studies; Chemistry, Art and Design, Political Science.

Eligibility

Students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates, etc. are not eligible to apply as nominated principal investigators, co-principal investigator or co-applicant.

Participants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will be removed from the application.

A researcher may only be NPI on a single application per competition.

In the event that the NPI is considered ineligible, the application will be removed from the competition.

If removal of ineligible participants from the application results in research teams with fewer than five members, the application will also be removed from the competition.

At the NOI, LOI, and full application stages, RAS must confirm the following:

1. That all participants meet the NFRF eligibility criteria and the definition of ECR (if applicable). Written approval from all other institutions with participating Co-PIs and/or Co-Applicants must be obtained using the external applicant eligibility form (see the download link for the form under each stream below). The signed eligibility forms for all external co-PIs and/or co-Applicants must be combined as one single PDF and submitted through the Researcher Home Page along with the NOI/LOI/full application by the corresponding institutional deadline.
2. The proposed research project meets the eligibility criteria.

Institutional Financial Support

There is no requirement for institutional financial support but a description of support (institution or partner) may be included in the budget justification at the full application stage.

Supports for all NFRF Applicants

Researchers considering any NFRF competition are strongly advised to confer with the designated research partners well in advance of the initial notice of intent (NOI) deadline.

The Research Partner Network (RPN), in partnership with other streams in the VPRI portfolio, coordinates and provides advice, resources and supports aimed at maximizing researcher success, and streamlining the application process.

Supports may include concept challenges, peer review, successful grants library, team composition advising, roundtables with experienced NFRF review panel members, and more.

Research Administration Services (RAS) conduct eligibility and institutional approvals prior to the NOI and final stages.

Deadlines are minimally five full working days prior to the sponsor deadline. Your college or faculty may have earlier deadlines.

Contact

For more information and support for preparing an application to a New Frontiers Research Fund competition, contact the appropriate Senior Research Partner or Research Partner.