Internal Research Opportunities
The Office of Research and Graduate Studies (ORGS), through the Research Assistance Committee of Senate (RAC), awards internal grants to support various forms of research and scholarly activity. This includes the administration and award of two internal research grants, the SURG and RISE Grants.
Start-Up Research Grant (SURG)
Tenure-track faculty (CBUFA) are invited to apply for this grant to secure up to $10,000 in research funding to be used during their first two years at CBU. Applications are made to ORGS (send to research@cbu.ca). For more information on this process, visit MyCBU intranet.
Research, Innovation, Scholarship and Exploration (RISE)
RISE grants provide up to $10,000 for CBU researchers who are members of the faculty unions at CBU (CBUFA or NSGEU). RISE is intended for new, self-contained research projects that can be completed within one year of the funding. The winter competition is launched in December, with grants awarded in February. In some years, a fall competition may also be offered. The RISE guidelines and application form are available below and through the MyCBU Intranet.
2026 RISE Competition Details
Deadline: February 13, 2026 at 4:00 pm AST
Application Form: 2026 Grant Application
Guidelines: RISE Policy, Instructions and Evaluation Rubric
Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI): John Evans Leadership Fund (JELF)
The Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) supports institutions in attracting and retaining top research talent by investing in essential research infrastructure. Institutions receive a three-year funding envelope from which researchers can request up to 40% of project costs, with the remaining 60% supported through matching or other eligible funds. CBU’s current allocation, provided through the Small Institutions Fund, runs from January 2026 to December 2028.
JELF proposals are researcher-led but require institutional endorsement, coordination, and often resource commitments. Because applications draw from a limited institutional envelope, advance planning is essential. If you have an infrastructure idea to support innovative, high-impact research, please review the details below and consider submitting an application to CBU’s internal request to apply competition.
2026 CFI JELF Internal Request to Apply Competition Details
Deadline: March 16, 2026 at 4:00 pm AST
Details: The application process, instructions, and templates can be accessed here: CFI JELF Internal Request to Apply. Please note that CBU credentials are required to view these materials.
CBU’s total CFI envelope beginning January 2026 is $400,000, representing up to 40% of total project costs.
Questions: If you have any questions about CFI, contact Chandell Gosse.
Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards
Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards are a one-time national initiative to recruit international and returning Canadian doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to Canada. The program focuses on priority research areas to build research capacity, strengthen the national research ecosystem, and enhance Canada’s global competitiveness.
Through the Canada Impact+ Research Awards, CBU has one postdoctoral position allotment available to support an internally led research project. This allotment enables an eligible CBU faculty member to recruit and host a postdoctoral fellow aligned with one of the program’s research priority areas.
To allocate this opportunity, CBU is issuing an internal Expression of Interest (EOI). The EOI process is used to confirm eligibility, project readiness, alignment with priority areas, and the researcher’s capacity to effectively support a postdoctoral fellow.
Internal EOI: Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards, Postdoctoral Position
Deadline: February 23, 2026 at 4:00 pm AST
Details: The EOI process and submission template can be accessed here: EOI Process and Submission Template
