Bridge Funding Program at UTM


The Office of the Vice-Principal, Research (OVPR) administers a Bridge Funding program to provide financial aid for researchers in the UTM community. This fund will support the research of UTM-appointed faculty whose Tri-Council grant applications have not been awarded, and who have demonstrated need. The Bridge Funding program is intended to allow researchers to continue their research endeavours and strengthen their Tri-Council proposals for subsequent competitions, and is not intended to support on-going research activities. The OVPR reserves the option to prioritize first time applications for the program.

Principal Investigators (PIs) eligible for Bridge Funding must have submitted to one of the following Tri-Council granting programs:

  • SSHRC Insight Grant & Insight Development Grant
  • NSERC Discovery Grant
  • CIHR Project Grant


Eligibility:

  • To be eligible, a PI must hold their primary, full-time research faculty appointment at a UTM academic department.
  • Graduate-only appointments, other types of cross-appointments, and emeritus faculty are not eligible. 


Conditions:

Bridge Funding recipients must commit to:

  • Re-apply in the subsequent competition; and
  • Submit their next proposal to the OVPR for internal grant-editing review.


Program Funding Levels:

The OVPR is responsible for maximizing the benefit of this program to the advantage of all eligible UTM faculty. Bridge Funding levels will depend on the grant amount requested in the Tri-Council proposal, and the researchers’ demonstrated need.

General funding levels have been established as follows:

  • SSHRC Insight Grant & Insight Development Grant – up to $15,000
  • NSERC Discovery Grant – up to $30,000
  • CIHR Project Grant – up to $40,000

The envelope available for the Bridge Funding program is limited, and availability will be confirmed year-to-year.


Application Process:

  1. Upon receiving results from a Tri-Council competition, the OVPR will reach out to unsuccessful applicants, with a cc to the Department Chair, to let them know the program. 
  2. Department Chairs may be asked to prioritize Bridge Funding requests and communicate their prioritization strategy, in the event that the total requests exceed the total funding envelope available.
  3. The OVPR will collect all requests, and apply prioritization criteria if necessary, to arrive at individual funding levels.
  4. Bridge Funding awards will be communicated to relevant Department Chairs and PIs, and funds subsequently transferred into the recipient’s PI account.