Updated: July 2026
Purpose
The Research Seed Grant aims to support UTM researchers as they pursue early-stage research activities that will improve the competitiveness of a specific external grant application within one year of receiving seed funding. Applicants may request up to $15,000.
Eligibility
Applicants must have a primary appointment at UTM and eligibility to serve as a Principal Investigator according to University of Toronto policy. For CLTA faculty, the current contract must extend beyond the end date of the planned external grant. RSG funds must be administered through a UTM academic unit. In the case of applications involving groups of faculty or librarians, the lead applicant must be a UTM faculty member or librarian.
Applicants are expected to have held or applied for a Tri-Council grant within the previous 24 months. If they have not, they must provide an explanation as to why.
Proposals that are similar in nature cannot be submitted to other UTM OVPRI internal funding programs at the same time.
Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee that one will receive funding.
Adjudication Process
The UTM Research Council—a multi-disciplinary group that includes one representative from each academic unit—serves as the adjudication committee for this competition. Each RSG application will be reviewed and ranked by three reviewers in the applicant’s broad discipline (i.e., sciences, social sciences, or humanities).
To support their development and career advancement, at least 30% of annual RSG funding will be allocated to early-career researchers (ECR) assuming that after evaluation their score places them in the fundable range. Following the Tri-Council definition, we include in this category those who commenced their first independent academic position within the past five years. The five-year window for being considered an ECR is adjusted to take into account instances when a researcher has had an eligible delay in their research career.
Evaluation Criteria
Applicants are expected to write their applications with a non-specialist audience in mind, and to avoid highly specialized or technical language.
Applications will be evaluated with reference to the following criteria:
- Significance, novelty, and expected contribution to knowledge of the proposed research. This criterion will be evaluated with respect to the larger project to which the RSG will contribute. Does the applicant communicate clearly the significance and novelty of the proposed research? Is the project as described likely to succeed in securing external funding? Is the project clearly new, i.e., distinct from other ongoing research projects?
- Leveragability. Does the applicant present a clear, compelling, and realistic plan to leverage seed funds to secure external funding? Does the applicant clearly articulate - for a multidisciplinary panel - how the activities to be funded by RSG will enhance the competitiveness of a future application? If the applicant has received seed funding in the past, did they attempt to leverage that funding toward an external grant application, and if not, have they provided a compelling explanation as to why not?
- Feasibility. Does the timeline proposed seem appropriate and realistic and clearly aligned with relevant funding opportunities? Does the applicant have the necessary expertise (and team, if relevant) to undertake this research? Is the proposed budget appropriate and well justified?
Proposal Format
Please use 12pt Times New Roman Font, with margins set at a minimum of 0.75 in. A complete proposal includes the following documents:
- Cover Sheet
- Project Description (maximum 2 pages plus 1 page for budget justification)
Describe your research project using non-specialist language, using the following headings:
- Significance, novelty, and expected contribution to knowledge of the proposed research
- Leveragability
- External Funding Plan
- Seed Funding History (if you have received RSAF or RSG funding in the past five years, explain the results of that seed funding, and any attempt, successful or unsuccessful, to leverage it toward an external grant)
- Feasibility
- Timeline, Expertise, and Resources
- Budget Justification (itemized budget including justification for each expense)
Please note that any budget items associated with payment of trainees require contextualization in relation to your graduate unit’s policy on graduate student funding.
Submission Instructions
Please submit your application as a single PDF document, including a Cover Sheet, using the application portal. Your file name should use the following format: 2026-27 RSG Applicant’s Last Name, Applicant’s First Name.
Applications for the next competition are due by December 1, 2026.
Competition Results
OVPRI will communicate application results by email. Deliberations are confidential. Individual scores and rankings will not be provided, but in the case of an unsuccessful application, general feedback may be provided upon request.
Post-Award Details
Certifications: If University certifications for research using human subjects, animal subjects, or biohazards are required to conduct the proposed research, such certifications need not be provided at the time of application. However, successful applicants are required to secure any necessary certification(s) prior to beginning the research being funded (partially or wholly) by the RSG award, and those who fail to secure the necessary certification(s) will be expected to return any OVPRI funding they received.
Participation as reviewer in future competitions: Upon acceptance of funding from the RSG, successful applicants will be required to participate as referees in at least two OVPRI internal funding competitions or as reviewers on an internal peer-review panel.
Final Report: OVPRI staff will reach out to successful applicants one year following receipt of funds to request a brief report describing the outcomes of this funding.
Past Recipients
Read about the recipients of the Research Seed Grant.
Questions
Please address all questions about this program to funding.ovpri.utm@utoronto.ca.