APSC Research Calls for Proposals

Bill Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Explorations Round 5: Create Low-Cost Cell Phone-Based Applications for Priority Global Health Conditions

2010-03-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is now accepting grant proposals for
Round 5 of Grand Challenges Explorations, a US $100 million initiative
to encourage unconventional global health solutions. Anyone can apply,
regardless of education or experience level.

Grant proposals are being accepted online at
http://www.grandchallenges.org/explorations until May 19,2010, on the
following topics:

New! Create Low-Cost Cell Phone-Based Applications for Priority Global
Health Conditions
NEW! Create New Technologies to Improve the Health of Mothers and
Newborns
Create New Technologies for Contraception
Create New Ways to Protect Against Infectious Diseases

Initial grants will be $100,000 each, and projects showing promise will
have the opportunity to receive additional funding of up to $1 million
US Dollars. Full descriptions of the new topics and application
instructions are available at
http://www.grandchallenges.org/explorations.

We are looking forward to receiving innovative ideas from scientists
around the world and from all scientific disciplines. If you don't
submit a proposal yourself, we hope you will forward this message to
someone else who might be interested.

Thank you for your commitment to solving the world's greatest health
challenges.

###
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive
lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health
and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme
poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people -
especially those with the fewest resources - have access to the
opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle,
the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates
Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

NSERC Innovation Challenge Awards - May 5 Deadline

2010-03-30T14:25:00.001-07:00

NSERC’s Innovation Challenge Awards, with prizes of $10,000 and $5,000, honour graduate students in the natural sciences or engineering "who have demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit by identifying ways in which their research thesis results can be developed into products and processes to benefit Canadians." In previous years, UBC graduate students have been very successful in securing awards from this competition, including the first place prize in 2009.

Graduate students may put themselves forward themselves for nomination, but all nominations must be submitted through universities’ industry liaison offices, and each institution can nominate only two students.

The UILO requires complete applications received at it’s office (address at foot of message) by noon on Wednesday, May 5. This will allow enough time for a detailed evaluation of proposals before the selected nominations are forwarded to Ottawa, complete with their letters of endorsement, by May 17.

Eligibility requirements and application procedure are summarized below.
Full details of the application materials required, as well as NSERC judging criteria can be found at http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Prizes-Prix/Ica-Pdi/Nomination-Nomination_eng.asp and should be consulted before submitting an application.

Eligible nominees must:
• have conducted research at the master’s or PhD level in one of the fields of natural sciences or engineering that NSERC supports at an eligible Canadian university;
• have submitted, or expect to submit, their thesis between May 15, 2009, and May 14, 2010 (students must successfully defend their thesis before the award is offered); and
• be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident in Canada at the time of nomination.
Materials required in the application are:
• an up-to-date curriculum vitæ that provides information on the student's contributions to publications (including patents) and collaborative research activities. The curriculum vitæ should include the mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address where the nominee can be contacted until the end of July.
• a letter from the graduate office of the university stating the date of the successful defence/submission of the student's master's or doctoral thesis, or anticipated date of defence/submission.
• a proposal (see full application details on NSERC website) that clearly explains how the research results produced during the pursuit of the student's master's or PhD degree could be translated into a commercial product or service.
• a one-page letter from the supervisor or departmental chair. The letter must clearly outline the specific contributions made by the student to the research.
• a photocopy of documents confirming Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status.
• a letter of support from any private sector organization(s) that have expressed an interest in the commercial product or service. The letter should address the significance of the commercial product or service to the organization.

The UILO also asks that in the interest of ensuring a timely submission to NSERC, all applications also include a copy of the entry form signed by the nominee. The entry form can be accessed at http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/_doc/prizes/ica_form_e.pdf

The hard copy of the application is to be addressed to:
Angus Livingstone, Managing Director, University-Industry Liaison Office, #103-6190 Agronomy Road, Vancouver BC, V6T 1Z3

and received by noon on Wednesday May 5.

A copy of this information is posted on the UILO website at www.uilo.ubc.ca/student_requests/nserc_ica.html accessible directly from our homepage at www.uilo.ubc.ca

NSERC Innovation Challenge Awards Website

Awards for Incoming Exchange Study or Research Students

2010-03-22T15:37:00.002-07:00

Awards for Incoming Exchange Study or Research Students

Internal UBC Deadline:

Canada-CARICOM Leadership Scholarships	April 23, 2010
Canadian Commonwealth Scholarships	April 23, 2010
Emerging Leaders in the Americas	April 23, 2010
Chile Leadership Scholarships	May 21, 2010

UBC must apply on behalf of the student. Please submit applications via email to Go Global. Go Global will submit the online application to CBIE.

Go Global: International Learning Programs
Email: go.global@ubc.ca

The Government of Canada, through the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) is seeking applications from Canadian publicly funded institutions for the 2010-2011 Students' Exchange Program:
• Canada-CARICOM Leadership Scholarships
• Canadian Commonwealth Scholarships
• Emerging Leaders in the Americas
• Chile Leadership Scholarships

These awards are available to international students to undertake research or study at UBC for a period of 4 to 6 months. Students must be citizens of eligible countries. All awards are available to graduate and undergraduate students for study or research activity.

Students coming to undertake course work must be from UBC student mobility partner institutions.
Students coming to undertake research must be from institutions with which UBC has established research activity.

To apply, please refer to the “CBIE Awards Application_Supervisors” form attached.

Attachments:
• CBIE Awards Application_Supervisors [57 KB DOC]
• Student Information Form [45 KB DOC]
• “Declaration and Permission” document [29 KB PDF]

Eligible Countries:	Award/Amount Available
Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitt's, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos.	Canada-CARICOM Leadership Scholarships Program 4 Months: $7500* 5 to 6 Months: $10,000 Link for further information: Undergraduate exchange http://www.scholarships.gc.ca/academicInstitutionscclspcdn-etablissementspblcccdn-eng.aspx Graduate exchange http://www.scholarships.gc.ca/academicinstitutionscclsp-graduate-cdn-etablissementspblcc-sup%C3%A9rieurs-cdn-eng.aspx
Asia-Pacific: Bangladesh, India, Kiribati, Malaysia, Maldives, Nauru, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia	Canadian Commonwealth Scholarships Program 4 Months: $7500 5 to 6 Months: $10,000 Link for further information: http://www.scholarships.gc.ca/AcademicInstitutionsCCSPCdn-EtablissementsPCBCCdn-Eng.aspx
South American: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela *Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama North America:* Mexico Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitt's, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos.	Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) Undergraduate: 4 months, $7500* Graduate: 5 to 6 months, $10,000 * Where agreements between the post-secondary institutions warrant, Caribbean Community undergraduate students may be awarded for an academic year (i.e. two semesters). A scholarship of $15,000 is available per student for two semesters. Notification of intent to request two semesters must be provided at the time of application. Link for further information: http://www.scholarships.gc.ca/AcademicInstitutionsELAPCdn-EtablissementsPFLACdn-Eng.aspx
South America: Chile	Chile Leadership Scholarships Program Undergraduate: 4 months, $7500 Graduate: 5 to 6 months, $10,000 Link for further information: http://www.scholarships.gc.ca/academicinstitutions-chile-cdn-etablissements-chili-cdn-eng.aspx

Education and Research Technology (ERT) Forum hosted by University of Southern California, May 26-28, 2010

2010-03-19T13:49:00.001-07:00

The call for proposals for the Education and Research Technology (ERT) Forum hosted by University of Southern California from May 26-28, 2010 is now open. More information on the ERT Forum is available at http://www.usc.edu/its/apru/index.html. There will be a separate announcement on the the Chief Information Officers (CIO) Forum shortly.

Information for both the ERT and CIO Forums can also being updated on the APRU website at http://www.apru.org/activities/dliconference.htm and http://www.apru.org/activities/cioconference.htm.

ERT Forum Themes
To allow for maximum participation and interaction, the ERT Forum will be organized as a series of panel discussions, grouped according to the themes below.
1. Using mobile computing in teaching and learning
- Extend digital scholarship and encourage interactive learning through the use of network-capable, portable devices.

2. Supporting research with new and emerging technologies
- Advance research and high-performance computing through innovative applications, new technologies, resources, training, etc.

3. Enhancing distance learning for the new millennium
- Support distance learning through Web 2.0 technologies, social networking and collaborative models, media-rich content, asynchronous and synchronous learning activities, assessment, and new types of online delivery models.

4. Developing 21st-century literacies among students and faculty
- Educate the academic community in how to best handle information and new media and become digitally and visually literate in a global society.

5. Creating innovative learning spaces on campus and in the virtual world
- Re-imagine the learning environment to meet the needs of new learners and support teaching strategies around collaboration, flexibility, sustainability, media presentation, etc.

For more information on the ERT Forum and call for proposals, please email apru-usc@usc.edu.

Participation and Eligibility
Educational technology professionals, distance and continuing education experts, instructional designers, media professionals, librarians, researchers, administrators, faculty members, and graduate students from APRU member universities are eligible to submit proposals to present their research.

Please encourage interested colleagues to participate and submit their proposals. Details for the ERT Forum's call for proposals may be found at http://www.usc.edu/its/apru/ert/papers.html.

Submission Deadlines
Proposals are to be submitted by Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 5:00 p.m. U.S. Pacific time. Online submission of proposals submissions may be made directly at http://web-app.usc.edu/apru/. Selections will be made by April 5, 2010.

Proposal Guidelines and Criteria
Each speaker will have up to fifteen minutes to present his or her research and/or experiences as part of a moderated panel and will be asked to contribute to the discussion or convene a roundtable following the session.
Proposals may be submitted by individual speakers or by a team of two speakers. No more than two people from the same institution may be on a panel. By submitting a proposal, you agree to register for the forum and attend the event if your proposal is accepted.
Proposals will be selected based on the following criteria:
1. Relevance to the APRU audience
2. Level of innovation and effectiveness in addressing the chosen theme
3. Relevance to the theme and ability to balance with the other panelists' topics
4. Representation across institutions of higher education
Registration Information
Registration for the ERT and CIO Forums will open on Monday, March 29, 2010. Registration fees for the ERT Forum (May 26 to May 28, 2010) are US$375. Registration fees payable by CIOs attending both the ERT and CIO Forum from May 24 to May 28, 2010 are US$650. For more information, please send an email to apru-usc@usc.edu or apru@apru.org.
We look forward to your university's support and participation at APRU's inaugural ERT Forum.
Sincerely,
Ken McGillivray
==================================
Dr. Kenneth J. MCGILLIVRAY
Secretary General
Association of Pacific Rim Universities
APRU Secretariat
c/o National University of Singapore
Shaw Foundation Alumni House, 2nd Storey
11 Kent Ridge Drive
Singapore 119244
Tel: (65) 6516-3140
Fax: (65) 6778-2285
Email: aprujkm@nus.edu.sg
Website: www.apru.org
==================================

Faculty Research Visit Grant to Germany (May 15, 2010)

2010-03-15T16:29:00.001-07:00

Faculty Research Visit Grant to Germany (May 15, 2010)

DAAD offers grants for 1-3 months in all academic disciplines to scholars to pursue research at universities, libraries, archives, institutes or labs in Germany. Grants are awarded for specific research projects and cannot be used for travel only. Applicants should possess adequate knowledge of the German language to carry out the proposed research. Awards range from €1,840 to €1,990 (includes mandatory health insurance). Airfare to Germany is not covered, although a travel subsidy within Germany may be available. http://www.daad.org/?p=researchvisit

Dobbin Scholarships to Ireland (April 30, 2010)

2010-03-15T16:13:00.001-07:00

Dobbin Scholarships to Ireland (April 30, 2010)

Open to scholars of all academic disciplines, and tenable for travel from Canadian to Irish universities, in order to support the scholars’ research on a topic relating to both countries. The scholarships fund short periods of exchange, usually one month, are valued at CDN $ 7,000, and are targeted at scholars in the early stages of their research career*. www.icuf.ie

*2009 recipients included several at the Associate Professor level.

Invitations in France for tenured Researchers

2010-03-15T15:56:00.002-07:00

Invitations in France for tenured Researchers

Financial support is offered by the Science and Technology Service of the French Embassy in Canada for Canadian researchers who wish to undertake short term visits to France within the framework of ongoing projects between French and Canadian centres and institutions.

DESCRIPTION
-Return plane ticket
-Stay expenses can be covered, however this is not compulsory. Furthermore, it can be decided that the Service will not cover the whole of the stay.

ELIGIBILITY
-Researchers holding a tenured position in a Canadian Research Institution
-The project must involve at least one French research team or French Institution
-The stay must take place before the end of the year, the duration of the stay can not exceed 28 days
-Researchers who presented an application for the September 2009 call for proposals are not eligible

DOCUMENTS
-Application form (duly filled)
-Resume (2 pages maximum)
-List of the researcher’s publications of the last 5 years related to the project
-Invitation letter from the main French partner
-Invitation letter(s) from other French partner(s) if the applicants plans to make different visits during his stay
-THE SELECTED RESEARCHERS HAVE TO SEND TO THE EMBASSY A COMPLETE REPORT ON THEIR MISSION WHEN THEY RETURN TO CANADA

THE DEADLINE FOR THE SENDING OF THE FORMS IS APRIL 15, 2010

Application forms and more information can be found at http://www.ambafrance-ca.org/spip.php?article2591.

G8 Research Councils Initiative on Multilateral Research Funding - Funding Brief (Prelim Proposals Due May 7)

2010-02-23T15:18:00.003-08:00

G8 Research Councils Initiative on Multilateral Research Funding
UBC Funding Opportunity Brief

First Interdisciplinary and Multilateral Call for Proposals:
Application Software towards Exascale Computing for Global Issues

Funding Opportunity
Multinational & interdisciplinary research consortia

Areas of Research and Application
Exascale level computing, application software, algorithms, data structures/analysis, simulation, modelling, visualization, climate change, energy, water, environment, natural disaster, high performance numerical/symbolic simulations

Project Duration
2-3 years

Consortium Requirements
Must consist of at least one academic participant (Partner Principal Investigator or Applicant) from a min of three different countries represented by the Funding Organizations.

Funding
Approximately 100,000 € per Partner Principal Investigator per year

Two-stage Application Deadline
May 7, 2010 (Preliminary Proposal submission)
June 28, 2010 (Invitation to Full Proposal)
August 25, 2010 (Full Proposal submission)

NSERC Contact
international@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

UBC Contacts
Jacqueline Smit (VPRI-International), Alison Ariss (VPRI-ORS)

Background
The initiative aims at supporting excellent research on topics of global relevance which can best be tackled by a multinational approach. Funding should help researchers to cooperate in consortia consisting of at least three partners from three of the participating countries.

Focus: Interdisciplinary projects targeting the exploration and development of open source algorithms and data operations that are resilient, sustainable and scalable to exascale for application solutions to socially relevant global scale issues.

Research Priority Area:
First call: Application Software towards Exascale Computing for Global Scale Issues

Simulation supported by high performance computing infrastructures has become the third pillar of science, complementary to experimentation and modeling. Major challenges of the 21st century, such as climate change, energy, water, environment, or natural disasters, can be addressed by high performance numerical and symbolic simulations that are both data and computer intensive. Computing resources required for these simulations, including improved model resolution, model physics, data analysis and visualization, will reach the exascale (1018 operations per second) level by 2020. Taking full advantage of these resources for global scale scientific challenges will rely on application software featuring fundamentally new algorithms and data structures capable of exploiting the massive parallelism underlying future exascale level computing.

This multilateral initiative aims at supporting collaborations between experts in research areas related to these global challenges and developers of future exascale platforms, so that they address the relevant needs of the research community during the early design stages of emerging new computing systems. Not only will such collaborations bring together global networks of experts on global topics, they will ensure the rapid and efficient application of new tools as they become available.

Participating agencies:
• Canada – Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
• France – Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)
• Germany – German Research Foundation (DFG)
• Japan – Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
• Russia – Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR)
• United Kingdom – Research Councils of the United Kingdom (RCUK)
• United States – National Science Foundation (NSF)

Budget
Within each selected consortium, funding of the participating researchers is provided by their respective national Funding Organization according to its normal terms and conditions for project funding. Funding is meant for collaborative research, not merely for networking, mobility or communication. The total budget for this call is approximately 10 million € over three years (Each Partner Principal Investigator can receive approximately 100,000 € per year). The maximum number of Canadian PIs supported by NSERC for this CFP is five or a total of 500,000 €. Funding can be provided for projects lasting for two or three years.

To see the original call document from NSERC’s website, go to:
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/_doc/Professors-Professeurs/G8_e.pdf

To see the Secretariat complete call information, go to:
http://www.dfg.de/en/research_funding/international_cooperation/research_collaboration/g8-initiative/

To review relevant whitepapers for background in exascale computing from the IESP, go to: http://www.exascale.org/iesp/IESP:Documents#Meeting_2_.28Paris.2C_France.29:_Presentations_and_Whitepapers

Various International Call for Proposals: CIDA/IDRC & NSERC

2010-02-19T15:54:00.002-08:00

Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF) – CIDA/IDRC (Two calls: Mar 15 & Mar 31)

First Interdisciplinary and Multilateral Call for Proposals: Application Software towards Exascale Computing for Global Issues. (May 7, Preliminary Proposals)

Going Global: Foreign Affairs & International Trade Canada (8 weeks prior to project commencement)
Supports Canadian companies and researchers in pursuing R&D collaborative opportunities through partnerships with key players in other countries/economies.

NSERC &National Science Council in Taiwan (NSERC Strategic Project Grants: April 15)
Concurrent calls for proposals in: Advanced Communications and Management of Information; Biomedical Technologies; & Sustainable Energy Systems (production, distribution, utilization).

This information is provided as an overview only – funding programs are subject to change without notice. For current program details, eligibility and value of awards, please visit the relevant organizational websites.

The Office of the VP Research & International provides consultation and support in the development of international proposals. Please contact our staff per below.

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Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF) – CIDA & IDRC
We are happy to announce the launch of two calls as part of the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF). The Fund’s two key objectives are to: a) Increase food security in developing countries through investments in applied research for agricultural productivity and nutrition; and b) Harness Canadian expertise and knowledge in food security related science and technology to develop solutions with and for the developing world.

Limited Call for Proposals from Existing Partnerships
Limited, competitive call for proposals from organizations already working on research in partnership with each other (must have been active partnership within the last 3 years).
Budget $750K - $1M. Proposals should present new initiatives, building on current or recent research activities through an existing research partnership, ready to be implemented immediately and with a high possibility of producing results within 12-24 months. Further details about these calls is available on the CIFSRF website.
The deadline for submission of proposals for this call is March 15, 2010.

An open, Competitive Call for Concept Notes, which may come from existing or new partnerships. Short-listed applications will be eligible for a $10K travel grant. The call is designed to promote new or expanded Canadian and developing country partnerships. Project budgets will range from $1M to $5M, with project duration 42 months (including field research & reporting). Further details about these calls is available on the CIFSRF website. The deadline for submission of concept notes is March 31, 2010.

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First Interdisciplinary and Multilateral Call for Proposals: Application Software towards Exascale Computing for Global Issues.
The Heads of the Research Councils of the G8 states[1] (G8-HORCs) have established a multilateral funding initiative to create a new framework for conducting international research. The initiative aims at supporting excellent research on topics of global relevance which can best be tackled by a multinational approach.

Theme of the call: Application Software towards Exascale Computing for Global Scale Issues[2].
Simulation supported by high performance computing infrastructures has become the third pillar of science, complementary to experimentation and modeling. Major challenges of the 21st century, such as climate change, energy, water, environment, or natural disasters, can be addressed by high performance numerical and symbolic simulations that are both data and computer intensive. Computing resources required for these simulations, including improved model resolution, model physics, data analysis and visualization, will reach the exascale (1018 operations per second) level by 2020. However, taking full advantage of these resources for global scale scientific challenges will rely on application software featuring fundamentally new algorithms and data structures capable of exploiting the massive parallelism underlying future exascale level computing.

This call aims at supporting collaborations between experts in research areas related to these global challenges and developers of future exascale platforms, so that they address the relevant needs of the research community during the early design stages of emerging new computing systems. The focus will be on interdisciplinary projects targeting the exploration and development of open source algorithms and data operations that are resilient, sustainable and scalable to exascale for application solutions to socially relevant global scale issues.Funding should help researchers to cooperate in consortia consisting of at least three partners from three of the participating countries. Duration: 2-3 yrs

Application Deadline[3]: May 7, 2010 (Preliminary Proposal)
June 28, 2010 (Invitation to submit a Full Proposal)
August 25, 2010 (Full application, if invited to apply)
How to Apply
NSERC website and Call Secretariat
Program Contact: international@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
[1] Italy will not be participating in this call for proposals.
[2] This call acknowledges a preliminary study of application needs and of the matching computing technologies, which was conducted through a series of international workshops (www.exascale.org) held in 2009, gathering an international community of software specialists, application specialists and funding agencies to lay the groundwork for an international activity on exascale development.
[3] All closing dates are midnight, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

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Going Global: Foreign Affairs & International Trade Canada
http://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/science/going_global.jsp

Canadian researchers are eligible to apply to Going Global Innovation (Going Global) designed to promote and enhance Canada's international innovation efforts by supporting Canadian companies and researchers in pursuing international R&D collaborative opportunities through the development of partnerships with key players in other countries/economies.

Going Global contributes up to 75%* of eligible expenses which include travel & related costs, and other non-research experiences (meetings/workshops, exhibit participation, pursuit of large scale projects e.g. EU Framework, development of legal documentation, translation services, pursuit of financial support). Proposal requests range from $5K to $75K. *Stacking limits apply (funding from any government sources cannot exceed 75% of total budget).

Applications much be submitted at least 8 weeks prior to commencement of the project.

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NSERC and the National Science Council (NSC) in Taiwan have issued concurrent calls for proposals to support joint research projects in priority areas conducted by teams from Canada and Taiwan.

Research proposals must include the participation of a Canadian industrial partner or government organization, and will be evaluated on their scientific quality and relevance. Canadian scientists will apply through NSERC's Strategic Project Grants Program while their Taiwanese counterparts will apply to NSC's Global Partnership Programs- National Priority S&T.

In 2010, the agencies are inviting joint project proposals in the following areas: Advanced Communications and Management of Information; Biomedical Technologies; and Sustainable Energy Systems (Production, Distribution and Utilization). These priority areas include specific research topics outlined in the Strategic Project Grants Target Area Descriptions.

NSERC has not reserved funds for applications related to international Concurrent Calls. However, funding is available on a competitive basis within the regular budget of the Strategic Project Grants program. The number of joint projects selected for funding and the total amount awarded will strongly depend on the number and quality of projects submitted. The agencies expect balanced scientific contributions and cooperation in joint projects. For more information please refer to the Strategic Project Grants Program Description and the Detailed Application Instructions.

----------------

This information is provided as an overview only – funding programs are subject to change without notice. For current program details, eligibility and value of awards, please visit the relevant organizational websites.

The Office of the VP Research & International provides consultation and support in the development of international proposals. Please contact our staff per below.

Jacqueline Smit
Senior Officer, International Research Initiatives
Office of the Vice President Research & International
University of British Columbia

T. 604-822-8136
jacqueline.smit@ubc.ca
www.research.ubc.ca/international.aspx

Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP) Announces Selection of 15 Bilateral Projects Following First Call for Proposals

2010-02-10T11:38:00.003-08:00

Harnessing the Power of Canada-California R&D Collaboration to Address Climate Change, Infectious Diseases, Sustainable Energy and Other Global Issues

Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP) Announces Selection of 15 Bilateral Projects Following First Call for Proposals

Links:
Press release
Backgrounder: Overview of the CCSIP Portfolio
Backgrounder: Selected Projects

The Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP), a catalyst for collaborative Research, Development and Delivery (RD&D) between two innovation-intensive jurisdictions, today announced the selection of 15 bilateral projects emerging from its first Call for Proposals (CFP).

They build on bilateral R&D initiatives catalyzed by CCSIP to date, including the launch of the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium, a novel collaboration with the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine which recently announced combined funding of $80 million to support two Canada-California teams over the next four years. Projects include:

Canada-California Collaborative Events: 9 Bilateral Projects
•Developing an International Health Surveillance, Research and Education Network to Accelerate the Detection of Public Health Threats and Address Critical Global Health Issues
•Developing Green-Manufacturing Processes for Organic Electronics to Help Canada and California to Capitalize on a Multi-Billion Dollar Global Market
•Combining Canada and California Expertise in Biomedical Photonics to Improve the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease
•Transforming Vehicle and Roadside Communications through Wireless Technologies—and Canada-California Collaboration
•Developing ‘Canada-California’ Sunlighting Solutions that Generate Clean, Natural and Sustainable Energy for Buildings
•Creating a Bilateral Community of Technology Developers to Accelerate Discovery in Learning Sciences and Other Disciplines
•Creating a Canada-California Digital Learning Network to Attract, Develop and Retain Dental Talent
•Developing Next-Generation of Virtual Reality Technology with Potential Application in Canadian and Californian Markets
•Harnessing Canada-California Expertise in Biodiversity to Better Understand and Manage our Ecosystem

Canada-California R&D Business Plans: 6 Bilateral Projects
•Leveraging Canadian and Californian Research Leadership to Create a Bilateral R&D Center for Energy-Efficient Carbon Capture
•Creating a Bilateral Bioinformatics Network to Develop Novel Carbon Measurement Strategies and Support the Growth of Environmental Monitoring Companies in Canada and California
•Canada and California Join Forces to Develop Bioimaging Technologies to Improve the Detection and Treatment of Disease
•Combining Canadian and Californian Know-how to Create Ultra Energy Efficient High Performance Computing Facilities
•Harnessing the Power of Canada-California R&D Cooperation to Develop Novel Biofuels for Green and Sustainable Energy
•Leveraging Canada-California R&D Expertise in Green ICT to Reduce Carbon Emissions and Slow Global Warming

These initiatives are supported by over $1 million in new research funding from the University of California and Canadian universities, and combine expertise, research resources and investment from both constituencies. They aim to develop novel models of R&D collaboration that address global challenges such as climate change, infectious diseases such as H1N1 influenza, and the demand for sustainable energy.

Bringing together a total of 23 Canadian universities, eight campuses of the University of California, and more than 49 companies, government labs and agencies on both sides of the border, the selected initiatives feature the organization of nine collaborative events (such as workshops and symposia) and the development of six Canada-California R&D business plans over the next year.

For additional information on CCSIP, the CFP, or selected projects, please visit www.ccsip.org or contact: Sonya Shorey, Communications Strategist, Cell: 613.851.9416, sonyashorey@istpcanada.ca

Martha Piper Research Fund - Monday, March 15, 2010

2010-02-08T12:08:00.002-08:00

Martha Piper Research Fund

At his installation in September, 2006, President Stephen Toope announced the establishment of the Martha Piper Research Fund (MPRF) to provide seed funding for collaborative research projects with an emphasis on interdisciplinary and international activities.

A $5 million portion of the Trek Endowment has been dedicated for this purpose for five years until 2011, providing $250,000 per year to be awarded in semi-annual competitions to UBC faculty. The objective of this program is to strengthen UBC research by supporting the creation of teams of talented researchers in two or more disciplines, as well as to establish new international links.

Awards should enable researchers in the Tri-Council communities, i.e., NSERC, CIHR, and SSHRC, to collaborate and integrate their expertise and research activities within Canada and with international partners.

Results of the October 1 competition will be announced November 1 of that year, and funding will be available for 18 months from October 1 of that year to March 31 of the following year. Results of the March 15 competition will be announced April 15 of that year, and funding will be available for 18 months from April 1 of that year to September 30 of the following year.

How to Submit an Application
Download Application Form

Applications are due by 4:00 pm every March 15 and October 1 until October 2011. If the due date falls on a holiday, the application will be due by 4:00 pm the next business day.

Electronic applications are preferred. Please email the application to our secretariat office at marthapiperfund@exchange.ubc.ca with cc copy to Mary Luk . The signature page should be scanned and emailed to us along with the rest of the application. Alternatively, a completed copy of the signature page may be mailed to:

Martha Piper Research Fund Secretariat Office
The University of British Columbia
101 – 6190 Agronomy Road
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z3 Canada

Should you have any questions, please email Mary Luk .

Guidelines and Conditions

Emphasis:
•Collaborative Research Projects, i.e., two or more disciplines participating;
•Seed Funding, i.e., should have plans or the potential to lead to the award of major funding such as a Tri-Council award or possibly a Peter Wall Institute Major Thematic Grant for ongoing aspects of the project;
•Interdisciplinary, i.e., two or more disciplines actively collaborating;
•International, i.e., international collaboration required;
•Innovative, i.e., develop new research areas.

Application:
•Teams of two or more individuals from UBC may apply; one applicant must be identified as the Principal Applicant for purposes of administering the grant if awarded.
•The Principal Applicant must hold the rank of a tenure track or grant tenure track Assistant or Clinical Assistant Professor or higher.
•The suitability of Co-Applicants below the rank of a tenure track or grant tenure track Assistant or Clinical Assistant Professor will be assessed by the adjudication committee during the normal adjudication process, but they will be considered eligible provided their appointment can be shown to hold for the period of the award.
•Applications are to be interdisciplinary and international in approach. For instance, teams containing members holding (or eligible to hold) funding from more than one of the Tri-Council sources (e.g., from CIHR and NSERC) and including one or more collaborators from outside Canada would be appropriate.
•Applications must request between $8K and $25K.
•Teams may hold only one MPRF award during the five-year tenure of the MPRF Program.
•The project cannot overlap significantly with projects funded from other sources. In particular, awards may not be held from the Hampton and Martha Piper Research Funds at the same time unless they are for clearly unrelated projects.
•Application receipt will be acknowledged within one week of submission. Please contact the secretariat office at marthapiperfund@exchange.ubc.ca if this does not happen.
Term: 18 months maximum.

Adjudication:
In adjudicating applications, the committee considers the scholarly merit of the proposal, the track record of the applicant, the proposal’s international research dimensions, and interdisciplinary participation. Scholarly research applications are favoured over workshop or symposium proposals. Consideration is given to whether the research seems likely to lead to continued funding.

Reporting:
At the completion of the term of the award a final report of up to 5 pages must be submitted. A submitted Tri-Council or similar external grant application or, if appropriate, a Letter of Intent to the Peter Wall Institute for a Major Thematic Grant based on the work performed with support from the Martha Piper Research Fund may be substituted for the Final Report.

Contact Us
Martha Piper Research Fund Secretariat Office
101 – 6190 Agronomy Road
The University of British Columbia
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z3 Canada

Phone: (604) 827-5170
Fax: (604) 827-5356
Email: marthapiperfund@exchange.ubc.ca

Please visit http://www.research.ubc.ca/marthapiperfund.aspx/ for more information.

The Technology Development Initiatives Fund: A Funding Opportunity for Biomedical Technology Development

2010-01-19T15:28:00.000-08:00

The Technology Development Initiatives Fund: A Funding Opportunity for Biomedical Technology Development

The Genome BC Technology Development Initiatives Fund (TDIF) is a pilot program from Genome BC launched on April 3, 2009, aimed at supporting early stage technology development of biomedical devices. The program is a partnership between Genome BC and its Technology Development Platform

Total funding for TDIF from Genome BC is $200,000 and awards are expected to be between $10,000 and $50,000. Proposals will be considered with reference to the possibility of commercialization on a timescale of approximately two years after completion of the project.

Eligible projects: The scope of TDIF encompasses biomedical device development in general. Areas include but are not limited to surgical devices, accessibility, molecular diagnostic devices for research or clinical use, microfluidics for sample preparation and analysis, and biomedical imaging.

Cofunding: TDIF requires co-funding at 1:1. Eligible sources include NSERC, CIHR, MSFHR and NIH grants, industry funding as well as trainee scholarships of all types. Detailed guidelines for eligibility and timelines are provided in the RFA (see hyperlink below).

Application Process: The application form can be found at the link below. Applicants are required to provide enough information in the application form to assess the merits of a proposal. This means sections 5, 6 and 9 must in particular be complete. If approved for funding, a requirement to receive funds will be receipt of an acceptable fully completed application.

Timeline: The TDIF is based on a continuous intake model. To facilitate review, we would like to receive as many applications as possible by March 7, 2010 for an evaluation at the end of March.

Intellectual Property: IP matters are handled through the applicants’ institution. Enquiries should be directed to the institutional research or technology transfer office.

For more information please contact:

Robin Coope
Co-director, Genome BC Technology Development Platform
rcoope@bcgsc.ca

Lorna Jackson
Research Program Manager, Genome BC
ljackson@genomebc.ca

Program guidelines and application forms are available at:
http://www.genomebc.ca/genomics_programs/research_projects/TDIF/default.htm

About Genome BC

Founded in 2000, Genome BC works collaboratively with government, universities and industry as the catalyst for a genomics-driven life sciences cluster with significant social and economic benefits for the Province and Canada. The organization's research portfolio, over $410 million since inception, includes 74 projects and technology platforms focused on areas of strategic importance to British Columbia such as human health, forestry, fisheries, bioenergy, mining, agriculture, and the environment. Genome BC programs are funded by Genome Canada, the Provincial Government of British Columbia, Western Economic Diversification Canada and other public and private partners.

About Genome BC’s Technology Development Platform

The Technology Development Platform provides engineering support and technology development primarily for Genome BC funded projects and platforms, as well as project collaborations with non-Genome BC researchers. The Platform ensures the international competitiveness of BC’s research community by providing access to the most up-to-date technology, and in some cases, develops new tools and devices that are not commercially available. As part of this mandate, the Platform also aims to catalyze or seed new programs and initiatives for discovery or applied research, infrastructure, or pre-commercialization and seed-stage commercialization that could possibly be subsequently supported through other funding mechanisms. Platform nodes are located at UBC (Vancouver and Okanagan campuses), BC Cancer Agency, The iCapture Centre at St. Paul’s Hospital, University of Victoria-Genome BC Proteomics Centre and BCIT.

Lorna Jackson
Research Program Manager
Genome British Columbia
Ph: (604) 637-4383
Email: ljackson@genomebc.ca

HUMAN FRONTIER SCIENCE Research Grants LOI due March 2010

2010-01-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

HUMAN FRONTIER SCIENCE PROGRAM
http://www.hfsp.org/about/AboutProg.php
The HRSP supports innovative basic research into fundamental biological problems with emphasis placed on novel and interdisciplinary approaches that involve scientific exchanges across national and disciplinary boundaries. HFSP actively encourages participation of scientists from physics, chemistry, informatics, nanoscience and engineering in research into frontier biological questions. Topics covered range from molecular and cellular approaches to biological functions to systems neuroscience including cognitive functions.

Research grants are provided for teams of scientists from different countries who wish to combine their expertise in innovative approaches to questions that could not be answered by individual laboratories. Emphasis is placed on novel collaborations that bring together scientists preferably from different disciplines to focus on problems in the life sciences. The research teams must be international & preferably intercontinental. To stimulate novel, daring ideas and innovative approaches, preliminary results are not required in research grant applications. The principal applicant must be from one of the eligible countries (e.g. Canada). However, other participating scientists and laboratories may be situated anywhere in the world. Applicants must submit a letter of intent to apply for a research grant via the HFSP web site with a deadline at the end of March, and after review, selected teams will be invited to submit a full application.

Two types of Research Grant are available: Young Investigators' Grants (team of 2-4 researchers who are all w/in first 5 years of obtaining an independent position) and Program Grants (teams of 2-4 independent researchers at any stage of their career). Teams can receive up to $450K per year USD dependent on team size.

Deadlines: Mar 22 Pre-registration, Mar 21, 2010 LOI Submission
Guidelines: http://www.hfsp.org/funding/research-grants/information-and-guidelines

The Office of the VP Research & International provides consultation and support in the development of international proposals. Please contact our staff per below.

Jacqueline Smit
Senior Officer, International Research Initiatives
Office of the Vice President Research & International
University of British Columbia

T. 604-822-8136
jacqueline.smit@ubc.ca
www.research.ubc.ca/international.aspx

International Research Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change

2009-11-16T16:42:00.001-08:00

Duration: Five years
Application Deadline: January 7, 2010
How to Apply: Consult the complete program description
Application Forms: Consult the complete program description
Program Contact: Consult the complete program description

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) are partners in this funding opportunity to support research and networking on the adaptation to climate change in Canada and low-income countries and middle-income countries (LIC-MIC).

Adaptation to climate change is a shared challenge that presents a unique opportunity for collaborative and comparative research to advance knowledge, shape policy and programs, mentor students and facilitate networks. Adaptation is the adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic conditions or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.

This initiative will support the formation of multi-national teams from Canada and LIC-MIC, which will develop networks and programs of research. Successful applicants will initiate multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral collaborations with researchers, communities, practitioners and policy-makers in Canada and around the globe.

For more information, consult:

Contact: iriacc@idrc.ca
Web site: www.idrc.ca/iriacc

LOF 2010 Competition ($1M - $2M) – NOI forms and competition guidelines now available

2009-11-16T16:12:00.002-08:00

LOF 2010 Competition ($1M - $2M) – NOI forms and competition guidelines now available

The Notice of Intent mockup form has been added to CFI Online – Download Reference Forms section of the website. This form is intended to assist institutions prepare a draft of their online submissions. Institutions will be notified when the electronic submission form is available online.

Leaders Opportunity Fund ($1M-$2M) 2010 Competition Guidelines have been posted. Go to: http://www.innovation.ca/en/programs/funds/leaders-opportunity-fund/2010-competition-guidelines-1m-2m.

Institutions wishing to submit a full application to the Leaders Opportunity Fund ($1 million-$2 million) competition for either infrastructure alone or infrastructure associated with a Canada Research Chair must submit a Notice of Intent (NOI). NOI forms will be available on the CFI website in November 2009 with an electronic submission deadline of December 15, 2009. A full application can only be submitted for a project if an NOI has been received by the CFI.

Public Diplomacy, Policy Research and Outreach: European Union and EU-Canada Relations

2009-06-25T11:40:00.001-07:00

The European Commission is pleased to announce a new Call for Proposals entitled “Public Diplomacy, Policy Research and Outreach: European Union and EU-Canada Relations”.

Issue areas are very diverse (see list below) and funded activities include conferences/seminars/workshops, publications or other information products, research projects, training programs, and briefing sessions, speaking tours, study visits…..

Maximum grant is €100,000. Total program budget is €450,000 and an estimated 6-9 grants will be awarded.

Application deadline: 22 September 2009 http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/canada/grants/2009/publicdiplomacy/index_en.htm

Issue areas of special interest that could be covered include:

• environment and energy policies, trade and investment, the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, crisis management,

• electoral observation, justice and home affairs (including counterterrorism), immigration, air transport, container security,

• phyto-sanitary and veterinary issues including consumer protection, regulatory cooperation, agricultural policies,

• the Arctic dimension, doing business in the EU, youth exchanges and cultural diversity.

The objectives are to promote public knowledge and understanding of the EU among Canadians, and promote debate about EU-Canada Relations.

Activities should result in outcomes which can be measured, for example, by the number and quality of events and participants, evidence of sustainable impact upon research and curricular programs, and the production and targeted dissemination of information products via the internet and other means. Actions that promote debate about EU-Canada relations should also aim to reach concrete recommendations on how to develop further the EU Canada relationship.

Applications must be mailed or couriered & include an original Grant Request Letter, Detailed Project Proposal (max 5 page), & Grant Application Form with required supporting documents.
The Office of the VP Research provides consultation and support to major international proposals. Please contact our International Research Resource Officer.

Jacqueline Smit | International Research Resource Officer

Office of the Vice President Research

University of British Columbia

T. 604-822-8136

jacqueline.smit@ubc.ca

www.research.ubc.ca/international.aspx

Call for Proposal for R&D Collaboration with China

2009-06-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

Canada-China Scientific and Technological Cooperation, International Science & Technology Partnerships Canada www.istp.canada.ca

Expressions of Intent: July 17, 2009

Full Proposals: September 15, 2009

This call is open to all projects that include science and technology (S&T) development leading to commercial success and benefit to both countries. There is however an initial specific emphasis on following technology areas:

• Agriculture Foods and Bio-products
• Energy
• Environment
• Health & Life Sciences/Biotechnology
• Information and Communication Technologies and Nanotechnology are identified as enabling sectors to the four selected areas.

Requirements:

The criteria to be followed in order to apply to the present call are:

a) The proposed R&D project must include participants from Canada and China.

b) At least one industry participant from Canada.

c) The project should be innovative and lead to a new product or process with clear commercial potential.

d) The partners should agree in advance on the IP rights and on the commercialization strategy of the product or service.

e) The application will be strengthened by the participation of academic and institutional researchers and by including young researcher exchanges as a component of the R&D program.

Size of Investments & Matching Funds

a) Funding support will be given to each partner by its own Authorities (China - MOST*, Canada - ISTP) in accordance with the national laws, rules, regulations and procedures in effect.

b) ISTPCanada will limit its contribution to the lesser of $600K Cdn/ project or 50% of the eligible costs of Canadian applicants. Chinese participants will receive funding at a level to be determined by MOST.

EOI Process

Email cfp_china@istpcanada.ca prior to July 17th to get an application reference number.

EOI, due July 17th, consists of Key Information (title, list of participants, exec summary) and EOI Form – including budget page and EOI section (max 5 pg) which provides a summary of the sections on innovation, analysis of the problem, the proposed solution, short description of project plan, market need, commercialization plan, expected collaboration, and management plan.

For Call for Proposals, Applications Guidelines & Forms: http://www.istpcanada.ca/ProductsServices/ChinaProgram/ChinaRDCollaboration/index.html

ISTP contact:

Stacy Chew, Country Manager for China
ISTP Canada
Phone: (613) 729 3069 x223
stacychew@istpcanada.ca

The Office of the VP Research provides consultation and support to major international proposals. Please contact International Research Resource Officer.

Jacqueline Smit | International Research Resource Officer

Office of the Vice President Research
University of British Columbia
T. 604-822-8136
jacqueline.smit@ubc.ca
www.research.ubc.ca/international.aspx

New Funding for Solar Energy Conversion: RCSA's Scialog

2009-06-18T09:54:00.001-07:00

Scialog 2009 will accept proposals describing fundamental research at the molecular and nanoscale level that are directly related to conversion of solar energy to electricity or fuels. Preference will be given to plans describing: (i) development of novel high-performing materials that possess greater stability, lower cost, or offer higher efficiency than materials currently used in solar energy devices; (ii) innovative, highly efficient methods for solar energy conversion that take advantage of unique chemical or optical properties and are poised to overcome current bottlenecks limiting performance efficiency.

Scialog® Objectives include:

• supporting individuals or collaborative teams of academic scientists within five years of their tenure date who present innovative approaches that address the designated research topics,
• enabling higher-risk research that might fall outside the boundaries of traditional federal funding streams, and
• establishing and convening communities of researchers.

A Scialog award will provide $100,000 for an individual PI or $250,000 for a team of PIs over three years with considerable discretion for the PI. The full award is for direct costs and no overhead expenses are allowed. Preliminary proposals are due August 17, 2009.

A full program description along with application instructions can be found on the website, or please feel free to contact via email scialog@rescorp.org or telephone, 520.571.1111 .

Research Funding - through MITACS ACCELERATE internship program

2009-05-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

The MITACS ACCELERATE BC program is currently accepting proposals from professors and graduate students/postdocs in any faculty or department for research projects conducted in collaboration with BC companies. This innovative internship program funds 4-, 8-, or 12-month research projects.

MITACS ACCELERATE is open to all university faculties and departments that train graduate students including Arts, Engineering, Humanities, Physical Sciences, Applied Sciences, Social Sciences and many more.

The MITACS ACCELERATE benefits for professors and grad students/postdocs:

· Provides an opportunity to apply expertise to challenging industrial issues
· Leverages your existing funding from industry
· Provides funding of a grad student/post-doc
· Provides a valuable career opportunity for grad students and postdocs
· Application process has limited paperwork; quick turnaround. Proposals are accepted at any time
· Foreign grad students and postdocs can participate
· Can help you to attract grad students and postdocs

Details:

The intern, under the supervision of a faculty member, spends approximately half of his/her time over a minimum four-month period onsite with an eligible BC partner (a company, industry association, not-for-profit or crown corporation) or in the field, developing a better understanding of a jointly-identified research problem of importance to the company. The balance of the intern’s time is spent at the university with a professor, developing a solution to the organization’s s challenge.

The company’s contribution of $7.5K per four-month internship unit is matched by MITACS, with funding support from the Government of BC and the Government of Canada. The intern receives a minimum of $10K of the $15K in funding, with the remaining $5K supporting other costs associated with the project.

Although internship proposals are accepted at any time, it is strongly recommended that for internships intended to commence Sep 1, 2009, proposals be received by MITACS by July 15, 2009. This will allow adequate time for peer-review and transfer of funds to the university. The MITACS business development team will assist you with the application process.

NEW: INTERNSHIP CLUSTERS

In recognition of the growing demand from faculty to support teams of interns over longer time periods through research with a partner(s), MITACS has introduced Internship Clusters. Internship clusters require a minimum of $30,000 from a partner(s) who will benefit from significantly increased MITACS funding leverage.

For more information, email internships@mitacs.ca and one of our business development staff will respond immediately.

There are a limited number of internships available with non-company organizations (including hospitals, government labs and agencies and not-for-profit societies), and with partners in other provinces. Please speak to a BC business development representative for more information before submitting a proposal

For more information about MITACS ACCELERATE including past examples of internships across Canada, visit www.mitacsaccelerate.ca. For more information about MITACS, visit http://www.mitacs.ca.

Graduate and Undergraduate Student Exchange Scholarships

2009-03-18T12:52:00.001-07:00

Scholarships are available from Canadian Government to fund incoming international students to UBC on study or research exchange.

The Government of Canada is seeking applications from Canadian publicly funded institutions for the 2009 Students' Exchange Program. This program provides international students with research or study scholarships for four to six months. Applications must be submitted by UBC on behalf of the applicants.

Deadline: May 15, 2009 – UBC Internal Deadline

Submission of all supporting documents to:

Director, Go Global
International Learning Programs
1783 West Mall, Vancouver BC, V6T 1Z2
go.global@ubc.ca
604.822.0942

For questions or to discuss an application, please contact Katherine Beaumont, Director, Go Global, at katherine.beaumont@ubc.ca or 604.822.9613.

GSEP — Graduate Student Exchange Program
For graduate-level international students to undertake research at a public Canadian university or affiliated research institute. An existing exchange agreement between the Canadian institution and the student’s home university is desirable. If there is no existing graduate exchange, please note that we will consider graduate research applications which involve a new or established collaboration between professors from a Canadian and foreign university that may develop into an institutional partnership. Please note that successful candidates are only able to hold one graduate exchange award.

DURATION: 4 months
VALUE: $7,500

DURATION: 5 or 6 months
VALUE: $10,000

Application details at: http://www.scholarships.gc.ca/GSEP-en.html

CUSEP — College and Undergraduate Student Exchange Program
The program is for international students at the college and undergraduate level to undertake study at Canadian public universities or colleges. An exchange agreement between UBC and the student’s home university must be in place at the time of application. For a current list of UBC Student Mobility Agreements, go to: http://www.students.ubc.ca/facultystaff/download/outgoing_partner_agreements.pdf.

Please note that successful candidates are only able to hold one student exchange award.

DURATION: 4 months
VALUE: $7,500

Application details are available at: http://www.scholarships.gc.ca/CUSEP-en.html

Automotive R&D Partnership Initiative

2009-03-11T12:35:00.002-07:00

Automotive R&D Partnership Initiative is established by five partnering agencies within the portfolio of Industry Canada. The objective of this five-year, $145 million initiative is to support significant, incremental, collaborative R&D activities of benefit to the Canadian automotive industry; partnerships between industry and academia and/or the NRC.

The program involves funding from the following agencies:

- NSERC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council ($85M);
- NRC, the National Research Council ($30M);
- CFI, the Canada Foundation for Innovation ($15M);
- SSHRC, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council ($5M); and the
- Canada Excellence Research Chair Program ($10M).

An Industry Task Force met during the autumn of 2008 to advise on the structure and form of the Automotive Partnership. Based on their recommendations, we are now able to provide some details on this initiative, which are described in the attached document.

While the Automotive Partnership is still in its early stages, and we have yet to determine the precise processes we will employ, we are now considering ourselves "open for business." Therefore, we are encouraging you to consider projects and programs of research that could be funded under this Initiative.

View the Automotive R&D Partnership Initiative Summary [207 KB PDF].

PICS Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Fellowships

2009-02-26T12:27:00.000-08:00

The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions is pleased to announce its postdoctoral and visiting scholar fellowship programs for the 2009/10 academic year. PICS Graduate Fellowships are available on an annual basis to outstanding Masters and PhD students at the Institute's four collaborating universities (UBC, UNBC, SFU and UVic) conducting research in an area related to climate change impacts and adaptation. Fellowships are valued at $12,000 per year for Masters and $18,000 per year for PhD students.

Applications must be submitted to the PICS office no later than March 31 of each year. Please note that students do not apply directly to PICS. Check with your department for their internal application deadline (as early as March 1 in some cases).

The call for applications is available online at http://www.pics.uvic.ca/fellowships.php.

UBC International Research Grants

2009-02-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

The Office of the Vice President Research is pleased to announce two new grant programs to support the development of highly meritorious international research partnerships and exchanges with research-intensive academic institutions outside North America. Applications for the programs described below are due on April 24, 2009.

Graduate Student International Research Mobility Award
In partnership with the Faculty of Graduate Studies and UBC’s Go Global program, the Office of the Vice President Research invites applications from UBC graduate students who wish to participate in a research abroad opportunity at a leading institution outside North America, and from UBC faculty who desire to host an overseas graduate research student at UBC. Value: A one-time stipend of up to $1500 will be available to outbound and incoming students.

International Research Collaboration Workshop Grant
This grant from the Office of the Vice President Research will support the development of workshops or roundtables to foster significant research collaborations with groups at leading academic institutions, research institutes, and centres for excellence outside North America. Workshops must lead to:

a) a joint research agenda and/or delineation of specific research questions or needs, and
b) a strategic plan for joint proposal submission, including identification of potential sources of funding.

Events can be held in Canada or overseas. Value: Up to 50% of total approved workshop costs to a maximum of $10,000.

For detailed program guidelines and application forms, please visit www.research.ubc.ca/international.aspx

For more information on these programs, please contact Jacqueline Smit*, International Resource Research Officer, at Jacqueline.smit@ubc.ca or 604.822.8136.

*Prior to March 23, please contact Associate Vice President, Dr. Don Brooks at don.brooks@ubc.ca or 604.822.1467.

NSERC-ANR Concurrent Call for Joint Research Projects

2009-02-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

NSERC recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) in France to foster France-Canada collaboration in scientific research. NSERC and ANR have agreed to establish a scheme for joint funding of Canadian/French collaborative research and innovation projects. In 2009, priority will be given to the following target areas:

Advanced Communications and Management of Information Systems,

Biomedical Technologies,

Competitive Manufacturing

Healthy Environment and Ecosystems

Interested researchers will prepare complementary proposals to their respective agencies in parallel following the normal application process for the Strategic Project Grants program at NSERC.

For more information, refer to the detailed instructions http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RPP-PP/NSERCANR-CRSNGANR_eng.asp

or contact SPG_France@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

*Press release* - *NSERC enhances scientific ties with France*
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Media-Media/NewsRelease-CommuniqueDePresse_eng.asp?ID=109

Natural Resources and Applied Sciences Endowment

2009-02-13T12:08:00.000-08:00

Two new post-secondary research and training programs will award a total of $9 million to projects providing social, economic and environmental solutions for British Columbia. Projects will be supported in the areas of natural resources, the applied sciences, and engineering. The programs have been launched through the Natural Resources and Applied Sciences (NRAS) Endowment and are delivered by the BC Innovation Council (BCIC) in cooperation with the BCFRST Foundation.

The first two NRAS programs support British Columbia's most accomplished and promising researchers working on projects that hold potential for significant social, environmental and economic benefit to the province in the near- and long-term future. The programs specifically focus on innovative solutions to problems while anticipating possibilities for significant leverage from national and international funding sources.

The NRAS Research Team Program
This program supports accomplished B.C researchers with projects that will provide substantial benefits to the province. This program encourages researchers from multiple disciplines to work together and engage students and other personnel through a high-calibre training and supervision program. Funding is provided for direct research-related costs for up to three years.

No. of Awards: Estimated 20-30
Award Method: Individual application to BCIC
Award Length [Maximum]: Three years
Award Value [Maximum]: Estimated $100,000 per year
Deadline: May 22, 2009

The NRAS Private Sector Collaborative Program
This program will increase partnerships between B.C. post-secondary institutions and the private sector. The program supports knowledge transfer and an industry-based training program for students and other personnel. Funding is provided for up to 50 percent of total project costs for up to three years.

No. of Awards: Estimated 20-30
Award Method: Individual application to BCIC
Award Length [Maximum]: Three years
Award Value [Maximum]: Up to $50,000 per year
Deadline: Quarterly; First deadline – May 22, 2009

For eligibility details and to apply, please visit http://www.bcic.ca/about-us/newsletter/past-issues/131-novdec-2008/554-nras