Maximum Value
NFRF Funding: $1,500,000 ($1,200,000 direct expenses + $300,00 indirect expenses)
Sponsor Deadline
June 9, 2026
UBCO RPIF Deadline
June 2, 2026
NOI/LOI Deadline
June 9, 2026 12:00 PM
UBCO E-submission Deadline
June 2, 2026 9:00 AM
Program Description
The International Joint Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technologies to Address Global Challenges represents a collaboration among research funders from the Åland Islands, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom to support international, interdisciplinary and transformative research aimed at harnessing disruptive technology to address major global societal challenges.
This call aims to harness the potential of disruptive technology to offer novel solutions to global challenges and accelerate progress towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In this call, “disruptive technology” is defined as “an innovation whose application replaces or radically alters systems, processes and/or behaviours to have transformative economic or societal impacts. The impact may be localized or far-reaching. Disruptive technology may include cutting-edge and novel innovations, or the application of an existing innovation in a new context, bringing about substantial change or paradigm shifts.”
Project Eligibility and Expectations:
Projects in this call must directly address at least one of the SDGs.
Projects must be interdisciplinary. It is strongly recommended that all project teams include at least one expert in social sciences or humanities among the co-principal investigators (co-PIs), fostering successful implementation for maximum impact.
Project team must include a minimum of three principal investigators, each eligible to receive funding from a different participating funding organization. See each funding organization’s annex for more details on eligibility.
Projects are expected to include appropriate stakeholders and end-users in the co-development and co-leadership of the project.
Eligible researchers may only participate as a co-PI (or principal investigator) on one application to this competition.
The maximum budget for the direct costs of the research project is CA$400,000 per year, for up to three years. Awards are for three-year grants and are eligible for an automatic one-year extension. Grantees will have four years to complete their projects and spend grant funds. Applicants may, in addition, request up to 25% of the value of the direct costs of research to cover indirect costs and include this in their total funding request, for a maximum grant value of CA$500,000 per year.
Information Webinar (English) – Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026, 9:30 AM to 11:30 PM EST
Information Webinar (French) – Wednesday, February 4th, 2026, 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM EST
Proposal Development Support
For support in preparing a UBCO-led application, please get in touch with the contact below:
Chris Hendershot
How to Apply
This funding opportunity has a three-stage application process:
NOI – See submission information and requirements HERE
LOI – See submission information and requirements HERE
Full Application – Submission by invitation only.
Before beginning please review the NFRF additional information HERE as well as any supplementary information and requirements for the other participating funding agencies.