Water Innovation Program

Eligibility

• This Call is open to all categories of lead applicant, including technology developers, industry, industrial associations, small and medium-sized enterprises, R&D organizations, universities, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, government research labs, and individuals.
• Projects or portions thereof that have received Alberta Innovates funding are not eligible to receive further Alberta Innovates funding for the same development. However, applicants may request support for a new phase of development that builds on and sufficiently advances a previously funded project.

Summary

The Water Innovation Program (WIP) is designed to help the Government of Alberta (GoA) achieve the outcomes of the Alberta Water Research and Innovation Strategy (2014): A Renewal (AWRIS) and the goals of the Water for Life Strategy:

1. safe, secure drinking water;
2. healthy aquatic ecosystems; and
3. reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy.

The program builds on a history of world class research and innovation, and helps create and apply relevant, reliable, and credible knowledge and information that will lead to a high-performing, innovative and responsive water system for the province of Alberta, as called for in AWRIS.

The objectives of the WIP 2022 Call for Proposals are to:

• Improve water use, conservation, efficiency, and productivity;
• Increase reliability of water supplies in support of a growing economy;
• Increase reliability and safety of water supplies for healthy communities; and
• Maintain and support healthy aquatic ecosystems.
• The key outcomes (i.e., measurable effects) the program will accomplish for the benefit of Albertans are:
• Development and implementation of new water policies, practices and strategies;
• Acceleration of water technologies toward commercialization;
• Sharing and mobilization of water knowledge;
• Creation and/or retention of jobs; and
• Development of highly qualified personnel (HQP).

Submission Process

The application process is divided into two stages: the Expression of Interest (EOI) stage and the Full

Proposal (FP) stage.

Step 1: EOI Application

Applications will be submitted electronically using the Alberta Innovates SmartSimple online intake system (https://albertainnovates.smartsimple.ca/s_Login.jsp).

The deadline for submission of EOIs is Thursday, September 15, 2022 at 3:00 PM Mountain Daylight

Applicants are not required to submit their EOIs to Research Services.

For those Invited to Full Proposal: 

If invited to submit a full application: Full applications, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS) (https://research.ucalgary.ca/conduct-research/additional-resources/research-management-system-rms), will be required by RSO by noon on January 9, 2023.

Please be sure to select "Submitted for approvals" (Under Save & Progress) in RMS in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the Research Services deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines.  A step sheet for creating an application record in RMS is available in the Resources section below.

Do not submit through the Agency portal until RSO's signature has been granted.

When application is approved for submission to Alberta Innovates, submit full application via the SmartSimple portal. The full application is due to Alberta Innovates at 3:00 p.m. MST on January 12, 2023.

Resources

• Creating an application record in RMS
• Alberta Innovates contact: Vicki Lightbown (vicki.lightbown@albertainnovates.ca)

Relevant Documents

 wip-2022-call-for-proposal-program-guide-2022-05-19.pdf

Application deadlines

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

To qualify for funding, all projects must:

• Align with the objectives of the WIP 2022 Call for Proposals;
• Align with one of the three funding streams outlined above;
• Be structured with well-defined objectives, milestones, deliverables, and timelines;
• Include a confirmed end user for the developed knowledge, strategy and/or technology;
• The end user must demonstrate a need or potential use for the project innovation;
• The end user must provide a letter indicating their intention to participate in the Project at
• the time of application (Full Proposal stage only);
• Include a knowledge transfer task/activity to maximize project impacts; and
• Comply with other criteria that Alberta Innovates may develop from time to time.
• Use of existing data, tools and models is encouraged.