Brain Canada Platform Support Grants

Eligibility

This competition is open to groups of investigators working in neuroscience research. Broadly, this encompasses all areas of neuroscience and any disciplines that are being applied to the study of the nervous system in health and disease, including neurological and mental health disciplines, as well as associated social, biological, chemical, physical, engineering, mathematics, and computer sciences areas that have a primary objective of advancing our understanding of the brain, nervous system, and special senses, or to resolve problems arising from their dysfunction.  
• One of the platform team members will be designated the Principal Investigator (PI), nominated by the platform team, to be the individual responsible for submitting the application and for all communications with Brain Canada. The PI is generally the individual responsible for the overall management of the platform. If the platform is a physical entity, it would generally be located at the PI’s institution. The PI must be conducting research at, and affiliated with, a Canadian institution for the entire duration of the grant. Academic appointments must have started by the deadline for Full Application submission. 
• Investigators must be considered independent researchers at their institution. Such individuals normally hold the rank of assistant, associate, or full professor; can initiate and direct their own independent lines of research as Principal Investigator; have full responsibility for running their laboratories; have full control of their research funds; and are permitted to supervise trainees (if applicable, as per their institution’s policy).  
• A mandatory six (6) month administrative period will be implemented to allow sufficient time to ensure all necessary institutional agreements (e.g., sub-site agreements) and approvals (e.g., research ethics board approval) are put in place within the first six (6) months of the March 1, 2025 start date. 
• **Brain Canada’s current Contribution Agreement with the Government of Canada, through Health Canada, for the Canada Brain Research Fund, requires that Year 1 federal funding from Brain Canada must be disbursed by March 31, 2025. Applicants, sponsors, and the Host Institutions are expected to work with Brain Canada to ensure a Joint Funding Agreement and Research Grant Agreement are executed in a timely manner, by the March 1, 2025 start date, subject to the risk of forfeiting the awarded grant.** 
• Only one application per proposed platform can be submitted to this funding opportunity. 
• For Stream 2: Please note that for Platform Support Grants that are currently ongoing, no more than 5% of the total research grant amount from the existing grant can remain unspent as of March 1, 2025. In addition, this amount must be completely spent down, including any No-Cost Extensions, within the first six (6) months of the March 1, 2025 start date. 
• For Stream 2: Any team member previously involved in the funded project, and meeting the eligibility criteria, can serve as Principal Investigator; however, they must notify the other team members of their intention to apply.

Summary

Brain Canada, through the Canada Brain Research Fund, has allocated $13 million CAD of federal funding to the 2024 Platform Support Grants program, to be matched by funding provided by sponsors secured by the applicants, for a total possible funding envelope of $26 million dollars. Please note that Brain Canada is aiming to have a 50:50 distribution of funding awarded through Stream 1 and Stream 2. The final ratio of applications funded in each stream will ultimately be determined by the number of applications received to each stream and the results of the peer review process.  Grants will be over three and a half (3.5) years, including the six (6) month administrative period; nonrenewable. Total grant amounts are flexible to accommodate the needs of each platform. 

Platform Overview  

• Title of proposal;  
• Estimated total research grant amount; 
• Up to 10 key words describing the platform;  
• Provide a description of the platform and how it will be used to advance research in neuroscience, and the impact of the platform on the field; include an explanation of the special services, capabilities, or expertise that the platform will offer to researchers and the scope of the platform (e.g., local, regional, national, international). Explain how the data or resources acquired, curated, or analyzed by the platform will be made available to other qualified researchers (maximum 500 words). 

Attachments 

• Letters of support from potential sponsor(s). The letters do not have to be accompanied by a formal funding commitment at this stage but should highlight the interest of the potential sponsor(s) in supporting the platform by explaining why it is important to them, the likely uptake of the research results, and the overall impact of the platform (maximum 1-page per letter). 

Optional Information 

• Provide names and contact information for up to three individuals, in Canada or internationally, who are knowledgeable in the relevant research area(s) and would be able to evaluate the application. Individuals should not have a conflict of interest.  
• Individuals to whom the application should not be sent for review. 

Timeline 

Launch of Request for Applications June 19, 2024 

Deadline for Receipt of Registration Forms 17:00 ET, July 24, 2024 

Access to Grant Management System By July 30, 2024 

Deadline for Receipt of Full Applications 17:00 ET, September 20, 2024 

Notification of Award December 2024 Funding Begins March 1, 2025* 

*Note: The Research Grant Agreement and Joint Funding Agreement between the Applicant, Host Institution and/ or Sponsor(s) must be negotiated and executed before the “Funding Begins” date of March 1, 2025. 

Overhead

Not allowable as per sponsor policy. 

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

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.

How to Apply 

Please note that this funding opportunity includes a Registration Form and a Full Application stage. Applicants must submit a Registration Form to be eligible to submit a Full Application. It is the sole responsibility of the Principal Investigator to ensure their submission adheres to the requirements and is received by the deadlines outlined above. There will be no appeal to late submissions. Brain Canada will acknowledge receipt of the Registration Forms and Full Applications within two business days. 

Registration Form 

Stream 1 and Stream 2: Please click here to download the Registration Form. 

Please send the completed Registration Form, along with the required attachments, as one PDF file to platformgrant@braincanada.ca. Registration Forms received in any other format, exceeding the word and page limits, incomplete, or late, will be rejected.  

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Support for projects involving Indigenous Research:

Support with the development of your grant application is available internally through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST). Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage.

Support for Knowledge Engagement:

Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation is available internally through the Knowledge Engagement Team. Applicants can reach out by email to the KE team at knowledge.engagement@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information, please visit the KE team webpage.

Support for Research Data Management:

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@libanswers.ucalgary.com and/or visit https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/researchdatamanagement.

Support for EDI in Research:

RSO can provide resources and support to research teams on the integration of equitable and inclusive practices in research design and research practice. Contact Erin.OToole@ucalgary.ca for more information.

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award LOI

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application