New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 2026 International Joint Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technologies to Address Global Challenges

Eligibility

UPDATED APRIL 7, 2026
This page will be updated over the course of this competition. Please check back periodically for updates.

Projects

• Must directly address at least one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There is, however, a possibility of addressing a global challenge not captured by the SDGs if adequate justification can be provided.
• Must be interdisciplinary, involving disciplines from at least two (2) of the following: natural sciences and engineering; social sciences and humanities; and health and life sciences.
• Expected to involve stakeholders and end-users in co-design, co-development, and co-leadership.  

Participants

Must apply as a transnational partnership that is 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).
All applications are encouraged to meaningfully integrate Early Career Researchers (ECRs) into the project team.

Co-Principal Investigators (co-PIs)

• Minimum of three (3) co-PIs eligible to receive funding from at least three of the participating funding organizations, one of which must be NFRF.
• May only participate in one (1) application to this competition as a co-PI.
• NFRF-eligible co-PI must be:
  • an independent researcher
  • affiliated with an eligible Canadian institution
• Co-PIs who are not eligible to receive funding from another participating funding organization may have their research activities supported by NFRF funds. The following criteria apply:
  • Researchers and professors must be considered independent researchers to be eligible as an NFRF-supported co-PI.
  • May be with a Canadian or international institution.
  • May not be a federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal government department or a for-profit organization.
  • Individuals whose primary affiliation is with an Indigenous government are eligible to be NFRF-supported co-PIs, co-applicants, or collaborators.

Co-applicants

• Researchers and professors must be considered independent researchers to be eligible as an NFRF-supported co-applicant.

Collaborators

• Do not need to be affiliated with an eligible institution. Any individual who will contribute to the project is eligible to be a collaborator.
• Collaborators may include individuals affiliated with a federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal government department or a for-profit organization.
• May be affiliated with a Canadian or international organization.
• Any individual whose contributions to the project will be supervised by the NPI or a co-PI, co-applicant and/or other collaborator cannot be considered a collaborator.

You must refer to both the NFRF International program page and the associated NFRF Annex for full eligibility requirements.

Summary

NFRF International Information Webinars

LOI Webinar Mar 2026

• English Recording
• English Slide Deck
• French Recording
• French Slide Deck

NOI Webinar Feb 2026

• English Recording
• English Slide Deck
• French Recording
• French Slide Deck

NFRF will schedule a webinar for the Full Application stage at some future date.

Program Information

Please refer to the NFRF International program page and the associated annexes for the complete details of this opportunity.

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 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More research is needed on how disruptive technologies can be used in contextually appropriate interventions to have transformative economic or societal impacts to improve the lives of people and the planet. Research harnessing disruptive technologies to address global challenges requires an interdisciplinary approach involving expertise across disciplines—including the natural sciences, engineering, health sciences, social sciences and humanities—and across sectors, including academia, government, not-for-profit organizations, community organizations and private industry. Co-development of research and solutions in partnership with affected stakeholders is essential for long-term success.

This competition is subject to the Government of Canada Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC). Please refer to the tri-agency guidance on the STRAC policy to understand how this may impact your application. Adherence to this policy will be assessed at the full application stage. For further information, please visit the UCalgary Research Security Division webpage.

If conducting Indigenous research, you are strongly encouraged to consult with the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST) prior to NOI submission. To book a consultation with IRST, please go to their Booking Page. You can also contact IRST by email at irst@ucalgary.ca. 

Submission Process

This is a 3-stage competition consisting of a Notice of Intent (NOI), Letter of Intent (LOI), and Full Application. UCalgary Research Services (RSO) must complete the final submission of applications to NFRF at each stage.

NOTE: Additional internal deadlines may be added at the LOI and/or Full Application stages to accommodate the confirmation of team eligibility by the RSO and other needs of the application reviews. Please check this page periodically for updates.

Notice of Intent (NOI)

1. Complete the NOI in the Convergence Portal.
2. Once the NOI is completed (including all Participant info), go to the “Finalize Application” section and follow the prompts to submit your NOI by the Research Services (RSO) internal deadline of February 24, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. (status will change to Received by Administrator).
3. RSO will submit the NOI to NFRF by the deadline.

An RMS record is not required for the NOI stage.

Letter of Intent (LOI)
Step 1

1. Complete the LOI in the Convergence Portal.
2. Once the LOI is completed (including all Participant info), go to the “Finalize Application” section and follow the prompts to submit your LOI by the Research Services (RSO) internal deadline of June 2, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. (status will change to Received by Administrator).

Step 2

1. LOIs must be submitted to Research Services (RSO) for institutional approval and mandatory administrative review through the Research Management System (RMS) by June 2, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.
2. Complete a Pre-Award/Letters of Intent record in RMS and “Submit for academic approvals” (Under Save & Progress) in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the RSO internal deadline.
3. Upon review and approval, the RSO will submit the LOI to NFRF by the deadline.

Full Application
As an optional service, the RSO offers detailed application reviews. If you would like a detailed review, the RSO must receive the RMS record (faculty-level approvals complete) and application submission in the Convergence Portal by October 20, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

Step 1

1. Complete the Application in the Convergence Portal.
2. Once the Application is completed (including all Participant info), go to the “Finalize Application” section and follow the prompts to submit your application by the Research Services (RSO) final internal deadline of October 27, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. (status will change to Received by Administrator).

Step 2

1. Applications must be submitted to Research Services (RSO) for institutional approval and mandatory administrative review through the Research Management System (RMS) by October 27, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.
2. Complete a Pre-Award/Application record in RMS and “Submit for academic approvals” (Under Save & Progress) in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the RSO final internal deadline.
   1. Please do not create a new Pre-Award/Application record in RMS. Continue with the same RMS number by updating the status of the Pre-Award/Letter of Intent record to 'Invited for full application' (under Save & Progress). The system will generate a Pre-Award/Application record, and you can proceed as usual.
   2. Your application will not be considered submitted and will not be reviewed until the RSO has received both the application submission in Convergence and the RMS record (faculty-level approvals must be complete).
   3. At this final internal deadline, the RSO will not review drafts; once received, your application may be submitted to NFRF without further notice. Please ensure the application is final and complete.
3. Upon review and approval, the RSO will submit the Application to NFRF by the deadline.

Overhead

25%
NFRF International permits 25% of the value of the direct costs of research to be allocated to indirect costs. Indirect costs funding must be used only to pay for eligible expenses as outlined on the Research Support Fund website. The indirect costs component of each NFRF award is included in the award value; it is not in addition to it. That is, the maximum grant amount is $500,000 per year

• maximum direct costs = $400,000 per year
• maximum indirect costs = $100,000 per year

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

Additional application deadlines

NOI - RSO Internal 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.

RESOURCES

Reminder: The sooner the researcher engages with Research Services, the more help we can be!

Contact the following Research Service units for support with:

Projects Involving Indigenous Research:

Support with incorporating wise practices in Indigenous research, community engagement, and Indigenous data management is available 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.

Knowledge Mobilization, Research Impact Assessment, DORA:

Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation, community partnerships, research impact, responsible research assessment (DORA), and open science, is available through the Knowledge to Impact team.

Applicants can reach out by email to the KI team at knowledge.impact@ucalgary.ca.

For more information and access to resource archives, please visit the KI team webpage.

Research Data Management:

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@ucalgary.ca.

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 edi.rso@ucalgary.ca for more information.

Research Security:

The Research Security Division is available to ensure researchers adhere to research security guidelines and policies, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP) and the policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC).

Visit the Research Security website to learn more or contact researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca.

Pre-Award Submissions:

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award LOI
RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application