OFI- Opportunities Fund
Aboriginal Peoples
Arctic and Northern Regions
Environment, Energy and Natural Resources
Oceans, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Deadlines
Academic Unit: Inquire with your unit
Memorial Deadline: No RGCS review required
External Deadline: Open Call
Description
Memorial applicants should submit their proposals to both OFI@dal.ca (copied to OFI@mun.ca) and also to the MUN Researcher Portal. MUN researchers must contact their Grants Facilitation Officer, Associate Dean (Research) or equivalent unit signatory to obtain information on deadlines and processes, as well as, obtain UNIT approval (s) prior to submission to OFI. Questions about the application submission should be addressed to Julie Rideout at jdrideout@mun.ca
The Opportunities Fund financially supports participation in emerging ocean-related research that provides a unique opportunity for OFI researchers to link their expertise to externally-led projects. Awards, which range from $30,000 to $75,000, enable projects unlikely to be supported through traditional funding mechanisms (including other OFI programs) because of the transnational or time-sensitive nature of the unique opportunity.
Eligibility
The Opportunities Fund is open to current faculty at Dalhousie University (future participation by Memorial University of Newfoundland faculty is under consideration). Proposals must be aligned with OFI’s research priorities and complement an emerging program led by a Canadian or international institution in which the Principal Investigator receiving the Opportunities Fund grant would otherwise be unable to participate.
Researchers are encouraged to discuss their unique opportunity with Dr. Anya Waite, OFI Scientific Director, prior to developing a proposal.
Selection Criteria
Funding priority will be given to initiatives that:
- Align with, and add value to, OFI research priorities in innovative and creative ways
- Support OFI’s geographic focus of advancing the sustainable development of the North Atlantic and Canadian Arctic Gateway
- Leverage significant resources from external (national or international) research projects, including current OFI partners
- Build strong connections with public and/or private sector researchers
- Achieve the efficient and effective transfer of research results and technology to identified receptors in the public and/or private sector
- Support the development of highly qualified personnel, consistent with the future human resource requirements in the public and/or private sector
- Involve Dalhousie University researchers who are not currently OFI Principal Investigators
- Support short- to medium-term projects (one to two years) that respond to emerging or immediate opportunities for external funding
- Address opportunities that are not supported by OFI’s large research projects, timelines or criteria
- Include linkages across OFI partner organizations in research inputs and outputs, capitalizing on research and development capacity.
Additional information can be found here.