XSeed

Updated: April 2024
 

** Deadline for submission: 12:00 P.M. on Monday, March 11, 2024
(Please submit applications, including all supporting documents, by email to myriam.couturier@utoronto.ca, include the term “Joint Seed” in the subject line.)

** The Joint Seed Virtual Information Session will be hosting on Friday, January 19th from 10:30 – 11:30 A.M. This session will explore PI eligibility for each of the programs, review of the application requirements and submission process, recommendations from the review committee, hear from past successful applicants and the review committee. You can click here to register for the Information Session.

2024-2026 XSeed Call for Proposals

Expanding research impact through inter-disciplinary collaboration
 

XSeed is an interdivisional research funding program designed to promote multi-disciplinary research and catalyze new innovative partnerships between a co-PI from the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering (FASE) and a co-PI from outside Engineering. Partner divisions for XSeed are the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS), University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC)/EaRTH District Collaborative Research Grant (EDCRG), Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), TRANSFORM HF, as well as other UofT Divisions.

FASE is committed to supporting projects that are partnered with Indigenous communities. These include projects that focus on the promotion of Indigenous health. FASE will earmark funding for at least one project that proposes inclusive and culturally safe research on the topic. Please note that all community-oriented projects must clearly demonstrate how communities will be meaningfully engaged in the research, with applicants ensuring a sense of accountability and reflexive allyship in their work.

Funding is available for a maximum of sixteen (16) new collaborative projects corresponding to the following breakdown:

PI Eligibility:

1. Each coPI should be eligible to hold, as PI, tri-council agency grants (NSERC, CIHR, or SSHRC). Both applicants must be eligible to supervise graduate students.
2. A PI can hold a maximum of one EMHSeed and one XSeed funded project at any point in time.
3. One PI should have a primary appointment with an Engineering unit, and one PI should have their primary appointment outside Engineering as outlined below:
   • For XSeed, one faculty member should have a tenure track appointment status at FAS, UTM, UTSC, DLSPH, or another UofT division, or be affiliated with TRANSFORM HF.

If you are looking for a collaborator from another division, we encourage you to add your information into the Joint Seed Collaboration Database and to check in regularly to see if there is a potential collaborator for your project on the list. 

Application:

Successful proposals must demonstrate the following criteria:

1. A new opportunity.
   Typically, PIs have not previously collaborated – EMHSeed and XSeed seek to enable new partnerships. Priority may be given to research teams that include one coPI in the first 10 years of their academic career.
2. A clear overarching goal.
   The project should have a clear end goal, such as a key finding, a compelling prototype, or a persuasive data set that paves the way for larger funded projects.
3. Excellence in research.
   The researchers should provide evidence of established or emerging leadership in their area(s).
4. Research proposal and plan.
   The application should describe a clear research project and plan, highlighting its novelty and excellence and how the project aims to address a compelling, important, and unsolved problem. The researchers must show how their interdisciplinary expertise will be effectively united on the project.
5. Inclusion of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and accessibility principles.
   The researchers should indicate how principles of EDI and accessibility will be meaningfully integrated into the project. This will be assessed most strongly if incorporated into research design. EDI principles can also be discussed in terms of team composition, training and recruitment practices, inclusive and equitable lab/environment culture and practices, and/or beneficiaries of the research. See VPRI's website on EDI in Research & Innovation for definitions and resources on the importance of EDI in research and innovation. If applicable to your research, please include a paragraph describing how you will integrate the relevant concepts, principles and protocols for conducting respectful research with Indigenous Peoples and communities into each stage of the research process. Applicants whose work involves Indigenous communities should demonstrate that they have started building the necessary relationships and partnerships by including relevant letters of support in their application. As one possible example of guidelines, see NSERC’s CCSIF guide for research involving Indigenous Peoples and communities.
6. A clear plan on collaboration.
   Successful applications should demonstrate how graduate students work together, and how goals and milestones for the students will ensure meaningful partnership. The graduate students will be jointly advised by the coPIs and will work together on an interdisciplinary project focusing on an important problem whose solution will unlock a large partnership or innovation opportunity. The proposal should also demonstrate how research planning, use of space, use of infrastructure, and supervision would all be shared and harmonized across the collaborating teams.
7. Compelling annual milestones.
   The project will offer compelling milestones that will form the foundation for continued collaborations and joint funding applications.
8. A gateway to a major funded partnership.
   Successful proposals should indicate how the anticipated results of the project will provide the basis of joint grant applications, to be submitted before the 2nd year anniversary of their Seed project start, to programs such as the CIHR Project Grant, Genome Canada, ORF-Research Excellence (ORF-RE), CIHR Team Grant, Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), SSHRC Partnership Grant, New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), major international funding, etc. In addition, coPIs should specify the dates of competitions they intend to apply to.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

FASE is strongly committed to diversity in research and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+ persons, and others who may contribute to research excellence.

Budget:

The budget for each Seed project will be $60,000 CAD/year for two (2) years, starting September 2024 (PIs may request an early project start of May 1, 2024, subject to approval of the Partner Divisions). In exceptional cases, a no-cost extension for an additional year may be considered.

Typically, each PI’s department/institute will contribute $15,000 CAD/year to the project (a letter of support from each PI’s Chair/Director confirming this contribution is required), with FASE and Partner Divisions each contributing a matching $15,000 CAD/year for a total of $60,000/year. Letters of support from FASE and the following Partner Divisions – TFoM, TRANSFORM HF, TBEP, and FAS – are not required. UTM applicants should obtain a divisional letter of support confirming a $30,000/year contribution to the project from the Office of the Vice-Principal, Research. A letter of support from the UTM PI’s department is not required. PIs from single-department Faculties (e.g., DLSPH, UTSC) should provide a letter confirming divisional support of $30,000/year. Applicants from any other UofT Division not outlined in this call must provide support letters confirming a $30,000/year contribution to the project, to be determined with their divisions/units.

Notes:

1. The above-mentioned contributions are cash or stipend contributions. In the case of cash contributions, contributors must all explicitly agree to transfer the funds in support of the project into the PI account.
2. The above contributions will be conditional on success in the adjudication process.
3. Additional in-kind support, on top of and beyond these contributions, may also be expressed in the letters of support and will be taken into consideration in the adjudication process.
4. Ethics approval and other regulatory approvals, as required, should be in place ahead of the project start date.

Use of funds:

This funding will prioritize the use of funds to support the stipend and research expenses of one graduate student earning a degree in an Engineering unit and one graduate student (or in exceptional cases, one PDF) in the Partner Division.

Submission Process:

Applications, including all supporting documents, are due by email to myriam.couturier@utoronto.ca by 12:00pm on Monday, March 11, 2024. Please include the term “Joint Seed” in the subject line. A list of past EMHSeed and XSeed projects is also available on the FASE Research Hub which is accessible with your UTORid and password.

Submissions should include the following: 1) completed application form, 2) letters of support confirming contributions from each of the collaborating departments/institutes (and/or, if applicable, Partner Divisions), 3) Short CVs of co-PIs. Please limit your CV to 3 pages.

Information Session: 

Friday, January 19th from 10:30 – 11:30 A.M. 
This session will explore:

• PI Eligibility for each of the programs
• Review of the application requirements and submission process
• Recommendations from the review committee
• Hear from past successful applicants and the review committee

You can Click here to register for the Information Session. 

Adjudication process:

An adjudication committee composed of representatives from FASE and Partner Divisions will review proposals received by the submission deadline against program criteria. Decisions will be reported by the end of April 2024.

Reporting:

A final report must be completed and will be due upon the completion of the project.

Further Details: 

2024-2026 Joint Seed Call for Proposals

2024-2026 Joint Seed Complete Application Form

List of Past EMHSeed and XSeed Projects

Collaboration Database 

UTM XSeed Past Recipients: