Early Researcher Award Round 19: Internal Call for Proposals

Background
In the past, Lakehead University has been successful in securing awards through the previous rounds of the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security’s Early Researcher Award (ERA) program.  The funds are to be used over a period of five years to fund eligible expenses for a research team of undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, associates, and technicians.

Eligible Applicants
Lakehead University invites early career researchers who meet the ERA program criteria, to apply to the 2025 internal ERA competition.  You are eligible to apply for this award if you:
  • are a full-time, faculty or principal investigator (PI) based at an eligible institution in Ontario (adjunct positions do not qualify)
  • have started your independent academic research career on or after January 1, 2020; and
  • have completed your first Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, Medical Doctor or terminal degree on or after January 1, 2015 (anywhere world-wide)
  • have not already held an Early Researcher Award, and 
  • are not a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair.  
To be competitive, researchers are encouraged to be actively involved in conducting research that has been supported by peer-reviewed funding and to demonstrate academic independence from previous supervisors.  There is also a list of upcoming information sessions on the ERA site.  Applicants are strongly advised to attend one of these sessions.

Available Amount/Number of Lakehead University Applications
Under this program, an ERA award to a leading researcher is worth a maximum of $100,000 and must be matched by an additional $50,000. For this competition, Lakehead University will provide the required matching contribution of $50,000 ($10,000 per year over 5 years) for up to two applications.  If more than two qualified applications are received an internal review committee will be tasked with ranking the applicants to recommend to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation which application(s) be submitted to the ERA program. Please note that awards administered by the federal granting councils (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) are not eligible partner contributions.
 
Internal ERA Deadlines
1.  October 10, 2025:  Applicants are required to e-mail the Office of Research Services (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca) by October 10 to a) indicate their intention to apply to the ERA program, and b) to provide our office with a list of three confirmed external individuals (who are not in a conflict of interest with the ERA applicant) who our office can approach to write a letter of reference for the applicant's ERA application.  Please contact your three ERA referees to confirm their willingness to write a letter of support for your ERA application - please ensure that you follow the ERA guidelines when selecting referees.  Once they have agreed, please inform the Office of Research Services.
 
Please note the ERA program's guidelines for reference letters:
  •  One letter must come from a non-arm's length relationship. Non-arm’s length letters are letters written by a referee who knows the candidate personally (e.g., through mentoring relationships, co-employment relationships in the same school or institute, joint publications, or joint grants).
    Examples of non-arm’s length relationships:
    • Present or past colleague, student, post-doctoral fellow, faculty member, co-practitioner, etc.
    • Past mentor
    • Collaborator (joint publications, grants, etc.)
    Two letters must come from arm's length recommendations. Arm's length letters are defined as those from external referees who are not the candidate's dissertation or thesis chair or mentor, the candidate's co-author or collaborator, a family member of the candidate, or a friend of the candidate. External referees may not have a significant relationship with the candidate and must have the ability to write a non-biased letter that speaks to the candidate's background, work and standing in the field. However, it is acceptable for an external referee to be a professional acquaintance. A "professional acquaintance" is defined by circumstances where the candidate and external referee know each other from a professional society or association or from participating together on a panel, chairing meetings or sharing a similar research interest. The external referee cannot have a personal friendship or family relationship with the candidate or have had a mentoring relationship, co-employment, a former professor, co-author or collaborator, joint publications or joint grants (see exceptions below).
    Examples of acceptable levels of acquaintance:
    • Served on an association committee together
    • Met at a conference or chaired a conference or sections of a conference
    • Served on a panel together; or
    • Has been 5 years or more since the applicant:
         • has had a mentoring relationship with the individual
         • has had co-employment with the individual
         • was taught by the professor
         • co-authored or collaborated with the individual
         • jointly published with the individual; or
         • received a joint grant with the individual
 
2.  October 20, 2025:  Lakehead University requires that ERA applicants submit their six-page ERA research proposals and ERA CVs to the Office of Research Services (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca) by October 20 so that our office can forward the information to the external reference letter writers.
 
Reminders
• Lakehead University requires that referees have access to the applicant's research proposal and a full ERA CV.
• Reference letters must be dated less than six months from the submission date.
• Referees cannot be affiliated with the nominating institution, faculty or department.
• It is recommended that the arm’s length letters be from researchers of international stature familiar with the Researcher’s (PI) work, where possible.

3.  October 31, 2025:  Full, complete applications,using the ERA form, are due in the Office of Research Services no later than October 31, 2025. 
 
 
For More Information
The official call for this program can be found on the  Ministry of Colleges and Universities  website.  The website includes the ERA application form, complete program guidelines and instructions including a list of ineligible partner contributions, eligible expenses, evaluation criteria, application forms, letter of reference requirements, etc.  
 
For questions regardging this call, please contact Andrew Hacquoil, Research Facilitator (Institutional Programs) at ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca.

Call for CFI John R. Evans Leaders Fund (Unaffiliated) Applications - Internal Deadline: September 2, 2025

Introduction
All faculty members with tenured or tenure-track positions at Lakehead University are invited to submit applications to Lakehead University’s Fall internal 2025 Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) competition.  The deadline for the internal competition will be September 2, 2025.  
 
Please note that up to $300,000 (CFI portion only) from Lakehead's JELF allocation has been allocated to this competition to support a total investment of up to $750,000 in research infrastructure.  Researchers are required to secure the required 20% matching funds in order to be eligible to apply.
 
Internal Review of Applications
In order to support research excellence and ensure fairness and transparency in the distribution of these funds, applications will be reviewed by an internal CFI JELF Peer Review Committee; the Committee  will rank the applications and then make recommendations to the Vice-President Research, and Innovation.
 
Eligibility and Application Process
The JELF "enables a select number of an institution’s excellent researchers to undertake leading-edge research by providing them with the foundational research infrastructure required to be or become leaders in their field. In turn, this enables institutions to remain internationally competitive in areas of research and technology development, aligned with their strategic priorities."
 
The candidate(s) listed in the proposal must be:
  • A recognized innovative leader or have demonstrated the potential for excellence in the proposed research field(s);
  • Engaged in or embarking upon research or technology development that is innovative, high quality and meets international standards; 
  • A current faculty member with a full-time academic appointment or a candidate that the institution is in the process of recruiting to a full-time academic position in an area of strategic importance, and
  • Must currently hold or have applied for sufficient research operating funds to effectively utilize the new research infrastructure (i.e., Tri-agency funding, or other external research grants or substantial start-up funds).
The JELF is intended to serve the infrastructure needs of individual faculty, or groups of up to three faculty members where there is a need to share infrastructure.  
 
Preference to applicants will given in the following order:
  • Early Career Researchers (ECR) -  (applicants who have obtained their first independent academic position within the last five years).
  • Applications for shared research infrastructure to be located in the Lakehead University Instrumentation Laboratory or LUCAS laboratory (a letter of support from the Laboratory Director must be included in the application).
  • All other tenured or tenure-track or tenured faculty members (candidates who have received funding in the past previously been supported  through the JELF, Leaders Opportunities Fund, New Opportunities Fund or Canada Research Chairs Infrastructure Fund are eligible for funding under the JELF; however a justification for the need for the infrastructure and complementarity of the value-added of a subsequent award is required).  Please note that priority will be given to applicants who have not received a CFI JELF in the last three years.
Application forms and the complete JELF guidelines for completing unaffiliated proposals are available by referring to the CFI's website.
 
Candidates must be recognized leaders in their field of research, or show promise of becoming research leaders. They must be engaged in, or embarking on, an innovative research program for which the infrastructure is essential and which will provide an enriched research training environment. CFI JELF applications must also fit with the research priorities outlined in Lakehead University's Research Plan. 
 
In addition to meeting general CFI eligibility requirements, infrastructure items for JELF candidates must be essential for the research program of the candidate(s). If the requested items have been purchased or received, they must be obtained as an in-kind contribution no more than six months before the date of submission of the application to the CFI.
 
Checklist for a Complete Application
Complete CFI JELF applications for the internal competition must be submitted to the Office of Research Services by the internal deadline and must consist of:
 
  1. CFI JELF Application Forms (CFI Award Management System)- Please use the John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) – Unaffiliated version of the form.
  2. CFI Request for Quotations Form - plus one quote for each major equipment item.
  3. CFI Internal Budget Worksheet and where applicable, one quotation in CFI format for all equipment/renovation items.
  4. Letter from the relevant Dean confirming support for application and specifically confirming space. Space must be confirmed by the internal application deadline.* 
  5. Projects requiring renovations** must include:
    1. a cost estimate (from Physical Plant) prior to the internal application deadline.
    2. Evidence of the required cash contributions to offset the 20% matching fund requirements for renovations.  If internal operating funds are being used to offset the 20% matching funds requirement, a related budget code for the internal funds must be provided by the account holder at the time of the internal application.
  6. Completed Internal Research Proposal Approval Form
  7. Regarding re-submissions: Applicants who have been unsuccessful in previous internal or external competitions must provide a letter summarizing how the peer review committee’s feedback (or the CFI reviewer feedback) has been considered and incorporated into the new application.
  8. If applicable:  Applications for shared research infrastructure to be located in the Lakehead University Instrumentation Laboratory or LUCAS laboratory must include a letter of support from the Laboratory Director).
  9. CFI JELF internal checklist.
*Note: If any CFI infrastructure is to be located outside of Lakehead University, please note that  Lakehead must still  ". . . exercise de facto control over the research infrastructure, including assuming responsibility for its access and for the associated scientific programming" (CFI Policy and Program Guide).   In such cases, a letter of support from the organization that would be hosting the infrastructure must be attached to the internal CFI application.  The letter must specify:
  • The organization's agreement to host the CFI-funded infrastructure (with Lakehead maintaining de facto control).
  • Agreement to allow the Project Leader full access to the space and if there are renovations involved in making the space ready to house the equipment, the receiving organization is required to agree to the renovations to their space.
If the CFI funding is subsequently awarded, an inter-institutional agreement would need to be signed between Lakehead and the receiving organization outlining the above terms and conditions.**Note:  Please note that if renovations are not required as part of acquiring and installing the requested infrastructure, the applicant(s) must indicate in the CFI application why renovations are not required (including confirmation from Physical Plant).
CFI Funding Formula and Matching Funds
 
Please note that the CFI JELF program will contribute up to 40% towards infrastructure costs, the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security's Ontario Research Fund will contribute 40% and the remaining 20% must be found from other sources by the researcher. Funds from CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC, as well as Tri-Council programs (e.g. Canada Research Chairs) are not considered to be acceptable funding partners. However, the CFI will allow the cost of eligible item(s) to be covered in part by the aforementioned funding sources, provided that this portion is not used to leverage CFI funds. Equipment discounts beyond the best educational price are eligible as in-kind contributions towards the 20% matching funds required.
 
CFI JELF applications must include confirmation of the required matching funds. If the matching funds are to be provided by the private sector or other external agency, a letter of support outlining their commitment must accompany the application. If the 20% matching fund is provided in the form of a "discount beyond best educational price" by a supplier, a copy of the quotation must be included showing:
  • List Price
  • Best Educational Price (if a company does not offer academic or educational discounts, this should be specified in the quote or CFI Request for Quotations Form)
  • Discount Beyond Best Educational Price (the in-kind or CFI contribution)
  • Net CFI Price
Researchers must use Lakehead University's CFI Request for Quotations Form to ensure quotations meet CFI eligibility requirements. A CFI Internal budget worksheet must be completed and submitted along with copies of the equipment quotations used to complete the CFI form. Note that only "discounts beyond best educational price" are eligible.  Please note that project leaders should be aware that once the relevant taxes (3.41% HST) are applied to the total cost of the requested infrastructure in the application budget, the contribution by a vendor may actually work out to slightly less than the required 20%. Additional matching funds may be required to make up the resulting short-fall.
 
Researchers should note as well that a 10% cost increase has been added to the cash and in-kind formulas for each item in the CFI Internal Budget Worksheet. This is as a guard against inflation and exchange rate fluctuations.
 
If you have any doubts regarding the eligibility of your matching funds, please contact Andrew Hacquoil in the Office of Research Services for advice. 
 
Please note that LU start-up grants may be used towards the matching fund requirement whether it has been spent during the six months prior to the CFI JELF external deadline (October 15, 2025) or will be spent on the research infrastructure. Funds from start-up grants are to be shown as a cash contribution from the institution, not in-kind (as per CFI guidelines). It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all in-kind contributions are eligible in accordance with CFI's guidelines.
 
Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) 
 
Applicants are also required to ensure that any research equipment that is to be installed at Lakehead is ESA approved. This means that the equipment in question has an approved ESA marking that proves that the equipment meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.  Such ESA approval should be indicated on any quotes obtained (or that the cost of obtaining such ESA approval is included in the costs outlined in the quote). For more information please refer to the ESA website which includes recognized certifications.
 
Renovations to Space
 
Requests for renovations to new space (not currently allocated to the applicant) must be approved by the Lakehead University’s Space Committee prior to the internal deadline. Researchers should be aware that renovation costs can also include such expenses as changes to a space in order to accommodate a piece of equipment that has special power requirements, or environmental cooling (for example). If an application is to include renovations in the budget, researchers must contact Kevin Schlyter in Physical Plant far in advance of the September 2, 2025 internal deadline to arrange for a cost estimate. Applications that do not accurately reflect costs may be deemed ineligible for consideration. Additional information is available on-line at the Lakehead University Physical Plant website.  Should you have any questions regarding the CFI JELF program, please contact Andrew Hacquoil at ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca. Additional information regarding the CFI program can be obtained by referring to the following website: CFI John R. Evans Leaders Fund.  Applicants should note, however, the following application components that are required by the CFI related to renovation costs in applications that must be included in submissions:
 
Construction or Renovation Plans 
 
Applicant institutions must provide the following information:
  • A timeline identifying key dates for the various stages of the proposed construction or renovation;
  • Floor plans of the proposed new area(s), showing the location of the infrastructure and the scale of the plans (when construction or renovation involves multiple rooms). The floor plans must be legible when printed in black and white on standard letter-size paper (8.5”x11”);
  • The overall cost of the construction or renovation project, categorized by cost component (i.e. direct costs, soft costs and contingency costs), when these costs are expected to be in excess of $500,000. Note: The timeline, floor plans and cost breakdown should be uploaded as a separate PDF document. These pages do not count toward the page limit for the “Assessment criteria” section of the proposal.

Call for CIHR and NSERC Theme Areas for Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs

The Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation is inviting Faculties, Departments, Schools and Research Centres/Institutes to submit proposals for new Canada Research Chair theme areas.  The University is planning to fill two NSERC Tier 2 and one CIHR Tier 2 CRCs in 2026;  successful candidates may submit a nomination application in the April 2026 or October 2026 competition.  It is anticipated that successful CRCs will commence their appointment no earlier than November 2026.  The proposals should outline strategies to assist the University to meet the equity targets as set by the CRC Secretariat in accordance with Lakehead’s CRC Equity Target Plan.  Proposals should present appropriate recruitment strategies that aim to reach a broad applicant pool, including   qualified candidates from equity-deserving groups.

For more information, please click here.

SSHRC Storytellers Competition Internal Call for 2026 Applications

Lakehead faculty members are encouraged to share this opportunity with any eligible undergraduate or graduate students working with them.

In preparation for the 2026 competition, Lakehead University is holding an internal competition to support up to two students’ submissions to the SSHRC Storytellers Competition. 

The SSHRC Storytellers Challenge is an annual competition that asks postsecondary students to demonstrate to Canadians, in up to three minutes or 300 words, how Social Sciences and Humanities research is affecting our lives, our world, and our future for the better. 

 

Who is Eligible to apply? 

 

All Lakehead University undergraduate and graduate students who are Canadian residents, 19 years of age or older, and who are working on a SSHRC-funded research project (either their own or their professor’s/supervisor’s) conducted at Lakehead University at the time of submission are eligible to apply. These requirements are determined by SSHRC. 

 

NOTE: The Storyteller’s Challenge is only open to postsecondary students (i.e., undergraduate or graduate level). It is not open to postdoctoral researchers. It is also not open to SSHRC employees and their immediate family members and those living in the same household (whether legally related or not). 

 

Previous winners are eligible to enter the Storyteller’s Challenge if: 

  1. the research featured in their submission is materially different, as determined by SSHRC, from that of their previous winning submission(s); and 
  2. they meet all other eligibility requirements. 

 

What is required to apply? 

Eligible students must create a video or audio clip of up to three minutes or a text or infographic of up to 300 words that showcases the SSHRC-funded research in a compelling, creative, and clear manner. 

 

Lakehead University’s Internal Call for Applications 

In preparation for the 2026 Storytellers Challenge, Lakehead University is holding an internal competition to support up to two students’ submissions to the SSHRC Storytellers Competition. 

Some funding will be available to support up to two students’ submissions. A review committee will consider all eligible applications, and recommend up to two students’ submissions for internal funding and support. Funds can be used to help in the filming and production of either a three minute video, text, infographic, or audio file. 

Support will also be available for planning and producing the final submission, including script development and, for videos, filming support on campus (if required). 

 

Application Process and Requirements: 

Please complete the application, linked here by Friday, June 20, 2025 at 11:59PM. 

 

Selection Process 

A review committee will be established to evaluate and rank applications according to the three areas outlined by SSHRC: 1) Creativity/Engagement (compelling your audience), 2) Persuasiveness (communicating the impact), and 3) Clarity (explaining the research). The committee will make a final recommendation to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation. 

Successful applicants will be notified by the end of June 2025. It is expected that recipients will begin working on these projects in the spring/summer term and complete the project by the beginning of November 2025. The SSHRC Storyteller’s Challenge submission period will open in November 2025 and close by January 15, 2026. 

For questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Dr. Batia Stolar, Associate Vice President, Research and Graduate Studies at: admin.research@lakeheadu.ca 

Important Advisory - US Travel Security Protocols for Researchers

The Office of Research Services wishes to advise all members of the Lakehead University research community regarding essential security protocols when traveling to the United States for research purposes, conferences, or academic activities. 

Global Affairs Canada has established specific guidance and resources that all researchers should be aware of prior to undertaking travel to the United States. These protocols have been developed to ensure the safety, security, and successful completion of international research activities.

CAUT TRAVEL ADVISORY UPDATE

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) has recently issued an important supplement to their advisory on travel to the United States. CAUT strongly recommends that academics review options for remote attendance and travel only if necessary. They advise particular caution for:

  • Researchers whose work could be perceived as being at odds with current US administration positions

  • Those who have expressed negative opinions about the US administration or its policies

  • Citizens or residents of countries with diplomatic tensions with the US

  • Travelers with passport stamps from certain countries

  • Transgender travelers or those whose documents indicate a sex other than their sex assigned at birth

 For the full CAUT advisory, please visit the CAUT News Article

 

Key Travel Security Protocols:

  1. Review the official Travel Advice Page for the United States: https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-states

  2. Register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration

  3. Note emergency contact information for Canadian Citizen Services in the US: 1-844-880-6519

  4. Additional emergency contacts include:

  • Toll-free: 1-888-949-9993

  • Collect calls: +1 613-996-8885

  • Text message: +1 613-686-3658

  • WhatsApp: +1 613-909-8881

  • Email: sos@international.gc.ca

  • Follow Travel Canada on social media for updates:

  • Purchase trip interruption and travel health insurance before departure, even for day trips.  Lakehead’s corporate card insurance covers lost luggage and flight delays. The certificates can be found here.  The flight would have to be paid for with a corporate card and the card has to be in good standing (i.e. not suspended due to a past due balance).

    • Lakehead University Travel Recommendations

    When traveling to the United States, it is advisable for researchers to familiarize themselves with the health insurance coverage provided through the University benefits. To review the specifics of your travel-related benefits, please consult your benefits booklet, which can be accessed via your Green Shield account or through the Human Resources benefits webpage.

    In addition to the benefits booklet, please refer to the Travel Benefits Booklet, which is available on the travel webpage. This document provides comprehensive information regarding travel-related coverage, including emergency contact numbers and steps to follow in case of an emergency.

    Key Points to Remember:

    • Verify Your Coverage: It is important to review your travel benefits thoroughly to ensure you understand what is covered, including medical services while abroad.

    • Emergency Protocol: In the event of an emergency, it is essential to follow the correct procedures to ensure your coverage is activated. Failure to confirm eligibility or obtain necessary authorizations could result in additional out-of-pocket expenses or a lack of coverage.

    • Contact Information: If you have specific questions regarding your coverage or need assistance in locating information in your benefits booklet, please contact Green Shield directly. For general inquiries or assistance with benefits-related questions, you may also reach out to benefits.hr@lakeheadu.ca.

    Please take the time to familiarize yourself with this information before your trip to ensure you are properly prepared.

     

    Electronic Device Security Alert

    The Office of Research Services has received reports of increased scrutiny of electronic devices at US border crossings. Border officials may request access to phones, laptops, and other devices, with the possibility of examining content that could be deemed politically sensitive or controversial, which could lead to refusal of entry.

    As the CAUT advisory notes, searches of electronic devices may compromise research confidentiality and academic freedom. Recent incidents include academics being denied entry after border officials discovered content on their devices that was perceived as critical of US policies.

    To minimize potential complications, we strongly recommend that researchers:

    1. Travel with minimal electronic devices when possible

    2. Use dedicated travel devices containing only the essential information needed for your trip

    3. Prior to travel, review and remove any content that could potentially be considered controversial

    4. Consider cloud storage solutions that can be accessed after crossing the border via a secure VPN

    5. Be aware that social media accounts, email, and other digital content may be subject to examination

    6. Ensure all devices have strong password protection and encryption

    7. Carefully consider whether your research content could be perceived as controversial, given the current US political climate

    The Office of Research Services strongly recommends adherence to these protocols to mitigate potential risks and ensure uninterrupted research activities while abroad.

    For specific travel security inquiries, Global Affairs Canada's Travel Advice, Outreach and Engagement Division may be contacted directly at: Outreach-Mobilisation.CEA@international.gc.ca

    The Office of Research Services is closely monitoring international research security developments and will provide additional guidance as circumstances warrant.

    For further information or to discuss specific concerns, please contact Andrew Austin, Research Security and Data Management Specialist, Office of Research Services at security.research@lakeheadu.ca or by telephone at Ext. 8190.

    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

    NOHFC Research Internships: two Positions Available

    Overview

    • Workforce Development Stream:  The intent of the Workforce Development Stream is to strengthen and develop Northern Ontario’s workforce through business partnerships by offering internships.  
    • Indigenous Workforce Development Stream:  The intent of the Indigenous Workforce Development Stream is to strengthen and develop Northern Ontario’s Indigenous workforce through business partnerships by offering internships to Indigenous persons.

    Under this program, covering both streams, Lakehead University has a quota of five research-related placements.  Of these five, two will become available this year:  One will be available at the end of May 2025 and the other one will become available at the end of September 2025.  The internal deadline for the submission of internship applications to the Office of Research Services is May 5, 2025.   Please note that you will need to create an account on the NOHFC website in order to create an application, however please do not submit your application to the NOHFC.   Instead,  please email a copy of your application as a PDF file to Andrew Hacquoil, Research Facilitator (Institutional Programs), Office of Research Services, at ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca. 

    If more than two internship applications are received, an internal competition will need to be held.   Applications will be reviewed and ranked by the Senate Research Committee (SRC).  The SRC will then make a recommendation to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation regarding which applications should be submitted to the NOHFC. Please note that preference will be given to applicants who have not held an NOHFC research intern in the past three years.

     

    Eligible Candidates/Costs

    Salaries/wages and employer’s portion of Mandatory Employment Related Costs (MERCs) (e.g.: Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, mandatory minimum vacation pay, as per Employment Standards Act) for a limited-term internship position of 52 weeks (with at least 35 hours of work per week) for candidates that:

    • Are new entrants into the workforce, are transitioning to a new career, or the unemployed or underemployed who are entering a new field;
    • Have not previously participated in a NOHFC-funded internship;
    • Are at least 18 years of age; and
    • Reside, and be legally entitled to work, in Canada.
    • For the  Indigenous Workforce Development Stream:  Identify as an Indigenous person, including First Nation, Metis, or Inuit. 

    Review Criteria

    Applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

    • The extent to which the position addresses a labour shortage or supports the development of a skilled trade or profession in Northern Ontario;
    • The opportunity for the placement to result in a full-time, permanent job with the applicant or another Northern Ontario business;*
    • The quality of the skill development opportunity and the potential for the position to provide specific and recognizable transferable skills, and 
    • The quality of the position’s work/training plan and direct onsite supervision methods.  

    *Please note that applicants, in order to demonstrate the possibility of the internship resulting in permanent employment, must outline in their application:

    • How the internship could result in a permanent job with the applicant, or
    • How the skills and training acquired by the intern by working with the faculty member on the proposed project will make them more employable in a certain field or industry (please give specific examples from your project that will show what skills and training will be acquired by the intern).

    Applications that indicate No employment opportunities will result, will be declared ineligible and removed from the internal competition.

     

    Funding

    For eligible municipalities, Indigenous communities and not-for-profit organizations, funding is in the form of a conditional contribution of up to 90% of an intern’s salary and employer’s portion of MERCs to a maximum of $35,000 per year. 

    It is important to note that the applicant must provide the remaining 10% of the costs for the intern.  Therefore, when submitting your internship application to the Office of Research Services, a Research Proposal Approval Form (RPAF) must be included in the package.  A statement of where the required matching funds (including MERCs) will come from must be included in, or attached to the signed and completed RPAF as well (including the related internal budget code).  Applications submitted by the May 5, 2025 internal deadline without an RPAF will be considered ineligible in the internal competition.

    An Important Note on Research Internships

    Please note that for a proposal to be considered as being a research internship, the application must be written so as to meet the NOHFC's definition of research:  

    Q:  What is a research intern under the Internship Program?

    A:   An employer applying for a research internship must engage in research activities as part of their mandate. NOHFC considers both pure (scientific) and applied research positions.

    • Pure (scientific) research internships must contribute to the development of documents that are generated for public consumption and peer review.
    • Applied research internships involve conducting studies and research that seeks to solve practical problems and find solutions to everyday problems. This often involves original investigation into the development of new technology, products, and services.

     

    For the purpose of defining an applied research internship the following criteria must be met:

    a)   The applicant must be involved in research aimed at developing a new technology and or products (i.e. a solution to everyday problem)

    b)  The internship duties will focus on assisting the applicant organization in development and research of a new technology, products, or service.

     Applicants are required to state in their submissions how they meet the NOHFC's criteria for a research internship. This would include a description regarding where the results of the research generated by the intern will be made available (i,.e, in a journal publication).  Applications that are not deemed to be research-related (i.e., the duties of the intern will be more administrative in nature instead of involving a research activity) will be considered ineligible in the internal competition. 

     

    For More Information

     For more information about the NOHFC internship program, please click here.

    Call for Proposals - SSHRC SIG Community-Engaged Research Grant (CERG) Program / Indigenous Research Capacity Development Grant (IRCDG) Program Deadline: March 24, 2025

    Lakehead University is pleased to again announce  two programs in support of community-engaged research with community organizations, not-for-profit partners, as well as Indigenous communities and partners. We invite all tenure-track, tenured and three-year limited-term appointment Lakehead faculty members who are eligible to apply to the disciplines supported by SSHRC to submit applications to either the 2025 Community-Engaged Research Grant (CERG) Program or to the Indigenous Research Capacity Development Grant (IRCDG) Program. Applicants are not eligible to submit applications to both programs.  The deadline for applying is March 24, 2025. For both of these calls, Lakehead University will provide total funding of $60,000 for the following types of research initiatives:

    1.    Research funds to support community-engaged research where there is evidence of an existing partnership with a community organization or Indigenous community (up to $15,000 over one year).

    2.   Partnership development seed funds to support planning activities with new community partners and/or Indigenous Communities, including travel, meetings, workshops, etc. (up to $7,500) over a one-year period).

    For more information, please click here.

    NSERC CREATE Program - Internal Call for Expressions of Interest - Deadline: March 3, 2025

    NSERC's Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program supports the training and mentoring of teams of highly qualified students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada and abroad through the development of innovative training programs that:

    • encourage collaborative and integrative approaches, and address significant scientific challenges associated with Canada’s research priorities, and 
    • facilitate the transition of new researchers from trainees to productive employees in the Canadian workforce

    For this year's competition, the NSERC CREATE program will still include the regular and international streams (as in the past, the international stream is linked to the German research foundation, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)). The 2026 CREATE competition will also involve a special theme area related to genomics.  Internal expressions of interest are due in the Office of Research March 3, 2025.  For information on Lakehead's NSERC CREATE LOI allocation as well the internal submission process, please click here.

    Call for Applications: Lakehead University Undergraduate Research Opportunity Fund (UROF)

    The purpose of the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Fund (UROF) is to support third- and fourth-year undergraduate research projects that are being conducted in partnership with a community partner within a municipality. Each application can request up to $1,000 to support eligible project costs. The UROF is meant to foster undergraduate students’ interest in research and support them in experiential learning under the supervision of a Lakehead University faculty member. Deadline for applications: February 14, 2025.

    For more information, please click here.

    Call for Applications for Lakehead University Research Chairs (LURC) - Deadline: March 1, 2025

    The Lakehead University Research Chairs Program recognizes high-quality research, scholarly and creative achievement, by providing a two‐year research grant to support an individual’s program of research. The LURC program is a key initiative in retaining outstanding research talent at our institution, a goal consistent with Lakehead’s Research Plan. Lakehead University is strongly committed to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in all aspects of the University. Lakehead recognizes the value in all types of research, including but not limited to non-traditional research areas, both traditional and non-traditional research outputs, and community-based research, in addition to the value in mentoring, professional service, the formation of partnerships, and outreach activities.

    Lakehead University is seeking applications for two (2) new 2025-2027 Lakehead University Research Chairs, one (1) in the disciplines supported by SSHRC/CIHR and one (1) in the disciplines supported by NSERC/CIHR.

    Value of Award
    Up to $45,000 as a research grant (up to $22,500/year) tenable over two years beginning April 1, 2025. 
     
    Application Process
    Applications must be submitted via the Romeo Research Portal no later than 4:30 PM on March 1, 2025. For more information, please refer to the following link for the LURC call for applications and eligibility details.  Please contact Anne Klymenko, Director, Research Services at aklymenk@lakeheadu.ca any additional questions regarding this call.

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