Internal and External Bursaries and Awards

Note that applications for the IIMF have officially closed. Please visit this page to view this year’s winners!

Attention McMaster Researchers: The IIMF is intended to provide small investments in first-time international research contacts or initiatives, typically originated by individual faculty members. It is meant to reduce the threshold to international research activities and serve as seed funding, ideally leading to joint projects and international partnerships.

• Each project is eligible to receive up to $5000 in funding and we expect to make up to 10 such investments in each round
• Applicants should submit a one-page (PDF format) description of the project and the intended use of the funds, accompanied by a CV (NSERC Form 100, or equivalent)
• Applications must also include an endorsement/signature from your Dean or appropriate supervisor

Applications open: January 8th, 2024

Application deadline: February 5th, 2024

For more information or to submit your application, please visit this page or contact Bonny Ibhawoh at vpi@mcmaster.ca.

Applications open: September 2024

Applications close: Mid-November 2024

The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program seeks to enhance internationalization in Japan by promoting mutual understanding between the people of Japan and those of other nations. The Program aims to enhance foreign language education and promote international exchange at the local level through the fostering of ties between Japanese youth and foreign youth alike. The objectives of the Program are being achieved by offering JET Program participants the opportunity to serve in local authorities as well as public and private elementary, junior high, and senior high schools in Japan by working either an Assistant Language Teacher or a Coordinator for International Relations.

ELIGIBILITY:

Overall requirements:

• Be a Canadian citizen (not just a permanent resident) at the time of application. Those who possess dual nationality with Japan must renounce their Japanese nationality before accepting a position, if offered, on the JET Programme. Applicants who have dual nationality with two countries participating in the JET Program may only apply in one country. Information for non-Canadian citizens is available here.
• Have a bachelor’s degree conferred, in any field, by the time of departure. A diploma would not meet the requirements; it must be a bachelor’s degree.
• Have excellent English language skills and have contemporary standard pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation in English that can be applied accurately and appropriately, along with excellent writing skills and grammar usage.
• Have NOT participated in any of the following years of the Program, from the 2021-2022 intake year (inclusive of April 2020) through to the 2023-2024 intake year, or you have participated in the Program for more than six years in total.
• Have NOT declined a position in the JET Program after receiving notification of placement in the last JET Program year (exceptions may be made in cases where the participant had a valid, inevitable reason for withdrawing).
• Have NOT lived in Japan for six or more years in total since 2014.

 Specific requirements for Assistant Language Teacher position:

• Be interested in working with children.
•  Be strongly motivated to teach foreign languages.

• Be interested in the Japanese educational system.

• Additional consideration will be given to applicants who:
  • Have language teaching experience or qualification.
  • Have teaching experience or qualification.
  • Have a high level of Japanese ability.

Specific requirements for Coordinator in International Relations position:

• Have professional fluency of the Japanese language sufficient to perform duties and interact with others in a Japanese office environment.
• Japanese language ability equivalent to JLPT N2 or higher is considered a suitable level of Japanese language proficiency for a CIR candidate.

 For additional information and how to apply, please click here

Applications close: October 11, 2024 

Duration period:  10 weeks to 12 months 

Number of awards: Up to 3 awards of maximum CAD 23,000 

The Bene fellowship, a bequest from the estate of John G. Bene, is offered annually to Canadians and permanent residents of Canada pursuing master’s or doctoral studies at a Canadian university. Candidates should have an academic background that combines an interest in forests with social sciences (e.g., forestry, agroforestry, climate justice for women and Indigenous people, gender, biodiversity, or ecosystems).

This fellowship, through IDRC, is offered to facilitate field research on the relationship between forest resources and the social, economic, cultural and environmental welfare of people in developing countries, particularly in the face of changing climate conditions. The successful candidate will propose research that benefits less privileged people in developing countries, focusing on women and Indigenous people, aiming to increase the resilience of individuals and forest communities facing difficult contexts and challenges. Note that work focused on genomics and/or genetic modification is not eligible.

Eligibility 

This call is open to Canadians and permanent residents of Canada pursuing master’s or doctoral studies at a Canadian university. The award under this call will cover costs of field research conducted for a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation in one or more countries of the Global South.
 

For more information, including how to apply, please click here 

KU Leuven Global Seed Fund

Notify ROADS of intent to apply as soon as possible

Draft application due to ROADS: September 11, 2024 (9am)

Final application due to ROADS: October 2, 2024 (9am)

Sponsor deadline: October 10, 2024

The Global Seed Fund (GSF) 2025 stimulates new or deepens ongoing collaborations with researchers from a limited list of priority partner institutions, including McMaster.

The GSF funding scheme fosters pilot projects in all disciplines that set the stage for joint applications for substantial follow-up funding from prominent international programmes (e.g., Horizon Europe, NIH,…) that envisage world-class research output.

To ensure the success of the GSF, following elements are key:

• The research quality of both partners is promising (for young researchers) or excellent to start with.
• There is complementary expertise but at the same time synergy in the collaboration, allowing value to be added to the research and for the team to excel by joining forces.
• There is a strong potential for attracting subsequent joint funding, ensuring the sustainability and expansion of the research collaboration.

Conditions

The following conditions apply:

• Any scientific discipline qualifies for Global Seed Fund (GSF), but specific partner institutions can focus on specific disciplines.
• The application is submitted by a consortium that consists of at least one KU Leuven researcher who meets the conditions of the General Regulations Internal Funds and at least one researcher from a partner university from the list of eligible institutions. There are no rules surrounding the eligibility of researchers of the partner institutions.
• Applicants are aware of the legal requirements regarding the collaboration (ownership of results, dissemination of results, access rights, authorship, ethics and research integrity and some specific arrangements). 

Value and Duration

A maximum of 22 projects will be granted.

KU Leuven offers a maximum of €30k per project of 1 year starting in January 2025 (funds remain available for a second year). The funding is managed by the KU Leuven promoter and can be used freely, as long as the activities concern the proposed research, strengthen the collaboration, and lead to a high-quality application for any of the European or other international competitive funds. Eligible costs include organizing workshops, travelling back and forth between the partner institutions involved, hiring scientific collaborators (not with doctoral scholarships) at KU Leuven to work out a proposal, etc. 

However, none of the funding can be transferred to the partner (institution) and purchases of all kinds are KU Leuven property.

Application Process

Proposal submission

Deadline: October 10th, 2024, 5PM Belgian time (11AM EST). Funding available as of January 1^st, 2025.

An application form template is available and needs to be completed in English. In the application form the number of pages, language, attachments, etc. will be specified. Once completed and agreed upon by all partners, the application form needs to be uploaded by the KU Leuven promoter through the online KU Loket application system at KU Leuven. 

For applicants who wish to take advantage of the ROADS internal review process, the deadline to receive a content review on an initial draft of your application is due by 9 am on September 11, 2024. 

The final draft and a completed and signed Application Approval Form are due to ROADS for final administrative review by 9 am October 2, 2024. Please note, applications received after this date may not receive a full review.

Once completed by all partners, the application form must be uploaded in 1 pdf by the KU Leuven PI by 11AM EST October 10, 2024.

Evaluation and selection criteria

The Council of International Co-operation Projects RISP, a sub-committee of the Research Council of KU Leuven, will formulate and advise for funding relying on the following selection criteria:

1. Credibility of the proposed research track for future successful applications.
2. Novelty of the idea, quality of the proposal and of the expected outcome.
3. Quality of the CV’s of all applicants, complementarity in expertise and synergy in the collaboration.
4. Realistic budget description.
5. Applications that present matched funding have higher chance of success. 

The advice of the RISP is presented to the Research Council for support. Ultimately, the KU Leuven Executive Board and the Academic Council will decide on the funding.

Contacts

External

Thomas Karel Jules Daniëls, International Relations
Alexander Byvoet, Internal Funds (IF), Process Management and Organisation
Marian Schoenmaekers, Internal Funds (IF), Process Management and Organisation

Internal

Christina Pellegrini, Horizon Europe Program Lead, McMaster University