2022 Horizon Global Platform Competition

On this page

• Competition updates
• Description
• Value and duration
• Eligibility
• Application process
• Review process
• Regulations, policies and related information
• Contact information

Competition updates

It is important to read all material related to the competition, to ensure your submission is complete.

Consult this section regularly for updates on the 2022 Horizon Global Platform competition, including webinars.

Webinars

Applicants and research administrators: attend a webinar to learn more about the 2022 Horizon Global Platform competition and application process.

Webinars will be recorded, and the presentations made available following the session. Contact your institution’s research grants office for more information.

Description

The objective of the International stream is to support international research collaborations and position Canada and Canadian researchers as strategic partners at the international level, through two mechanisms. The first involves joint calls with international agencies on topics of international relevance. The second funds Canadian researchers’ participation on international research projects supported by major global platforms.

The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 2022 Horizon Global Platform competition falls under the second mechanism, by providing funding for Canadian researchers who are partners on successful projects funded through eligible calls under Horizon Europe.

Value and duration

NFRF 2022 Horizon Global Platform grants are valued at up to $250,000 per year (including indirect costs) for a maximum of two years. The duration of the grant must not exceed the duration of the Horizon Europe grant. For applicants to a Horizon Europe call with a deadline between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, only one year of funding is available.

The maximum budget for the direct costs related to the research project is $200,000 per year. Applicants must request a budget (value and duration) commensurate with the requirements for their participation in the international research project. Eligible expenses related to the direct costs of research are outlined in the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration, with exceptions for this program noted in the Use of Grant Funds.

The objective of NFRF 2022 Horizon Global Platform grants is to support Canadian researchers’ participation in international projects. Therefore, funds should be used primarily to support research activities and travel, and not for the acquisition of major infrastructure (more than $7,000) or maintenance of infrastructure. It is expected that Horizon Europe grant funds will also be used to support the involvement of Canadian participants, insomuch as the costs are eligible (e.g., to support travel costs for trainees).

Applicants may also add up to 25% of the value of the direct costs of research to cover indirect costs, and include this in the total funding request. This portion of the award must only be used to pay for eligible expenses as outlined on the Research Support Fund website.

Awarded amounts may be less than that requested, to support the participation of as many Canadian researchers as possible in international projects funded through Horizon Europe.

Eligibility

Canadian researchers named on an application to an eligible Horizon Europe call can apply to this funding opportunity. If more than one eligible Canadian researcher is named on the same Horizon Europe-funded project, they may each apply to this funding opportunity as a nominated principal investigator (NPI). Each applicant must prepare and submit their own unique application. Alternatively, a single application may be submitted involving an NPI and one or more co-principal investigators (co-PIs).

It is expected that the Canadian researcher (or research team) will be an integral part of the larger Horizon Europe research team that was awarded a grant. As such, and to demonstrate their importance to the project as a whole, the NPI and/or their primary affiliation, as defined below, must be a signing partner on the Consortium Agreement for the Horizon Europe project.

An individual may only apply for funding from a single opportunity across the agencies for the same Horizon Europe project. An application may not be submitted to this funding opportunity if one has been submitted to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s (NSERC) Alliance International opportunity for the same project.

Eligibility requirements for 2022 Horizon Global Platform grants are not necessarily the same as for Horizon Europe.

Nominated principal investigator

The NPI:

• completes and submits the registration and application, through the research administrator at their institution;
• assumes administrative and financial responsibility for the grant; and
• receives all related correspondence from the agencies.

The NPI must be considered an independent researcher at their primary affiliation. A primary affiliation is defined as the primary organization at which an individual is employed or appointed or conducts research.

An independent researcher is an individual who:

• engages in research-related activities that are not under the direction of another individual; and
• has an academic or research appointment that:
  • commences by the full application deadline;
  • allows the individual to pursue the proposed research project, engage in independent research activities for the entire duration of the funding, supervise trainees (if applicable, as per their institution’s policy) and publish the research results; and
  • obliges the individual to comply with institutional policies concerning the conduct of research, supervision of trainees (if applicable) and employment conditions of staff paid with tri-agency funding.

Individuals who are full- or part-time students, postdoctoral fellows or research associates are not eligible to apply as NPIs, regardless of whether they also meet the definition of an independent researcher.

The NPI’s primary affiliation must be with a Canadian institution currently holding full institutional eligibility with one of the agencies. See the lists of eligible institutions for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), NSERC or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Co-principal investigators

Co-PIs may include all other Canadian researchers named on the same Horizon Europe project.

Co-PIs must be considered independent researchers at their primary affiliation—which is defined as the primary organization where the individual is employed or appointed or conducts research.

Individuals who are full- or part-time students, postdoctoral fellows or research associates are not eligible to apply as co-PIs, regardless of whether they also meet the definition of an independent researcher.

A co-PI’s primary affiliation must be with a Canadian institution that currently has full institutional eligibility with one of the federal research funding agencies (see the lists of eligible institutions for CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC).

Subject matter (fit to program)

Projects funded through any Research and Innovation call under Pillar II (Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness) of Horizon Europe with a deadline before December 31, 2023, are eligible for the 2022 Horizon Global Platform competition.

Monitoring

Grant holders are expected to report on the use of grant funds during the grant period and on outcomes. NPIs of successful applications are informed of reporting requirements when they are notified of the award.

Application process

To apply for a 2022 Horizon Global Platform grant, Canadian participants on eligible Horizon Europe calls must submit their registration form within one week of the Horizon Europe deadline for their call. This is a mandatory step in the application process.

Applicants must complete the registration form and application using the Convergence Portal, following the accompanying registration and application submission guides.

Registrations or applications that are received after the deadline or are incomplete will be removed from the competition. Registrations and applications are submitted to the research administrator (research grants office [RGO] or equivalent) of the NPI’s primary affiliation. Research administrators are free to set their own internal deadlines. The RGO must submit any applications through the Convergence Portal before the applicable deadlines.

Review process

Review

The review of applications to this funding opportunity builds on the Horizon Europe review process. Applicants must submit a 2022 Horizon Global Platform registration form within one week of the Horizon Europe deadline. Once applicants receive the results of the Horizon Europe competition, those successful have two weeks to submit a 2022 Horizon Global Platform application.

It is not the intent of the 2022 Horizon Global Platform program to re-evaluate submissions for scientific merit, as this will already have been accomplished through the Horizon Europe review process. Rather, eligibility for funding through the NFRF will be assessed against three specific selection criteria explained in the next section. The research project will not be reviewed in detail, since it will have been evaluated fully by the Horizon Europe program. Research conducted in Canada and led by Canadian researchers is, however, expected to have integrated equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the research design, and to undertake activities related to Indigenous research according to guidelines, where appropriate, as described below. The agencies may ask for additional information from applicants regarding proposed research, to ensure it conforms to these expectations.

Considerations

Indigenous research

SSHRC’s Indigenous Research Statement of Principles and Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research should be used as references for researchers preparing applications related to or involving Indigenous research. The guidelines are provided to merit reviewers to help build understanding of Indigenous research and research-related activities, and to assist committee members in interpreting the specific evaluation criteria in the context of Indigenous research. The guidelines may also be of use to external assessors, postsecondary institutions and partner organizations that support Indigenous research.

Equity, diversity and inclusion in research design*

*Previously referred to as GBA+ in NFRF competitions.

EDI in research design (EDI-RD) involves designing research so that it takes EDI into account, through approaches such as intersectionality, gender-based analysis plus (GBA+), antiracist approaches and disaggregated data collection. Analysis should include consideration of diversity and identity factors such as age, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender expression and gender identity, immigration and newcomer status, Indigenous identity, language, neurodiversity, parental status/responsibility, place of origin, religion, race, sexual orientation and socio-economic status. The purpose of EDI-RD is to promote rigorous research that is sensitive to sex and gender, as well as many other identity factors, such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability. These considerations must be integrated into the research design, when appropriate. Applicants and reviewers should refer to SSHRC’s Guide to Addressing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Considerations in Partnership Grant Applications, as well as NSERC’s guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research at each stage of the research process. These are similar to the sex and gender-based analysis (SGBA) / GBA+ guidance health researchers would be familiar with, as described in the SGBA section of CIHR’s website.

The research team must provide a rationale in cases where they believe no aspect of their research may benefit from an analysis to take into consideration sex, gender or other identity factors.

Selection criteria

This section provides an overview of the three selection criteria that will be used to evaluate proposals submitted to the 2022 Horizon Global Platform opportunity.

Equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice* and support of early career researchers

*Previously referred to as EDI in NFRF competitions.

EDI-RP is a core element of the NFRF. For the 2022 Horizon Global Platform, the EDI-RP criterion also includes consideration of early career researchers (ECRs). Applicants must clearly demonstrate their commitment to EDI in their research practice, including among students, postdoctoral fellows, co-PIs, co-applicants and/or collaborators, as applicable. They must explain what actions they will take, the outcomes expected, and the assessment planned for each of the following three key areas:

• team composition and recruitment processes;
• training and development opportunities; and
• inclusion.

Actions taken are expected to remove barriers and provide opportunities for the meaningful integration of individuals from all groups, including the four designated groups (women, Indigenous Peoples, members of visible minorities, and persons with disabilities). Consideration of other identities, such as LGBTQ2+, is also appropriate.

An application must not include any personal information about members of the research team (including the number of team members belonging to each of the designated groups) in the EDI-RP section; the focus is on the team’s commitment to EDI in its research practice, not on the team’s EDI profile.

For more information, see NFRF’s Best Practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research.

High reward

The evaluation of the potential for high reward will consider the benefits to Canada, in terms of project outcomes and increasing recognition of Canadian expertise and talent on a world stage.

Feasibility

The evaluation of feasibility will consider the budget justification, as well as EDI-RD, where appropriate. The budget should be limited to research-related expenses for the Canadian participants, and demonstrate leveraging of the Horizon Europe project budget for the Canadian team (support of students and postdoctoral fellows, participation in meetings, access to infrastructure, travel, etc.)

Competition stages

Registration is only used for administrative purposes.

The 2022 Horizon Global Platform application will be reviewed and evaluated against each criterion by a review panel on a pass/fail basis. Applications that pass all three selection criteria will be considered “fundable.” If demand is higher than available funds, applications may be awarded grant amounts less than requested, to support as many Canadian-international collaborations as possible. If more “fundable” applications are received than there are available funds to support them, even at reduced grant amounts, an alternate process may be implemented to identify the applications to be awarded grants.

Review process

Any submissions that do not meet the program's eligibility requirements and application guidelines will be removed from the competition.

Each application will be assessed by the internal review panel. All panel members will have completed unconscious bias training prior to reviewing applications.

Members will have access to all information submitted and will assess the proposal according to the following selection criteria:

• EDI-RP and ECR (pass/fail)
• high reward (pass/fail)
• feasibility (pass/fail)

Applications must pass all three criteria to be deemed fundable. A recommendation as to which applications should be funded, conditional upon confirmation of funding through Horizon Europe, will go to the steering committee.

Steering committee

The Canada Research Coordinating Committee is the steering committee for the NFRF program. The committee ensures that the evaluation process is rigorous, objective and transparent, in keeping with the standards of excellence expected by the agencies and consistent with the program’s objectives. The committee also makes decisions regarding which applications to fund based on the recommendations of the review panel.

Communication of results

All applicants will be provided with the notice of decision and a summary of the evaluation of their application.

Applications approved for funding by the steering committee will receive a conditional notice of award. Upon confirmation of project funding by Horizon Europe (i.e., submission of a signed Grant Agreement and Consortium Agreement), the condition will be considered satisfied for the 2022 Horizon Global Platform grant. A notice of award will then be issued, and funds can be transferred.

Regulations, policies and related information

All applicants and grant holders must comply with the Regulations Governing Grant Applications and with the regulations set out in the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration.

Grant holders must also comply with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications (see the Open Access overview for more information). Researchers are encouraged to manage data arising from their research in accordance with community standards and best practices (see also the tri-agency policies and guidelines on Research Data Management).

Recipients of funding must comply with SSHRC’s policy on Intellectual Property and Copyright.

Use of grant funds

The information below explains to grant holders and research administrators the regulations governing the use of NFRF grant funds. These supersede all previous statements on grant regulations.

The NFRF uses the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration as its general guidelines for eligibility of expenses and use of funds related to the direct costs of research. Exceptions to those policies for 2022 Horizon Global Platform grants are noted below. Rules regarding use of the indirect costs portion of the grant can be found on the Research Support Fund website.)

Compensation-related expenses in eligible Canadian colleges only

The following are eligible salary expenses only for NPIs, co-PIs and co-applicants affiliated with an eligible Canadian college:

• salary for research activities of a part-time faculty member holding a contract of less than three years with the institution (the total salary support [part-time salary plus NFRF grant salary support] cannot exceed that of a full-time faculty member, when calculated on an annual and hourly basis);
• salaries and nondiscretionary benefits for technical and professional staff carrying out research and/or for knowledge transfer personnel (salaries and nondiscretionary benefits for research administrators and business development personnel are not eligible);
• limited costs for course load reduction for the replacement of faculty to support their involvement in funded research projects (up to $9,000 per course load reduction per semester per faculty, or the equivalent of a 0.1 full-time equivalent position); and
• college student salaries, including nondiscretionary benefits or stipends, to support students’ involvement in research projects.

Residual balances

All grants paid are deemed to have a primary holder, namely the NPI whose name appears on the award notice.

Any NFRF funds remaining at the end of the Authority to Use Funds period must be returned to SSHRC. When unspent funds are returned, the cheque, payable to the Receiver General, must be accompanied by a signed Form 300, indicating an unspent balance in the same amount as the refund.

Terms and conditions

The agencies reserve the right to:

• determine the eligibility of applications, based on the information provided;
• interpret the regulations and policies governing their funding opportunities;
• apply conditions to individual grants; and
• alter, without advance notice, the terms and conditions of grant awards (any and all major changes in regulations will be announced promptly).

Contact information

For more information, contact NFRF-FNFR@chairs-chaires.gc.ca.