The Black Research Network (BRN), an Institutional Strategic Initiative at the University of Toronto, is excited to announce the launch of the third edition of the IGNITE grant for the 2024/2025 academic year.
Launched in 2021, the BRN offers the IGNITE grant annually as a small-scale fund to support interdisciplinary research led by Black faculty, librarians, post-doctoral scholars, clinical scientists and medical research fellows/residents at the University of Toronto. The IGNITE grant will offer between $5,000 to $10,000 towards professional development, research dissemination and other types of research support within the limits of eligible expenses.
The online application may be accessed here: Black Researchers IGNITE Grant: Online Application Form. Application deadline Monday, January 6th , 2025, by 11:59 p.m. (EST).
Important dates :
Application opens: Wednesday, November 13th , 2024
Application closes: Monday, January 6th, 2025 (11:59 p.m. EST)
Results announced: March or April 2025
Expenses
Please see the categories of eligible and ineligible expenses that will be considered below:
Eligible:
Professional development for eligible participants Research dissemination e.g., publications, workshop and academic conference participation fees Research support such as activities related to building new research collaborations, travel costs to academic/research conferences or for visiting scholars, consumables and supplies for research activities, trainee (students or postdocs) stipends/fellowships Ineligible:
Equipment for training or research Contract research (i.e., fees paid to external organizations to pay for research activities Admin fees, salaries or overhead payments Eligibility criteria
The award is open to all Black Identified faculty, librarians, postdoctoral scholars, clinical scientists and medical research fellows/residents at the University of Toronto medical research fellows/residents at the University of Toronto working in any discipline. Please note that preference will be granted to individuals who have not previously received the award.
Applicants must:
Be based at one of the U of T campuses Have a proposed or ongoing research project The value of any funding request must be within the award range of $5,000 to $10,000 All funding requests must fall within the defined category of eligible expenses listed above – related to research training and professional development, research dissemination and other types of research support Planned activities must be scheduled to take place or be completed within one year of receipt of the award Evaluation
Applications that meet the eligibility criteria above will be adjudicated through a competitive review process. Funding decisions will be based on recommendations of the adjudication committee.
Evaluation Criteria and Scoring
Research project description and objectives (40%): clear articulation of research purpose, activities and objectives Research impact (30%): the potential value and impact of your research project and outcomes to your field/discipline Budget (20%): detailed budget breakdown and justification for planned expenses in relation to the research Timelines (10%): feasibility of timeline for key project activities Application Process
All interested applicants are required to complete the Black Researchers IGNITE Grant: Online Application Form by the deadline on Monday, January 6 th , 2025 by 11:59 p.m. (EST)
The online form will include the following:
1,000-word (max) description of your research project and objectives Potential impact of the research project Budget outline and justification Key research activity timelines Current CV (to be attached) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many applications can an individual submit? Only one application will be accepted per applicant.
Is a research associate eligible to apply for the IGNITE grant? No, research associates are not eligible to apply for the IGNITE grant.
Is an adjunct faculty member eligible to apply for the IGNITE grant? No, adjunct faculty members are not eligible to apply for the IGNITE grant.
If my application is successful, can the funds received be used to reimburse past expenses? No, funds should be put towards planned future activities as articulated in your application.
If a potential applicant is in a full time, continuing teaching stream position at U of T, would they be eligible to apply for the IGNITE grant? Yes, however the application would need to support research activity and not teaching. A clear research agenda would need to be articulated in the application.
Are clinician scientists with regular U of T appointments who conduct research at their host hospitals (i.e., UHN, Sunnybrook, etc.) rather than on one of the three U of T campuses, eligible for the IGNITE grant? Yes, they are eligible. However, funds for successful applicants will only be transferred to their U of T departments and not directly to the host hospitals.
If my program with U of T ends before I complete the proposed research project indicated on my application, can the IGNITE grant funds be transferred to my new institution? No, IGNITE grant funds may only be utilized while at U of T. Any unused funds will be returned to the BRN by your department.
