BRN IGNITE Grant 5.0

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 projects and/or developing 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  

• Teaching relief 

• Contract research (i.e., fees paid to external organizations to pay for research activities 

• Admin fees, salaries or overhead payments 

The award is open to all Black Identified faculty , librarians, postdoctoral scholars, clinical scientists, and medical research fellows/residents working in any discipline. All applicants must have their primary appointments at the University of Toronto. Please note that preference will be given to individuals who have not previously received the award. 

Applicants must: 

• Have a proposed or ongoing research project 

• The value of any funding request must be within the award range of $5,000 to $15,000 

• 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 

• As a U of T Institutional Strategic Initiative (ISI) funding requirement, the BRN will request a report on your research at the conclusion of your proposed research activities or the university’s fiscal year-end, whichever may come first. A template will be provided for this.  

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  

All interested applicants are required to complete the BRN IGNITE Grant: Online Application Form by the deadline on Monday, January 12, 2026 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) 

If you have any questions or require any clarifications, please do not hesitate to email us at BRN@utoronto.ca 

1. How many applications can an individual submit? 
   Only one application will be accepted per applicant. 

2. Is a research associate eligible to apply for the BRN IGNITE Grant? 
   No, research associates are not eligible to apply for the BRN IGNITE Grant. 

3. Is an adjunct faculty member eligible to apply for the BRN IGNITE Grant? 
   No, adjunct faculty members are not eligible to apply for the BRN IGNITE Grant. 

4. 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. 

5. 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 BRN 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. 

6. If my program with U of T ends before I complete the proposed research project indicated on my application, can the BRN IGNITE Grant funds be transferred to my new institution? 
   No, BRN IGNITE Grant funds may only be utilized while at U of T. Any unused funds will be returned to the BRN by your department.