Competition

* Unless explicitly noted, all times indicated for deadlines are for the appropriate NL timezone (NST or NDT)

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) provides funding for ocean and freshwater science and technology in areas that support the mission of the Department to increase our understanding of ocean and freshwater environments.

The Department provides funding to projects that deliver scientific research and related scientific activities that support evidence-based decision making and increase public understanding of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Related scientific activities complement and extend scientific research by contributing to the generation, dissemination and application of scientific and technological knowledge. Examples of this include:

• data collection and integration

• ocean and freshwater monitoring

• data analyses

• modelling and hypothesis testing

• scientific capacity building (Indigenous recipients only)

• communication of science in support of ocean literacy

Canada is a supporter of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian ocean science community are building a strong contribution to the Ocean Decade. Projects funded through the Ecosystems and Oceans Science Contribution Framework can contribute to the Ocean Decade outcomes. For more information on the Ocean Decade, please visit DFO’s Ocean Decade website.

Priority areas for this call

Environmental Preparedness and Response Science (EPRS) – 1 year funding

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Environmental Preparedness and Response Science (EPRS) program is seeking submissions for research projects that aim to address knowledge gaps on marine oil spill fate and effects, as well as advance publications, predictive models, tools and assessment techniques for spill response and recovery. The results of funded research will enhance the department's capacity to protect aquatic species in the event of a spill. Applicants seeking funding to address the following priorities have the option to conduct laboratory studies or use information from past research:

• Address key knowledge gaps on the impacts of oil and its degradation products in Canada's coastal marine regions. This includes studying short- and long-term effects on intertidal species and vegetation of importance to coastal communities, improving post-spill evaluation, identifying recovery endpoints and advancing tool development.

• Improve our understanding of how oil spills affect marine mammals, focusing on exposure pathways and toxicity mechanisms. This involves studying the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons and developing methods to link biomarkers of oil exposure to toxicological effects and specific oil sources.

• Conduct research on the composition, aquatic toxicity, and behavior of new and alternative marine fuels, such as biofuels or low sulfur fuels, and carry out studies on the fate and toxicity of market ready or commercially available Alternative Response Measures (ARMs) in the marine environment. The aim is to address knowledge gaps, support decision making, and aid Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) in the case of ARMS, considering factors like species, life stages, oil type and environmental conditions.

• Undertake studies addressing key knowledge gaps on the long-term fate, transport, degradation, and aquatic toxicity of hydrocarbons in nearshore marine sediments to support oil spill modeling and fate predictions, and advance post-spill recovery assessments.

• Advance marine oil spill models to accurately simulate the fate and behavior of marine oil spills, particularly in Canada's northern coastal waters or high particulate loading areas.

Funding will be available for 1 year (i.e., fiscal year 2025-26). The program will be considering proposals between $100,000 and $300,000 per project.

Marine Environmental Quality (MEQ) – 3 years funding

MEQ will work with partners to better understand how shipping-related noise affects whales. Initiatives supported though this priority area will help the Government of Canada to identify how to reduce these impacts on whales and other marine species.

The specific priorities to be supported by MEQ as part of this funding call are to:

• Improve understanding of underwater noise in areas used by Arctic whales.

• Assess impacts of ocean noise on marine mammals' health and fitness with a focus on population level impacts.

Funding will be available for 3 years (i.e., from fiscal year 2025-26 to 2027-28). The program will be considering projects up to $500,000 over 3 years with a maximum of $200,000 per fiscal year.

Marine Conservation Target (MCT) – 1 year funding

Marine conservation areas are key to supporting the health and sustainability of Canada's marine environment. Canada has made significant progress in marine conservation in recent years and continues to work in partnership with coastal communities and provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments to reach Government of Canada's goal of protecting 30 per cent of Canada's oceans by 2030. Many information sources and knowledge types contribute to marine protected area management and decision making, and collaboration and information sharing are vital in order to leverage accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date ecological and environmental data with approaches that are both effective and sustainable.

The specific priorities to be supported by MCT as part of this funding call are:

• Testing and/or reporting benefits of innovative or practical non-invasive tools and techniques to monitor coastal and/or offshore marine conservation areas.

• Demonstrating benefits of participatory science and Indigenous-led monitoring activities in existing or potential marine conservation areas.

Funding will be available for 1 year (i.e., for fiscal year 2025-26 only). The program will be considering proposals between $75,000 and $500,000 per project.

In addition to the external funding agency’s submission procedures, this opportunity must also be submitted for Departmental, HSS Faculty, and Research Initiatives and Services (RIS) institutional reviews and approvals via Memorial's Researcher Portal (RP). In order to facilitate the HSS Faculty’s administrative review, please ensure "Heather C. O'Brien (Grants Facilitator)" and “Matthew Milner (Grants Facilitator)” are added as "Team Members" on your RP file. 

In accordance with University-wide approval protocols, all tabs of the RP file must be completed, the completed application must be uploaded to the “Attachments” tab, all supporting documentation including support for cash and in-kind commitments and/or letters of support must also be uploaded, and “Submit” must be pressed prior to the HSS internal deadline listed below. HSS cannot guarantee completion of an administrative review for application files that are incomplete and/or are submitted after the HSS deadline. For more detailed submission instructions and information, please consult the HSS Research Support Services website.

If you plan to apply to this competition or other research funding opportunities (as either PI or CI), e-mail an HSS Grants Facilitator, Heather C. O’Brien (HSSResearchAdmin@mun.ca or 864-8603) or Matthew Milner (HSSResearchGrants@mun.ca or 864-8050), to notify the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of your intent to apply. E-mailing the intent to apply as early as possible will help to facilitate an efficient review. A Grants Facilitator can answer any questions you may have about internal or external submission procedures and may also be able to help with proposal development.