Competition

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

NEW for 2025: Due to the small amount of Seed Fund budget available for this year’s competition, only one application will be accepted per eligible grant holder (faculty member).

Memorial applicants should submit their proposals to both OFI@dal.ca (copied to OFI@mun.ca) and also to the MUN Researcher Portal by the deadline of October 24, 2025.  MUN researchers must contact their Grants Facilitation Officer, Associate Dean (Research) or equivalent unit signatory to obtain information on deadlines and processes, as well as, obtain UNIT approval (s) prior to submission to OFI.

OFI’s Seed Fund supports innovative projects that have the potential to advance research, commercial or social concepts relating to the ocean. To qualify, applicants must be current faculty, staff, technicians, postdocs, or students (Please note: students, postdocs, and technicians that are awarded funding must be supervised by a current faculty member who would be identified as the grant holder and assume responsibility for distribution of funds and terms of the deliverables).

Funding amount & duration

1. – Awards will typically range from $10,000 to $15,000 with up to $30,000 for particularly compelling ideas

2. – Funding is intended for projects to be undertaken and completed within 12 months

3. – Successful projects may receive funding from NSERC (if led by an eligible faculty member and include external partnerships and training opportunities)

4. Application submission

• Fill out this form

• Email the completed form to morteza.jeyhani@dal.ca, along with:

1. Curriculum Vitae (no more than two pages)

2. A budget (using this template) that itemizes general categories of expenses and a brief justification for these expenses

Successful applicants will be required to:

1. Showcase their work publicly. OFI will assist with this communication

2. Contribute to our reporting to CFREF at the end of the approved award period. Applicants selected for funding by Seed Fund sponsors may have additional application and reporting requirements

In addition to the external funding agency’s submission procedures, this opportunity must also be submitted for Departmental and HSS Faculty 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. 

Once reviewed and approved by the HSS Dean's Office, Memorial applicants should submit their proposals to both OFI@dal.ca (copied to OFI@mun.ca) by the deadline. Questions about the application submission should be addressed to OFI@mun.ca

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.