Competition

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

The Indigenous Partnerships for Species at Risk (IPSAR), formerly known as the ‘Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk (AFSAR)’, is a Government of Canada program administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The program recognizes the important role Indigenous peoples have in wildlife conservation by supporting Indigenous leadership in the conservation, protection, and recovery of species at risk and culturally significant species, and their habitats on Indigenous lands or territories. The program also supports the development of Indigenous capacity to actively participate in the implementation of the Species at Risk Act (SARA).

The IPSAR program supports projects for terrestrial speciesFootnote1 including birds, land mammals, reptiles, and plants.

IPSAR provides funding for projects that help conserve, protect, and recover species at risk, culturally significant species, and their habitats. It also provides funding to support the development of capacity to actively participate in the implementation of the SARA. Proposed activities must demonstrate how they help achieve recovery objectives and population goals of target species and must contribute to one or more of the following objectives:

• – support and promote the conservation, protection, and recovery of target species and their habitats on Indigenous lands or lands where traditional food, social, and ceremonial activities are carried out by Indigenous peoples

• – support the engagement and leadership of Indigenous peoples in the conservation and recovery of species at risk, their habitats and SARA processes

Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to receive feedback and confirm eligibility and alignment with program priorities and expected results. Use this online form to submit your EOI no later than 3:00 pm (Atlantic Standard Time) on October 15th, 2025. Early submissions are encouraged. Should you have any trouble with the online form, please don’t hesitate to contact Delphine Seto, IPSAR Coordinator, Atlantic Region.

The deadline for submitting a funding application using the Grants and Contributions Enterprise Management System (GCEMS) portal is November 13, 2025, 14:00:00 Eastern Time.

EOI: The Intent to Apply (EOI/LOI/NOI) does not require review from HSS or RIS. However, please e-mail a pdf of the submitted EOI/LOI/NOI to an HSS Grants Facilitator: Heather C. O’Brien (HSSResearchAdmin@mun.ca or 864-8603) or Matthew Milner (HSSResearchGrants@mun.ca or 864-8050).

Full application: 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.