Competition

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

RIS will be offering support with application development for this opportunity. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact yout unit's GFOs and Dr. Jennifer Stevens (v5js@mun.ca) or Dr. Amanda Crompton (ajcrompt@mun.ca) early during the development process to discuss the services available to them.

The International stream aims to support international collaborations and position Canada and Canadian researchers as strategic partners at the international level. The International stream includes two mechanisms:

• – joint funding calls with international agencies on topics of international relevance; and

• – a dedicated fund to support participation of Canadian researchers within international teams in projects seeking funding from major global platforms.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all member states of the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They are a call to action for all countries to work together to tackle major and interlinked global challenges to ensure long-term peace and prosperity. There has been global recognition that the world is behind on achieving the SDGs by their 2030 target date. Indeed, the challenges facing humanity instead seem to be intensifying. Concurrently, advances in science, communication and disruptive technology are changing the world around us.

This call aims to harness the potential of disruptive technology to offer novel solutions to global challenges and accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs. More research is needed on how disruptive technologies can be used in contextually appropriate interventions to have transformative economic or societal impacts to improve the lives of people and the planet.

In this call, “disruptive technology” is defined as “an innovation whose application replaces or radically alters systems, processes and/or behaviours to have transformative economic or societal impacts. The impact may be localized or far-reaching. Disruptive technology may include cutting-edge and novel innovations, or the application of an existing innovation in a new context, bringing about substantial change or paradigm shifts.”

Research harnessing disruptive technologies to address global challenges requires an interdisciplinary approach involving expertise across disciplines—including the natural sciences, engineering, health sciences, social sciences and humanities—and across sectors, including academia, government, not-for-profit organizations, community organizations and private industry. Co-development of research and solutions in partnership with affected stakeholders is essential for long-term success.

“Please note: Due to the eligibility requirements of this competition, all non-Memorial Co-PIs and co-applicants will need to have an eligibility form signed by their institutional signing authority (e.g. at an institutional research office or similar) (see attached pdf). This must be complete by the RIS deadline; completed forms must be on file with RIS prior to submission to NFRF. Please contact your faculty's GFO and Drs. Jennifer Stevens and/or Amanda Crompton early during application development for assistance with this process.”

1. 1.   Notice of Intent to Apply (NOI) stage with a deadline of March 3rd, 2026(at 8 p.m. Eastern Time) RIS deadline Feb. 24th

2. 2.   Letter of Intent stage with a deadline of June 9th, 2026 (at 8 p.m. Eastern Time) RIS deadline June 2nd

3. 3.   Full Application stage with a deadline of November 3rd, 2026(at 8 p.m. Eastern Time) RIS deadline Oct. 27th

In addition to the external funding agency’s submission procedures, this Intent to Apply (EOI/LOI/NOI) 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. If invited to full application, HSS and RIS reviews will again be mandatory.

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.

• NFRF-2026-International-Eligibility-Form.pdf