Competition

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

The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) community-based stream is a federal grant. It supports projects that are designed by seniors and for seniors in their communities. This program funds projects that empower seniors in their communities through increased social inclusion. Eligible organizations can apply for up to $50,000 for projects that are led by seniors and are volunteer based.

Who can apply: Not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous organizations, municipal governments.

Please note that your project must meet all of the following criteria:

• – be no longer than 52 weeks;

• – request no more than $50,000;

• – meet at least 1 program objective;

• – seniors will lead or play a vital role in its planning and/or delivery;

• – seek to benefit seniors and their communities; and

• – demonstrate cost effectiveness.

Program Objectives

Objective 1: Promoting volunteering among seniors and other generations

Your project will encourage seniors to volunteer and get involved in their community. By volunteering, seniors can connect with others and feel included and valued. Volunteering should complement, not replace, paid employment. For example:

• connecting seniors to volunteer organizations within the community

• developing volunteer resources such as a volunteer handbook for seniors

• expanding leadership and mentorship opportunities for volunteers that are seniors

• implementing new strategies for recruiting and retaining volunteers that are seniors

• seniors volunteering in a community kitchen that is recognized for assisting other seniors in the community

Objective 2: Engaging seniors in the community through the mentoring of others

Your project will foster social inclusion by connecting individuals through mentoring of shared experiences. It helps seniors stay involved in their communities and share their life and work experience by mentoring others. For example:

• seniors teaching youth in their community on gardening

• seniors guiding other seniors on how to use online tools and new technologies (such as social media, video chat applications, and personal assistants)

• providing opportunities for peer mentoring on topics such as grieving, senior caregivers, and dementia

• Indigenous elders helping Indigenous people who want to reclaim their traditions and cultural identities and share them with others

Objective 3: Expanding awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse

Your project will raise awareness among seniors in the community about potential abuse. For example:

• workshops that teach seniors how to recognize different types of elder abuse and where to get help

• easy to read materials, like pamphlets or brochures, that explain how to prevent financial abuse and show how to spot scams and fraud

• digital skills training that helps seniors use technology safely and avoid online scams and fraud

Objective 4: Supporting the social participation and inclusion of seniors

Your project will create opportunities for social participation targeted toward seniors. For example:

• supporting an event where seniors share stories from the past

• bringing seniors together regularly to socialize and listen to talks on different topics

• providing dance classes to encourage social connection through activity

Objective 5: Providing capital assistance for new and existing community projects and/or programs for seniors

Your project will help to remove barriers to participate and enable seniors to be more engaged in their communities. Capital assistance projects must primarily help seniors to improve their social inclusion. For example:

• renovating an unused space to offer a new seniors program

Note: If your proposed project is requesting capital assistance, it must meet 2 program objectives:

• objective 5: Capital Assistance

• any other objective

Capital assistance projects may use up to $25,000 of the total approved funding, for eligible capital expenses.

Whenever possible, applicants should consider supporting local, regional or national businesses by choosing to "Buy Canadian" when purchasing goods and services for their 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.