2026 International Joint Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technologies to Address Global Challenges: Full Application Guide

Your institution may have earlier internal deadlines. Check with your research administrator regarding internal deadlines. The research administrator at the institution of the co-principal investigator (co-PI) eligible to receive funding from NFRF is responsible for submitting the full application to the agency.

All team members, including the co-PIs and/or co-applicants, should inform the research administrator at their institution, if applicable, of their involvement in the application.

Completing the full application

To be eligible to create and submit an application, you must have been invited to the full application in the letter of intent to apply (LOI) process, or have made a request to the NFRF team within two weeks of receiving the LOI results to continue against the advice received.

You must complete the application using the Convergence Portal. The portal is supported only on the latest versions of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox. The portal may appear to function in other browsers, but technical problems can occur, such as information being improperly captured in the system without the user being aware. Use of an unsupported browser is strongly discouraged.

Follow the instructions provided in the Convergence Portal to complete the application. The information needed is outlined below. All sections of the application must be completed in the Convergence Portal and submitted via the research administrator at the NFRF-eligible co-PI’s institution.

Any new team members (co-PIs and co-applicants) must each complete their own profile before the application is submitted to the research administrator. All co-PIs have full access to all sections of the application. Co-applicants will be able to see all sections of the application but will not have edit access. Only the NFRF-eligible co-PI can finalize and submit the application.

It is the responsibility of the co-PIs to verify the page lengths and formatting of any uploaded attachments. Should a submitted application contain one or more attachments that do not comply with the page length or formatting standard, the application may be withdrawn from the competition.

All attachments must adhere to the following requirements:

Any acronyms and abbreviations must be explained.
Pages must be 8 ½" x 11" (216 mm x 279 mm).
Text must be single-spaced, with no more than six lines of type per inch.
All text must be in black, using the 11 pt Arial font; condensed fonts will not be accepted.
Margins must be set at a minimum of ¾" (1.87 cm).
In multipage attachments, pages must be numbered sequentially.
The application identification number (i.e., NFRFx-xxxx-xxxxx) must appear at the top of each page of the attachment.
No personally identifying information should be included in the headers and/or footers (e.g., name, PIN, institution, etc.).
The name of the document must appear at the top (e.g., Literature References).
Tables, graphics and charts can be included. They must comply with the above text formatting requirements (e.g., minimum font size) and fit within the page limits of the relevant document.

Required information

All relevant information from the LOI will be prepopulated into the full application. Additional team members may be added at this stage, and information updated for existing members, if needed.

Profiles for any additional members of the research team

Complete profiles include (see the Notice of Intent [NOI] guide for more detail):

a completed eligibility profile
fields of research and keywords
equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) self-identification

After co-PIs and co-applicants have completed their profile, they will be listed in the Participants screen with a status of “Complete.” While a participant’s status may show as “Accepted” in the List of Invitations, a status of “Pending eligibility” in the Participants screen indicates they have not completed their profile.

Full application content

This includes all information in the LOI (updated as necessary), as well as the following:

Any changes to the list of collaborators (additions or deletions)
Certifications, licenses and permits
Answer the questions as they relate to the proposed research project. Consult the Requirements for Certain Types of Research for more information or clarification, if needed. With the exception of research taking place outdoors, which may require submission of an Impact Assessment at the time of application (follow the instructions in the Convergence Portal), no forms or certifications are required at the time of application. If you are awarded a grant, the necessary certification requirements must be met in accordance with the Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions
Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern Attestation Attachment module

In accordance with the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern, all researchers involved in activities funded by a grant that aim to advance a Sensitive Technology Research Area (STRA) must review the list of Named Research Organizations (NROs) and attest that they are not affiliated with or receiving funding or in-kind support from any listed NRO.

You must submit attestation forms from the co-PIs, co-applicants and collaborators, as applicable, certifying they have read, understand and are compliant with this policy. Should your application be successful, you and your research team(s) will also be required to comply with the policy for the duration of the grant that aims to advance one or more STRAs.

Before you attach your completed risk assessment form to your application, you must convert it from a fillable to a read-only PDF format. To do so, one option is to select “Print” in the form, select the PDF format as your printer, then save the file.

The attestation forms may be shared with Government of Canada departments and agencies, for the purpose of national security assessment and to validate compliance with the policy.

For more information, read the tri-agency guidance for this policy.
Equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice
Applications must not include any self-identifying information about members of the research team in the EDI in research practice (EDI-RP) section. Focus on the team’s commitment to EDI, not on its EDI profile. See NFRF’s Best Practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Practice and Design guide for more details.

Applicants may draw on institutional EDI policies and practices where these exist, but they must be tailored to the particular context of the fields and teams involved. Applicants are encouraged to be specific and concise.

In this section, provide the following:
1. Information about the team’s specific circumstances related to EDI-RP, including identification of structural biases that could affect members of underrepresented groups (character limit: 2,500).
2. The best practices that will be applied to each of the following elements (character limit: 250):
  - team composition and recruitment processes
  - training and development opportunities
  - inclusion
  For each best practice to be applied, provide a brief explanation, including: how each practice applies to the team’s specific context; how it will be implemented; the expected impacts; and how the impacts will be measured (character limit: 2,500).
Information that reveals team members’ affiliations (including departments, lab groups, etc.) can be included in this section, if relevant.
Supporting documents
1. Proposal (maximum 20 pages if written in English; maximum 24 pages if written in French)
  Applications may be written in either English or French, Canada’s official languages. The following sections must be included in one document and uploaded following the instructions for attachments. The page limits indicated for each section are suggestions, but the maximum limit of 20 pages for proposals written in English or 24 pages for proposals written in French is firm. You must follow the order of the sections, and the use of headings is highly encouraged. Use language that can be understood by a multidisciplinary review panel.
  - Introduction/overview (maximum two pages if written in English; maximum 2.4 pages if written in French)
    - Identify the technology involved and explain how it meets the competition’s definition of disruptive technology.
    - Describe which Sustainable Development Goal(s) the project will address and how it will address it/them from an interdisciplinary perspective.
    - Explain the approach to addressing the challenge, and its potential to have real and lasting change.
    - Describe any stakeholder engagement, and how the proposal has been co-developed, if applicable.
  - Biographical information about team members (maximum four pages if written in English; maximum 4.8 pages if written in French)
  - Applicants must protect the privacy and confidentiality of all team members. Do not provide information about the composition of the research team in a way that can reveal any member’s personal information (i.e., race, colour, place of origin, religion, immigrant and newcomer status, ethnic origin, ability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and age). See the Best Practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Practice and Design Guide for guidelines on privacy and confidentiality.
    - Provide an overview of the research team, demonstrating that it has the required knowledge, background and expertise to execute the interdisciplinary approach.
    - Identify the anticipated contributions of each team member (co-PIs, co-applicants and collaborators, as applicable) and explain how their contributions will be coordinated and integrated.
    - If a team member’s self-identification (gender, Indigenous identity, disability or racial background) is relevant to the research project, that self-identifying information may be included here, but only with their consent.
  - Research proposal (maximum eight pages if written in English; maximum 9.6 pages if written in French, including diagrams and illustrations)
    - Describe the proposed research project, outlining the major short-, medium- and long-term changes that are expected, the likelihood of their achievement, and who (or what) will be impacted by the changes.
    - Describe the anticipated scientific impact of the project.
    - Describe the anticipated societal impact of the project.
    - Describe the research methodology and design, including:
      - how interdisciplinary perspectives will be applied and integrated;
      - how they relate to current and relevant research, prior art or knowledge; and
      - how the approach minimizes the environmental footprint of the research.
    - Provide a work plan with a timeline.
    - Discuss the approach to co-production with relevant stakeholders, if applicable.
    - Describe how the project will engage with stakeholders and end users, and other measures the project will use to position the research for uptake.
    - Explain how the methodological design has been informed by EDI in research design (if appropriate).
  - Management plans (maximum three pages if written in English; maximum 3.6 pages if written in French)
    - Describe how various aspects of the project will be managed, including:
      - governance/management approach (how the project will be managed and the grant administered);
      - performance measurement plan, including risk assessment and management and results frameworks (how achievement of short-, medium- and long-term anticipated outcomes will be monitored and assessed according to established indicators and timelines; mitigation plans);
      - data management (how research data from the project will be managed and safeguarded; for guidance on research data management considerations to include in the research proposal, see the NFRF Research Data Management page); and
      - training (the training, development and mentoring plan for students and other highly qualified personnel).
  - Budget justification (maximum three pages, if written in English; maximum 3.6 pages if written in French)
    - Provide a breakdown and explanation of the direct costs of the project. Use a separate section to justify the funds requested from each funding organization. Provide sufficient information to allow reviewers to assess the appropriateness of the requested resources and the value for money. Describe how funds will flow to / support team members / communities in non-funding organization countries, if applicable. If needed, this section can also describe other resources, including funding, materials or equipment that will also contribute to the project.
2. Budget table
  Use the budget table provided in the Supporting Documents section. The document must be downloaded, filled out, then uploaded as a PDF. Enter the planned amount of funds to be spent in each category (direct and indirect costs) for each year of the project, as well as the level of in-kind support anticipated.
  
  There are three tables in each tab, one each for direct costs, indirect costs and in-kind support. The three tables should be completed for each funding organization from which funding is requested; a different tab should be used for each.
  
  Applicants are encouraged to ensure the requested amounts conform to the policies of the relevant funding organizations, including related to eligible expenses and maximum total amounts requested.
  - Funding and costs requested by São Paulo researcher(s) to FAPESP must be in accordance with FAPESP norms for Thematic research projects.
3. Literature references (maximum five pages if written in English; maximum six pages if written in French)
  Provide a list of literature references cited in the application. This document will be uploaded separately from the proposal.
4. Supplementary information for funding organizations (if applicable)
  FAPESP (Brazil), the Dutch Research Council (NWO), the International Development Research Centre, the Taiwan National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), Research Ireland and the Swiss National Science Foundation (Switzerland) require additional documents for determining applicant eligibility, such as CVs, to be uploaded at the full application stage for any additional team members. See each organization’s funding annex for details on what is required and the correct formats.
5. Other documents
  Any additional information requested by funding organizations (see annexes) may be uploaded here.

Submitting a full application

Only the NFRF-eligible co-PI is able to submit the application.

Review the application to ensure it is complete.

From the Finalize Application section in the Convergence Portal, follow the prompts to submit the application.

After you have accepted the terms and conditions, the status of your submission will change to Received by Administrator. If you want to make any changes at this point, you may request that your research administrator return the application to you.

Once your research administrator has approved and submitted your application, the application status will change to Received by Agency. No changes can be made at that point, and the application will not be returned to you.

Submitting an application as the research administrator

When you receive an application submitted by a NFRF-eligible co-PI at your institution, you will be asked to approve the application and submit it. Before being able to submit the application, the research administrator, on behalf of the institution, will be required to confirm that the:

NFRF-eligible participants meet the eligibility requirements; and
proposed research project meets the eligibility requirements.

Contact information

If you have questions:

about the NFRF program, contact NFRF-FNFR@chairs-chaires.gc.ca
about the Convergence Portal, contact the Online Services Helpdesk at websupport@convergence.gc.ca or 613-995-4273

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Date modified:: 2026-03-06

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