Overview:
The Academic Start-up Fund is a part of ResearchNB’s Talent Support Pillar and aims to accelerate the early stages of newly hired professor’s research programs.
By offering this support to exceptional hires, our goal is to assist them to scale up their labs, through the hiring of personnel, such as students and research professionals, and the purchase of equipment or technology that allows researchers to build their research program.
This award is non-renewable.
Who Can Apply:
Full-time researchers or faculty members who have signed an employment contract within six months of the date of submission of the application, and who have signed a contract for at least three years.
This program is currently:
Open (Closes May 1, 2025 )
Timeline
Applications open (1:00pm ADT):
Round 1: April 3rd, 2025
Round 2: December 9th, 2025
Applications close (11:59am ADT):
Round 1: May 1st, 2025
Round 2: February 28th, 2026
Anticipated notice of decision date:
Round 1: June 13th, 2025
Round 2: March 20th, 2026
Award Term:
Up to 2 years
Award Amount:
From $30k to $60k
Leverage:
1:1 match – including in-kind and cash contributions.
Eligible Expenses:
Student stipends, lab and equipment upgrades, and other expenses associated with the establishment of a new research program.
Please see our Award Administration Guidelines for an exhaustive list.
Application Process:
Applications for this fund are only accepted through the ResearchNB application portal and are evaluated against the evaluation criteria for this fund.
See the award administration guidelines for an in-depth workflow and explanation of this process.
Award Duration & Reporting:
The award is for a maximum of two years, with an interim status report at the end of year one and a final status report due three months after the award end date. These reports are to be completed via the application portal.
For an explanation of our policy on extensions, see the Award Administration guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every project need to align with the priority sectors listed on the ResearchNB website? The website lists Health, Energy, Forestry, Oceans, and Agriculture, but there are also Advanced Manufacturing, ICT, and Data & AI included in the portal application?
Advanced Manufacturing, ICT, and Data & AI are enabling platforms that support and enhance advancement within the priority sectors. While some funding programs don’t require direct alignment with these sectors, they do require a demonstrated impact on New Brunswick. Within these funding programs, projects that don’t directly address a priority area will be evaluated equally, as long as the impact on New Brunswick is clearly outlined in the application.
Will the Knowledge Translation Grant be available? What funding is available to support the dissemination of research findings with knowledge users?
The Knowledge Translation Grant will not be offered in the upcoming year. After gathering feedback from across the province, we’ve re-designed our programs for 2025-2026 to focus on funding talent, equipment, ideas and strategic projects. However, knowledge translation related costs are eligible expenses under projects funded by ResearchNB.