Overview:
The goal of the Bridging Fund is to help researchers with strong, meritorious proposals move one step closer to securing large-scale federal research funding. The program supports projects that advance impact in New Brunswick’s priority sectors by providing targeted assistance to researchers who were not successful in an initial federal application or a multi-year renewal.
The fund is designed for projects with clear potential to advance knowledge and deliver meaningful research impact in New Brunswick to strengthen their competitiveness for federal investment. Priority is given to projects that are well-positioned for success, with clearly defined activities and deliverables that will help refine, strengthen, or enhance the proposal.
By the end of the award period, recipients are expected to complete activities that strengthen their project and prepare for resubmission to a federal funding agency. Award recipients are expected to reapply for funding within two years of the award’s end date.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be researchers at one of the eligible research institutions listed in our Award Guidelines.
- Applicants must have applied to the Tri-Council agencies for one of the following grants:
- Applicants must have received the following scores in the peer review of their original applications:
- SSHRC Insight & Insight Development: Third sextile or higher
- NSERC Discovery: Strong or higher across all categories
- NSERC Applied Research & Development: Strong or higher across all categories*
- NSERC CCSIF: Very Strong or higher across all categories*
- CIHR Project: 4.0 or higher and ranking in the top 25%
* Scores can be requested directly from NSERC.
This program is currently:
Closed (Opens June 2, 2026 )
Funding Program Details
Applications open (1:00pm ADT):
June 2, 2026
Applications close (11:59am ADT):
August 13, 2026
Anticipated notice of decision date:
October 1, 2026
Award Term:
1 year
Award Amount:
$35,000
Leverage:
None
Eligible Expenses:
Eligible expenses are listed in our Award Guidelines.
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 Guidelines for an in-depth workflow and explanation of this process.
Award Duration & Reporting:
The award is for a maximum of one year, with a final status report due three months after the award end date.
Awardees are required to submit 1- and 3-year Impact Reports following the Final Status Report.
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.