Overview:
As part of ResearchNB’s Ideas Pillar, this program is designed to fund bold, innovative ideas that tackle complex organizational, social and/or environmental challenges facing New Brunswickers within one of the provincial priority sectors. We’re looking for projects that push boundaries in social innovation, capacity building, partnership development and co-creation — projects that think differently and act creatively.
New Brunswick might be small, but it’s bursting with big ideas and collaborative spirit. We’re looking for applicants who can harness that energy — partnering creatively with organizations outside of the research institution who will be engaged in the project’s research design, development, implementation, and evaluation activities.
By the end of the award, researchers must demonstrate how the project’s research activities contributed to changes in the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and relationships of partners as well as how these changes contributed, or are expected to contribute, to improvements in the targeted organizational, social and/or environmental challenge. Researchers must also demonstrate a sustained engagement plan with partners beyond the award period (e.g., continued collaboration, additional projects, or co-led knowledge mobilization).
No leverage is required for this program as it has been designated a Seed Fund for fiscal year 2026-2027. Seed Funds aim to build capacity for long-term research investment in New Brunswick. Accordingly, projects will be required to demonstrate potential for future grant capture via a funding roadmap and a clear plan for funding sustainability beyond the award period.
On behalf of ResearchNB, The/La Collaborative will be hosting a webinar on how to build equity-based co-creation into your research and how to articulate this in your research proposal. Attendance to this workshop is not mandatory for submission, but an optional resource. To register, please select one of the options below.
The/La Collaborative will also provide award recipients and their partners training in working together collaboratively to meet project objectives. This is not mandatory or a condition of the award. More information will be provided only to award recipients after the Notice of Decision has gone out.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be researchers at one of the eligible research institutions listed in the Award Guidelines.
- Projects must be partnered with at least one non-research partner from outside of the research institution. The partner(s) must be involved in equity-based co-creation and/or co-implementation. The partner can be a new or existing partnership.
- Projects whose primary objective is curriculum development, preparation of teaching materials, program evaluation, organization of a conference or workshop, digitization of a collection, or creation of a database are not eligible for funding under this program.
This program is currently:
Closed (Opens April 7, 2026)
Funding Program Details
Applications open (1:00pm ADT):
April 7, 2026
Applications close (11:59am ADT):
June 18, 2026
Anticipated notice of decision date:
August 20, 2026
Award Term:
Up to 2 years
Award Amount:
Up to $20k
Leverage:
Seed fund – no leverage required
Eligible Expenses:
Expenses that contribute to advancing the project are eligible.
Please see the Award Guidelines for more details.
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 duration of two years, with a Status Report due at year one and 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. These reports are to be completed via the application portal.
In the final status report, the applicant will be required to provide the name and email address of the partner(s) to allow for the distribution of a partner Final Report, and 1- and 3-year Impact Reports.
For an explanation of our policy on extensions, see the Award Guidelines.