Award Guidelines

2026-2027

Updated April 2026

All changes below are effective as of April 1, 2026

  • All Sections
    • Changes to grammar, wording, and formatting were applied across the document for clarity purposes.
  • Eligibility/Employment
    • Added PhD-trained health authority-affiliated researchers eligible to apply as a principal investigator.
    • Clarified that employment contracts of principal investigators from research institutes must permit the researcher to engage in research activities that are not under the direction of another individual.
  • Leverage/Acceptable Leverage
    • Added general research account funds as an acceptable form of leverage.
  • Expenses
    • Added a list of eligible knowledge mobilization expenses.
  • Review Process
    • Added ResearchNB’s review process.
  • Ethics
    •  Added Responsible Use of AI section.

Introduction

With a mission to power discovery together, ResearchNB funds leading-edge research, promotes research excellence, and connects the dots across the five priority sectors and three enabling sectors.

Priority Sectors

  • Agriculture
  • Forestry
  • Oceans
  • Health
  • Energy

Enabling Sectors

  • Advanced manufacturing
  • Information and communications technology
  • Data & artificial intelligence

ResearchNB’s grant framework is based on four funding pillars:

  • Talent
  • Infrastructure
  • Ideas
  • Strategic Research Investments

All funding programs follow funding policies and procedures to ensure compliance with our funding principles as stated below.

Funding Guiding Principles

Alignment: Prioritize fundamental, applied, and clinical research that aligns with the priority sectors as defined by the Province of New Brunswick by investing in talent, infrastructure, ideas, and supporting strategic research investments.

Scientific Merit: Award research projects that have been successful in a rigorous review process and that demonstrate high scientific excellence.

Evaluation and Accountability: Implement regular evaluations to revise and adjust the funding programs and allocations based on changing needs, technological advances, and lessons learned from funded projects.

Impact: Funding will support research projects and teams located in New Brunswick and aim to directly benefit the citizens of New Brunswick to ensure alignment with local priorities and impact.

Engagement and Knowledge Sharing: Promote research capabilities within New Brunswick and mobilize research findings in priority sectors to ensure public access to knowledge and engagement with policy- and decision-makers.

Collaboration: Encourage projects that bring together different fields to solve complex problems through a multidisciplinary approach and facilitate collaboration across institutions on a provincial, regional, and national level.

The ResearchNB Award Guidelines cover all funding programs administered by ResearchNB. Wherever possible, ResearchNB abides by the rules and regulations of the Tri-Agencies of Canada, specifically the most current version of the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide. Our provincial focus, our research mandate, and the nature of our funding sources necessitates some differences from those of the Tri-Agencies, as outlined in this document.

Note: the following sources take precedence over these Award Guidelines:

  • The Award Administration Agreement was signed between ResearchNB and your research institution.
  • Program and funding opportunity descriptions, as published here.
  • Any relevant separate agreements with PIs and/or administering institutions.

In the event of any exceptions not covered within these guidelines, ResearchNB retains the right to make all final decisions in the administration of its research funding programs.

Eligibility

Applicant Criteria

ResearchNB allows applications from either a single principal investigator (PI), or from a joint team comprising the PI and one or more co-applicants. The co-applicant must be enrolled at one of ResearchNB’s eligible institutions (Appendix B: Eligible Research Institutions). The PI will be used as the point of communication with ResearchNB regarding administration of the grant.

Applicants must be in good standing with ResearchNB, including having filed any outstanding status reports and having returned unspent funds from previous awards to ResearchNB. A failure to complete mandatory status reporting on previous ResearchNB awards may result in an automatic rejection of a new funding application to ResearchNB.

Please reference individual program eligibility criteria to confirm eligibility for specific awards.

Employment

The PI must be employed at an institution listed in Appendix B: Eligible Research Institutions in a role as described below or have signed an offer of employment for one of these positions:

  • Universities: A full-time tenured or tenure-track, faculty member. Faculty on non-permanent contracts are eligible if their contract lasts at least until the project end date. Adjunct professors are permitted only if their primary place of employment is in New Brunswick, and their term as adjunct must last until at least the project end date. Adjunct professors outside of the university sector can apply for funding only for the direct support of students.
  • Colleges: A full-time individual in a role whose primary purpose is conducting research is eligible. Full-time teaching staff with either a permanent position or a contract position lasting until at least the research project end date are also eligible. The position must permit the individual to engage in research activities that are not under the direction of another individual.
  • Research Institutes: A full-time individual in a role whose primary purpose is conducting research. The position must be either permanent, or a contract position lasting until at least the project end date and must permit the individual to engage in research activities that are not under the direction of another individual.
  • Health Authorities: Clinician researchers or health authority-affiliated researchers are eligible. A clinician researcher is an individual who is a regulated health professional and actively provides patient care, while also leading or contributing to health-related research. A health authority-affiliated researcher is a PhD-trained individual who has autonomy within their role to conduct health-related research.

In all of the cases listed above, part-time employees are eligible to apply but should demonstrate in their application that they have sufficient time and resources to carry out the proposed work either by a letter from the Dean or other administrator capable of making such decisions.

Leverage

ResearchNB is accountable to the Government of New Brunswick (GNB) for ensuring that research funding invested by the province supports additional investments from other sources. As a result, many of our funding programs have a leverage requirement.

In determining whether an applicant has achieved the required leverage ratio, please use the following rules:

Acceptable Leverage:

  • Funding that directly contributes to the work described in the funding application to ResearchNB.
  • Funding from the federal government, industry partners, non-profit partners, international agencies, or others.
  • In-kind contributions from any of the sources listed above, may be counted for up to 50% of the required leverage ratio.

Unacceptable Leverage:

  • Funding that has been spent.
  • Funding that has already been used as leverage in a previously successful ResearchNB funding application.
  • Funding from the Government of New Brunswick.
  • Funding received from other ResearchNB programs. This includes legacy awards from the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF) and the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF).

Refer to the funding program descriptions on the ResearchNB website for specific cases or you may discuss eligible leveraging with a ResearchNB Program Manager.

Provincial Funding Leverage

ResearchNB cannot leverage funding provided by the GNB or agencies wholly supported by GNB. Please reach out to researchservices@researchnb.ca if you have questions about specific cases.

Federal Funding Leverage

Federal sources of funding (e.g. Tri-Agencies, Canda Foundation for Innovation, Mitacs) can be leveraged, including cash paid by a partner that already unlocked the federal funding sources (e.g., cash contribution from an industry partner).

Note: ResearchNB cannot provide the matching industry partner contribution on Mitacs grants.

Partner or Funder Leverage

Cash and in-kind contributions from partners or funders can be leveraged.

If cash is leveraged, the full amount of what is leveraged must have been paid directly to the institution to support the project described in the ResearchNB application. If the cash has not yet been transferred from partner or funder to the institution, a letter of support from the partner or funder describing their intention to do so should be included. No letter of support is needed for cash paid by the industry to third parties which already unlocked other funding sources (e.g., an industry partner’s cash contribution to a Mitacs grant). Industry partner cash contributions leveraged in another ResearchNB grant (or legacy organization grant) cannot be leveraged again.

In-kind Contributions

In-kind contributions can be counted as a source of leverage and may count for up to 50% of the total leveraged funding unless otherwise specified in the program description. All valuations of in-kind contribution must be based on fair value, and justification of the amounts claimed must be available if requested.

Examples of valid in-kind contributions may include, but is not limited to:

  • Material donated by an industrial partner
  • Analysis services provided by an external partner
  • Time spent on the project by partner in the public or private sector
  • Course release provided by the institution
  • Vendor discounts (e.g., equipment, wholesale purchases, etc.)

The following may not be claimed as an in-kind contribution:

  • Salary of the principal investigator or co-applicant
  • Costs for use of the applicant’s normal lab space/facilities at the institution (e.g., rent, provision of utilities like heat and water, etc.)
  • Contributions from the institution that are administrative in nature and occur over the normal progression and development of a research program

The value of a course release should be calculated based on actual cost to the institution. The nature of all in-kind sources must be described in the application. Acceptance of the contribution as a valid source of leverage rests at the discretion of ResearchNB. In-kind contributions from industry partners should be described in detail in the ResearchNB application via a letter of support from the partner, articulating how the value of the contribution was determined and how it contributes directly to the project described in the application.

General Research Accounts

Internal institutional accounts that hold residual funding or fee-for-service funding are an eligible source of leverage, excluding funds originally sourced from GNB.

Other and Foreign Leverage

Cash contributions from other sources (e.g., from international grants, non-profit agencies, academic institutional partners, etc.), can be leveraged as long as their direct applicability to the project described in the application is shown. If the cash has not yet been transferred from other sources to the institution, a letter of support from the funding source describing their intention to do so should be included. The value of foreign contributions (cash and in-kind) matched by ResearchNB will be determined in Canadian dollars at the time of application for the duration of the grant and will not be adjusted by ResearchNB to reflect fluctuations in the currency exchange rate.

Expenses

ResearchNB funding can be used on expenses that align with the funding pillar type (talent, infrastructure, or ideas) and contribute to advancing the project as described in the application. Please see specific information and exceptions below.

ResearchNB will not disburse funding for project costs already incurred prior to the date of the application. The date of the application is taken as the date at which the electronic application is submitted to ResearchNB or, failing this, the date at which ResearchNB confirms receipt of the application. ResearchNB will not assume any responsibility for costs incurred for a research proposal that is not approved for funding. Other sources of funding claimed as leverage cannot have been already spent at the time of application.

Exceptionally, for applications using Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) funding as leverage, expenses can be backdated to the date established by CFI as the start date for expense eligibility. This date should be communicated to ResearchNB for clarity.

Employment and Compensation Rules

The Tri-Agencies’ directives on reimbursement of employment and compensation expenses apply to ResearchNB grants. In general, ResearchNB funding cannot be used to pay compensation to PIs or individuals who conduct research independently (excluding those recipients of the Clinical Fellowships) as part of the terms and conditions of their employment, including, but not limited to, researchers in academia, colleges, and research institutes.

Moreover, ResearchNB funding cannot be used to cover costs associated with the termination of grant-paid employees.

Overhead & Indirect Expenses

Funding from ResearchNB cannot be used to pay for overhead or indirect expenses at the research institution.

Travel Expenses

ResearchNB funding can be used to pay for travel expenses only where these are critical to complete the proposed project, unless otherwise indicated in the program description. The cost of travel to scientific events related to the project such as attendance at workshops, industry engagement sessions, and other events with active involvement of a variety of stakeholders can be included. Travel directly related to the research is considered an eligible expense (e.g., for data collection, sampling, field work, and partner meetings).

Knowledge Mobilization

Contingent on funding pillar type, costs related to sharing, translating, and applying project findings are eligible, including but not limited to:

  • Publication costs
  • Printing and distribution of reports, briefs, or multimedia production
  • Workshops
  • Conferences
  • Travel expenses to present findings
  • Compensation for partner engagement and participation in co-design activities
  • Translation of research outputs into another language
  • Plain language adaptation for audiences outside of the research institution
  • Accessibility formatting.

Consulting Fees

Consulting fees or technical advice requiring a considerable time commitment are an eligible expense but require justification as to the nature of the service provided and how it is critical to the research project. These fees can comprise a maximum of 20% of the amount requested to ResearchNB. However, fees where the applicant or members of the research team act as consultants are not eligible expenses.

Application Process

ResearchNB uses an online application portal to receive, review, award, as well as conduct status and financial reporting for all applications. This tool, commonly referred to as ‘the portal,’ is hosted using the SurveyMonkey Apply software, and it is the only method to submit an application for research funding to ResearchNB.

The application process involves a number of steps, listed at a high level below:

  1. Applicant registers, logs in, completes all sections in the application, and submits.
  2. Applicant’s institutional research administration office/signatory endorses the application.
  3. The application is externally reviewed as described in the program-specific evaluation criteria on the program page of the website.
  4. Following external review, final internal approvals are conducted as required. Award decisions are communicated via the portal and a notice of decision (NOD) is attached to an automated email.
  5. If successful, the applicant signs the NOD, along with the institutional representative, and uploads it back through the portal.
  6. A ResearchNB Program Manager reviews the file and if the NOD is signed correctly and all conditions have been met, they request disbursement of funds to the institution.

ResearchNB reserves the right to delete or archive incomplete, unsubmitted, declined, and completed (meaning those having met all status reporting requirements) applications created within the ResearchNB online portal.  Applications which contain no substantive content may be deleted after results are announced for a given funding round, or, for continuously open competitions, at the end of the fiscal year (March 31). Applications which are partially complete but were never submitted will be archived. Applications that were completed but declined by ResearchNB will be archived as well as those which have met all status reporting requirements. An applicant may request (via researchservies@researchnb.ca) to have any archived application processed within the last 5 calendar years returned to them from the archive if they wish to review or consult it.

Duplicate Profiles

ResearchNB makes an effort to amalgamate duplicate profiles in the ResearchNB online portal when there are live applications under more than one profile. ResearchNB reserves the right to remove inactive profiles without live applications after the profile has been inactive for one calendar year.

Review Process

Internal Eligibility Review

Applications are screened for eligibility and completeness by the Program Manager. Ineligible or incomplete applications are excluded from further review. In these cases, applicants will receive an email from the Program Manager explaining why their application is not eligible.

External Review

Depending on the program, ResearchNB uses two types of external reviews: expert-level review and peer-level review. The type of review used for each program is stated in the evaluation criteria found on the program specific webpage. Reviewers are selected by the Program Manager based on their expertise in relevant fields, either through online screening or from a list of past reviewers. The qualifications of each reviewer will align with the specific level of review being conducted. Reviewers sign confidentiality agreements before participating.

  • Expert-level review: Expert level reviewers are external subject-matter experts who hold a Master’s-level degree or higher in their respective field. Each application will be assessed by at least two (2) reviewers, with a minimum of one reviewer having expertise in the same priority sector as the application.
  • Peer-level review: Peer reviewers are external subject-matter experts who hold a Doctor of Philosophy degree in their field. Each application will be assessed by at least two (2) reviewers, with a minimum of one reviewer having expertise in the same priority sector as the application.

To minimize bias or potential conflict of interest, reviewers must be from outside of the Province of New Brunswick and not have collaborated with or published with the applicant and/or co-applicant(s) on a project in the past five (5) years. Reviewers declare any conflicts of interest prior to reviewing each application.

Alignment Meeting

After external reviews are completed, an alignment meeting will be held between the reviewers and the Program Manager for each round. The purpose of the meeting is to gather additional feedback on applications, provide reviewers with an opportunity to consider other reviewers’ perspectives, address scoring discrepancies, and work toward a general consensus.

Final Approvals

Awards of $200,000 and above require approval from ResearchNB’s Board of Directors after a full external review has been completed. These are reviewed by the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis. The anticipated NOD dates are reflective of these timelines.

Reviewer Feedback

Reviewers are expected to provide feedback to applicants. Feedback from reviewers can be accessed on the portal once NODs are issued.

Reflection Process

Applicants may report an issue or complaint to the Chief Operating Officer in the event that they identify any shortcomings in the review process. While ResearchNB is not able to make changes on award decisions due to budget constraints, we are committed to meeting with researchers one-on-one to address their concerns and take note of any issues to prevent similar situations in the future. The Chief Operating Officer and Program Manager will set up a meeting with the complainant to discuss all questions and concerns.

Post-Award Management

Financial Administration

ResearchNB disburses funding to the administering institution on behalf of the PI when all conditions detailed in the NOD have been met. ResearchNB funding can only be disbursed to eligible research institutions. A list of the approved institutes is shown in Appendix B: Eligible Research Institutions.

In cases where there are named co-applicant(s) who are not employed by the same institution, the funding will be disbursed to the PI’s institution.

Funding Transfers

The PI and their institution may request to transfer a portion of their award to a partner inside or outside of New Brunswick to carry out part of the work described in the application.

For transfers to institutions with a physical location in the Province of New Brunswick, ResearchNB must be notified of the transfer within 30 days of the host institution receiving notice from the PI of the transfer. Transfers to institutions who do not have a physical location in the Province of New Brunswick must be approved by ResearchNB in advance. No more than 49% of the award value may be transferred unless the partner is located at another ResearchNB-eligible institution (see Appendix B: Eligible Research Institutions). In this case, up to 100% of the award value may be transferred. If an amount is transferred, it is recommended that institutions follow the requirements on transfers laid out in the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide.

Once the end date for a grant is reached, any remaining unspent funds (greater than $100) must be returned to ResearchNB.

Extensions

All ResearchNB awards are intended to be used within a specified timeframe, as stated in the NOD.

Applicants may request an extension for up to six months. An extension greater than six months may be considered contingent on satisfactory justification. A written request must be submitted to ResearchNB via the ResearchNB application portal’s Extension Request Form at least 30 days before the original end date of the project. These are automatically made available on the portal 8 weeks before the current status report is due. An extension request can be submitted outside of the status reporting cycle to the ResearchNB Program Manager listed on the funding opportunity, or to researchservices@researchnb.ca.

As indicated in the Extension Request form, all requests must explain the rationale for the extension and provide a date by which the research activities will be completed. If no extension request form is available in the portal, please reach out to ResearchNB at researchservices@researchnb.ca. Exceptions that fall outside of the norms established in these Award Guidelines will be approved by the CEO or COO only.

Changes to Research Proposal

If there are significant changes to the direction of the research beyond what was provided in the original application, these changes must be approved by the Program Manager before activities are started.

Status Reporting

A final status report and a financial report is required at the completion of a grant. Depending on the duration of the award, annual status reports may also be requested. The final status report must be completed within three (3) months of the award end date. Both dates are indicated in the ResearchNB NOD. Dates at which reports are due will be specified in the NOD, though additional reporting may be requested by ResearchNB at any time. This additional reporting will only be requested if there is pressing external demand on ResearchNB (e.g., extra information is requested by the government). If a report outside the normal requirements is requested by ResearchNB, ResearchNB will give ample time for the completion of this request.

A failure to complete mandatory status reporting for previous ResearchNB awards (also including legacy awards from both NBIF and NBHRF) may result in an automatic rejection of a new funding application to ResearchNB.

If the grantee leaves the institution during the course of an award without submitting mandatory reports for the project, the institution’s appropriate administration office assumes responsibility for filing the reports.

Public Communications

ResearchNB may use elements of successful applications in public communications to highlight funded research and innovation. These elements may include the PI’s name, institution, project title, funding program, award value, and the plain-language summary provided in the application.

To support coordinated promotion of research and innovation, ResearchNB asks funding recipients to share draft public communications related to their award for review before publication. Please contact the ResearchNB Program Manager and allow at least two business days for feedback.

Examples of communications that may require review include, but are not limited to:

  • Press releases
  • Media appearances (television, radio, etc.)
  • Podcast interviews
  • Blog posts
  • Social media posts

Funding recipients should also acknowledge ResearchNB in presentations, posters, publications, public statements, or media coverage related to the funded research. Recipients may include the ResearchNB logo or use an acknowledgement statement such as:

  • We are grateful for the support and funding provided by ResearchNB.
  • We thank ResearchNB for supporting this research project.
  • This research is supported by funding from ResearchNB.

Equipment purchased with ResearchNB funding must display the ResearchNB equipment logo prominently on the equipment.

Intellectual Property

ResearchNB takes no position on ownership of intellectual property (IP) and expects institutions and PIs to determine how IP will be managed before commencing a project. If you require IP protection as a part of your research project, please check with ResearchNB Program Managers about specific program guidelines related to these expenses.

Ethics

Research Ethics

All applications where the research involves humans, animals, and/or biohazards, must be approved by the institutional bodies designated with verifying the ethical conduct of research before funding can be disbursed.

Ethics of Responsible Use of AI

ResearchNB aligns with the guidance provided by the Tri-agencies with respect to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the development and review of research applications.

Research Security

ResearchNB aligns with the guidance provided by the Tri-agencies with respect to the sensitive technology research areas and concerns about research activities that collaborate with Named Research Organizations. Organizations outside of the research institution (e.g., non-profit organizations, private sector companies, and patients) may be included as partners on research projects. Non-profit organizations must be registered entities such as charities and foundations, and private sector companies must be legally incorporated entities.

For more information relating to these policies:

  • Tri-agency guidance on the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy)
  • Tri-agency guidance on the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP).

If a project receiving funding from ResearchNB is flagged for a national security assessment by a Tri-agency funder through the Risk Assessment Review Process or by the host institution of the awardee, ResearchNB requires notification from the PI’s research institution within 30 days. This requirement can be met by attaching the Risk Assessment Form to the application (via the ResearchNB portal) or by contacting the Program Manager to discuss the situation and the risk mitigation plan.

Appendix A: 2026-2027 Funding Programs

Program Name
1 Academic Start-up Fund
2 Clinical Fellowships
3 Student Support Fund
4 Research Professional Fund
5 CFI Matching Fund
6 Equipment and Infrastructure Fund
7 Impact Fund
8 Bridging Fund
9 Partnerships for Social Innovation Fund
10 Ideas Advancement Fund

Appendix B: Eligible Research Institutions

Name of Institution Type
Atlantic Cancer Research Institute Research Institute
Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick                      (all campuses and CCNB-INNOV network) College
Centre de formation médicale du                                          Nouveau-Brunswick University
Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick University
Huntsman Marine Science Centre Research Institute
Mount Allison University University
Northern Hardwoods Research Institute Research Institute
New Brunswick Community College (all campuses) College
Research & Productivity Council (RPC) Research Institute
St. Thomas University University
Université de Moncton (all campuses) University
University of New Brunswick (all campuses) University
Valorès Research Institute
Vitalité Health Network Regional Health Authority
Horizon Health Network Regional Health Authority