Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters

Fostering collaboration is a central priority in UBC’s strategic plan. The Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters (GCRC) program was jointly created by the Vice-President Research & Innovation and the Provost & Vice-President Academic to enable the formation and growth of interdisciplinary research excellence clusters.

A research excellence cluster is defined as a network of researchers spanning multiple disciplines at UBC that supports the formation and maturation of interdisciplinary teams that foster partnerships and collaborations, develop new research questions, directions and themes in research creation, addressing key societal and cultural problems that transcend traditional boundaries, offering training opportunities for postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, and integrating principles of equity, diversity and inclusion within their activities

These grants are specifically targeted to catalyze activities that facilitate the advancement of research, thereby enabling clusters to produce a greater impact. They are intended to leverage external funding opportunities, facilitate partnerships, and to enhance research training. Researchers from all disciplines are invited to apply for funding.

GCRC competitions are open to clusters led by researchers at our Vancouver campus and affiliated hospital sites. 

2025/26 Competition

There will only be one competition in the winter for 2025/26 GCRC. New clusters and eligible clusters funded by previous GCRC competitions are invited to apply.

Reminders for this year’s competition due to approved program revisions

• Clusters will no longer be divided into emerging and established categories; a cluster will be designated as either new (i.e., never received GCRC funding) or as returning (i.e., previously funded through GCRC funds)
  • New clusters will receive up to $100,000; returning clusters will receive up to $200,000; grant terms for both cluster categories are for either one or two years.
  • New cluster applications will be adjudicated in a separate pool from returning clusters, and will be assessed based on the relative maturity of their collaboration.
• Clusters are limited to three cycles of funding, i.e., have received GCRC funding through three competitions, regardless of cluster category. Note: Clusters that have previously received three or more cycles of GCRC funding, whether they are currently or not currently funded, are no longer eligible to apply for future GCRC funding.
• There will be greater emphasis on the funding goals clusters will work towards. Furthermore, once funding goals have been achieved, GCRC funding will conclude, to make opportunities open to others. 
• In addition to our standard review panels (STEM, health, and social sciences, humanities, and creative and performing arts), we will include a fourth panel for interdisciplinary clusters that span two or more of these domains.

Application and Selection Process

Online Application Process

To apply to the GCRC competition, the cluster lead must log in to VPRI’s online application system UBC Research + Innovation Apply using their campus wide login (CWL), and follow the instructions provided to submit a brief notice of intent (NOI) to apply. Once the NOI is submitted, applicants will receive access to the full application. When the full application is initiated, the cluster lead may invite co-applicants with a CWL to contribute using the “add collaborator” button located in the left side block. Applications can be saved and completed at a later date before final submission, and can be downloaded as a PDF at any time. Each section must be marked as complete before the lead applicant can submit the application. Sections marked as complete can be re-opened for editing, prior to submission, by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner of the section and selecting “edit task”. Note: only the lead applicant will be able to submit the NOI and full application, and will receive a confirmation message upon successful submission.     

A completed and signed Research Project Information Form (RPIF) must be uploaded as part of the application.

Researchers are invited to submit an application that demonstrates how the requested funding will be used to create and/or advance a research excellence cluster. Clusters should seek to generate new opportunities for collaborative research, scholarship and/or artistic creation. The outcomes achieved with GCRC funds may vary among applications (e.g., new partnerships, international collaborations, community engagement, etc.), but a strong case should be made for the value of those outcomes to the proposed research cluster and demonstrate how GCRC funding will be used to achieve them. Clusters must also provide detail on their pursuit of extramural funding opportunities that will enable their future sustainability.

Applications include the following components:

• Notice of Intent (NOI) due Nov 1, 2024
  • An administrative NOI is required to enable the recruitment of reviewers and coordinate potentially overlapping applications. It is not adjudicated. Once the cluster lead submits the NOI, the full application will become available, and is due 11:59 pm Jan 8, 2025. Details of the full application are below.
• Cluster Lead Applicant Information
• Proposal Narrative
  • Describe the research themes, new directions for research, scholarship and/or artistic creation that form the basis for the proposed cluster (800 words max).
  • Complete the table of confirmed team members, collaborators, and partners (min 5 people, max 15 people).
  • Describe the role confirmed team members, collaborators and partners will have in the cluster, including objective measures of the team’s excellence in research, scholarship and/or artistic creation (1000 words max).
  • Returning clusters will have additional space to provide evidence of previous teamwork among cluster team members (e.g., collaborating on team grants, co-publishing, and co-supervising students), and how this will enable the proposed research goals to be met (600 words max). Note: this section will only be visible after the applicant marks the first section "Applicant Information" complete.
  • Describe the cluster's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as it applies to cluster membership, proposed activities and research themes (400 words max; please refer to our updated GCRC EDI Guide for Applicants).
  • Articulate the cluster's goals and expected outcomes, including funding goals for future sustainability and a project timeline (800 words max).
  • Describe the cluster’s knowledge exchange activities, including the change or impact desired resulting from the cluster’s research, and identify target audiences and potential collaborators (400 words max; for additional knowledge exchange resources please see the knowledge exchange resource guide).
  • 1 page max for references and 1 page max for figures and tables uploaded as PDFs (both are optional and have strict formatting instructions that must be adhered to or they will not be reviewed).
• Budget Justification (800 words max)
• Trainee Stipend (optional, 500 words max)
  • To enhance training as part of cluster activities, new clusters may apply to use up to $30,000 of their cluster grant for trainee stipends. Returning clusters may apply to use up to $60,000 of their cluster grant for trainee stipends. These training activities must support research projects that advance the cluster’s goals and outcomes.
  • Applicants must provide a brief description of the research project(s) and role(s) that the trainee(s) will play in support of your cluster goals and proposed outcome, and how this will mutually benefit both the cluster and the trainee(s); and
  • Provide a brief description of the access the trainee(s) will have to research training support, mentorship and career development.
• Outcomes Report (required for all previously funded clusters for their most recent GCRC). Note: The outcomes form will be visible upon marking the first section "Applicant Information" complete. All sections can be marked as complete then re-opened for editing if needed by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner of the section and selecting “edit task”.   
• Completed and signed Research Project Information Form uploaded as a PDF. Lead applicant, Department Head, and if applicable, Centre Director and/or Dean's signature required. ORS signature is NOT required.

Eligibility

The lead applicant must be a UBC Vancouver faculty member eligible to hold Tri-Agency funding. Clusters may include non-faculty researchers, and we encourage clusters to include researchers from both UBC campuses, and affiliated hospital sites, as appropriate. Researchers may be members of more than one cluster, but can only be the nominated lead on one application per competition. 

Currently and previously funded clusters whose project term lengths have ended or will end by March 2025, and have received fewer than three GCRCs in their lifetime are eligible to apply.    

All clusters must apply as either a new or returning cluster, and must choose a one- or two-year project term. The two-year term is designed to allow more flexibility for planning and spending the awarded budget. Please note that there is no budget increase if a two-year term is chosen. Applicants selecting a two-year budget term will not be eligible to apply to a potential 2026/27 GCRC competition.

Clusters that have achieved their stated funding goal(s) and have been awarded major external funding grants (e.g., SSHRC Partnership grants, NSERC CREATE grants, NFRF Transformation grants, CFREF) are no longer eligible to apply for GCRC funding. 

If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact Stacey Herzer (stacey.herzer@ubc.ca) to discuss it.

Direct costs of research are ineligible. Clusters may choose to use a portion of their funding to support trainees by completing the trainee stipend section of the application.

Grant Details

Lead applicants from all disciplines are invited to apply. Applicants will be asked to identify their proposed cluster as either new or returning for adjudication. Proposals for new clusters will be adjudicated separately from returning ones.

General characteristics and potential catalytic activities for clusters are presented here for illustrative purposes: