Trent University Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant - Office of Research & Innovation

Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant

The broad mandate of internal grants is to support faculty research programs and encourage them in preparing and applying for external funding opportunities. Aligned with this mandate, the Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant is designed to stimulate and encourage the communication of research results both within and beyond the academic community. This supports active faculty participation at scholarly conferences and other dissemination venues, and the organization of small-scale knowledge mobilization activities. The maximum award for a Knowledge Mobilization Grant is $3,000 for a period of 12 months.

Applications for the 2026 competition are now open. The deadline to submit is December 10, 2025, by 4:30 PM EST.

Online Application Process

Applications to the Internal Research Grants Program are to be submitted via the myTrent portal: sign in to myTrent and then click "Services" and then "Learning and Research." Open the “Internal Research Grants” folder beside the eFin and Romeo logos and follow directions there to submit the application.

The online application consists of several sections:

General Information
Knowledge Mobilization Activity Details (no word limit) - Scope of the activity, applicant’s role in the proposed activity, and confirmation of that role, broader significance of your participation on the target audiences, how the activity will support the direction and growth of your research program, need for funding, and how this internal funding will help lead to external funding opportunities.
Supporting Documents
- Confirmation of role in the conference (if the activity is a conference)
- Abstract of papers (if the activity is a conference)
- Any other documents deemed necessary for other proposed activities (e.g., workshops, podcasts, etc.)
- Budget and budget justification- Download the budget template.
- Curriculum Vitae (no page limit).

Spring 2025 Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant Recipients

Dr. Adwoa Onuora, Sociology, “Black 2SLGBTQ+ Youth Navigating the Dis/Comfort of Home Place”
Dr. Andrew Vreugdenhil, Chemistry, “Building on Carbon Symposium at Canadian Society for Chemistry National Conference”
Dr. Anne Corkery, School of Education, “Nature-based climate change education workshop series”
Dr. Barbara Wall, Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, “Celebration of Relationship: Bineshiinyag, Anishinaabeg miinawaa miijim”
Dr. Beatrice Anane-Bediakoh, Sociology/Criminology, “Living Otherwise: Black geographies and question of livability"
Dr. Elizabeth Torrens, Sociology/Criminology, “International University Partnerships: COIL Connections and Research Capacity”
Dr. Haroon Akram-Lodhi, Global Justice and Development, “Gender gaps in agricultural productivity and reproductive labour in Uganda”
Dr. Jenifer Hendel, Chemistry, “Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition (CSC 2025) in Ottawa : Speaker in the Frontiers in Glycobiology and Carbohydrate Synthesis Session”
Dr. Jennifer Bates, School of Education, “Making Meaning in the 21st Century: The use of visual modalities to improve critical thinking andengagement for dyslexic students”
Dr. Jie Zhang, Trent School of Business, “Is There an Optimal Financing Strategy for Corporate Innovation?"
Dr. Karen Blair, Psychology, “FemCite: Supporting Knowledge Mobilization for Femininities Scholarship”
Dr. Kat Clark, Mathematics & Statistics, "Outliers in Model-Based Clustering”
Dr. Lauren Hill, School of Education, “The Informed Educator Podcast: Research and Teaching in the Anthropocene”
Dr. Mikhail Genkin, Computer Science, “Enabling Autonomic Smart Buildings”
Dr. Rob Elkington, School of Business, “The Influence of the Ubuntu Diversity Icebreaker on Leadership & Followership Dynamics in a Large Norwegian Municipality: An Exploratory Study”
Dr. Sasan Issari, Social Work, “Creating more de/anti-colonizing and inclusive social work curriculums and pedagogy”
Dr. Stephanie Rutherford, Trent School of the Environment, “Environmental Justice Map of Peterborough: Mobilizing Knowledge for Change”
Dr. Valerie Damasco, Sociology, “Presentation at the 5th International Sociological Association (ISA) Forum of Sociology

Terms of Reference

Purpose

The Trent University Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant, administered by the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI), aims to stimulate and encourage the communication of research results both within and beyond the academic community.

The dissemination of research results is a vital component of demonstrating capacity in Tri- Agency proposals. This grant will support active faculty participation at scholarly conferences and other dissemination venues, and the organization of small-scale knowledge mobilization activities, such as workshops and seminars, that encourage collaboration and the dissemination of research at the local, national and international levels. A clear explanation of how the activities link to future external grant applications is expected.

The Trent University Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant will support eligible researchers who require:

Travel funding to events where the applicant is taking an active role, normally as an invited speaker or through the presentation of a scholarly paper at a conference/event for which abstracts are reviewed by the conference/event committee; and/or
Funding to organize a workshop or research meeting that will assist in the development of future research grant applications; funding for events to mobilize knowledge generated by the applicant's current funded research program; or, funding to organize an event that will support research capacity. Preference will be given to events held at Trent.

Note:

This grant does not provide funding support for poster presentations.
Applicants awaiting confirmation of participation from conference organizers at the time of application should indicate this in their application form; funding may be awarded pending confirmation.
Applications are eligible only for future conferences or events taking place after the respective decision date. Each application may request support for one conference or event only. Results of the winter competition will be shared in late February, and results of the spring competition will be shared in early July.
For KMG applicants who also apply for a SSHRC Connection Grant and intend to use KMG funds as matching contributions, funding approval will be subject to SSHRC confirmation.

Eligibility

The applicant must be:

A tenure-stream academic faculty member or academic librarian, or professor emeritus; or
A Limited Term Appointment (LTA) provided their contract end-date falls after the grant end-date.

Applicants may submit only one application as the Primary Investigator to either the Research Development Grant or Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant competition per calendar year. Applicants must not currently hold any active internal Research Development Grants or Knowledge Mobilization Research Grants at the time of the application.

Applicants who were successful in the previous internal grant competition need to:

demonstrate submission of external funding applications following a successful internal grant; and
submit a final report for a completed internal grant.

Starting with the 2027 competition, applicants who were successful in the previous Research Development Grant or Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant will be ineligible to apply for one year. Eligibility is reinstated in the following competition year.

The subject matter of the proposed project or activity must be consistent with the mandate of the Tri-Agency indicated in the application. For more information, please see Tri-Agency Subject Matter Eligibility.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be adjudicated on the following criteria:

Demonstrated need for funding and justification of expenses (budget): Specify whether other funding sources are available; if additional funding has already been secured, provide a clear rationale for requesting supplementary support.
Budgets must only include eligible costs (see below), and each budget line should be explicitly detailed, including breakdowns where appropriate, and the proposed budget should be reasonable and cost-effective.
Please use this template for all internal research grant applications: Internal Research Grant Budget Template
Contribution to Research Program and External Funding Potential: explain how the proposed conference will help develop the applicant’s research trajectory and directly support the preparation of future external funding applications.
Impact: describe the broader significance of the event or initiative, including its anticipated influence on target audiences, academic or non-academic communities, and its role in enhancing knowledge exchange or research visibility.

Duration and Value

The Trent University Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant is for a period of 12 months. The maximum award for this opportunity is $3,000.

Allowable Expenses

Allowable expenses include, but are not limited to:

Transportation costs, conference registration fees, accommodation, and subsistence costs for the duration of the conference for those presenting at the conference;
Travel, accommodation, and subsistence for those hosting events funded by the grant;
Costs associated with the publication of outcomes from Knowledge Mobilization events such as:
- Indexing (manuscripts/edited collections);
- Website development;
- Social media and media campaigns; and
- Policy summaries and recommendations
Costs associated with other knowledge mobilization activities (e.g., podcasts)

The following activities are not eligible for funding:

Research activities (e.g., literature reviews, field work, data collection, and interviews);
Development of stand-alone volumes;
Annual general meetings or any other activity directly related to an association’s business meetings;
Open access fees/ article processing charges;
Book launches or similar report dissemination;
Receptions for association members; and
Any activities normally paid for by an association's operating fees
Expenses related to the student's conference participation.

Budget items must comply with the research expenses eligibility guidelines as set out in the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide, or any related document as may be amended by the Tri-Agency, as well as Trent University’s financial policies and procedures, including but not limited to the following:

Application Process

An open competition shall be held twice a year, with the first competition due for full application submissions set at 4:30 p.m. on December 10th. Should the deadline fall on a weekend, the deadline shall be set as the Monday following the weekend. The second competition will be announced in spring, should ORI have funds available. Applications will be submitted electronically in a format that shall be directed by ORI.

Evaluation Process

Applications for this internal research grant are reviewed and adjudicated by the members of the appropriate internal Research Grant Subcommittee (Health Studies and Sciences; Natural Sciences; Social Sciences and Humanities). Applicants must select one primary category (CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC) when submitting their application to ensure it is assigned to the correct subcommittee for review and adjudication.

ORI will convene the research grants subcommittees to review and rank the applications for their scholarly merit, relevance, and compatibility with the research priorities of the fund. Funding will be administered by ORI based on subcommittee recommendations and the availability of funding. The evaluation grid for the Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant can be accessed from this link.

If a subcommittee member submits an application, that application will be reviewed by another subcommittee regardless of the research area.

Priority for this Grant will be given to applications that involve:

Knowledge mobilization activities that engage with an academic/ professional audience at local, national, and international levels; and/or
Activities that allow for the development of meaningful relationships and network building that will lead to future funded collaboration(s); and/or
Activities that disseminate research knowledge to non-academic communities in an inclusive, accessible manner.

Conditions of the Award

Successful applicants can hold only either a Research Development Grant or a Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant at any given time. Larger projects should not be funded simultaneously through multiple small grants from the internal grants program.

The Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant funds can only be used for the project and purposes described in the application, taking into consideration any suggestions or restrictions provided in the award letter. Any variance to the project budget must be approved in advance by the ORI. Please send your request to researchsupport@trentu.ca.

Research supported by the Trent University Knowledge Mobilization Research Grant must comply with all relevant University policies as they relate to the conduct of research, specifically research involving animals, human participants, or biohazards. Researchers are responsible for submitting applications for the appropriate approvals prior to beginning the work, and funds will only be released once the ethics compliance has been confirmed.

The award recipient is responsible for the use of the funds and for any over-expenditure of research accounts. Expenditures must comply with the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration regulations concerning the use of research funds and must be made in accordance with standard University financial procedures, including those related to travel, employment, and hospitality (where applicable).

Following completion of the research project, the successful applicant must submit an end of grant report to the Office of Research and Innovation. The report is due no later than three (3) months following the end of the grant date. Please submit the report to researchsupport@trentu.ca.

Following completion of the research project/activity, or at the termination date of the award, any remaining funds will be returned to ORI for the next competition. An extension may be granted by ORI should justification detailing reasons for the delay be submitted at least one month before the end date. Please send your request to researchsupport@trentu.ca.

Grant recipients whose research projects fall within disciplines mandated by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council will have their awards appropriately branded as a SSHRC Exchange Grant in acknowledgement of the contribution made by the SSHRC Institutional Grant (SIG). These recipients must acknowledge SSHRC’s support in any outputs by including the following, “[Researcher’s name or project name] is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.” This requirement will be stated in relevant notices of award. However, on CVs and any grant applications, it must be stated that Trent University is the funder and the grant is an internal award.

Appeals

The university research subcommittees (Health Studies and Sciences; Natural Sciences; Social Sciences and Humanities) will not consider appeals of their decision.