Trent University Research Development Grant - Office of Research & Innovation

Research Development 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 broad mandate, the Research Development Grant aims to foster and support research and training at Trent University. The maximum award for a Research Development Grant is $7,000 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
Research Program Details
- A 250-word abstract
- Project impact statement (no word limit)
- Need for funding (no word limit)
Supporting Documents
- 3-page proposal (including references) -Text must use a minimum 12 pt font and margins no smaller than ¾ inch.
  - Suggested structure: Project rationale, Objectives, Methodologies, Timelines, HQP training, anticipated academic and non-academic outputs, and how EDI best practices will be incorporated within the team and/or project.
- Budget and budget justification- Download the budget template.
- Curriculum Vitae (no page limit).

2025 Research Development Grant Recipients

Dr. Ali Shafiee, Chemistry, “Advancing Energy-Efficient Electrochemical pH-Swing Methods for Sustainable CO2 Capture”
Dr. Arun Moorthy, Forensic Science, “The 3-shifts algorithm for improved fentanyl identification using mass spectral data”
Dr. Autumn Watkinson, The School of the Environment, “Impact of relocating a recreational beach on nesting and migratory shorebirds at Assateague Island, Virginia”
Dr. Bin Guo, Computer Science, “Secure Distributed Data Graph Analysis: k-core decomposition and maintenance”
Dr. Blair Niblett, School of Education, “Addressing equity and improving mathematics culture and performance by strengthening homeschool connections”
Dr. Cayleih Robertson, Biology, “Evaluating the Impact of Developmental Housing Temperature on Brown Adipose Tissue Phenotype in Lab Mice”
Dr. Erick Laming, Sociology, “Get into Gear: Clandestine Drug Markets and the Methods, Motivations, and Harm Reduction Activities of Research Chemical Users”
Dr. Greg Yerashotis, Sociology, “Sport Under Wraps: Exploring Muslim Girl's Access to and Engagement in Community Recreational Programs”
Dr. Jocelyn Williams, Anthropology, “Diet, Death, and Diaspora: Stable Isotope Analysis of Irish Emigrants in the Aftermath of the Great Famine”
Dr. Nancie Im-Bolter, Psychology, “Modelling and facilitating social interactions: A qualitative analysis of experiential learning in a community setting with young autistic adults”
Dr. Paul Shaffer, International Development Studies, “Inclusive Service Sector-led Growth in the Global South”
Dr. Rasha Wahid, Trent-Fleming School of Nursing, “Designing AI Chatbot for Supporting University Students’ Mental Health”
Dr. Stephanie Tobin, Biology, “Development of photoinduced biocompatible hydrogels as 3D scaffolds for regeneration of skeletal muscle tissue”
Dr. Zoey Chen, Economics, “From Data to Decisions: Exploring the Influence of Information Accuracy on Elderly Migration”

Terms of Reference

Purpose

The Research Development Grant provides Trent University researchers with modest funding to develop preliminary research projects or pilot projects which:

allow for small-scale innovation and experimentation;
enable the hiring and training of students at the undergraduate and graduate levels; and,
lead to the development and submission of larger research proposals to external funders.

Eligibility

The applicant must be:

A tenure-stream academic faculty member or academic librarian, or professor emeritus; or
A Limited Term Appointment (LTA) faculty member provided their contract begins before the application due date and the 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.

Evaluation Criteria

The overarching evaluation criteria are academic excellence and the advancement of knowledge, the value of the training to students, and the demonstrated need for research funds. Applicants must also demonstrate that the grant comprises a component of a larger plan to obtain external funding.

Specific evaluation criteria include:

Academic Excellence and Knowledge Creation: The top priority of the Research Development Grant is the advancement and support of meritorious research. This is defined as research that investigates novel academic ideas, new model systems, tools, or technologies that have the potential to lead to significant academic (and non-academic, when applicable) impact.
Demonstrated Need for Funding and Future Funding Plans: Need must be articulated by applicants in a way which makes clear that they not only currently lack the funding to pursue the proposed research plan, but that they have a specific plan to get (or keep) external funding following the completion of the grant. Researchers should demonstrate how these funds will be leveraged to strengthen their future application and indicate to which external funding agencies/programs they intend to apply.
Feasibility of Innovation and Experimentation: Researchers should clearly indicate how the funding will allow for small-scale innovation and experimentation. Research objectives should be feasible and the proposed timeline should demonstrate that the project can be successfully completed within the period of the award.
Student Training: Researchers should outline how this funding will aid in the professional development of Trent University undergraduate and graduate students. Researchers should provide examples of the tangible benefits for students in developing their own research skills and competencies, including transferrable skills.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: The proposal should explain how equity, diversity, and inclusion have been considered in research practice and design. EDI and related considerations are assessed under two criteria in the Research Development Grant program:
a. EDI in research practice considers the research team and the research environment.
b. Feasibility considers the research plan.
Budget Justification: Budgets must demonstrate the need for funding and only include eligible costs (see below). The budget justification should clearly explain how the award will provide sufficient funding to achieve the project’s objectives. 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

Duration and Value

Trent University Research Development Grants are awarded for a period of 12 months. The maximum award value available for this opportunity shall be determined on an annual basis based on the availability of funds.

Allowable Expenses

The Trent University Research Development Grant provides support for the direct costs of research. Direct costs can include, but are not limited to:

the hiring and training of students;
the hiring of technical personnel;
the actual costs for the use of specialized research equipment;
open access fees for scholarly publications emanating directly from this grant and incurred during the period of the award;
research-related travel (e.g., field work, meetings with co-investigators, travel to libraries and archives); and
supplies not normally provided to researchers by the University.

The program does not provide funding for:

conference travel, workshop travel, or other travel with the primary purpose of research dissemination;
purchasing of specialized research equipment;
regular repair and maintenance of equipment;
user fees for work beyond that required to complete the proposed research;
publication or page charges for any work not directly emanating from this project;
costs related to the defense and publishing of student theses;
academic or professional memberships;
visiting professorships/lectureships; and,
travel costs for leaves, including research and study leaves.

It is expected that at least 35% of the awarded funds will be designated for the hiring and training of Trent University student(s). All student hires must follow university employment procedures and be paid in accordance with the Handbook for Hiring Research Project Personnel. Please refer to the Hiring Personnel website for more information.
All items must be essential to the conduct of the proposed research and must be carefully justified. Expenses incurred or committed prior to the award date, or expenses committed for costs to be incurred after the end date, are not eligible and are not to be included in the proposal budget.
Budget items must comply with the research expenses eligibility guidelines as set out in the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration, 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 annually with the deadline for submission of full applications set at 4:30 pm on December 10th. Should the deadline fall on a weekend, the deadline shall be set as the Monday following the weekend. 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 Research Development 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.

Conditions of the Award

The maximum length of a Trent University Research Development Grant is 12 months, as will be indicated in the award letter. 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 Research Development 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 Research Development Grant must comply with all relevant University policies as they relate to the conduct of research, specifically research involving human participants, animals, biohazards, and/or national security. 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.

All student training funded through this program should incorporate the appropriate dimensions of the Guidelines for Effective Research Training and Trent University student hiring policies and procedures.

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.

It is expected that the projects supported by a Research Development Grant will result in the submission of a research proposal to an external funder within 12 months of project completion.

Books, equipment, and other materials purchased with funding from the Research Development Grant must be available for general research use, as feasible, following the completion of the Grant. All materials purchased from this funding remain the property of Trent University.

Following completion of the research project, or at the termination date of the award, any remaining funds will be returned to the ORI for the next competition. An extension may be granted by the 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 grants are funded through the SSHRC Institutional Grant (SIG) 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.