Catalyst Grant

*** Please note: The deadline for this call has now passed. Thank you to all the applicants and for your interest. The below information is being left up for reference.***

Overview
Tier 1 Value & Duration	Up to CDN $100,000 for 1 to 2 years
Tier 2 Value & Duration	Up to CDN $50,000 for 1 to 2 years
LOI Deadline	This competition is currently closed to new proposals.
Invite to submit full proposal	Late August/early September
Full Proposal Deadline	November 1, 2024 23:59 ET
Notifications	Late December/early January

Purpose

The Catalyst Grant program is a competitive seed funding program for multidisciplinary teams forming a Collaborative Research Team (CRT) which supports two tiers of awards. All Catalyst Grants are expected to align with the Data Sciences Institute (DSI) mission to catalyze the transformative nature of data sciences across all disciplines, in fair and ethical ways, to drive positive social change.

Tier 1: up to $100,000. Funding from Tier 1 supports CRTs focused on the development of novel statistical or computational tools or the application of existing methodology in innovative ways. Data sciences is defined as the science of collecting, manipulating, storing, visualizing, learning from and extracting useful information from data in a reproducible, fair, and ethical way.

Tier 2: up to $50,000. Funding from Tier 2 supports projects that align with Tier 1 criteria but are feasible with a more modest budget. Proposals submitted to Tier 2 can also include projects that foster a robust exchange of knowledge between data scientists and qualitative or applied researchers working in fields where there is identified unmet need to implement advanced data science methods. Ideal projects should propose creative applications of data science methodologies to discipline-specific research questions, expanding the possibilities for innovative research across disciplines. Examples of such applications include random forests in ecology, NLP in literary analysis, multilevel modeling in education research, survival analysis in sociology, topic modeling in the humanities, and causal modeling in the social sciences. Projects can focus on data science analysis in traditionally qualitative fields, digital humanities, high impact computational transformations of quantitative approaches, and infrastructure and data linkage for field-specific datasets. Unlike Tier 1, the proposed data science methodologies themselves need not be novel or innovative, but their application in a given disciplinary context must be. Applicants can select which tier they are applying for on the application form’s Administrative Information tab.

CRTs must include at least two PIs. This can be one domain expert and one methods expert, or two methods experts from different fields working together. At least one PI should apply as the Nominated Principal Investigator (NPI); all other PIs on a proposal should apply as Co-PIs. Researchers can only apply to the program as a PI on one proposal per round. CRTs can include Co-Investigators (Co-Is) to incorporate experts who are (a) not eligible for DSI funding or (b) applying as a PI on a different proposal. Co-investigators can be appointed at any Canadian or International institution and may be listed as a co-investigator on multiple submissions.

A proportion of the Catalyst Funding is prioritized for research projects that align with the DSI Thematic Programs.

To encourage new CRTs, a proportion of funding will be set aside for new collaborations. We define a new team as one where all permutations of project PIs have not received funding or published together in the past five years.

The DSI is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

DSI-Leong Centre Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Child Health Equity

The DSI is pleased to partner with the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children to co-fund Catalyst Grants focused on innovative and novel data science in child health equity. CRTs can indicate that they are applying for the DSI-Leong Centre Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Child Health Equity on the application form’s Administrative Information tab.

Please note that the eligibility requirements for the DSI-Leong Centre Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Child Health Equity are expanded for CRTs to include Leong Centre scientists and researcher members who are not currently at DSI partner institutions as Co-PIs. NPIs on these applications be eligible to hold DSI funding as outlined in the Eligibility section below. All team members must be DSI and Leong Centre members.

DSI-Temerty Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Medicine and Health

The DSI is pleased to partner with the Temerty Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education in Medicine (T-CAIREM) to co-fund Catalyst Grants focused on innovative and novel data science methodologies in medicine and health. CRTs can indicate that they are applying for the DSI-Temerty Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Medicine and Health on the application form’s Administrative Information tab.

Please note that the eligibility requirements for the DSI-Temerty Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Medicine and Health are expanded for CRTs to include T-CAIREM scientists and researchers who are not currently at DSI partner institutions as Co-PIs. NPIs on these applications must have a budgetary appointment at the University of Toronto.

DSI-TISS Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Sport Analytics

The DSI is pleased to partner with the Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport (TISS) to co-fund Catalyst Grants focused on innovative and novel data science in sport and sport analytics. CRTs can indicate that they are applying for the DSI-TISS Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Sport Analytics on the application form’s Administrative Information tab.

How to Apply

Applicant Eligibility

Catalyst Grant

PIs must have a budgetary appointment at the University of Toronto (U of T) or at a DSI external funding partner institution.

Faculty budgetary appointments for U of T are continuing, full-time academic appointments with salary commitments from a U of T academic unit.
PIs must be eligible to hold research funding at the University of Toronto or external funding partners.
All PIs must be registered members of DSI.
At least one PI must have a research focus in computational or data science methodology. A computational or data scientist may include individuals working in foundational data science disciplines such as statistics, mathematics, engineering, information sciences, and computer science, or individuals engaged in big data-driven research, such as computational biology, computational social sciences, or digital humanities. This is not an exhaustive list and applicants may provide justification for their role as a computational or data scientist in a CRT as needed. Co-PIs from the same unit can apply as long as they represent different disciplinary areas.
Researchers can only apply to the program as a PI on one proposal per round.
PIs must be members of the DSI to be eligible for funding. See here to join.
CRTs can include Co-Investigators (Co-Is) to incorporate experts who are (a) not eligible for DSI funding or (b) applying as a PI on a different proposal. Co-investigators can be appointed at any Canadian or International institution and may be listed as a co-investigator on multiple submissions.

DSI-Temerty Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Medicine and Health

For submissions to the DSI-Temerty Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Medicine and Health, CRT NPIs should follow the typical Catalyst Grant eligibility requirements listed above. For Co-PIs, the eligibility requirements are expanded for CRTs to include T-CAIREM scientists and researchers who are not currently at DSI partner institutions as Co-PIs.

DSI-Leong Centre Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Child Health Equity

For submissions to the DSI-Leong Centre Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Child Health Equity, CRT NPIs should follow the typical Catalyst Grant eligibility requirements listed above. For Co-PIs, the eligibility requirements are expanded for CRTs to include Leong Centre scientists and researcher members who are not currently at DSI partner institutions as Co-PIs. All team members must be DSI and Leong Centre members.

Application Process

Applications are submitted via the DSI Good Grants application portal.

The application is divided into tabs; each tab includes a set of instructions and fields to fill out. These instructions are also highlighted below.

LOI Stage

Applicants will need to complete the following fields.

Tab 1: Start Here

Project Title

Enter a title for your proposal

Tab 2: Administrative Information

Abstract

Enter a short abstract (200 words max).

Abstract

Enter domain and methodology keywords for your proposal.

Tier

Indicate the tier of funding that your team is applying for.

Amount

Indicate the total amount of funds that your team is requesting within that tier

Duration

Indicate the duration of funding (1 or 2 years).

Review Panel

Select the preferred review panel to adjudicate.

Humanities/Social Sciences
Life Sciences
Physical Sciences

CRT Category

Indicate whether this Collaborative Research Team (CRT) is a new collaboration (i.e. all permutations of listed PIs have not published or held funding together in the past five years).

Thematic Program Alignment

Indicate whether or not your proposal aligns with the DSI's thematic programs in Inequity and/or Reproducibility. Selecting one or both of these options sets the expectation that the proposal will indicate how the project will actively advance work in these areas in B. Impact & Alignment on the Proposal tab.

Co-Sponsored Grant Submission

Indicate whether your proposal is eligible for and being submitted to the available co-sponsored Catalyst Grant opportunities.

DSI-Temerty Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Medicine and Health
DSI-TISS Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Sport Analytics

Tab 3: PI Information

You will need the following information for each PI:

Role (NPI or Co-PI)
Name
Email
Institution
Division (if applicable)
Unit (if applicable)

Tab 4: Co-I Information

You will need the following information for each Co-I:

Name
Institution
Division (if applicable)
Unit (if applicable)

Tab 5: Proposal

A. Rationale, Objectives, & Goals

Describe the project rationale, objectives, and goals in a way that creates a clear understanding of the significant need for the research and a keen interest in the results (200 words max).

B. Impact & Alignment

Describe the project impact and alignment with the DSI mission (200 words max). If applicable, provide information on the following:

Project alignment with the DSI Thematic Programs in Inequity and/or Reproducibility.
Project alignment with the sub-call for selected co-sponsored Catalyst Grants as indicated in Co-Sponsored Catalyst Grant Alignment on the Administrative Information tab.

If Inequity and/or Reproducibility have been selected in Thematic Program Alignment on the Administrative Information tab, proposals should explain how they will actively advance work in the selected area(s) and this explanation should be reflected in the proposal's responses to C and D below.

C. Research Design & Methods

Describe the research design, methods, and approach used by your project. Explain how the project is relevant for data science applications by either (a) developing novel statistical or computational tools or (b) making innovative use of existing methods (300 words max).

D. EDI in Research Design & Methods

Describe the impact that your project's research design and methods will have on EDI and explain how the corresponding proposed outcomes align with the DSI's EDI Statement (150 words max). Responses can focus on the following:

Data sources
Data collection
Methods
Interpretations of findings
Community engagement in research and/or disseminations of findings

If some or all of these EDI components are not relevant for the proposed project, please provide an explanation. The explanation will be assessed by the evaluation panel to determine the weight of this question to your overall score (0 to 100%).

E. EDI in Collaboration, Recruitment, & Training

Describe the impact that your collaboration, recruitment, and training activities will have on EDI and explain how these outcomes align with the DSI's EDI Statement (150 words max). Responses can focus on the following:

Recruitment
Training
Collaboration, leadership, & team interactions

Unlike Section D, some or all of these EDI components will be relevant for all proposed projects.

Figures

Upload up to one .pdf page of figures for this proposal.

Unit Head Signatures

Please fill out the provided template, convert to .pdf, and upload the unit head signatures for each PI on the application. A single page with all signatures is preferred, but multiple forms can be merged into a single .pdf and uploaded.

Tab 6: CVs

Using the provided template, upload the PI's CV.

Demographic Survey

Once the applicant has submitted their component of the application on or before July 12, they will receive a confirmation email that includes a proposal-specific link to a Demographic Survey. While this survey is required, when filling it out respondents have the option to select “Prefer not to answer” for all questions. All PIs on an application must fill this survey out, and have until July 19 to fill out the survey. Please note that the survey link is tied to the proposal, and all demographic information in our database is tied to past proposals and not to individual applicants. In other words, PIs who have filled out this survey in the past must fill it out again for this proposal.

Full Proposal Stage

If a team is invited to submit a full proposal, they will be able to resume work on the submitted LOI. Two changes to the form will occur. First, the following sections will have their word counts increased:

Rationale, Objectives, & Goals (350)
Impact & Alignment (350)
Research Design & Methods (1400)
EDI in Research Design & Methods (350)
EDI in Collaboration, Recruitment, & Training(350)

Second, additional fields will be added to the Proposal tab:

F. Roles, Expertise, & Collaboration

Describe the complementary disciplinary academic contributions of the CRT members and any trainees who will be involved (300 words max). Please include a collaboration and training plan that will be used to meet project goals (e.g. joint research group meetings).

G. Timeline & Milestones

Describe the project's timeline and indicate any milestones or other metrics of success that will signal that the project has achieved its objectives and goals (500 words max).

H. Feasibility & Budget

Describe the feasibility of your study and provide a budget justification (350 words max).

Funds can be used to support student research assistantships ("RAs"), student stipends, research staff salaries, data access, data generation, cloud computing and/or storage, and fees (conference registrations, open access publication costs, etc.).
Funds cannot be used for equipment or administrative salaries.
Eligible expenses must align with U of T's Guide to Financial Management.

I. References

Include up to one page of references for this proposal (500 words max).

Notes

Teams are welcome to add new Co-PIs and Co-Is to the team for the full proposal stage provided the following:

All PIs must be eligible based on the eligibility requirements outlined above (including that PIs can only be eligible for one proposal).
New PIs must fill out the Demographic Survey, update the Unit Head Signature form, and submit a CV.
New Co-Is must submit a CV.

Evaluation and Selection Process

A set of Review Panels will be formed to evaluate LOIs and full proposals received by the submission deadline. Please find the scoring criteria and adjudication rubrics for each round here:

Please note the following:

Proposals receiving a score of zero for question B. Impact & Alignment during the LOI review phase will automatically be removed from consideration for funding. (For clarity, this remains true at the full proposal stage; however, projects that are invited to submit a full proposal will have demonstrated alignment.)
Proposals receiving a score of poor or fair on both D. EDI in Research Design & Methods and E. EDI in Collaboration, Recruitment during the full proposal review phase will be removed from consideration for funding. Please keep the following in mind:
- LOI proposals will receive feedback on responses to both questions.
- Resources on writing EDI responses are available. Please contact us if you require help filling out these sections.
- For teams where all or part of D does not apply to your proposed project, please provide an explanation. The explanation will be assessed by the evaluation panel to determine the weight of this question to your overall score (0 to 100%).

Templates and Forms

All application materials can be submitted directly onto the form. Certain fields on the form ask for uploads and require the following templates:

How to Apply

Eligibility

Each Nominated Principal Investigator (NPI) and Co-PI must have a budgetary appointment at the University of Toronto (U of T) or at a DSI external funding partner institution. Current external funding partner institutions: Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, University Health Network, The Hospital for Sick Children, Unity Health Toronto and Baycrest.*  Faculty budgetary appointments for U of T are continuing, full-time academic appointments with salary commitments from a U of T academic unit.
NPIs and Co-PIs must also be eligible to hold research funding at the University of Toronto or external funding partners.
Applicants must form and apply as a CRT. CRTs are multidisciplinary research teams composed of at least two co-PIs, one of whom serves as the nominated PI (NPI). CRTs can represent new or existing research collaborations. There is no limit to the number of Co-PIs or co-investigators in a CRT.
At least one Co-PI must have a research focus in computational or data science methodology. A computational or data scientist may include individuals working in foundational data science disciplines such as statistics, mathematics, engineering, information sciences, and computer science, or individuals engaged in big data-driven research, such as computational biology, computational social sciences, or digital humanities. This is not an exhaustive list and applicants may provide justification for their role as a computational or data scientist in a CRT, if applicable. Co-PIs from the same unit can apply, as long as they represent different disciplinary areas.
Researchers can be a Co-PI on only ONE submitted application in each DSI competition.
NPI and Co-PIs must be members of the DSI. CRTs with Co-PIs who are not members of the DSI will not be eligible for funding. See here to join.
CRTs may also include faculty members as co-investigators. Co-investigators can be appointed at any institution in Canada or Internationally. Researchers may be listed as a co-investigator on multiple submissions.
For applications to the DSI-Temerty Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Medicine and Health, Co-PI eligibility is expanded to include scientists and researchers who are T-CAIREM members. Co-PIs with primary budgetary appointments at non-DSI partner institutions should select “Other” when asked to select their institution and will then be given the option to include their institution in a text box. CRT members should be members of both DSI and T-CAIREM.
Please note that this expansion of eligibility requirements only applies to applications for the DSI-Temerty Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Medicine and Health.

* If you wish to be a Co-PI of a CRT and your primary budgetary appointment is not at U of T or a DSI external funding partner, please email us at awards.dsi@utoronto.ca to discuss how your organization can partner with us and become eligible for DSI funding and supports.

Submission Process

Stage 1: Letter of Intent (LOI) – Deadline July 15, 2022, 11:59 pm ET.

Eligible LOIs received by the deadline will be reviewed and only successful CRTs will be invited to submit a full application.

The LOI includes an online form and a merged .pdf that includes the written component of the application and CVs for all PIs.

If the NPI or the person uploading the information on the NPI’s behalf has a UTOR account, please use this Online Application. The online form will allow you to upload a merged .pdf file with the written component of your LOI.
If the NPI does not have a UTOR account, please use this Online Application. It does not include the option to upload your file. Please complete the form, submit, and then mail your merged .pdf file directly to awards.dsi@utoronto.ca
with the subject [NPI Name] CG LOI.

Applicants will need the following information to complete the online form portion of the LOI:

Project title.
Project abstract (maximum 200 words).
If applicable, whether the CRT is new (i.e., NPI and Co-PI(s) have not collaborated, shared funding, or published with each other in the past five years).
Whether your CRT is applying for the DSI-Temerty Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Medicine and Health.
If applicable, whether the proposal aligns with the following programs:
1. Thematic Program in Inequity
2. Thematic Program in Reproducibility
Which of the following divisions the project falls into:
1. Humanities
2. Social Sciences
3. Physical Sciences
4. Life Sciences
Names, affiliations, emails, and Unit Head names for the NPI and Co-PIs.
Optional: If confirmed, names, affiliations, and emails for Co-Investigators.

Applicants should include the following components in a merged .pdf named [NPI Name]_CG_LOI.pdf:

Catalyst Grant Letter of Intent form, including:
1. Project Rationale, Goals, and Objective: Brief overview of your project (maximum 1/3 page).
2. Project Impact and Alignment: Explain your project’s alignment to the DSI mission. Where applicable, discuss your project’s research topic in relation to a DSI thematic program in Inequity and Reproducibility (maximum 2/3 page).
3. Research Approach and Methods: Brief overview of the methods that you will use, noting how your project will develop novel methodology or innovatively applies existing approaches (maximum 1 page).
Abbreviated CVs of NPI and Co-PIs (three-page maximum using required format for each). Please use the template provided here. Required sections:
1. brief personal statement,
2. affiliations and positions,
3. contributions to research, and
4. additional information, if any.

* Please note that page lengths include any figures.

Stage 2: Catalyst Grant full application – Deadline November 4, 2022, 11:59 pm ET.

Only successful LOI applicants will be asked to submit a full application by November 4, 2022, by 11:59 pm ET.

The full application includes an online form and a merged .pdf that includes the written component of the application and CVs for all PIs.

If the NPI or the person uploading the information on the NPI’s behalf has a UTOR account, please use this Online Application. The online form will allow you to upload a merged .pdf file with the written component of your application.
If the NPI does not have a UTOR account, please use this Online Application. This form does not include the option to upload your file. Please complete the form, submit, and then mail your merged .pdf file directly to awards.dsi@utoronto.ca
with the subject [NPI Name] CG Application.

Applicants will need the following information to complete the online form portion of the application, ensuring to note any changes to the team or project information since the LOI stage:

Project title.
Project abstract (maximum 200 words).
If applicable, whether the CRT is new (i.e., NPI and Co-PI(s) have not collaborated, shared funding, or published with each other in the past five years).
Whether your CRT is applying for the DSI-Temerty Catalyst Grant for Data Science in Medicine and Health.
If applicable, whether the proposal aligns with the following programs:
1. Thematic Program in Inequity
2. Thematic Program in Reproducibility
Which of the following divisions the project falls into:
1. Humanities
2. Social Sciences
3. Physical Sciences
4. Life Sciences
Names, affiliations, emails, and Unit Head names for the NPI and Co-PIs.
Names, affiliations, and emails for Co-Investigators.

Applicants should include the following components in a merged .pdf named [NPI Name]_CG_application.pdf:

Catalyst Grant full application form, including:
1. Project rationale, goals, and objectives that collectively create a clear understanding of the significant need for the research and a keen interest in its results (maximum 2/3 page).
2. Project impact and alignment with the DSI Mission. A proportion of funds will be prioritized for projects relevant to DSI Thematic Programs (maximum 2/3 page).
3. Research approach and methods. Note how your project will develop novel methodology or innovatively applies existing approaches (maximum 3 pages).
4. The team. Describe the complementary disciplinary academic contributions of CRT members and any trainees who will be involved. Provide a collaboration and training plan that you will use to meet project goals (e.g., joint research group meetings) (maximum 2/3 page).
5. Project milestones and timelines (maximum 2/3 page).
6. Description of the feasibility of your study, the research environment and budget justification. Funds can be used to support student research assistantships (“RAs”), student stipends, research staff salaries, data access, data generation, cloud computing or storage, and fees (conference registrations, open access, etc.). Please distinguish clearly between trainee salaries (PDFs, Ph.D.s, Master’s, and undergraduate students) and staff. Funds cannot be used for equipment or administrative salaries. Eligible expenses must align with U of T’s Guide to Financial Management (maximum 2/3 page).
7. Integration of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) considerations. For EDI definitions, see here (source: EDIRI) (maximum 2/3 page).
8. References (maximum 1 page).
9. NPI and Co-PI Unit Head signatures.
Abbreviated CVs of all CRT members (three-page maximum using required format for each). Please use the template provided here. Required sections:
1. brief personal statement,
2. affiliations and positions,
3. contributions to research, and
4. additional information, if any.

* Please note that page lengths include any figures.

Adjudication Process

A Review Committee will be formed to evaluate LOIs and full applications received by the submission deadline. The adjudication criteria include: Stage One: Letter of Intent

Project rationale, goals, and objectives: Rationale describes clear linkages to goals and objectives
Project impact and alignment with the DSI Mission and/or Thematic Programs
Research approach and methods: Approach is clearly articulated with a description of how the project will either develop novel methodology or innovatively apply existing approaches.
LOI Adjudication Rubric

Stage Two: Full Application

Project rationale, goals, and objectives
Project impact and alignment with the DSI Mission and/or Thematic Programs
Research approach and methods
CRT members and trainees’ roles, collaboration, and training plans
Project milestones and timelines
Feasibility, research environment, and budget justification
Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) considerations
Full Application Adjudication Rubric

Templates

Catalyst Grant abbreviated CV template

LOI
Online Application (applicants with utor ID)
Online Application (applicants without utor ID)
Letter of Intent template

Full Application
Online Application (applicants with utor ID)
Online Application (applicants without utor ID)
Catalyst Grant Full Application Template

Important Dates

Letter of Intent Deadline: July 15, 2022, 11:59 pm.

LOI NOAs: August 30, 2022

Application Deadline: November 4, 2022, 11:59 pm.

Reporting

CRTs that receive Catalyst Grant funding are required to fulfill the reporting obligations listed below:

The Project and related findings must be presented in oral or poster format at the DSI Research Day in the year or in the immediately subsequent year the award is made.  
A final summary report must be submitted within two months after the end of the funding period. For funding periods beyond one year, CRTs must also submit an annual progress report by January 31. Final and progress reports should include a short summary of the progress of the project during the reporting period and a brief narrative, possibly including images, on how the CRT is working collaboratively to meet project goals. The report must restate the aims of the research project, indicate whether any of the aims have changed and detail how, report on progress made for each aim, and summarize plans for the project. 
As a reporting requirement, it is expected that CRT members respond promptly to surveys, questionnaires, or enquiries from the DSI on topics such as papers submitted to or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals, oral and poster presentations given at seminars, scientific meetings, or conferences and competitive applications submitted to external agencies for funding. CRT members will be clearly notified of submission dates and format requirements. 
PIs will be asked to serve as proposal reviewers for future DSI competitions.

CRTs that receive DSI-Temerty Catalyst Grant funding are required to fulfill the following additional reporting obligations:

Within the first six months of the award, CRT researchers will have the opportunity to present their research at the Temerty Centre Speaker Series.
The project and related findings will be presented at the T-CAIREM AI in Healthcare Symposium in 2023.
CRTs will have opportunities to host project datasets in the T-CAIREM Health Data Nexus.

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