Ministry of Research and Innovation Ontario-China Research & Innovation Fund (OCRIF) 2015

Sponsor

Ministry of Research and Innovation Fund

Program

Ontario-China Research Fund

For More Information

Please visit the Ministry of Research and Innovation website for:

• Program guidelines

• Application form (fillable PDF)

Description

The Government of Ontario and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the People's Republic of China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Research and Innovation Cooperation (MOU) to promote scientific, technological and industrial research and commercialization cooperation. Within the context of this agreement, the Government of Ontario is now launching its third annual Call for Proposals for scientific and technological collaboration projects.

The Government of Ontario and MOST will jointly invest up to $2 million ($1 million each), to support strategic bilateral research collaborations for this Call for Proposals. Ontario funds will be disbursed to successful Ontario applicants through the Ontario-China Research and Innovation Fund (OCRIF), a program administered by the Ministry of Research and Innovation, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MRI/MEDTE). Successful co-investigators from China will be funded separately by MOST.

Priority Fields

The current call for proposals will accept projects focusing on soil remediation.

Eligibility

Eligible research centres include Ontario:

• Technology Companies
• Universities
• Hospital research institutes
• Research organizations

Funding Availability

Successful Ontario applicants will be eligible to receive a maximum of $250,000 (including indirect costs) per project from OCRIF to fund the Ontario portion of the project. Additional project funding will be provided to the corresponding Chinese applicant on each project by MOST to fund the China portion of the project. (e.g., the maximum grant amount to be received by a project is $250,000 in Ontario and $250,000 in China, to a total of $500,000). For a project to be considered for funding under OCRIF, each project’s lead Chinese partner is required to apply directly to MOST. OCRIF funding is conditional on the corresponding Chinese applicant receiving funding approval from MOST.

Ontario anticipates that four projects will be funded through the 2015 Call for Proposals. Please note that Ontario’s financial assistance will not exceed 50 percent of the Ontario portion of eligible project expenditures. Ontario applicants will have to identify sources of matching cash and/or in-kind contributions for the remaining 50 percent of project costs. Letters of support from each funding partner must be included along with the application confirming both the amount of matching funding and the intended use of the contribution.

Indirect Costs

40%

Project Duration

Funds will be disbursed annually.  The project term should not exceed 3 years and is non-renewable.

Special Notes

Research Team Structure: A lead Ontario applicant must form a dedicated team, including at least one lead China-based partner and at least one Ontario-based private-sector partner. Each research team is to be structured as follows:   Two Principal Investigators, one from Ontario and one from China, who will represent the project and be responsible for the management of the application and for the project’s internal scientific management.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Collaboration Foundation & Capability (15%)
• Rationale for Collaborating with China (15%)
• Research Plan and Scientific Excellence (30%)
• Results Sharing and Intellectual Property Protection (10%)
• Potential Benefits for Ontario and China (15%)
• Project Implementation Feasibility (15%)

How to Apply

Upon completion of review by the Office of Research Services, researchers will receive a signed application to submit to the sponsor according to the sponsor's guidelines.