Internal Grant Programs

 Tri-Agency Explore

• Seed funding to support small-scale research projects across disciplines that develop, pilot, and strengthen research initiatives leading to specific larger external funding applications. Learn more →

 Tri-Agency Exchange 

• Supports knowledge mobilization, dissemination, and research exchange activities across disciplines to increase impact, collaboration, and visibility. Learn more →

Tri-Agency Success

• Provides internal funding to support researchers in strengthening NSERC and SSHRC applications that were rated highly but not funded. Funding is intended to address reviewer feedback and improve the competitiveness of resubmissions to future agency competitions. Learn more →

For support to improve CIHR applications, please see WE-SPARK Incentive Grants.

VPRI Research Chair

• Internal research chair program designed to recognize and support Early Career Researchers (first 10 years post PhD) at the University of Windsor who demonstrate strong research potential. The program recognizes early promise through a research chair title and provides targeted funding to help strengthen and expand  research programs, support student training, develop new research directions and collaborations, and increase competitiveness for external research funding. Learn more →

Mid-Career Accelerate

• Supports mid-career researchers in accelerating, redefining, or pivoting their research programs to pursue new research directions and external funding opportunities. Learn more →

Major Research Program Support 

• Supports development of large-scale external research funding applications and major collaborative research initiatives. Learn more →

Global Research Kick-Start

• Supports development of international research collaborations and applications for major international funding programs. Learn more →

Academic Innovator Catalyst 

• Supports innovation activities that enhance the reach and profile of the University including the opportunity to support lab2market, commercialization, launching University-affiliated startups, and events that create positive return towards future grants. Learn more →

Research Partnership Development

• Supports the development of new partnership opportunities with community or industry partners. Funding can be used to support traveling to facilities and developing early partnership grants. Funding must be used to support the development of a $20,000+ grant. First time partnerships only. Learn more →

Special Initiatives Grants - Understanding Identity-Based Violence and Marginalization

• Seed funding program designed to support research addressing identity-based violence and marginalization in alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The program aims to foster research that advances understanding of violence, discrimination, and marginalization and supports the development of inclusive and equitable institutions. Projects may generate knowledge, inform policy, or pilot programs addressing identity-based violence and marginalization. Learn more →

Inclusive Excellence

• Seed funding program designed to support researchers from equity groups in establishing or strengthening research programs and developing competitive external funding applications. The program provides small internal grants to support research and scholarly or creative activities that advance knowledge while promoting inclusive research environments and equitable participation in the research ecosystem. Learn more →

WE-SPARK Igniting Discovery

• Seed funding to stimulate early-stage, novel, and innovative health research and education projects in Windsor-Essex. Designed to generate preliminary data, spark collaborations, and support development of larger external funding applications. Learn more → 

WE-SPARK IDEA 

• Provides funding for low-cost, small-scale pilot projects, preliminary studies, or quality-improvement initiatives. The program supports researchers in testing new ideas, collecting initial data, and laying the groundwork for larger research studies or future grant applications. Learn more →

WE-SPARK Incentive

• Provides funding to strengthen health research proposals that were submitted to national or international funding competitions but were not funded. The grant supports researchers in revising and resubmitting competitive applications. Learn more →

WE-SPARK Student Research Training Awards

• Supports short-term, high-impact research training opportunities for post-secondary students participating in health research projects within the WE-SPARK network. Learn more →