U of T/U of I Collaborative Education and Research Initiatives

Summary

The University of Toronto (U of T) and University of Illinois System (U of I) are providing matching seed funds to support collaborative education and research initiatives through a Joint Call for Proposals.

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About

U of T and U of I are committed to the positive impact that universities can have through international partnerships and, through this Call, are supporting new or existing collaborations in the following areas:

1. Mobility: building capacity to move people and goods effectively, ensuring every dollar spent boosts prosperity, mitigates climate impacts, increases resilience, promotes equity, and improves health outcomes.
2. Data Science: collecting, manipulating, storing, visualizing, learning from, and extracting useful information from data in a reproducible, fair and ethical way.
3. Climate Change and Sustainability: social, scientific, technical, economic, and policy solutions to transform our energy systems, and ensure energy access and production is equitable.

Between three (3) and five (5) joint initiatives will be selected for a funding period of one (1) year. The proposals will be assessed and recommended for selection by a committee composed of members of both institutions.

Initiatives

i. To be eligible, a proposal must be led by at least one Principal Investigator (PI)[1] from U of T and at least one PI from the University of Illinois System.[2]

ii. Teams led by Early Career Researchers[3] are encouraged.

iii. Proposals should focus on partnership development in research and teaching, including visiting professorships, student engagement in research, workshops, and joint research projects.

iv. Proposals that demonstrate additional committed funding, and/or other funding source are encouraged.

v. The initiative must demonstrate an equal partnership amongst all members of the project team, with clearly articulated outcomes.

vi. The proposal must have a clear plan, at the local and/or global level, in developing and implementing the initiative

vii. The application must include how the seed funding will support the collaboration to access further research funding and continue its work.

viii. The proposed activities and outcomes must be realistic and achievable within the required timelines.

ix: Applicants from all disciplines with a focus on: 1.) Mobility, 2.) Data Science, and 3.) Climate Change and Sustainability will be accepted. The proposals must comply with the university’s policies on ethics, health, safety, and international travel

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[1] Definition of Principal Investigator at U of T, see page 3: https://research.utoronto.ca/media/45/download

[2] The partnering Principal Investigator must be a faculty member under continuing appointment at their institution.

[3] An individual who is within five years of their first faculty appointment. This duration excludes any period of career break.

Eligibility

i. University of Illinois: Faculty members in continuing appointments from all disciplines are eligible to apply.

    U of T: Faculty members in continuing U of T appointments from all disciplines are eligible to apply.

ii. The application must include a letter of engagement from the PI(s) describing their planned involvement in the proposed project, their desired outcomes, and benefits, and how these outcomes and benefits contribute to their organizational goals and objectives.

iii. In order to be eligible for academic exchange, faculty members must have a continuing appointment at the University of Illinois or at U of T. Likewise, only students under the academic supervision of a PI holding the funds will be eligible for student exchange.

Value and Duration

The funding envelope is USD $55,000 from U of I and CAD $75,000 from U of T. Between three (3) and five (5) successful proposals will be selected for funding for 1 year.

Timeline

Submission of Proposals

A single application in English should be submitted to the OVPI Application Portal by November 18, 2024.

A link to an application template can be found next to the Call on the Joint Calls for Proposals page here: https://international.utoronto.ca/opportunities/joint-calls-for-proposals/

The full proposal must include the following elements:

•  i. Initiative Overview that includes a brief outline, details of the lead applicants and affiliations from each institution/organization with contact details, and any additional partner details.
• ii. Initiative Description, of up to three (3) pages in total that includes the following elements:
  • a. Project Summary: in plain language, suitable for public use, describe the focus of this initiative.
  • b. Description of the Planned Activities: for example, workshops/symposia, faculty/student exchanges, digital teaching models, joint research projects, including rationale and timeline. The location and format of the activities must be specified (virtual or in person).
  • c. Initiative Impact: Describe expected academic theoretical or practical outputs, and the potential impacts and benefits for stakeholders and society. Describe how the partnership may evolve over time and the potential for long-term sustainability beyond the proposed timeframe.
  • d. Collaborative Team:
    1. Describe the roles, responsibilities and contributions of the applicant, co-applicants, co-directors, and collaborators, as well as other key participants.
    2. Describe how the activities and expertise of each member will support and enhance the proposed partnership. Please also describe how the collaboration will strengthen partnerships between U of T and U of I.
    3. Include an abbreviated Curriculum Vitae (2 pages max) of each of the lead PIs from U of T and from U of I.
    4. Include a letter of engagement for each of the PIs based U of I, as described in point 2.ii.
  • e. Trainee & Early Career Researcher Involvement: (NOTE: Please do not include any identifying information about team members/trainees).
    1. Indicate whether the project includes any Trainee & Early Career Researcher. Please be advised that projects involving trainee and early career researchers will be given priority.
    2. Describe how equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), as well as consideration of gender-based analysis plus (GBA+), and decolonization have been considered and addressed in the development of the project team. Provide at least one concrete practice to advance EDI team composition/the recruitment trainees; in training and career development activities; and/or in the research and training environment. If diversity factors are not relevant to the project, please provide a brief justification.
  • f. Research Approach and Methods, Including EDI Considerations: Describe the research approach and activities planned to achieve the project objectives. Describe how considerations of EDI and GBA+, and decolonization have been integrated into the research design, as applicable.
  • For more information on incorporating EDI & GBA+ principles into research partnerships, please consult SSHRC’s Guide to Addressing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Considerations in Partnership Grant Applications[1].
  • g. Project Sustainability: Specifically indicate sources of external funding the research team intends on applying for in the future to sustain and build upon the partnership program, if known. Describe the origin and allocation of additional funds provided by the non-U of T / U of I PIs and/or other funding source, if applicable.
  • h. Proposed Timeline and Budget: The amount for one year as outlined in section 3, including a breakdown of the draft timeline costs of the activity e.g., virtual workshop facilitation, flights, travel, hotel, meals, research assistant stipends etc.

Adjudication

• i. Proposals will be assessed and recommended for selection by a committee composed of members of both institutions.
• ii. A joint review committee will assess each full proposal according to the academic merit and compelling elements covered by the following criteria:
  • a. Project design and rationale: how clearly presented and justified is the design and basis for the collaboration?
  • b. Demonstrated commitment to collaboration: how strong is the link between the proposed collaboration and current research or teaching project(s)?
  • c. Project impact on Data Science, Climate Change and Sustainability, or Mobility: how clearly linked are the academic gains to the planned activities addressing these topics?
  • d. Trainee involvement: are there opportunities provided for students to engage in the collaboration? What are the anticipated benefits of student engagement to the project and for the students themselves?
  • e. EDI Considerations: How the project/team/approach consider aspects of EDI and GBA+, as noted above, as applicable.
  • f. Capacity for future collaboration: what is the extent to which future collaborations are possible as a result of the proposed activities? Does the project have the potential to scale up?

• iii. Respective reviews are returned and results/scores are tabulated to rank proposals.
• iv. The joint peer review committee convenes to select 3-5 final proposals.

Communication

Results will be announced via email to all applicants.

Final Reporting

All awardees must, as a condition of receiving an award under this Call for Proposals, submit a report within three (3) months after the initiative ends, describing the outcomes, nature of collaboration, project impact, trainee involvement and opportunities for future collaboration that evolved from their initiative.

Information about this Call for Proposals

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[4] See: https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/apply-demande/guides/partnership_edi_guide-partenariats_guide_edi-eng.aspx

In support of this Call, we are pleased to facilitate prospective partner introductions, where applicable/possible.

Questions can be directed to:

University of Illinois System

Jisu Hong, Associate Vice President, OVPEDI, U of Illinois System

jisuhong@uillinois.edu

University of Toronto

Office of the Vice-President, International

Email: international@utoronto.ca