Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters

The Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters (GCRC) program was jointly created by the Vice-President, Research & Innovation and the Provost & Vice-President Academic to foster collaboration and to help enable the formation and growth of interdisciplinary research excellence clusters.

A research excellence cluster is defined as a network of researchers spanning multiple disciplines at UBC that supports the formation and maturation of interdisciplinary teams. Clusters foster partnerships and collaborations, develop new research questions, directions, and themes in research creation, address key societal and cultural problems that transcend traditional boundaries, and offer training opportunities for postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, while integrating and implementing principles of equity, diversity and inclusion within their activities.

Grants are focused on catalyzing activities that facilitate the advancement of research, thereby enabling clusters to produce a greater impact. These grants are intended to leverage external funding opportunities, facilitate partnerships, and enhance research training. Researchers from all disciplines are invited to apply for funding.

GCRC competitions are open to clusters led by researchers at our Vancouver campus and affiliated hospital sites. 

Competition Details | Application Process | Eligibility | Grant Details | Review Process | Info Sessions | Timeline | FAQs

details2026/27 Competition Details 

There will only be one competition in the winter for 2026/27 GCRCs. New clusters and returning clusters who have received fewer than three rounds of GCRC funding are invited to apply. 

• The competition consists of two application streams: new clusters (i.e., have never received GCRC funding) or returning clusters (i.e., previously funded through GCRC competition).  
• New clusters are awarded up to $100,000; returning clusters are awarded up to $200,000; grant terms for both streams are for either one or two years.
• New cluster applications will be adjudicated in a separate pool from returning clusters, and will be assessed based on the relative maturity of their network.
• There will be continued emphasis on research excellence clusters developing and implementing strategies to leverage funding from external sources, especially major funding opportunities such as the New Frontiers in Research Fund Transformation stream, NSERC Alliance and CREATE, SSHRC Partnership Grants, etc. Returning clusters, especially, will need to demonstrate tangible progress in their leveraged funding strategies.
• Applicants must identify the appropriate review panel category to assess their GCRC application. There will be four review panel categories: 1) STEM, 2) Health, 3) Social sciences, humanities, and creative and performing arts, and 4) Interdisciplinary.
  Note: Applications submitted to the interdisciplinary panel must feature research that spans two or more Tri-agency domains. Following administrative review, submitted applications may be re-assigned to another panel if it more clearly aligns with it. Applicants will be notified if such a change occurs.
• Clusters are limited to three cycles of funding, i.e., have received GCRC funding through three competitions, regardless of cluster category. 

Submission and Selection Processes

processOnline Application Process

To apply to the GCRC competition, the cluster lead (Lead Applicant) must log in to VPRI’s online application system UBC Research + Innovation Apply using their campus wide login (CWL), and follow the instructions provided to submit a brief notice of intent (NOI) to apply. Once the NOI is submitted, applicants will receive access to the full application.

When the full application is initiated, the Lead Applicant may invite co-applicants with a CWL to contribute using the “add collaborator” button located in the left side block. Applications can be saved and completed at a later date before final submission, and can be downloaded as a PDF at any time.

Each section must be marked as complete before the Lead Applicant can submit the application. Sections marked as complete can be re-opened for editing, prior to submission, by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner of the section and selecting “edit task”.

Note: Only the Lead Applicant will be able to submit the NOI and full application, and will receive a confirmation message upon successful submission.     

A completed and signed Research Project Information Form (RPIF) must be uploaded as part of the application. 

Researchers are invited to submit an application that demonstrates how the requested funding will be used to create and/or advance a research excellence cluster. Clusters should seek to generate new opportunities for collaborative research, scholarship and/or artistic creation. The outcomes achieved with GCRC funds may vary among applications (e.g., new partnerships, international collaborations, community engagement, etc.), but a strong case should be made for the value of those outcomes to the proposed research cluster and demonstrate how GCRC funding will be used to achieve them. Clusters must also describe their plans for applying for external funding to support their research. 

Applications include the following components:

• Notice of Intent (NOI) due Nov 10, 2025
  • An administrative NOI is required to enable the recruitment of reviewers and coordinate potentially overlapping applications. It is not adjudicated. Once the Lead Applicant submits the NOI, the full application will become available, and is due by 11:59 pm Jan 8, 2026. Components of the full application are below.

1. Cluster Lead Applicant Information
2. Proposal Narrative
   • Describe the research themes, new directions for research, scholarship and/or artistic creation that form the basis for the proposed cluster (800 words max).
   • Complete the table of confirmed team members, collaborators, and partners (min 5 people, max 15 people).
   • Describe the role confirmed team members, collaborators and partners will have in the cluster, as well as relevant career highlights and objective measures of the team’s excellence in research, scholarship and/or artistic creation (1200 words max).
   • (Returning clusters only) Describe the new scholarship/research directions or opportunities made possible with continued funding that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. If appropriate, include a strategy to involve researchers from other universities across Canada and potentially internationally (600 words max).
   • Describe the cluster's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as it applies to cluster membership, proposed activities and research themes (400 words max; please refer to our updated GCRC EDI Guide for Applicants).
   • Articulate the cluster's goals and expected outcomes, including leveraged funding goals, and a project timeline (1000 words max).
   • Describe the cluster’s knowledge exchange (Kx) activities, what the activities will achieve, and identify target audiences and potential collaborators for these Kx activities (400 words max; for additional Kx resources please see https://kx.ubc.ca).
   • 1 page max for references and 1 page max for figures and tables uploaded as PDFs (both are optional and have strict formatting instructions that must be adhered to or they will not be reviewed).
3. Budget Justification (800 words max)
4. Trainee Stipend (optional, 800 words max)
   • To enhance training as part of cluster activities, new clusters may apply to use up to $30,000 of their cluster grant for trainee stipends. Returning clusters may apply to use up to $60,000 of their cluster grant for trainee stipends. These training activities must support research projects that advance the cluster’s goals and outcomes.
   • Applicants must provide a brief description of the research project(s) and role(s) that the trainee(s) will play in support of the cluster goals and proposed outcome, and how this will mutually benefit both the cluster and the trainee(s); and
   • Provide a brief description of the access the trainee(s) will have to research training support, mentorship, and career development.
5. Outcomes Report (required for all previously funded clusters for their most recent GCRC). Note: The outcomes form will be visible upon marking the 1^st section of the application complete. All sections can be marked as complete then re-opened for editing if needed by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner of the section and selecting “edit task”.
6. Completed and signed Research Project Information Form uploaded as a PDF. Lead applicant, Department Head, and if applicable, Centre Director and/or Dean's signature required. ORS signature is NOT required.

eligibilityEligibility

The cluster lead (Lead Applicant) must be a UBC Vancouver faculty member eligible to hold Tri-Agency funding. Clusters may include non-faculty researchers, and we encourage clusters to include researchers from both UBC campuses, and affiliated hospital sites, as appropriate. Researchers may be members of more than one cluster, but can only be the nominated Lead on one application at a time. 

Currently and previously funded clusters whose project term lengths have ended or will end by March 2026, and have received fewer than three GCRCs in their lifetime are eligible to apply.    

All clusters must apply as either a new or returning cluster, and must choose a one- or two-year project term. The two-year term is designed to allow more flexibility for activities planning, and spending awarded funds. Please note that there is no funding increase if a two-year term is chosen. Applicants selecting a two-year budget term will not be eligible to apply to a potential 2027/28 GCRC competition.

Clusters that have achieved their stated funding goal(s) and have been awarded major external funding grants (e.g., SSHRC Partnership grants, NSERC CREATE grants, NFRF Transformation grants, CFREF) are no longer eligible to apply for GCRC funding. 

If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact Stacey Herzer (Stacey.herzer@ubc.ca) to discuss it. 

Direct costs of research are ineligible. Clusters may choose to use a portion of their funding to support trainees by completing the trainee stipend section of the application. 

grantetailsGrant Details

Eligible UBC Vancouver faculty from all disciplines are invited to apply. Applicants will be asked to identify their proposed cluster as either new or returning for adjudication. Proposals for new clusters will be adjudicated separately from returning ones.

Potential catalytic activities for research excellence clusters are presented here for illustrative purposes:

A total funding envelope of $3.5M is available for this competition. New clusters may apply for grants up to $100,000. Returning clusters may apply for grants up to $200,000. Applications must include a detailed budget justification that aligns specific activities with goals and expected outcomes. GCRC review committees will carefully consider each budget item and may adjust the funding amount requested if budget items are inadequately justified.

All applicants will be notified of the competition results by the end of February 2026, and grants will commence April 1, 2026. Funding must be spent within one year of receipt, or if a two-year term is chosen, clusters must spend at least 30% of their budget by the end of the first year. Successful applicants are required to submit an Outcomes Report no later than 60 days after the end of the grant. No extensions will be permitted.

The Vice-President, Research & Innovation (VPRI) Office will provide successful clusters with free website support (provision of a web template, website development support, and hosting costs) and access to specialists in innovation and commercialization. Applications that request funding for these activities must specify why additional support in these areas is required. 

Note: VPRI website support will be offered for up to two years after the GCRC grant end date. Afterwards, clusters will be responsible for the cost and maintenance of their website should they choose to keep it active.   

Successful clusters are expected to attend cluster events facilitated by the VPRI Office, whenever possible.   

reviewReview Process

Applicants are required to select one of four interdisciplinary review panels (STEM, Health, Social Sciences, Humanities and Performing & Creative Arts, or Interdisciplinary). We recognize that clusters may include members and activities that span more than one stated research area. Applicants are asked to select the review panel that best represents the primary research theme and activities of the cluster.

Cluster research that spans more than one research domain (as approximated by the Tri-Agencies) equally are encouraged to select the Interdisciplinary review panel. If you are uncertain as to which panel you should apply, please contact Stacey Herzer (stacey.herzer@ubc.ca) in advance of submission to discuss.

Peer-review panels will assess applications based on merit and their ability to best demonstrate how GCRC funds will be used to develop or expand a research cluster. Assessment criteria for both new and returning clusters include the following:

• The proposed research addresses one or more complex and important questions facing society, and funding the cluster has the potential for transformative impact.
• Proposed collaboration involves multiple disciplines, partners, and/or sectors.
• The proposed research team demonstrates evidence for excellence in research and/or artistic creation.
• EDI in research design and research practice as demonstrated through cluster membership and proposed activities, which include:
  • The creation of diverse teams that plan to include a range of gender and sexual identities, career stages, and historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized (HPSM) groups in higher education.
  • A commitment to the equitable development and support of all team members.
  • The design of cluster activities that ensure team members, collaborators and partners have equal opportunities and access to resources, feel they belong, and are adequately supported and integrated into the team.

For additional resources, see the GCRC EDI Guide for Applicants, the EDI Best Practices Guide (developed for the SSHRC New Frontiers in Research Fund competition), and the Support of Researchers – Equity, Diversity and Inclusion webpage on the VPRI website.

• The proposal explains the funding goals that will enable the cluster to leverage GCRC funding through the pursuit of external funding opportunities.
• The proposed knowledge exchange activities support the stated societal or cultural impacts, and meet the needs of, and involve the targeted stakeholders 

Additional criteria for returning clusters include:

• The proposal clearly demonstrates the added value of continued GCRC funding, and when appropriate, enables researchers from other universities across Canada and internationally to participate.  
• The application includes evidence of previous successful knowledge exchange activities and a detailed plan for future activities (e.g., community engagement, policy impact, commercialization, etc.) that will enable proposed Kx goals.
• The extent to which the proposed outcomes of the previous grant have been met or exceeded. If proposed cluster goals have not been met, divergences from expected outcomes and progress towards completing goals should be well justified.

Additional criteria for the optional Trainee Stipend include: 

• The proposal describes the research project(s), and role(s) that the trainee(s) will play in support of cluster goals and proposed outcomes, and how this will mutually benefit both the cluster and the trainee(s).
• The proposal describes the plan for training, mentoring and providing career development to the trainee(s).

infosessionsAdditional Information

The Vice-President, Research & Innovation Office will host two information sessions on the current competition. The first one will be geared toward new cluster applicants, and the second one will be geared for returning cluster applicants. We encourage all potential applicants to attend.  

For further information on the GCRC funding competition, including questions about the application or process to apply, contact Stacey Herzer in the Office of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation.

Information Sessions

Information sessions will be held via Zoom for new clusters on October 17, from 10-11:30 am, and for returning clusters on October 21, 10-11:30 am
Please register here. 

timelineTimeline

faqsFAQs