Seed Grant Programs

The Office of the Vice-President, Research (VPR) created a number of joint seed grant programs with international partners. These programs aim to foster collaboration between the University of Alberta and key international institutions, promoting research in novel and impactful areas. The programs encourage multidisciplinary teams to explore new research directions and conduct pilot studies. The ultimate goal is to establish long-term partnerships funded by external sources.

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) - University of Alberta Seed Grant Program

This program is currently open for applications.

The 2026 (Round 2) of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) - University of Alberta Seed Grant Program is now open for applications. The deadline is 9 October 2026.

The purpose of this competitive seed grant program between NTU and the U of A is to encourage and accelerate international research collaborations in novel and impactful areas. The ultimate goal is for seed grant projects to develop into large-scale, long-term partnerships supported by external funding. The theme of the seed grant program is Energy Transitions.

The indicative research topics for this year are: (1) Energy grids and storage (2) Industrial decarbonization and circular carbon (3) Transport energy transformation (4) Environmental sustainability and inclusive energy governance.

A maximum of four projects will be funded for this round of the Seed Grant Program. Each successful proposal is funded for a maximum of CAN $25,000 from the U of A and a maximum of SGD $25,000 from NTU.

View Program Guidelines Application Form

If you require any assistance in identifying contacts at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) or have any questions regarding the call documentation, please reach out to our University of Alberta Seed Fund contact for support: Dr. Eyene Okpanachi: eyene.okpanachi@ualberta.ca

We will also be hosting a virtual joint workshop on September 3, 2026 from 6:00 PM - 7:40 PM MDT. Please register here for the session.

University of Liverpool - University of Alberta Seed Grant Program

This program is closed for applications.

The 2026 Liverpool – Alberta Research Seed Fund is now open for applications. The deadline is 27 July 2026.

The purpose of this competitive seed grant program is to encourage and catalyze international research collaborations between the U of A and U of Liverpool in new and innovative directions that lead to larger-scale and longer-term partnerships funded by external sources.

Five (5) projects will be funded this year (each project receiving up to GBP £6,000 from U of Liverpool and up to CAD $10,000 from the U of A). The priority themes for the 2026/27 competition are: (1) Health and (2) Climate and Energy (3) Indigenous Research (4) Security science and technology.

View program guidelines Application form

If you require any assistance in identifying contacts at the University of Liverpool, or have any questions regarding the call documentation, please reach out to our University of Alberta Seed Fund contact for support: Dr. Eyene Okpanachi: eyene.okpanachi@ualberta.ca.

We will also be hosting virtual information sessions in early June — please use the same contact if you would like more details.

Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) - University of Alberta Seed Grant Program

This program is closed for applications.

The U of A and ITESM contributed CAN $90,000 annually for three years to the seed grant program. Proposals requested a maximum of CAN $45,000 for one year, with each institution providing up to CAN $22,500. The research priority themes were mutually determined by ITESM and U of A on a yearly basis.

View program guidelines

University of Sheffield - University of Alberta Seed Grant Program

This program is closed for applications.

The U of A contributed CAN $50,000 per year, while USheffield contributed £28,000 per year to the seed grant program. Proposals requested up to a maximum of CAN $25,000 from the U of A and £14,000 from U of Sheffield. The research priority themes were jointly determined by U of Sheffield and U of A on an annual basis.

View program guidelines

Energy Transition Seed Grant Program With Indian Research Partners

This program is closed for applications.

The purpose of this competitive seed grant program wasto encourage and catalyze international research collaborations between the U of A and key partners in India in new and innovative directions that lead to larger-scale and longer-term partnerships funded by external sources.

The theme of the seed grant program was Energy Transitions. The topics under this theme included renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind, biomass), hydrogen, CCUS, energy grids and storage, and technical strategies to arrive at net-zero emissions.

The eligible Indian partner for the first round of the seed grant program wasthe Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Eight projects were funded at $25,000 per project.

View program guidelines

Contact

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Eyene Okpanachi
Research Partner (Horizon Europe + International)
eyene.okpanachi@ualberta.ca