Research Catalyst Grants
Co-creating research for sustainable, climate-resilient Indian cities
Introduction
The U of T India Foundation (UTIF) is providing seed funds to support collaborative research initiatives through a Call for Proposals. The University of Toronto (U of T) and UTIF are committed to the positive impact that universities can have through international partnerships and co-creation, and through this Call for Proposals are supporting new or existing collaborations that: Objectives: Support the sustainability and climate resilience of Indian cities and city-regions, addressing issues that might include (but are not limited to) air quality, housing, sustainable livelihoods, water and sanitation, infrastructure and construction, energy, mobility, urban planning, data-driven sustainability, and waste. The funders recognize that urban India is diverse, encompassing the spectrum from small towns to megapolises and their peripheries, and therefore welcome proposals focused on building sustainable cities of all sizes. Sustainability is broadly defined, and solutions-focused social sciences and humanities applications are welcome. Impact: Facilitate high-impact research and solutions resulting in evidence-based recommendations, joint publications, and/or enhanced capacity to increase the sustainability and/or climate resilience of Indian cities and city-regions. Partnership model: Develop equitable and collaborative partnerships between U of T researchers and Indian academic, research, non-profit, or government entities to co-create impactful research that yields evidence, insights, and solutions for sustainable Indian cities. The partnership will be formalized through a two-party agreement between UTIF and the Indian Partner.
Research Catalyst Grants 2027–28: Timeline
Webinar for India-based partners: A webinar will be held for India-based organizations and partners on October 27, 2026, at 6:30 PM IST (9:00 AM EDT) focusing in part on forming partnerships with U of T PIs. U of T faculty may anticipate being approached between October 2026 and February 2027 by India-based partners who are interested in partnering on a proposal. While the webinar will provide overarching guidance on the process, the onus of identifying and engaging a U of T Co-PI rests with the Indian Partner. Given the competitive nature of the grant, Indian Partners are encouraged to initiate this process at the earliest. Registration for the webinar is at the link
Full eligibility, funding rules, proposal requirements, and evaluation criteria are set out in the sections below.
Eligibility
- A proposal must include at least one Co-Principal Investigator (PI) from U of T and at least one Co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) from an Indian partner organization.
- The U of T Co-PI must meet the University’s definition of a Principal Investigator (PI) and must hold an appointment for the full duration of the grant’s funding period.
- The Indian Co-PI must be employed by the Indian partner organization. The partner organization could be a university, research center, NGO, civil society organization, foundation, or government body. For-profit or industry Co-PIs are not eligible to act as Co-PIs or hold grant funds. The Indian research partner must be based in and operate in India.
- The application must include a letter of support on institutional letterhead signed by a designated signatory of the Indian partner organization that describes the Indian organization’s proposed involvement in the project; their desired outcomes and how these would contribute to their organization’s objectives; and a brief overview of the organization’s experience with financial management of grants.
- Both the U of T Co-PI and the Indian Co-PI must have demonstrated experience of working and/or engaging with the problem they aim to address in the research.
Proposals
We welcome proposals from a wide range of academic disciplines, and interdisciplinary collaboration is encouraged but not required. Collaborative proposals that bring together researchers from various organizational sectors are also welcome. The proposal must clearly outline the urban sustainability and/or climate resilience issue that it wishes to address and demonstrate a need/rationale for investigating the problem.
- The proposal must demonstrate an equitable partnership between the Indian and U of T researchers in designing and undertaking the project, where each co-PI contributes equally and equitably to the research.
- Proposals that demonstrate additional committed funding or potential for additional funding are encouraged but not required.
- The proposal must outline measurable outputs, which could include peer-reviewed publications; knowledge translation, capacity-building, and dissemination; spatial or design-based interventions; policy briefs or white papers; or technological products/design prototypes.
- Proposals must comply with U of T’s policies on ethics, health, safety, and international travel, and with U of T and UTIF financial policies. in the research.
Value, Duration, and Disbursement
Grant funds will be awarded by UTIF to the successful Indian Co-PI’s organization of employment in Indian rupees (INR). This is a non-FCRA grant, and Indian organizations are not required to have FCRA registration to receive this grant.
Funds will not be transferred to individual co-PIs or other team members. Between 8 to 10 successful proposals will be selected for support valued between INR 9 lakhs to 15 lakhs or approximately CAD $15,000 and CAD $25,000), to be used between April 2027-March 2028.
The grant will be disbursed in tranches. The Indian partner organization will be expected to fund reasonable costs associated with the U of T PI’s economy-level travel using the disbursed funds, and travel arrangements will be made using India-based travel agencies. Grant funds cannot be used to cover any expenses incurred outside of India.
The proposed project budget should be submitted using the itemized budget sheet (links to templates below), incorporating eligible costs only:
How to Apply
- The application must include two files:
– Single .pdf file with your research proposal; CVs of all principal investigators; and a letter of support from Indian Partner Organization
– Budget sheet as an independent .xlxs file.
- Applications must be in English only and must use the prescribed templates provided.
- Files must be named as “Application P1 Name PI2 Name” and “Budget PI1 Name PI2 Name) at submission.
- Links to the application form and the budget template can be found at the end of this page.
The full proposal must include the following elements (outlined in the template):
- Initiative Overview: Brief overview of the proposed initiative; Co-PIs’ titles and organizations of employment and an Initiative Description that includes:
- Background and rationale: In plain language, suitable for public use, describe the research question, goals, and anticipated contribution of this initiative (150 words).
- Methodology/activity plan: This section should detail the methodology/research approach/activities; sampling and/or participant mobilization strategy; data storage; analysis strategy; and dissemination plan. Where applicable, proposals should also provide information on participant’s confidentiality/data privacy and ethical compliance (max. 1,000 words).
- Outputs and Potential Impact: This section should outline proposed outputs (publications; knowledge translation, capacity-building, and dissemination; spatial or design-based interventions; policy briefs or white papers; or technological products/design prototypes.) In addition, this section should also describe anticipated impact aligned with the grant’s focus of fostering sustainable and/or climate resilient Indian cities (300 words).
- Collaborative Team (300 words): Describe the roles, responsibilities, and contributions of the co-PIs, as well as any other key participants. All applications must also include the following documents as a part of the final submission:
– An abbreviated Curriculum Vitae (5 pages max) for the Indian and U of T PIs
– A signed letter of support on organizational letterhead for the Indian partner organization.
Curriculum Vitae and letters of support are not included in the word-count-limit.
- Project Sustainability (300 words): The sustainability of the project will be considered, although it is not a mandatory requirement for proposals. List any sources of external funding that the research team holds or intends to apply for to sustain and build upon the research with a focus on upscaling/cross-adaptation. Describe the potential for long-term sustainability or scaling-up of the project.
- Proposed Timeline: A project timeline that outlines project activities; travel, if any; and key project milestones.
- Budget: The amount of funding requested for the project duration, including a breakdown of the activities and amounts requested using the budget sheet template provided.
Evaluation Criteria
- Partnership (equitable and equal nature of the collaboration, team member expertise and complementary skills, implementation capacity)
- Clarity, relevance, and focus of research problem (innovation/critical thinking, relevance to the theme, and justification)
- Potential impact and outcomes of the project
- Research approach (study design, rigor, ethics, analysis plan, participant mobilization/ engagement strategy, and feasibility)
- Timeline and workplan (clear milestones and appropriate budget projections)
- Advantageous, but not a required criterion: Proposals that can demonstrate potential for long-term sustainability and scalability of the project are particularly encouraged.
The peer review committee will select 8 - 10 proposals for funding. Results will be announced via email to all applicants.
Reporting
All awardees must, as a condition of receiving an award, submit project progress reports six- and nine months after commencement of the grant, followed by a final report within two months of grant closure describing the outcomes, impact, and opportunities for future collaboration that evolved from the initiative.
Questions regarding this Call for Proposals can be directed to: catalystgrant@uoftindiafoundation.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the grant be awarded in INR or CAD?
The grant funding will be in INR and will be awarded to the Indian Partner Organization.
I am interested in applying for the grant but do not have an Indian/U of T partner. Can I still apply?
The grant application requires a collaboration between an Indian Partner Organization and a U of T faculty member, so applicants are encouraged to allow adequate time to establish these connections. Please note that we cannot guarantee the identification or engagement of a U of T Co-PI. All queries can be directed to catalystgrant@uoftindiafoundation.com.
Can the application include researchers from different institutions?
Multidisciplinary and collaborative proposals from researchers across different institutions are welcome, as long as lead applicants meets eligibility requirements (at least one Not-for-Profit Indian partner and one U of T Co-PI). Individuals who are not affiliated with Indian partner organizations or U of T should be listed as consultants.
Can a U of T faculty member be listed a co-PI on multiple grant applications?
A U of T faculty member can be listed as a co-PI on multiple grant applications. However, the U of T faculty member can be a C o-PI on a maximum of two awarded grants in the same grant cycle.
Does the Indian Co-PI have to be affiliated with an academic institution?
No. Indian co-PIs can be from community-based organizations and other diverse not-for-profit entities, including academic institutions and government bodies.
What are the criteria for the Indian co-PI for this grant call?
Indian co-PIs must be working full-time with the Indian partner organization and must have experience working on the proposal’s core thematic area. An Indian co-PI from non-academic institutions would need to have project- and team management skills. While research experience is highly desirable for Indian co-PIs, Indian co-PIs with demonstrated experience of managing and implementing projects; technical expertise of the issue in Indian contexts; and/or field experience will be considered equally to academic research experience.
Can for-profit Indian companies apply for this grant?
This round of the Catalyst grant is only open to not-for-profit entities and academic institutions.
Can we submit multiple applications for this grant call?
PIs and organizations may submit up to two applications for this call. However, the applications must be distinct and should focus on different thematic areas and/or different research questions.
We have emailed our application but would like to make some key changes to the application. How do we proceed?
Please submit the revised application on the submission link and indicate “Revised Application of Interest” followed by your project title in the “project title” field. Further, please indicate the application and budget files as “revised” in your new submission. Only revisions received within the deadline will be considered for review.
We submitted a revised application but did not indicate it as a revised version. What happens now?
Only applications indicated as “revised” will be considered for review. If your email does not indicate an application as “revised”, then the original submitted application will be considered for review. Please refer to the call for proposals for more details.
Can we apply for the grant if our research is already underway?
Yes, you can apply for funding for ongoing research projects, as long as the proposed project aligns with the objectives of the grant call and requested funds would be used to cover costs/research activities that are not budgeted in the original research.
Do we need to submit additional materials, like ethical- or IRB approvals?
If your research involves human subjects, animals, and/or sensitive data, you may be required to submit ethical approval or Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval prior to initiating any project work, if you are awarded the grant.
What happens if we miss the application deadline?
Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. We recommend submitting your application well in advance to avoid last-minute technical or logistical issues.
Who can we contact if we have specific queries pertaining to this call for applications?
Please direct all your queries to catalystgrant@uoftindiafoundation.com. Please allow up to 5 working days for response.
We are unsure of applying for this grant call but would like to be in touch and receive updates on potential future opportunities.
Please email catalystgrant@uoftindiafoundation.com and request to be added to our mailing list. You can also share a short profile of your/your organization’s work and request for a connect. Our team will add you to our mailing list, and if requested, will connect with you shortly for a conversation on our larger work.