About External Funding Sources

Research at Memorial University is often funded by external sources, including federal funding agencies, provincial and federal government, business and non-profit organizations. Specific funding opportunities can be found in the funding opportunities database. 

Common sources of funding include:

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

NSERC is a federal research funding agency that aims to make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians. The agency supports university students in their advanced studies, promotes and supports discovery research and fosters innovation by encouraging Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects. NSERC researchers are on the vanguard of science, building on Canada’s long tradition of scientific excellence.

Learn more about NSERC

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

SSHRC is a federal research funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary-based research and training in the humanities and social sciences.SSHRC-supported research enhances our understanding of modern social, cultural, technological, environmental, economic and wellness issues. It raises profound questions about who we are as human beings, what we need in order to thrive in complex and challenging times, and where we are headed in the new millennium. By focusing on developing talent, generating insights and forging connections across campuses and communities, SSHRC strategically supports world-leading initiatives that reflect a commitment to ensuring a better future for Canada and the world.

Learn more about SSHRC.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

CIHR is the federal government's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada. CIHR was created to transform health research in Canada by  funding more research on targeted priority areas;  building research capacity in under-developed areas such as population health and health services research;  training the next generation of health researchers; and  focusing on knowledge translation, so that the results of research are transformed into policies, practices, procedures, products and services.

Learn more about CIHR.

Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)

The CFI funds leading-edge research projects that build the nation’s capacity to innovate, compete and prosper in a knowledge-based global economy. CFI is a federal agency that focuses on state-of-the-art infrastructure, including equipment, laboratories, databases, specimens, scientific collections, computer hardware and software, communications linkages and buildings necessary to conduct leading-edge research.

Learn more about CFI

Canada Research Chairs (CRC) 

The Canada Research Chairs program stands at the centre of a national strategy to make Canada one of the world's top countries in research and development. It is a Government of Canada program to establish 2,000 research professorships—Canada Research Chairs—in eligible degree-granting institutions across the country. The Canada Research Chairs program invests $300 million per year to attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising minds. Chairholders aim to achieve research excellence in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences. They improve our depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthen Canada's international competitiveness, and help train the next generation of highly skilled people through student supervision, teaching, and the coordination of other researchers' work.

Learn more about the CRC program

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

ACOA is a federal agency that works to create opportunities for economic growth in Atlantic Canada by helping businesses become more competitive, innovative and productive, by working with diverse communities to develop and diversify local economies, and by championing the strengths of Atlantic Canada.

Learn more about ACOA

Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (RDC)

RDC is a crown corporation of the government of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was established to improve research and development (R&D) in the province. RDC is focused on increasing overall R&D investment, pursing R&D opportunities that are relevant to the local economy and targeting sectors that are of strategic importance to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Learn more about RDC.

Petroleum Research Newfoundland and Labrador (Petroleum Research)

Petroleum Research is a not-for-profit organization that funds and facilitates collaborative R&D on behalf of Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore oil and gas industry. It is a member-based organization that seeks proposals for research and technology development projects that address the operational, technical and business needs of members. 

Learn more about Petroleum Research Newfoundland and Labrador.