Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program (CREATE) is a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) that funds innovative graduate training programs at Canadian universities. The program supports collaborative, integrative approaches to training highly qualified students and postdoctoral researchers, preparing them for careers in industry, government, NGOs, and academia. Funded programs must foster professional skill development alongside technical expertise and encourage student mobility across institutions. For the current competition, NSERC will fund one CREATE initiative aligned with Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy, with priority areas including quantum communications, quantum sensing, quantum materials, and quantum computing. Eligible applicants are Canadian university faculty leading graduate training programs. Awards provide $1,650,000 over six years. The Letter of Intent deadline is May 1, 2026, with full applications due September 22, 2026.

NSERC CREATE VISION: Visual Effects and Animation Innovation and Simulation is sponsored by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Training program in visual effects, animation, innovation, and simulation, relevant to digital design education. This program should be reviewed carefully against your organization's mission, staffing capacity, timeline, and compliance readiness before you commit resources to a full application. Strong submissions usually translate sponsor priorities into concrete objectives, clear implementation milestones, and measurable public benefit. For planning purposes, treat May 1, 2026 as your working submission target unless the sponsor publishes an updated notice. A competitive project plan should include a documented need statement, implementation approach, evaluation framework, risk controls, and a realistic budget narrative. Even when a grant allows broad program design, reviewers still expect credible evidence that the proposed work can be executed within the grant period and with appropriate accountability. Current published award information indicates $1.65M over six years Organizations should verify the final funding range, matching requirements, and allowability rules directly in the official opportunity materials before preparing a budget. Finance and program teams should align early so direct costs, indirect costs, staffing assumptions, procurement timelines, and reporting obligations all remain consistent throughout drafting and post-award administration. Eligibility guidance for this opportunity is: Canadian universities for graduate training in visual effects and animation If your organization has partnerships, subrecipients, or collaborators, define responsibilities and compliance ownership before submission. Reviewers often look for implementation credibility, so letters of commitment, prior performance evidence, and a clear governance model can materially strengthen the application narrative and reduce concerns about delivery risk. A practical approach is to begin with a focused readiness review, then build a workback schedule from the sponsor deadline. Confirm required attachments, registration dependencies, and internal approval checkpoints early. This reduces last-minute issues and improves submission quality. For the most accurate requirements, always rely on the official notice and primary source links associated with NSERC CREATE VISION: Visual Effects and Animation Innovation and Simulation.

Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program is sponsored by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Funds collaborative research and training experiences, potentially including design education in interdisciplinary contexts. This program should be reviewed carefully against your organization's mission, staffing capacity, timeline, and compliance readiness before you commit resources to a full application. Strong submissions usually translate sponsor priorities into concrete objectives, clear implementation milestones, and measurable public benefit. For planning purposes, treat May 1, 2026 as your working submission target unless the sponsor publishes an updated notice. A competitive project plan should include a documented need statement, implementation approach, evaluation framework, risk controls, and a realistic budget narrative. Even when a grant allows broad program design, reviewers still expect credible evidence that the proposed work can be executed within the grant period and with appropriate accountability. Current published award information indicates $1.65M over six years Organizations should verify the final funding range, matching requirements, and allowability rules directly in the official opportunity materials before preparing a budget. Finance and program teams should align early so direct costs, indirect costs, staffing assumptions, procurement timelines, and reporting obligations all remain consistent throughout drafting and post-award administration. Eligibility guidance for this opportunity is: Canadian postsecondary researchers and their organizations If your organization has partnerships, subrecipients, or collaborators, define responsibilities and compliance ownership before submission. Reviewers often look for implementation credibility, so letters of commitment, prior performance evidence, and a clear governance model can materially strengthen the application narrative and reduce concerns about delivery risk. A practical approach is to begin with a focused readiness review, then build a workback schedule from the sponsor deadline. Confirm required attachments, registration dependencies, and internal approval checkpoints early. This reduces last-minute issues and improves submission quality. For the most accurate requirements, always rely on the official notice and primary source links associated with Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program.

EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program (FEC) is sponsored by U.S. National Science Foundation. The FEC program builds interjurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in STEM focus areas. Projects are investigator-driven and must include researchers from at least two EPSCoR eligible jurisdictions with complementary expertise to address challenges. The program aims to drive discovery and build sustainable STEM capacity. Tennessee is an EPSCoR-eligible jurisdiction.

Engineering of Biomedical Systems (EBMS) Program is sponsored by U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The EBMS program supports fundamental and transformative research at the interface of engineering and biomedical sciences to solve biomedical problems. Projects should focus on high-impact, transformative methods and technologies, including the development of validated models (living or computational) of normal and pathological tissues and organ systems, and advanced biomanufacturing of three-dimensional tissues and organs.