Deadline: 3 January 2025
Applicants can now submit their applications for the Innovation Fund to Support Research Ideas.
Streams
- The Innovation funding stream currently consists of three funding opportunities:
- Applied Innovation: Supporting small-scale, shop-floor research projects that lead to innovative and practical solutions that can be implemented in workplaces.
- Proof of Principle and Prototyping: Supporting early-stage prototypes, tools, and technology that can be used in workplaces to solve occupational health and safety problems.
- Exploratory Research: Supporting high-risk/high-reward projects that explore novel ideas and solutions with transformational and lasting effects across workplaces in Canada.
Funding Information
- Applied Innovation grants are up to $50,000, for a duration of one year.
- Proof of Principle and Prototyping grants are up to $100,000 total for a duration of two years.
- Exploratory Research grants are up to $125,000 per year for a duration of two years.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applied Innovation and Proof of Principle and Prototyping:
- Please note the following additional eligibility requirements:
- Academic researchers who are affiliated with a college, university, or research institution may apply but require industry member collaborations or a non-academic partner on the research team.
- International applicants are not eligible to apply as principal applicants; however, they may participate as co-applicants.
- Full-time employees of WorkSafeBC are not eligible to apply as principal applicants, however they may participate as co-applicants.
- Please note the following additional eligibility requirements:
- Exploratory Research:
- Please note the following additional eligibility guidelines and requirements:
- Researchers are encouraged to form multi-disciplinary teams, including workers and employers, to address the research topic. Applicants are asked to carefully consider the composition of the research team to ensure that there is sufficient expertise and resources to conduct the project, perform effective knowledge translation and exchange, and obtain ethics approval as needed.
- International applicants are not eligible to apply as principal applicants, however they may participate as co-applicants.
- Full-time employees of WorkSafeBC are not eligible to apply as principal applicants, however they may participate as co-applicants.
- Please note the following additional eligibility guidelines and requirements:
Evaluation Criteria
- This process is designed to ensure scientific credibility, transparency, and accountability, and emphasize relevance to workplaces and the workers’ compensation system:
- Stage 1: Preliminary review by Research Services to ensure the application is complete and meets the eligibility criteria. Incomplete or ineligible applications will not proceed to Stage 2.
- Stage 2: Peer review by external experts to ensure the validity of the research project. Applications that fail peer review will not proceed to Stage 3.
- Stage 3: Relevance review by a cross-divisional committee of WorkSafeBC staff.
- Stage 4: Final funding decisions by WorkSafeBC’s Executive Leadership Team.
Application Requirements
- The submitted application package must include:
- The Application Form, with all signatures and relevant supporting documents; and
- A signed Applicant Consent Form for Use and Disclosure of Personal Information for each project team member.
For more information, visit WorkSafeBC.