Senate Research Committee
When claiming Internal or External research grant expenses, please use the Research Reimbursement Form . For more information, contact research@stu.ca.
Funding Opportunities
Value: $2,500
Number of awards: up to six, subject to funds being available
Full-time and part-time faculty are eligible to apply for funding to hire student interns (research assistants who receive more training and mentoring) through Harrison McCain Student Research Internships (HMSRI), which are funded by a gift in honour of Harrison McCain. Preference will be given to applications from faculty who do not already have intern or RA funding or those who are first-time applicants. Applications will be assessed by the Senate Research Committee and must describe both the research/creative project under consideration and the extent to which the proposed project will constitute a mentoring/learning opportunity for the student. Student internships differ from research assistantships in that training and skills development are integral to internships. For that reason, a project’s (a) research outcomes, (b) student intern tasks, and (c) the research skills linked to both of these outcomes and tasks, must all be clearly described and linked to one another. Applications should also clearly indicate the nature of student supervision/mentoring by, and engagement with, the faculty member. HMSRI awards must be used within one calendar year of the date of award. Researchers who already have another source of funding for research assistants or interns for the same project may be deemed ineligible.
Deadline: October 23, 2026
Value: up to $9,350
Number of awards: up to two (total for both HMRG & HMKMG), subject to funds being available
Harrison McCain Research Grants are funded by a gift in honour of Harrison McCain and are awarded to faculty by the Senate Research Committee through open competition. All faculty (full-time and part-time) are eligible to apply, with preference given to emerging scholars (those who have completed less than eight years of service at º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ by the submission deadline) and first-time applicants. Eligible expenses include equipment, supplies, research travel, and research assistants, as well as publication and dissemination expenses. Researchers who already have another source of funding for the same project may be deemed ineligible.
Deadline: October 23, 2026
Value: up to $9,350
Number of awards: up to two (total for both HMRG & HMKMG), subject to funds being available
Harrison McCain Knowledge Mobilization Grants are funded by a gift in honour of Harrison McCain and are awarded to faculty by the Senate Research Committee through open competition. All faculty (full-time and part-time) are eligible to apply, with preference given to emerging scholars (those who have completed less than eight years of service at º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ by the submission deadline) and first-time applicants. Eligible expenses include costs of event hosting, honoraria and travel costs for participants, knowledge mobilization tools, and other hosting and communication costs. Researchers who already have another source of funding for the same project may be deemed ineligible.
Deadline: October 23, 2026
Value: up to $3,000
The Conference Organizer Awards are special awards for faculty who will be organizing a conference within the next 12 months, either on or off campus.
Deadline: 2 months before conference start date and/or 2 months in advance of the relevant SSHRC Connection Grant deadline
Values: up to $1,500 (700 km or less each way) or up to $2,500 (over 700 km one way)
Limits: 1 per faculty member per academic year (July 1 – June 30), subject to funds being available
Conference Travel Grants provide financial assistance to full and part-time faculty members, including sabbaticants, who are formally disseminating their research/scholarship/creative works at academic conferences.
Deadline: rolling deadline, but the application must be made in advance of the conference
Value: $2,000
Number of awards: one
The Dr. Rosemary Clews Research Internship enables a student to develop research skills and acquire research training by working with a professor in an area of the student’s interest. The internship will assist students with their financial needs and reinforce their academic accomplishments while providing research training, skills development and experience. One internship per year is available.
Deadline: October 23, 2026
Value: up to $9,350
Number of awards: up to 3 Explore or Exchange grants (total, in any combination)
SSHRC Explore research grants are funded through º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½’s SSHRC Institutional Grant (SIG). They are awarded to faculty by the Senate Research Committee through open competition. All faculty (full-time and part-time) and SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellows (normally with a two-year fellowship and adjudicated by SSHRC) are eligible to apply, with priority given to researchers who have not held a SSHRC Explore or SSHRC Exchange Grant previously. Eligible expenses include equipment, supplies, research travel, and research assistants, as well as spending for publication and dissemination. Researchers who already have another source of funding for the same project may be deemed ineligible.
Deadline: October 23, 2026
Value: up to $3,000
Number of awards: up to 5
General Research Grants (GRG) are research grants, awarded to full-time or part-time faculty by the Senate Research Committee through open competition.
Deadline: October 23, 2026
Value: up to $9,350
Number of awards: up to 3 Explore or Exchange grants (total, in any combination)
SSHRC Exchange grants are funded through º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½’s SSHRC Institutional Grant (SIG). They are awarded to faculty by the Senate Research Committee through open competition. All faculty (full-time and part-time) and SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellows (normally with a two-year fellowship and adjudicated by SSHRC) are eligible to apply, with priority given to researchers who have not held a SSHRC Explore or SSHRC Exchange Grant previously. Eligible expenses include costs of event hosting, honoraria and travel costs for participants, knowledge mobilization tools, and other spending for hosting and communications. Researchers who already have another source of funding for the same project may be deemed ineligible.
Deadline: October 23, 2026
Value: $4,000, up to 3 awards per year
Scholarly Book Publication Grants are available from the university’s General Research Fund to all º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ faculty members who require funding to offset costs associated with the publication of scholarly, analytical books.
Deadline: Rolling deadline
Value: $4,000, up to 4 awards per year
Scholarly Article Publication Grants are available from the university’s General Research Fund to all º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ faculty members who require funding to offset costs associated with the publication of scholarly, analytical articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Deadline: Rolling deadline
Value: See Canada Revenue Agency Guidelines
The Research Grant in Lieu of Salary Program and Non-Leave Grants Program permit, under certain conditions, a researcher to receive a research grant in lieu of salary through a mechanism that includes peer review. Faculty securing internal research grants must complete the on their research activities/outcomes to the ORS within 30 days of the end date of their award.
Deadline: Rolling deadline up to August 1st in any given calendar year.
Value: up to $2,000
Formerly called the "4A Award". Researchers who have submitted unsuccessful Tri-Council research grants that are ranked in the top three sextiles are eligible to apply for a U3S Award (seed funding) from the Senate Research Committee to facilitate the submission of a future external grant application. Please note that only applicants who meet the ORS internal deadline for the related Tri-Council applications are eligible for U3S funding.
Deadline: 60 days after receiving U3S status
Number of awards: one
To support faculty members requiring research time to complete important research projects, St. Thomas University has created a three-credit-hour course release award that will be offered in alternate years to the Wallace and Margaret McCain Course Release Award. Faculty members with major research/scholarly/creative projects well underway are encouraged to apply. Applications will be reviewed by the Senate Research Committee and a nomination will be forwarded to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic & Research) for consideration.
Deadline: November 16, 2026
Final Reports
Looking to file an Internal Grant Report?
Note: Final Reports are no longer required for Conference Travel Grants.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for the Senate Research Committee to adjudicate an application?
Decisions will be reached within 30 days of receipt of a complete application.
What if I am unable to spend/claim my grant by the specified deadline?
If you are unable to spend/claim their award by the specified date, a written request for an extension for access to their funds can be made to the Chair of the Senate Research Committee via the office of the Associate Vice-President (Research). This request must be made in writing (or via email) outlining the reason for the extension and it must be submitted before the deadline date specified in the letter of award.
How much should I pay my Research Assistant?
Please see the Student Employment Policy May 2023.
How do I appeal a decision of the Senate Research Committee?
Please see the Appeals Policy for more information.