Fisheries and Oceans Canada science funding opportunities

Marine Conservation Target (MCT) – 1 year funding

Funding will be available for 1 year (i.e., for fiscal year 2025 to 2026 only). The program will be considering proposals between $75,000 and $500,000 per project.

DFO is able to provide financial assistance for the following groups:

1. Indigenous organizations or groups may be up to 100% of eligible costs per project
2. Canadian not-for-profit organizations and community groups with 4 or fewer permanent employees, including no employees (0), may be up to 100% of costs per project, otherwise DFO assistance shall not exceed 75% of eligible costs per project
3. business and industry recipients, including business and industry associations, shall not exceed 50% of eligible costs per project
4. all other recipients shall not exceed 75% of eligible costs per project

For business and industry recipients, including business and industry associations, the maximum level of total Canadian government assistance (i.e. federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) for the same eligible costs shall not exceed 50% of total eligible costs per project.

For all other recipients, including port authorities, the total Canadian government assistance (i.e. federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) for the same eligible costs per project can be up to 100%.

How will funding be disbursed?

Answer:

Eligible expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with the terms of the signed Contribution Agreement.

Organizations located in the United States (US) may present budgets in US dollars.

Funding for a contribution project will be disbursed on the basis of the submission of satisfactory project scientific and financial reporting related to work performed.

Is receiving an advance payment possible for contribution projects?

Answer:

In general, DFO contributions are paid in arrears (i.e. applicants are reimbursed) on receipt of satisfactory project and financial reporting. However, in exceptional cases, DFO may provide payment of a portion of the contribution in advance where such payments are deemed crucial to the successful advancement of the project. Advance payments are based on the cash flow requirements of the project, and are provided at the discretion of DFO. The applicant requesting advance payments will need to satisfactorily demonstrate that the project's cash flow requirements are substantial, and the applicant lacks the financial resources to manage these requirements.

Payments to eligible recipients may be used to offset reasonable costs of projects under contribution agreements, including eligible costs for:

1. Salaries, stipends, scholarships, wages, and similar payments

• Only salary costs incurred as a direct result of the project (i.e., incremental salary costs) are eligible for DFO funding. Regular employees may not be funded by DFO, as these salary costs would be paid to the employee whether the proposed project is funded or not and therefore are not incremental to the project. Such non-incremental salary costs may count as the applicant's own contribution (in kind) towards the project

2. Mandatory employee benefits
3. Professional fees
4. Rental and/or purchase cost of motorized vehicles (cars, trucks, ATVs, snowmobiles, outboard motors), boats, and boat trailers ("Motorized vehicles")

• Note: Any request to purchase motor vehicles must clearly demonstrate both project need, as well as value-for-money for the Crown, when compared to a comparable rental arrangement. Rental of motor vehicles is the preferred project delivery method for such expenses, for projects other than those focused on building Indigenous scientific capacity

5. Purchase costs of laboratory and field equipment and instruments, including hydrophones and similar monitoring equipment, but excluding Motorized vehicles
6. Rental and maintenance costs of laboratory, field equipment and instruments
7. Rental cost of space, such as laboratory, rooms, office space and facilities
8. Travel and related costs (consistent with the National Joint Council's Travel Directive)
9. Conference and symposia costs, including registration costs
10. Publishing costs
11. Communication costs
12. Data management costs
13. Costs of materials and supplies
14. Other costs that directly support scientific research and related scientific activities, pre-approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada up to a maximum of 10% of total eligible costs

• The organization should be able to clearly demonstrate how such costs directly support scientific or related science activities and that the cost does not fit into any other eligible cost category

15. DFO may reimburse administrative support costs up to 15% of all eligible costs reimbursed by DFO. The total DFO contribution amount is inclusive of this administrative support. For example, if DFO is contributing $100k towards the eligible costs of the project (before overhead costs); the maximum that DFO will reimburse for overhead is $15k

Additional costs eligible only to Indigenous organizations or groups:

1. Ceremonial costs, including any ceremonial offerings, gifts and/or feasts
2. Honoraria for, but not limited to:

• Elders, and/or
• Indigenous knowledge holders in recognition of providing Indigenous knowledge or community knowledge relevant to the initiative

What are the eligible activities that can be funded?

Answer:

The eligible activities include scientific research and related scientific activities, such as data collection, integration, monitoring, and communication, including communication via conferences and symposia.

Additional eligible activities are available for Indigenous organizations or groups with regard to building scientific capacity. This includes building and sustaining Indigenous capacity to lead and engage in scientific research and related scientific activities, including via co-development processes. Indigenous ‘scientific capacity' is broadly defined. Among other items it may include hard and soft infrastructure, workshops, training and/or developmental needs.