International Joint Initiative for Research: Harnessing Disruptive Technologies for Global Challenges

  • Start Date:

  • Deadline:

  • Agency:
    Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF)

This initiative, led by the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) of Canada, is a consortium of 15 international funding bodies, including the Ghana National Research Fund (Ghana) via the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). It calls for ambitious, interdisciplinary, and transformative research projects that use disruptive technologies to accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or other major global challenges.

Funder: Multi-funder initiative, including the Ghana National Research Fund via IDRC. Funding Amount: Varies by funder. For Ghanaian PIs, the maximum is C$125,000 via IDRC.

Project Duration: 3 years (with possible 1-year extension). • Informational Webinars: 3 & 4 February 2026 (Recordings available) • Submission Deadlines: o Mandatory Notice of Intent: 3 March 2026 o Letter of Intent: 9 June 2026 o Full Application: 3 November 2026

Key Focus: Interdisciplinary research that centrally employs a disruptive technology to address at least one SDG. Teams must include expertise from at least two of three broad areas: Natural Sciences/Engineering, Social Sciences/Humanities, and Health/Life Sciences. • Eligibility: Proposals must be transnational. The minimum team requires three Principal Investigators (Co-PIs) eligible for funding from three different participating countries. One Co-PI must be eligible for Canada's NFRF.