Funding Opportunities

ONCAT drives innovation to help postsecondary learners get where they want to go, no matter where they begin.  

To accelerate the expansion and enhancement of opportunities for learner mobility, ONCAT supports Ontario’s publicly assisted postsecondary sector through two broad categories of funding opportunities: 

  • Institutional grants for projects that bolster administrative capacity and/or foster productive collaboration 

  • Research grants for projects that generate new insights about issues related to learner mobility  
     


Funding Opportunities for Institutional Projects

ONCAT has always focused on supporting students who wish to transfer within the postsecondary system in Ontario.    

ONCAT’s 2023–26 Strategic Plan broadens and extends this focus to supporting learner mobility through the education-to-career journey, empowering learners to build on their previous education and work experience to achieve their personal, educational, and professional goals.  

Here are the 2023–24 funding opportunities for institutional projects: 

ONCAT Capacity Grants 

  • Support the development and implementation of learner-centric policies, practices, and pathways at a single postsecondary institution
  • $25,000–$75,000  
  • Deadline: February 15, 2024 

ONCAT Collaboration Grants 

  • Support the development and implementation of learner-centric policies, practices, and pathways across multiple postsecondary institutions or the entire postsecondary sector
  • $25,000–$100,000 (Larger grants may be considered for projects that include five or more postsecondary institutions) 
  • Deadline: February 15, 2024 

Indigenous Institutes Transfer Grants 

  • Support the development and implementation of learner-centric policies, practices, and pathways at a single Indigenous Institute 
  • $25,000–$75,000  
  • Deadline: Institutions can apply any time between November 23, 2023, and February 15, 2024 

MyCreds Onboarding Grants 

  • Support a postsecondary institution’s integration with MyCreds, a digital platform for academic credentials
  • $10,000–$25,000 
  • Deadline: Institutions can apply any time between November 23, 2023, and February 15, 2024 

PLAR Innovation Grants 

  • Support a postsecondary institution’s participation in a pilot program that will test and evaluate the potential opportunities of AI-powered assessment processes

  • $75,000–$125,000  

  • Deadline: February 2, 2024  

Transfer Bridging Grants 

  • Support a postsecondary institution’s development and implementation of academic bridging programs 

  • $25,000–$100,000   

  • Deadline: February 15, 2024  


Funding Opportunities for Research Projects 

ONCAT conducts original research programs that investigate learner mobility, student transfer experiences, academic achievement, equitable access to postsecondary opportunities, labour market outcomes, and related topics.  

In addition, ONCAT collaborates with external partners to pursue research activities that contribute to a greater understanding of Ontario’s postsecondary education sector. 

As a guiding principle, ONCAT prioritizes funding for research projects that can inform and inspire learner-centric improvements to policies, practices, and pathways at publicly assisted colleges, universities, and Indigenous Institutes in Ontario. 

Here are the 2023–24 funding opportunities for research projects: 

ONCAT Research Grants  

  • Support the generation of new insights about issues related to learner mobility 

  • $25,000–$140,000   

  • Deadline: March 31, 2024  

ONCAT Resource Grants  

  • Support the identification and collection of new information related to learner mobility that can enrich ONCAT’s ongoing research activities 

  • $25,000–$140,000   

  • Deadline: March 31, 2024  


Contact Us

If you have questions or comments, contact Inna Yeranosyan, Grants and Projects Specialist. 

 

ONCAT is funded by the Government of Ontario. All programs and details are subject to change without notice.