Connected Minds Transformative Futures Grant

The Transformative Futures Grant (TFG) is a flagship Connected Minds funding opportunity that seeks to catalyze truly transformative research, meaning projects that reimagine how we study, collaborate, and innovate at the intersection of humans and intelligent technologies.

These grants are designed to support bold, co-created, and interdisciplinary research that challenges conventional approaches, bridges disciplinary divides, and delivers meaningful change for society. Transformative Futures projects are not incremental; they must reshape existing paradigms, forge new methods of inquiry, and demonstrate the potential to fundamentally alter research trajectories or outcomes across Connected Minds’ three pillars: neural, machine, and society.

This new model replaces the former Team Grants program, introducing a streamlined, feedback-driven approach that emphasizes collaboration, adaptability, and impact. Each stage, from idea generation to implementation, is designed to nurture ambitious concepts into globally significant, socially responsible research.

All TFG-funded projects are expected to advance one or more of Connected Minds' Long-Term Goals:

To understand how the interplay of humans and intelligent technologies produces unexpected, emergent properties at the community/whole society levels
To predict how new technologies will disrupt the techno-social collective
To use these predictions to drive new research and technology development

AWARD INFORMATION:

Funding for the Transformative Futures Grant (TFG) is provided through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) and is open to all registered members of the Connected Minds research group.

This second call (formerly the team grant) will fund up to $6 million in total awards, with $4.5 million to be held at York and $1.5 million to be held at Queen’s, to be distributed over a maximum of three years. The final amount awarded will depend on individual project budgets and the overall availability of funds.

Community
Co-Creation Day

Monday, April 20, 2026
Harmony Event Centre/Courtyard by Marriott Oshawa

Please note that this is an in-person event and is open only to Connected Minds faculty members.
Attendee travel expenses will be covered in alignment with CFREF Eligible Expenses.

Registration deadline: Friday, April 10, 2026

TFG Process Map

*At least 20% of the funding will be reserved for an Indigenous-led and focused proposal. Applicants must specify in their application if they wish to be considered under this funding stream and must detail how their proposal is significantly informed by and prioritizes Indigenous community interests. All funded grants must adhere to the requirements outlined for the award.

COMMUNITY CO-CREATION DAY:

As part of the Transformative Futures Grant process, advancing project teams will participate in a Community Co-Creation Day designed to strengthen and refine their proposals through open dialogue and collaborative input from the Connected Minds community.

This is not an adjudication event. Rather, it is a structured, collaborative working session focused on enhancing project quality and fostering meaningful interdisciplinary engagement.

During this session, participants will:

Surface complementary expertise and ideas
Strengthen projects across dimensions such as team composition, partnerships, EDI, and research direction
Create opportunities for new collaborations, including joining or contributing to project teams

Community Co-Creation Day is the primary opportunity for CM members to actively shape TFG projects and to explore where their expertise, interests, or networks might contribute.

Registered participants will be provided with short project summaries to review and will be asked to watch short pitch videos (five minutes per project) prepared by the advancing teams. During the day, there will be facilitated discussion, Q&A, and opportunities for direct engagement.

TFGs can be led by one or two Principal Investigators (in cases where the budget is distributed between York and Queens), along with a multidisciplinary team comprising other Connected Minds members, partners, and collaborators. This team should possess adequate expertise and resources to span the three Connected Minds expertise pillars and achieve the grant's objectives. Projects may include up to two Co-PIs.
Only registered members of Connected Minds who are eligible to hold external funding may be Principal Investigators.
Interdisciplinary collaboration across the neural, machine, and society pillars will be required for the final proposal. A list of final team members does not need to be included in the EOI phase.
The final proposal must include at least two external partner organizations from different sectors (academic, industry, community, and/or government), with global collaborations being strongly encouraged. Partner organizations do not need to be confirmed in the EOI phase.
Members of the Connected Minds Leadership Committee and/or Directorate are not eligible to participate as applicants, co-leads, or collaborators.
At the conclusion of the process, Leadership Committee members will be assigned as Project Advisors to funded teams, supporting project integration with the program and mentorship.

All EOI submissions must be made through the form link posted on the Connected Minds website. The submission deadline will be strictly enforced.

Your Expression of Interest should include:

Principal Investigator(s) and Contact Information.
Project Title
Transformative Idea (Core Concept) – Describe your central idea, why it is bold or transformative, and its potential societal or technological impact (400 words maximum).
Alignment with Connected Minds Goals – Identify which Connected Minds goal(s) your idea advances (250 words maximum).
Interdisciplinary Scope and Potential Team Composition – Outline the disciplines, expertise, or partner types that would strengthen your concept (note that you do not have to identify all team members, just the types of team members who would ideally be a part of your finally proposal) (200 words maximum).
Co-Creation Approach – Briefly describe how collaboration or community involvement will shape your project (150 words maximum).
Preliminary Budget Estimate – Provide a total estimated amount (CAD). Applicants should propose a budget that reasonably reflects the scope of work, resources required, and time available (maximum three years) for completing the proposed project. Final budgets must demonstrate efficient and responsible use of funds in line with Connected Minds’ values of accountability, equity, and impact.

The Transformative Futures Grant unfolds through a multi-stage process that supports project development from idea to implementation over three years.

Stage	Approximate Timing	Purpose
Expression of Interest	Fall 2025	Identify bold, transformative research ideas.
Oral Pitch & Community Dialogue	April 2026	Present ideas to the Connected Minds community for feedback and prioritization.
Detailed Proposal	May - June 2026	Develop full research plan, partnerships, and co-creation framework.
Pilot Funding (Year 1)	July 2026 - June 2027	Launch project, test feasibility, and solidify partnerships.
Continuation Reviews (Years 2-3)	2027 - 2029	Annual reviews and continued support based on progress and outcomes.
Final Reporting	Late 2029	Evaluate impact, co-creation results, and legacy outcomes.

Additional details for each phase will be announced as the program progresses.

Please note: We appreciate the interest and effort of all applicants across our funding opportunities. Due to the high volume of applications and in order to maintain a fair and efficient review process, we are unable to provide individual feedback or respond to inquiries regarding selection outcomes. All decisions are final, and we are not able to accommodate requests for reconsideration.

Any project addressing Indigenous Peoples, lands, and territories will also be reviewed by the Indigenous Advisory Circle (IAC) at all stages of the project. Applications applying for the Indigenous specific funding stream will also be independently adjudicated by the IAC. In keeping with principles of self-determination, the IAC has the right to veto any projects related to Indigenous research.

EOIs will be reviewed by the Connected Minds Leadership Committee.
The Indigenous Advisory Circle will review any applications that have applied for the Indigenous funding stream and any that include aspects with Indigenous Peoples, land, and territories.
Once all applications are scored, the average for each application will be calculated and assigned an initial rank by the Connected Minds Admin team.
The Leadership Committee will meet to discuss the scores and associated rankings and decide on the final ranking of the applications and which EOIs will be invited to proceed to the Oral Pitch phase. The Leadership Committee shall incorporate the comments of the Indigenous Advisory Circle.

EOIs will be assessed on the following criteria:

Alignment with Connected Minds goals (Pass/Fail)
Transformative Potential (Red/Yellow/Green)
Interdisciplinary Scope (Red/Yellow/Green)
Co-Creation Approach (Red/Yellow/Green)
Feasibility and Readiness (Red/Yellow/Green)
Note the following descriptors for Red/Yellow/Green:
- Red – Not yet ready or out of scope
- Yellow – Promising; would benefit from further clarification or development
- Green – Strong alignment; ready to advance

For successful applications, before the cost centre can be opened, proof of institutional Research Ethics Board (REB) approval(s) is required to be submitted to the Connected Minds office.
All successful PIs and Co-PIs are required to complete our on-line progress report at the end of each fiscal year (starting with the fiscal year that funding was received) up until the end of the Connected Minds program. In addition, PIs and Co-PIs must provide a one-time baseline data set consisting of 5 years of research progress prior to receiving the funds for the Connected Minds performance management plan. If invited, PIs are expected to present their progress / results at Connected Minds events.
All successful PIs will also be required to submit an annual project report prior to receiving subsequent years’ funding.
Named collaborators outside of the host and partner institutions (York and Queen’s) will automatically become eligible Affiliate members of the program.
Successful applicants are encouraged to work with Innovation York or Queen’s Office of Partnership and Innovation to consider a collaboration agreement with the Connected Minds partner to ensure all parties agree on how intellectual property (IP), publication, and confidentiality, etc. will be managed. Please contact the Connected Minds Commercialization Manager, who will liaise with the appropriate Research Agreements team to support potential collaboration agreements.
Any manuscripts arising from Connected Minds funding that report novel technologies or methodologies must be submitted to Commercialization Manager, for intellectual property (IP) review prior to final publication.
Authors of manuscripts from Connected Minds funding, particularly those on novel technologies or methodologies, are encouraged to submit their work with Innovation York or Queen's Office of Partnership and Innovation for IP review before final publication. This aligns with CFREF's mandate to contribute to the Canadian economy's growth, fostering collaboration between research and commercialization. While there's no obligation for members to commercialize their results, sharing publications helps explore potential IP opportunities.
Connected Minds / CFREF funding must be acknowledged in professional communications, publications, presentations, and conference materials as follows: “The research was undertaken thanks in part to funding from the Connected Minds Program, supported by Canada First Research Excellence Fund, Grant #CFREF-2022-00010.”

Last updated: 02/27/2026

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EOIs will be assessed on the following criteria: