Scientific Proposals

PIMS supports the mathematical sciences community by funding events and collaborations, providing significant sponsorship for events in active areas of mathematical science research.

PIMS follows the following principles on the use of artificial intelligence for the preparation and review of research proposals. To protect confidentiality, reviewers must not upload proposals or related review materials to AI services or systems that transmit, store, or use the content outside the reviewer's secure environment. Applicants and reviewers are responsible for the content of their submissions and reviews.

Proposals are evaluated annually by the PIMS Scientific Review Panel (SRP), which meets each fall, following the criteria below. Smaller awards are considered on an ongoing basis (see Other Funding Opportunities). Award holders are responsible for completing a final report upon completion of their event. Award holders are also expected to acknowledge PIMS funding in publications, presentations, and event materials arising from the activity.

Typical annual timeline

These dates recur each cycle. Exact dates for the current cycle appear in the call status block above.

What	When
Early July	Call for proposals opens
Before August 15	Draft applications sent to the PIMS co-directors for feedback (strongly encouraged for CRG and PRN applications)
Early September	Deadline for seminar / colloquium funding (non-SRP; see Other Funding Opportunities)
October 1	Proposal deadline
Fall	SRP meets and adjudicates
December	Funding decisions, and LOI outcomes, communicated
December 1	Annual reports due from active CRG/PRN leaders

Programs supported through the SRP call

The call supports the activity types listed below. CRGs and PRNs run through a two-stage process (letter of intent, then full proposal); the others are single-stage. A Research Catalyst application may additionally be designated as a simultaneous CRG letter of intent. Proposals for all types of activity should address the general proposal requirements and will be evaluated against the general evaluation criteria. Additional considerations and criteria specific to certain programs are discussed below.

Conferences and Workshops

Proposals for Conferences and Workshops should address all of the general proposal requirements. Organizers should work to ensure diversity among their speakers and participants. To propose a large event hosted by PIMS, contact the PIMS central team for advice on logistics.

Summer Schools

Proposals for Summer Schools should address all of the general proposal requirements. Organizers should demonstrate consideration of diversity among speakers and participants. To propose a large summer school hosted by PIMS, contact the PIMS central team for advice on logistics.

Mathematics for the Future - Thematic Years

The Mathematics for the Future (M4TF) initiative highlights research and training that address urgent global challenges while advancing transformative directions in mathematics itself. It builds on the success of the 2023 PIMS Action on Climate Thematic Summer (PIMS-ACTS) and on PIMS's partnership with ICMS in the Mathematics for Humanity program. The ongoing thematic year, on Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence, is fully programmed; this call invites proposals for 2027–2028:

2027-2027 Thematic Year: Mathematics of Quantum Science and Technology

The 2027–2028 thematic year (July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028) is devoted to the Mathematics of Quantum Science and Technology. Through this call, PIMS invites proposals for activities within the thematic year — incubators, workshops, conferences, summer schools, and public events, individually or in combination. Funding supports participant travel (with priority for students and early-career researchers), invited speakers, and organizational costs.

Each M4TF cycle is organized as a thematic year, running July 1 to June 30, devoted to a single annual theme announced when the call opens. Proposals submitted under M4TF are for activities that address the annual theme; they are adjudicated by the SRP through this call. Activities of a thematic year are drawn from four component types, and may be distributed across the year and across PIMS sites:

incubators bringing together experts to spark new research directions;
workshops or conferences, including add-on components connecting mathematicians with policymakers, industry, or interdisciplinary partners;
summer schools training graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers new to the field; and
public-facing activities, such as panels or lectures, engaging broader audiences.

We seek proposals for activities that align with the theme of the thematic year, which we call a "thematic year proposal". A thematic year proposal will typically include activities of each type, but the composition is not fixed: depending on the proposals received, a year may include, for example, more than one workshop or conference. Individual proposals may address one or several component types; the SRP will select a portfolio of activities that together realize the thematic year.

Thematic year activities embed equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout its activities, particularly through diverse speaker selection and themes that broaden participation in mathematics. Thematic Year proposals are evaluated against the general proposal criteria and the additional considerations for Thematic Years.

Scientific ProposalsDistinguished Visitors

PIMS members may apply to invite and host a distinguished scientist to visit member institutions for periods ranging from one week to a few months. Proposals will be evaluated against the general evaluation criteria and the additional criteria for Distinguished Visitor proposals.

Research Catalysts

The Research Catalyst program provides targeted, time-limited funding to support the formation and maintenance of research networks in the mathematical sciences. Grants of up to $50,000 for one year support workshops, incubators, and other collaborative events that bring researchers together around an emerging or active area of shared interest at PIMS member universities.

Catalyst applications are single-stage and reviewed by the Scientific Review Panel (SRP) through the annual competition (See timeline). No Letter of Intent required. The application process is lighter than that of a CRG or PRN. The program is designed for speed and responsiveness to emerging opportunities in the mathematical sciences.

Catalysts can serve as an on-ramp to the PIMS research pipeline. Applicants who intend to develop a CRG proposal may designate their Catalyst application as a simultaneous CRG Letter of Intent. In that case, the application is evaluated on both tracks independently: it may be funded as a Catalyst, advanced as a CRG LOI, both, or neither. This eliminates the need for a separate LOI submission and ensures that a Catalyst application that is not funded can still initiate the CRG process. Evolution toward a CRG is not required: the program serves equally well as a standalone mechanism for building or sustaining networks that benefit from periodic focused activity without a multi-year commitment.

Proposals will be evaluated against the general evaluation criteria and the additional requirements for Research Catalysts below.

Collaborative Research Groups (CRG)

A Collaborative Research Group is a group of researchers with overlapping scientific interests and a shared commitment to collaboration, and is one of the PIMS flagship programs. PIMS awards successful applicants up to $240,000 CAD over three years to support postdoctoral appointments, event organization, and scientific exchanges. Postdoctoral fellowships funded by a CRG follow the amounts and model of standard PIMS Postdoctoral Fellowships, including the required matching funds; a CRG typically funds two postdoctoral fellows (PDFs), each for two years, over its full cycle.

CRGs are selected through a highly competitive, two-stage process adjudicated by the SRP. Applicants first submit a Letter of Intent (LOI); those selected are invited to submit a full proposal the following year. Upon notification of a successful LOI, applicants may request up to $5,000 to support an event or PI summit during the period leading up to submission of the full proposal. In addition to the general proposal requirements, CRGs must include program-specific details as described on the CRG page. CRG applications are evaluated against the general evaluation criteria along with additional CRG-specific criteria.

Planning a CRG?

The CRG page covers application requirements and document specifications, leader responsibilities, sample activities, and how to demonstrate impact.

PIMS Research Networks (PRN)

PIMS Research Networks are large-scale collaborations between academic, industrial, and public-sector partners. They build on the CRG program and go beyond it by combining research, training, and strong external partnerships to address grand challenges such as the climate emergency, sustainable resource management, resilience to future epidemics, and fairness and justice in human society. Baseline support is $100,000 per year for three years. In addition, PIMS will match contributions from the PRN external partner up to $50,000 per year, providing a maximum total annual budget of $200,000 when the partner contributes at least $50,000 annually. Postdoctoral fellowships funded by a PRN follow the amounts and model of standard PIMS Postdoctoral Fellowships, including the required matching funds; a PRN typically funds three postdoctoral fellows (PDFs), each for two years, over its full cycle.

PRNs are selected through a highly selective, two-stage process adjudicated by the SRP. Applicants first submit a Letter of Intent (LOI); those selected are invited to submit a full proposal the following year. Upon notification of a successful LOI, applicants may request up to $5,000 to support an event or PI summit during the period leading up to submission of the full proposal. In addition to the general proposal requirements, PRNs must include program-specific details as described on the PRN page. PRN applications are evaluated against the general evaluation criteria along with the additional PRN-specific criteria.

Planning a PRN?

The PRN page covers application requirements and document specifications, leader responsibilities, sample activities, and how to demonstrate impact.

CRGs and PRNs at a glance.

These are PIMS's two flagship, two-stage programs. They share an application process and the same core evaluation criteria but serve different goals. Either program can be applied for directly — a PRN does not require a prior CRG, and a Research Catalyst application can be designated as a simultaneous CRG Letter of Intent (see above).

	Collaborative Research Group	PIMS Research Network
Purpose	Concentrate the network's strength on a shared research theme.	Mobilize the mathematical sciences across sectors to address a societal grand challenge.
Partners	Academic, within the PIMS network.	Academic, plus required industrial, government, or public sector partners.
External Funding	Not required.	Required — PIMS matches partner contributions up to \$50,000/yr.
Scale	Up to \$240,000 over three years (about \$80,000/yr).	\$100,000/yr baseline; up to \$200,000/yr with matching (up to about \$600,000 over three years).
Postdoctoral Fellows	Typically 2 (each for two years).	Typically 3 (each for two years).
Network-Wide Courses	Encouraged.	Required.
Legacy expectation	A lasting research community.	A durable cross-sector network (heightened expectation).

How to apply

Eligibility: Each application must have a main applicant from the PIMS Network and should demonstrate benefit to the PIMS Network. This includes, for example, involving multiple PIMS sites, involving many participants from a single PIMS site, and/or building strong collaborations between PIMS members and external participants. Participants outside of PIMS may be included in programming, and their travel and participation expenses for attending PIMS activities may be covered. But no direct funds can be transferred to non-member institutions, for example, an award cannot fund salaries for postdocs at a non-member institution. In all cases, the benefit to the PIMS network must be made clear.

The following information is collected for every proposal.

Narrative submission fields

Field	Description
Title	A descriptive title for the proposed activity.
Fit to proposal type	How the proposal satisfies the specific requirements of the proposed activity type.
Proposed dates and locations	Where and when the key components will take place. For recurring activities, evidence of continuing impact of funding is requested.
Field(s) of Research	The field(s) of research associated with the proposal, with Mathematics Subject Classification (MSC) codes where possible.
Proposed Budget	An itemized budget for the entire amount requested, indicating other sources of funding and cost-sharing support (identifying confirmed sources). All expenditures are subject to the Tri-agency guide on financial administration.
Budget Justification	Justification of each budget item and any contributions from other sources. If logistical support from PIMS central is requested, highlight this and supply details.
Organizers	List of organizers and affiliations, highlighting associations with PIMS member universities. Explicit permission must be obtained from all co-organizers before listing them.
Scientific Objectives and Proposed Activities	A high-level summary of the activities and their anticipated scientific impact, written for a general scientific / mathematical audience, including how the activity benefits the PIMS network and any connections with other PIMS initiatives.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity	A brief summary (1-2 paragraphs recommended) of EDI principles and practices used in the design of the activity and plans for their implementation. Applicants are encouraged to consult the SSHRC EDI Best Practices document.

Additional structured fields collected by the form: PIMS Site involved; Institutional Address; whether the event is recurring (with recurrence details); Location; Start and End dates; Participant details; and any Other Information.

Supporting document. A single PDF may be uploaded in support of the proposal. For some proposal types, additional type-specific information may be required (see the individual program descriptions above); this may be provided in the PDF.

Applicants are encouraged to solicit feedback from their site directors or PIMS central where appropriate.

Evaluation criteria

Every proposal is evaluated on the following criteria.

Scientific quality

Likelihood to lead to new advances, technologies, or policy.
Potential to impact multiple sites.
Potential for international impact and participation.

Mathematical content

To what extent are the mathematical sciences at the core of the proposal?
Does it advance the mathematical sciences in an important way?

Strategic benefit to PIMS member universities

Are the primary beneficiaries PIMS members?

Feasibility and preparation

Impact is commensurate with the funding amount requested.
A defined organizing team is in place.
Budget appropriateness and clarity.
Availability of matching funds; if none, whether it is appropriate for PIMS to be the sole sponsor.
Designed to ensure a diverse pool of qualified potential participants.
Plans are feasible for the proposed timeline.

Equity, diversity, and inclusivity

Concrete evidence of inclusive recruitment practice, for example recruiting invited speakers from a diverse pool of candidates, or recruiting diverse organizing committees and participants.
Mentorship, training, or development activities that broaden participation, especially by those who may be disproportionately affected by barriers to access, bias, or systemic disadvantage.
Equitable distribution of workload, recognition, and funding among organizers and participants.
Emphasis on inclusive, accessible processes and activities, rather than focusing solely on specific demographic representation.

Some priority is given to events that take place at a PIMS site or in collaboration with institutional partners.

Additional considerations for Mathematics for the Future (M4TF) Thematic Year Proposals

Depth of engagement with the annual theme, and potential for mathematical advances addressing the challenges the theme identifies.
Potential to initiate or support high-risk research with transformative impact on the mathematical sciences or their applications.
Strength of training and public-engagement elements, including participation of students and early-career researchers.
Interdisciplinary reach, including connections to policymakers, industry, or adjacent disciplines where appropriate.

In selecting among meritorious proposals, the SRP will also consider the overall composition of the thematic year — balance across component types, complementarity among activities, and scheduling across the year. This is a feature of portfolio selection, not an evaluation criterion for individual proposals.

Additional considerations for Research Catalysts

Proposals for Research Catalysts should additionally address:

Potential of the network to persist or develop beyond the award year.
Suitability of the lightweight, one-year format for the proposed activities.
Breadth of participation across PIMS sites.

Additional considerations for CRGs and PRNs

Proposals for CRGs and PRNs are expected to present a cohesive program incorporating the training of HQP and activities to develop the proposed group/network. The following considerations apply at both the letter-of-intent and full-proposal stages.

Innovation and originality: consideration of a novel theme, format, or participant population; timeliness of the subject.
Feasibility: a cohesive, uniting theme; projected impact commensurate with the funding requested; concerns raised at the LOI stage fully addressed.
Impact: develops a lasting, robust network beyond the funding period (with an increased expectation for PRNs); mathematical content and timeliness of the subject; relevance to PIMS members.
Activities: events spread across PIMS sites; plans for network-wide courses (required for PRNs only), summer schools, and seminars; activities integrating mathematical scientists at all career levels; consideration of equity, diversity, and inclusion across all aspects.

Additional, for PRNs only:

Partnerships: funding secured from external industrial, governmental, or scientific partners; bridges between research groups in academia, industry, and the public sector.

Additional considerations for Recurring events

A detailed justification in terms of the impact of prior events.
Applicants must be up to date on end-of-event reporting.
Preference for a long-term strategy and for hybrid or online delivery formats.

Additional considerations for Distinguished Visitors

Preference for diverse demographic coverage across selected speakers.

Other funding opportunities (not part of the SRP call)

These activities are not part of the annual call for proposals. Each has its own deadlines and application process.

Activities with small budgets. Short-term visitors, hot-topic reaction events, and other small-budget activities (except seminars and colloquia) may be submitted at any time for immediate consideration, up to $5,000. This is not meant to fund individual travel. Evaluation may take up to six weeks, so submit at least six weeks in advance. (Discretionary funding form, login required.)
Seminars and colloquia. Applications for PIMS-supported seminars for the academic year are submitted via the discretionary funding form (Seminar / Colloquium request type), typically by early September, with outcomes notified by late October. Distinguished PIMS Seminar funding may be submitted through this process or through the SRP call. Organizers report on their use of funds at the end of the award.
Innovation activities (industrial and other non-academy partners). Joint academic / industrial conferences and workshops, industrial short courses, industrial problem-solving workshops, job fairs, networking events, and related HQP development and training. See the PIMS Industrial Call for Proposals.
Education and outreach. Math fairs, Math Mania, summer camps, problem-solving workshops, hackathons, teacher-training workshops, and proposals addressing historical challenges faced by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. See the PIMS Education Call for Proposals.
Activities in statistics. Organizers are encouraged to also consider submitting to CANSSI.

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