About Collaborative Research Groups
What is a CRG?
A Collaborative Research Group (CRG) is a group of researchers with overlapping scientific interests and a shared commitment to collaboration. PIMS awards successful CRG applicants up to $240,000 CAD over three years to support postdoctoral appointments, event organization, and scientific exchanges. This funding enables a CRG to bring together leading international experts in a given research area for a period of intensive collaboration.
The group’s potential impact is amplified by PIMS’ resources and organizational structure. CRGs can expect priority access to:
- Focused research periods.
- Distinguished chairs and long term visitors.
- Participation in international programs.
CRGs are designed to generate impact that extends well beyond the funding period. These initiatives raise the profile of the CRGs’ research themes in Western Canada and Cascadia, provide mentorship to early-career faculty, and equip researchers with the infrastructure needed to build networks and advance their research programs.
Responsibilities of CRG Leaders
- Manage funds responsibly in accordance with NSERC and PIMS guidelines.
- Submit event post-reports online within one month of each event. Reports include scientific abstracts, participant demographics, complete speaker and attendee lists, and final budgets.
- Provide an annual report by December 1 summarizing the CRG’s impact to date—covering scientific advances, publications, and trainee placements—and outlining plans for the upcoming year.
- Present CRG highlights at the annual (virtual) CRG Leader Meeting.
How to Apply
CRGs are selected by a highly competitive, two-stage process. Each stage is adjudicated by the PIMS Scientific Review Panel (SRP) which meets annually every fall. The call for proposals is announced early in the summer with deadlines for submissions listed on the call for proposals page. Interested researchers are strongly encouraged to contact PIMS staff to ensure that their application makes optimal use of resources in the PIMS Network. Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek feedback from PIMS leadership when preparing CRG applications (full or LOI). Please send draft applications to PIMS co-directors (co-director-programs@pims.math.ca and co-director-careers@pims.math.ca) before August 15th to allow time for this.
Stage 1: Letter of Intent (LOI)
Applicants prepare a Letter of Intent (LOI) which explains the scientific rationale of the collaboration, illustrates the potential impact, and highlights centerpiece events. It should address why the theme is timely, and the importance of PIMS funding to this project.
The LOI should be a 5 page document. It must address all of the criteria listed in the Submission Procedure in the instructions for Preparing and Submitting a Proposal. It must also includethe following additional information:
| Participants/CRG Leaders | Provide short biographies for each of the lead investigators from PIMS member universities. Please also identify participating collaborators from other universities, industry and government (include name, position & affiliation for each). |
| Scientific Objectives | A two page summary (including key references) of the mathematical background and key scientific objectives of the collaboration. |
| Potential Impact | Highlight the potential scientific advances your CRG might bring. Identify goals for the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) (e.g. postdocs), and describe the potential for creating a lasting research network. |
| Proposed Activities | CRGs typically include a number of primary/showcase events. Include details for these events and provide an approximate budget allocations in your itemized budget. Please also describe connections with other PIMS initiatives where relevant. |
The LOI should be formatted to fit on letter sized paper (8.5” x 11”), with approx. 1 inch margins, using Times New Roman font 12. The LOI is submitted to the Scientific Review Panel in the online system by the deadline listed on the call for proposals page.
LOIs are judged on the criteria listed on the call for proposals page and on their potential scientific merit and impact in the areas listed in the table above.
Stage 2: Full Proposal
Applicants are advised in December of the status of their LOI. Successful LOI proposals are invited to submit a full application in the SRP competition for the following year. The SRP and PIMS leadership will offer feedback which should be incorporated into the full application. In the interim, applicants will be eligible to apply for a $5000 CRG development grant to organize an event or PI-summit.
A Full Proposal expands the information contained in the LOI to 10 - 12 pages. This includes all of the sections requested on the funding opportunities page, and all of the information requested at the LOI stage. Additionally, it must contain a precise calendar of events, a detailed budget, and a 1 paragraph executive summary. Applicants are encouraged to work with PIMS staff to plan practical event schedules and budgets.
CRG applications will be judged on the criteria given on the call for proposals page, with special consideration of their
- Innovation and Originality
- Potential for Impact
- Feasibility
The Full Proposal is submitted to the Scientific Review Panel in the online system by the deadline listed on the call for proposals page.
Creating a Successful CRG
The following resources may be useful to help develop a successful CRG proposal.
Sample Activities
- International conferences - high profile gatherings connecting global researchers.
- Focused Research Periods - intensive collaborative research sessions.
- Distinguished chairs and long term visitors - hosting leading scientists at PIMS sites and leveraging their expertise through a coordinated series of activities.
- PIMS Postdoctoral Fellowships - Supporting the development of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) at PIMS sites.
- PIMS Network Wide Courses - Multi site graduate courses granting credit through the Western Deans Agreement.
- Summer schools and other postdoctoral and graduate training activities.
- Mini-conferences and workshops at host universities - smaller targeted events strengthening partnerships.
- Industrial Training Camps - bridging research and industrial applications.
- International collaborations - facilitating cross-border partnerships and joint research initiatives.
Other Programs to Leverage
- PIMS-CNRS IRL: Visitor and trainee mobility programs.
- PIMS Network Wide Courses.
- BIRS: The Banff International Research Station.
Demonstrating Impact
There are many ways to demonstrate impact. A CRG proposal has potential for impact if it
- Creates new research opportunities and enhances training for participants.
- Generates new scientific programs led by its member scientists.
- Encourages proposals for Focused Periods, mini-programs, summer schools, and distinguished scholars.
- Fosters local interest and supports long-term grass-roots activities.
- Facilitates multi-site interactions and collaborations, creating lasting networks which bridge geographic boundaries, particularly involving PIMS sites.
- Provides researchers with leadership opportunities at the national and international levels.
- Attracts additional funding and support for research initiatives.
- Strengthens HQP training through the PIMS Network Wide Courses program, leveraging the Western Dean's Agreement to grant graduate course credit across the PIMS network.
- Consolidates smaller, isolated collaborations for coordinated long-term research.
- Mobilizes mathematical research beyond academia through industry and public sector partnerships (e.g., M2PI), public outreach, and policy-relevant work
- Builds international research partnerships, including through PIMS-CNRS and MATHAM
- Promotes Canada-US research partnerships.
- Ensures a diverse and inclusive pool of participants, taking a forward-looking approach to engagement.
Equity, diversity and inclusion are essential to academic excellence in the mathematical sciences, and we strongly encourage CRG applicants to consider how they will address EDI in all aspects of their proposal.