Ecosystems and Oceans Science Contribution Framework

On this page

• Timelines
• Priority areas for this call
• Eligible applicants
• Eligible costs
• Support to eligible applicants
• How to apply
• Application deadline
• Application feedback

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) provides funding for ocean and freshwater science and technology in areas that support the mission of the Department to increase our understanding of ocean and freshwater environments.

The Department provides funding to projects that deliver scientific research and related scientific activities that support evidence-based decision making and increase public understanding of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Related scientific activities complement and extend scientific research by contributing to the generation, dissemination and application of scientific and technological knowledge. Examples of this include:

• data collection and integration
• ocean and freshwater monitoring
• data analyses
• modelling and hypothesis testing
• scientific capacity building (Indigenous recipients only)
• communication of science in support of ocean literacy

Canada is a supporter of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian ocean science community are building a strong contribution to the Ocean Decade. Projects funded through the Ecosystems and Oceans Science Contribution Framework can contribute to the Ocean Decade outcomes. For more information on the Ocean Decade, please visit DFO’s Ocean Decade website.

Timelines

• Ecosystems and Oceans Science (EOS) Grants and Contributions (G&C) Secretariat will be accepting Letters of Interest (LOI) from December 11, 2024 to January 12, 2025 (closing at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time).
• Submission of an LOI does not guarantee a project will be selected or approved for funding. The use of an LOI will assist Programs in identifying successful proposals, as well as reduce the up-front administrative burden on all applicants seeking funding.
• All LOIs received by the deadline will be reviewed against program priorities. LOIs which are best aligned with the program priorities, objectives, and expected results will be invited to submit a full application package (i.e., proposal).
• Notification of selected LOIs will be provided to applicants on or before February 10, 2025 for the development of full proposals. The information on proposal development will soon be posted on this website.
• A request for development of a full proposal does not guarantee a project will be approved for funding.
• The deadline for full project proposal submissions is scheduled for March 9th, 2025 (closing at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time).

Since it will take some time for DFO to both complete its review of a proposed project and negotiate the terms of a contribution agreement with your organization, the starting date of the proposed project (section 9.c. of the LOI) must take into account the timing of activities that would be undertaken if the proposed project was approved for funding. This also means that the budget of the proposed project must only include costs that would be incurred no less than at least 12 weeks from the date the full application is submitted to DFO for consideration. Given this timing, it is strongly recommended that activities should commence on or after June 1, 2025.

Priority areas for this call

Environmental Preparedness and Response Science (EPRS) – 1 year funding

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Environmental Preparedness and Response Science (EPRS) program is seeking submissions for research projects that aim to address knowledge gaps on oil spill fate and effects, as well as advance publications, predictive models, tools and assessment techniques for spill response and recovery. The results of funded research will enhance the department's capacity to protect aquatic species in the event of a spill. Applicants seeking funding to address the following priorities have the option to conduct laboratory studies or use information from past research:

• Address key knowledge gaps on the impacts of oil and its degradation products in Canada's coastal regions. This includes studying short- and long-term effects on intertidal species and vegetation of importance to coastal communities, improving post-spill evaluation, identifying recovery endpoints and advancing tool development.
• Improve our understanding of how oil spills affect marine mammals, focusing on exposure pathways and toxicity mechanisms. This involves studying the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons and developing methods to link biomarkers of oil exposure to toxicological effects and specific oil sources.
• Conduct research on the composition, aquatic toxicity, and behavior of new and alternative marine fuels, such as biofuels or low sulfur fuels, and carry out studies on the fate and toxicity of market ready or commercially available Alternative Response Measures (ARMs). The aim is to address knowledge gaps, support decision making, and aid Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) in the case of ARMS, considering factors like species, life stages, oil type and environmental conditions.
• Undertake studies addressing key knowledge gaps on the long-term fate, transport, degradation, and aquatic toxicity of hydrocarbons in nearshore sediments to support oil spill modeling and fate predictions, and advance post-spill recovery assessments.
• Advance oil spill models to accurately simulate the fate and behavior of marine oil spills, particularly in Canada's northern coastal waters or high particulate loading areas.

Funding will be available for 1 year (i.e., fiscal year 2025-26). The program will be considering proposals between $100,000 and $300,000 per project.

Marine Environmental Quality (MEQ) – 3 years funding

MEQ will work with partners to better understand how shipping-related noise affects whales. Initiatives supported though this priority area will help the Government of Canada to identify how to reduce these impacts on whales and other marine species.

The specific priorities to be supported by MEQ as part of this funding call are to:

• Improve understanding of underwater noise in areas used by Arctic whales.
• Assess impacts of ocean noise on marine mammals' health and fitness with a focus on population level impacts.

Funding will be available for 3 years (i.e., from fiscal year 2025-26 to 2027-28). The program will be considering projects up to $500,000 over 3 years with a maximum of $200,000 per fiscal year.

Marine Conservation Target (MCT) – 1 year funding

Marine conservation areas are key to supporting the health and sustainability of Canada's marine environment. Canada has made significant progress in marine conservation in recent years and continues to work in partnership with coastal communities and provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments to reach Government of Canada's goal of protecting 30 per cent of Canada's oceans by 2030. Many information sources and knowledge types contribute to marine protected area management and decision making, and collaboration and information sharing are vital in order to leverage accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date ecological and environmental data with approaches that are both effective and sustainable.

The specific priorities to be supported by MCT as part of this funding call are:

• Testing and/or reporting benefits of innovative or practical non-invasive tools and techniques to monitor coastal and/or offshore marine conservation areas.
• Demonstrating benefits of participatory science and Indigenous-led monitoring activities in existing or potential marine conservation areas.

Funding will be available for 1 year (i.e., for fiscal year 2025-26 only). The program will be considering proposals between $75,000 and $500,000 per project.

Eligible applicants

Eligible recipients are science organizations engaged in the management, conservation, protection and promotion of oceans and freshwater including:

• Canadian post-secondary academic institutions
• Canadian non-governmental organizations
• Indigenous groups or organizations
• Canadian provincial, territorial, and municipal governments
• businesses and industry, including associations
• community groups
• Canadian not-for-profit organizations
• foreign governments and international non-governmental organizations
• foreign academic institutions
• port authorities

DFO encourages applicants to consider equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the preparation, management, and implementation of their projects. EDI in ocean science and research enhances excellence, innovation and creativity and leads to more impactful results for all Canadians.

Eligible costs

Payments to eligible recipients may be used to offset reasonable costs of projects under contribution agreements, including eligible costs for:

• Salaries, stipends, scholarships, wages, and similar payments;
  • Only salary costs incurred as a direct result of the project are eligible for DFO funding. Full time employees may not be funded by DFO, as these salary costs are not incremental to the project. Non-incremental salary costs (e.g., human resource costs which are exclusively and directly related to proposed project activities) do represent eligible costs of a project, and may count as the applicant's own contribution towards the project.
• Mandatory employee benefits;
• Professional fees;
• Rental and/or purchase cost of motorized vehicles (cars, trucks, ATVs, snowmobiles, outboard motors), boats, and boat trailers ("Motorized vehicles");
  • Note: Any request to purchase motor vehicles must clearly demonstrate both project need, as well as value-for-money for the Crown, when compared to a comparable rental arrangement. Rental of motor vehicles is the preferred project delivery method for such expenses, for projects other than those focused on building Indigenous scientific capacity.
• Purchase costs of laboratory and field equipment and instruments, including hydrophones and similar monitoring equipment, but excluding Motorized vehicles;
• Rental and maintenance costs of laboratory, field equipment and instruments;
• Rental cost of space, such as laboratory, rooms, office space and facilities;
• Travel and related costs (consistent with the National Joint Council's Travel Directive)
• Conference and symposia costs, including registration costs;
• Publishing costs;
• Communication costs;
• Data management costs;
• Costs of materials and supplies;
• Other costs that directly support scientific research and related scientific activities, pre-approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada up to a maximum of 10% of total eligible costs;
  • The organization should be able to clearly demonstrate how such costs directly support scientific or related science activities and that the cost does not fit into any other eligible cost category; and
• DFO may reimburse administrative support costs up to 15% of all eligible costs reimbursed by DFO. The total DFO contribution amount is inclusive of this administrative support. For example, if DFO is contributing $100k towards the eligible costs of the project (before overhead costs); the maximum that DFO will reimburse for overhead is $15k.

Additional costs eligible only to Indigenous organizations or groups:

• Ceremonial costs, including any ceremonial offerings, gifts and/or feasts
• Honoraria for, but not limited to:
  • Elders, and/or
  • Indigenous knowledge holders in recognition of providing Indigenous knowledge or community knowledge relevant to the initiative.

Support to eligible applicants

DFO is able to provide financial assistance for the following groups:

• Indigenous organizations or groups may be up to 100% of eligible costs per project
• Canadian not-for-profit organizations and community groups with 4 or fewer permanent employees, including no employees (0), may be up to 100% of costs per project, otherwise DFO assistance shall not exceed 75% of eligible costs per project
• business and industry recipients, including business and industry associations, shall not exceed 50% of eligible costs per project
• all other recipients shall not exceed 75% of eligible costs per project

For business and industry recipients, including business and industry associations, the maximum level of total Canadian government assistance (i.e. federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) for the same eligible costs shall not exceed 50% of total eligible costs per project.

For all other recipients, including port authorities, the total Canadian government assistance (i.e. federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) for the same eligible costs per project can be up to 100%.

How to apply

Eligible applicants interested in being considered for financial support are first required to submit a LOI, using the template provided.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that LOIs are complete, provide a concise outline of the description of the proposed project, including the project description and the amount of funding requested. Incomplete LOIs may not be considered. Applicants must also clearly demonstrate linkages from the proposed work to the research priority area selected.

Eligible recipients selected to develop full project proposals will be notified by email and asked to complete a full project proposal. The form will be shared with selected applicants at the time of notification.

Information on how to complete an LOI can be found in the Guide to submitting a Letter of Intent. Additional information is also available on our Frequently asked Questions (FAQ) page.

Should you have questions concerning funding opportunities please contact us at DFO.EOSGCSecretariat-SecretariatSCSEO.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Once completed, please submit your letter of intent to DFO.EOSGCSecretariat-SecretariatSCSEO.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca on or before the deadline.

Information on proposal submission will be posted to this website when available.

Application deadline

Ecosystems and Oceans Science (EOS) Grants and Contributions (G&C) Secretariat will be accepting Letters of Intent (LOI) from December 11th to January 12th, 2025 (closing at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time).

Application feedback

Due to the volume of applications received, EOS Grants and Contributions Secretariat is not in a position to provide detailed feedback on individual project applications. All decisions regarding project LOIs and proposals are final. It is the responsibility of the lead applicant to ensure that the application is complete and that we have a clear and accurate understanding of the project.