MS Canada – Catalyst Research Grant

Sponsor’s Website

Visit the MS Canada website for more information on the Catalyst Research Grant program.

Internal Contacts

Katie Harriman

Deadlines

*The Catalyst Research Grant is part of MS Canada’s annual research competition and shares the same deadline as the Discovery Research Grant competition.

Overview

MS Canada’s Catalyst Research Grant program awards seed funding that enables researchers to develop and test innovative research questions and pursue pioneering approaches with the potential to advance the multiple sclerosis (MS) field. The program is open to all ideas and areas of research, provided applicants demonstrate relevance to MS.

Research projects must align with one or more of the following impact areas:

• Advance Treatment and Care
• Enhance Well-being
• Understand and Halt Disease Progression
• Prevent MS

Applicants may apply through one of two streams:

• Biomedical Research
• Clinical and Population Health Research

The program is intended for smaller, exploratory studies that test new ideas, interventions, or avenues of research and generate preliminary evidence that may support future larger-scale research initiatives.

Please see MS Canada’s Discovery Research Grant Program if you already have preliminary evidence and are ready to undertake a larger, more comprehensive research project.

Value

Up to $50,000 in total funding, for a maximum of two years.

Indirect costs are ineligible.

Eligibility

Applicants must hold an academic or research appointment at a Canadian institution that permits them to conduct independent research, supervise trainees, and disseminate research outputs throughout the funding period.

Applicants may submit a maximum of one proposal per Catalyst Research Grant competition cycle. Applications may be resubmitted once, for a maximum of two submissions total.

Special Requirements / Special Considerations

• Catalyst projects should test novel, high-risk ideas or interventions that have not been examined in MS or examined to a limited extent.
• Primary applicants and key personnel must use MS Canada’s required CV template available through ProposalCentral.
• Applications require a plain-language summary and an Impact and Relevance to MS statement that will be reviewed by community representatives.

Information Session

MS Canada will be hosting a virtual information session for Discovery & Catalyst Research Grants on Friday, September 11, 2026, from 1:00-2:30 PM ET. The session will provide an overview of application requirements, the review process, and tips for preparing a competitive application.

Submitting Your Application

1. Submit an internal Approval Form through our central awards management database cuResearch. Consult the user’s manual for guidance.
2. Submit an external application to MS Canada through ProposalCentral.

*Signature from the institutional signing authority is required prior to submission.