McGill Engine Spark Grants are need-based micro funding opportunities that allow McGill tenure-track professors to explore a new idea that holds high potential to lead to a new invention.
- $500 to $2,500 grants, with smaller requests encouraged
- Applications reviewed on a rolling basis as of May 1 to the following year, or until funds are fully allocated, $25,000 available per year - Apply here!
- This program supports preliminary work, including proof of concept development, early testing, and validation of novel concepts
- Grant will be transferred into an existing discretionary account of the lead applicant professor
In addition to funding, teams are matched with a Ronald Chwang Entrepreneur-in-Residence to help advance their technology commercialization in collaboration with OIP.
Project Scope:
- Projects must demonstrate some commercial potential and align with the purpose of the Spark Grant: exploring a new idea to quickly validate it
- Expected outcomes are an invention that can be reported to OIP and/or evidence that the idea needs more work or needs to change significantly
Eligibility
- Lead Applicant: To be eligible, the Principal Investigator (PI) must be a McGill University faculty member who holds the position of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor and who is eligible to hold Tri-Agency research funding. Team co-applicants and/or collaborators can be professors and/or students. Professors with balance of over $25,000 in their discretionary accounts are not eligible.
- Project: technology not yet reported as an invention.
- Project Timeline: Projects can last up to 6 months but can be completed earlier.
- Project Expenses:
- Eligible Expenses:
- Proof of concept work, testing, product and process development costs towards achieving technical milestones (e.g., personnel, materials, equipment)
- Non-Eligible Expenses:
- Costs related to non-technical milestones, for example:
- publication costs
- patent fees
- incorporation fees
- travel costs
- Costs related to non-technical milestones, for example:
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be judged and ranked according to the following criteria:
- Innovation and market potential: Novelty of the idea and the potential for real-world application
- Milestones & feasibility: Well-defined goals achievable within the proposed project timeline
- Team & budget: Capability of the team and appropriate use of requested funds
Terms of the Award
- Timeline: Projects can last up to 6 months maximum, projects can be completed earlier.
- Award: Grant will be transferred into an existing (with $25,000 or less) discretionary account of the lead applicant professor.
- Reporting: A short final report is due to the team’s assigned mentor and Engine’s associate director, detailing the results, conclusions, and next steps.
- Mentorship & Training: Meet with assigned business mentor on a regular basis throughout the program.
- Outreach Activities: Willingness to assist the McGill Engine in outreach activities pertaining to technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Promotion: Acknowledgement and promotion of the award and the McGill Engine in publications and communications arising from the project through your own networks and events.
- Consent: Consent to the publication of your picture, name, as well as pictures and names of co-applicants, and the title (non-confidential) of the project.
- Giving Back: The McGill Engine does not take equity in McGill spin-off companies. The participating researchers will make a non-binding charitable pledge to McGill Engine aimed at sustaining the activities of the McGill Engine Centre and helping the next generation of technological innovators and entrepreneurs supported by the Centre.
