Canada-Japan 3+2 collaborative call for proposals on AI-based solutions for well-being, better living environments, and social connection for aging populations

1. Introduction

Working together, the governments of Canada and Japan aim to foster and support collaborative industrial research and development (R&D) projects with a high potential for commercialization. This call for proposals is open to organizations from Canada and Japan who wish to form project consortia for collaborative projects focused on developing AI-based solutions for well-being, better living environments and social connection for aging populations.

2. Application deadlines

• Canadian registration deadline: January 13, 2023
• Canadian expression of interest deadline: January 23, 2023
• International consortium project proposal deadline: April 3, 2023

3. Sectors of focus

Projects must be focused on the development of pre-commercial technologies that address an identified need in the area of utilizing AI-based solutions to improve well-being, living environments and social connection, in particular in the context of an aging population.

Preference will be given to technologies which use AI-based solutions for healthy aging and research that adopts a life-course approach/perspective.

AI-based technologies should be a significant component in the development and/or design of the healthy aging solution.

Projects are encouraged to focus on, but are not limited to, the following AI-based technology themes:

• Supporting integrated decision-making for safe and injury-free living
• Advanced assistive technologies to enhance social connection and interaction to support activities of daily living and help aging adults to maintain their independence and/or reduce caregiver burden associated with tasks of care (including robotics)
• Health and safety monitoring which will lead to predictions of adverse events and should be linked to interventions supporting knowledge/awareness of risk factors and change
• Frailty detection and prediction linked to interventions supporting knowledge/awareness of risk factors and change
• Reducing computational time for experiments and to reduce the need of human input
• identification of risk factors and detection of early-stage dementia, long-COVID and/or delirium
• Enabling self-actualization and connection for aging society (i.e. developing a realistic metaverse)
• Older adult's mobility (i.e. last mile solutions, door-to-door transportation) to increase well-being and/or reduce caregiver burden

4. Eligibility requirements

To be considered for funding, applicants must form a project consortium and develop a collaborative R&D project that meets the following criteria:

4.1 Consortium

1. The project consortium must include a minimum of 5 participants (3 Canadian participants and 2 Japanese participants)^{Footnote 1} who will be undertaking project research activities through the NRC's Aging in Place Challenge Program or the NRC's AI for Design Challenge Program
   • Canadian participants
     1. 1 incorporated Canadian small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), defined as a for-profit company with 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees^{Footnote 2}
     2. 1 researcher from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC)
     3. 1 Canadian research institution (e.g., post-secondary institution, research and technology organization)
   • Japanese participants
     1. 1 eligible Japanese commercial enterprise
     2. 1 Japanese research institution
2. The project partners that form the consortium must agree on a plan addressing intellectual property rights and intent to commercialize.

4.2 Project

• The project must focus on co-development, adaptation and/or validation of an innovative product, process, or technology-based service that:
  • advances the objectives of the NRC's Aging in Place Challenge program or the NRC's AI for Design Challenge program
  • has substantial commercial potential and outcomes that can be realized within 2 to 3 years of completion of the project
  • has a civilian (non-military) purpose
• The project must demonstrate all of the following:
  • a complementary technological contribution from each partner
  • an obvious advantage and added value resulting from the cooperation between the participants
  • a balanced contribution between project partners and countries (with no more than 75% of the effort contributed by any one partner or country)
  • an increase in the international competitiveness of Japanese and Canadian partners, including the development of market potential

In addition to the above eligibility requirements, each applicant must meet their country-specific requirements, outlined below:

4.3 Canadian eligibility requirements

Canadian applicant(s) must also meet the following criteria.

Canadian SMEs

The Canadian SME applicant must:

• be an incorporated, profit-oriented small or medium-sized business in Canada
• have 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees
• pursue growth and profit by developing and commercializing innovative, technology-driven new or improved products, services or processes in Canada
• have a differentiated and protectable technology that could become competitive in global markets
• have sufficient working capital and resources to undertake a multi-year R&D collaboration and commercialize the results
• be committed to significant growth through international market expansion

Preference may be given to SME applicants who:

• have a minimum of 15 full-time equivalent employees
• have commercialized one or more products domestically or internationally
• have greater than $500,000 CAD in annual revenue

Canadian research institutions

• eligible recipients are Canadian research institutions (e.g., post-secondary institutions, research and technology organizations)
• eligible institutions must perform collaborative research and development and/or prototype development which supports research, development, adoption and/or adaptation of innovative or technology-driven products, services or processes
• project-related work must support the advancement of the NRC's Aging in Place Challenge program or the NRC's AI for Design Challenge program.

NRC researchers

• NRC researchers' project-related work must support the advancement of the NRC's Aging in Place Challenge program or the NRC's AI for Design Challenge program.

4.4 Japanese eligibility requirements

Please consult the JST call for proposals announcement for Japanese eligibility requirements.

5. Funding

Eligible project participants in collaborative projects selected through this call for proposals may receive funding from their respective national funding bodies. Funds will be provided in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations, rules and procedures established by the relevant national funding bodies, country and jurisdiction. 

Note: One country and/or project partner cannot represent more than 75% of the total project budget and the project duration must be between 24 and 36 months. All projects must start by November 2023 and end no later than March 2027.

Additional country-specific funding parameters are outlined below:

5.1 Canadian funding

In Canada, this call for proposals is offered through the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and through the NRC National Program Office (NRC NPO). NRC IRAP is responsible for the delivery of this call for proposals and for the management of any resulting SME funding agreements. The NRC NPO is responsible for the management of any resulting funding agreements with research institutions.

Canadian SMEs

Eligible Canadian SMEs may receive up to 50% reimbursement of eligible project costs up to a maximum total funding amount of $600,000 CAD.

Note: Canadian SME applicants must be eligible for funding as NRC IRAP clients before they can be considered for funding through this call for proposals. For more information on NRC IRAP eligibility and becoming an NRC IRAP client, please contact NRC IRAP at 1-877-994-4727.

Note: Canadian SME applicants may apply to more than one NRC IRAP call for proposals simultaneously.  However, NRC IRAP may limit the number of funded projects per applicant. Canadian SME applicants who are applying to more than one opportunity or who have ongoing NRC IRAP projects should speak to their NRC IRAP representative for more information.

Canadian research institutions

Eligible Canadian research institutions may receive funding of up to 100% of eligible costs up to a maximum of $100,000 CAD per year per consortium. This maximum funding is irrespective of how many Canadian research institution participants are in a consortium. Indirect (i.e. overhead) costs may represent up to 10% of total eligible project costs.

Eligible direct costs include salaries (excluding academic principal investigator salaries); research support costs (including student stipends, research materials and minor equipment purchases up to $10,000); travel and accommodation costs; and professional services (amounts invoiced by a contractor for services rendered directly to the project).

NRC researchers

NRC researchers may request up to $100,000 CAD per year to cover incremental operating costs. Eligible operational costs include research related expenses such as: student research staff salaries or stipends (e.g., students or post-doctoral fellows), consumables, minor capital acquisitions, workshops, consortium in-person meeting coordination expenses, and travel.

NRC research centres will be expected to provide in-kind contributions of at least $50,000 CAD, i.e. if $100,000 CAD funding is awarded for the project, the Research Centre must provide at least $50,000 CAD worth of in-kind contribution for a total minimum project contribution value of $150,000 CAD.

Note: Please contact the NRC innovation investment advisor to determine if the proposed project is in alignment with the NRC's Aging in Place Challenge program or the NRC's AI for Design Challenge program. 

5.2 Japanese funding

In Japan, this call for proposals is administered by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). JST is responsible for the delivery of this call for proposals and the management of any resulting funding agreements.

Eligible Japanese consortium partners may receive funding up to a maximum amount of 58.5 million Japanese yen per project (including 30% overhead expenses): approximately 19.5 million Japanese yen per project per year.

JST expects Japan-based commercial companies to cover at least 50% of project related costs through their own contribution. All of the eligible costs can be calculated in the project-related costs, including personal costs and equipment cost.

Please consult JST call for proposals announcement for Japanese funding parameters and eligible direct and indirect costs.

6. Application process

Application processes and evaluations will be performed independently by national funding bodies in accordance with their national and institutional laws and regulations. Once the national funding bodies have evaluated the submitted applications, a final joint project selection will be performed.

Each country lead participant must submit all required consortium application documents on behalf of the consortium, to the appropriate national funding body (NRC IRAP for Canada and JST for Japan) and meet its due diligence process requirements.

Not meeting these requirements may cause the collaborative project application to be considered incomplete or ineligible and render the entire project consortium ineligible for funding through this call for proposals.

Information on respective application processes follows below:

6.1 Canadian application process

The Canadian application process has four phases:

1. Registration
2. Expression of interest (EOI)
3. International consortium project proposal (ICPP)
4. National funding body proposal and funding agreement

Step 1: Registration phase

The lead Canadian applicant must register electronically by using the Register button (at the end of this page) and completing the online registration form which requests basic information about the Canadian applicants and their organizations.

NRC IRAP will review registrations for this call for proposals and contact applicants if more information is required. Qualifying applicants will proceed to the next phase and be invited to submit an expression of interest (EOI) form.

Step 2: Expression of interest phase

During this phase, the lead Canadian applicant seeking funding must submit an EOI form outlining basic information on the applicants and the collaborative project.

While completing the EOI form, each Canadian SME applicant is encouraged to contact their NRC IRAP representative to discuss their project idea and to receive guidance on preparing their submission.

Canadian research institutions must have their project idea approved by the NRC's Aging in Place Challenge program or the NRC's AI for Design Challenge program director prior to application submission. Research institutions are encouraged to contact the NRC innovation investment advisor to discuss their project idea and to receive guidance on preparing their submission.

It is recommended that applicants submit the EOI as early as possible. EOIs will be evaluated by an NRC evaluation team. Qualifying applicants will be invited to submit the more detailed international consortium project proposal (ICPP) in collaboration with their project partners. The lead Canadian applicant will be provided all templates needed to submit an ICPP.

Step 3: International consortium project proposal phase

During the ICPP phase, all project partners work together to complete and submit an application package to each lead national call administrator. The contents of the ICPP package are unique to each national call administrator.

In this call for proposals, the Canadian ICPP application package consists of:

1. International consortium project proposal (ICPP)/joint application form outlining the:
   • project consortium
   • collaborative project
   • expected outcomes
   • funding request
2. NRC IRAP Canadian SME annex form containing additional information required to assess the Canadian SME applicants and the project consortium
3. NRC NPO Canadian researcher annex form containing additional information required to assess the Canadian researcher applicants and the project consortium

Canadian ICPP applications will be evaluated by an NRC evaluation team including the applicant's NRC IRAP representative, the NRC National Program Office and the NRC IRAP International Office. Next, the amalgamated evaluation results will be shared between national funding bodies to jointly select the collaborative projects that will be invited to proceed to the final national funding body proposal and funding agreement stage.

Step 4: National funding body proposal and funding agreement phase

During the national funding body proposal and funding agreement phase, all eligible project partners work independently to complete funding proposals and sign legally binding funding agreements with their respective national funding body.

Additionally, during this phase an international consortium agreement contains descriptions of the consortium member roles and responsibilities, the project management framework, the division of intellectual property rights, any confidentiality and publication agreements, and any liability clauses. The agreement must be signed by all consortium partners and submitted before funding is approved.

Canadian SME applicants will work with their NRC IRAP representative to prepare an NRC IRAP funding proposal and contribution agreement. Canadian research institutions will work with the NRC NPO to prepare a funding proposal and contribution agreement.

6.2 Japanese application process

Each Japanese consortium project partner must submit all required documents by 17:00 JDT on April 3, 2023 to the Cross-Ministerial R&D Management system (e-Rad) portal.

Please consult the JST call for proposal announcement for full official instructions related to the Japanese application process and requirements.

7. Contacts

For questions or for more information, please contact the appropriate call for proposals representative listed below:

7.1 Canadian contacts

Small and medium-sized enterprises
Harvey Lam
NRC IRAP Japan National Program Coordinator
National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program
Harvey.Lam@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Research institutions and NRC researchers
Joel Savard
Innovation Investment Advisor, National Program Office
National Research Council of Canada
NRC.3plus2-3plus2.cnrc@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

7.2 Japanese contact

Shiho Hashimoto
Chief, Department of International Affairs
Japan Science and Technology Agency
jointca@jst.go.jp

8. Registration

Canadian SME participants are registered NRC IRAP clients.  If not already an NRC IRAP client, Canadian SMEs must contact 1-877-994-4727 to determine if they might be eligible for support through NRC IRAP.

To begin the application process, the lead Canadian applicant must register for this opportunity by clicking the Register button.

If there is no register button visible below this line, it means the call for proposals has closed. Please contact the contact listed for your country or the NRC IRAP International Office for more information.