Home » Faculty Writing Accelerator: Crafting Competitive Grant Proposals for any Discipline (Winter 2027)

Faculty Writing Accelerator: Crafting Competitive Grant Proposals for any Discipline (Winter 2027)

Accelerate your research funding success in this focused, faculty-centered grant writing cohort. Building on the success of our inaugural Faculty Writing Accelerator: Crafting Competitive Grant Proposals for any Discipline, the Centre for Research & Innovation Support (CRIS) is pleased to offer faculty the opportunity to cultivate their grant proposal writing practice in a supportive learning environment that offers peer-to-peer group accountability.

Designed for faculty seeking to refine and elevate their grant proposal writing skills, this program features expert guest speakers, peer-to-peer working sessions, and dedicated co-writing time. Over nine weeks, participants will engage with proven strategies and hands-on exercises to craft persuasive proposals; navigate funding agency expectations; and strategically position their research projects for maximum impact and fundability.

Whether you’re preparing for your first grant or your twentieth, this program will equip you with the tools and confidence to succeed.

Program Structure & Commitments:

Tuesdays, January 12, 2027 to March 9, 2027, 10:00am to 12:00pm.

Most meetings will take place virtually; however, the first (January 12) and last (March 9) sessions will take place in person at the CRIS Collaborative Space, Gerstein Information Sciences Centre, 9 King’s College Circle.

Sessions will include:

Spark Talks (short talks from peer experts)
Practical, guided activities
Co-writing time

Participants will receive a hard copy of Betty Lai’s The Grant Writing Guide: A Practical Guide for Scholars.

Accepted participants will be expected to attend all sessions (barring unforeseen circumstances) and commit a minimum of 2 hours per week to readings, exercises, and grant proposal development between sessions. Sessions presume an expectation of confidentiality and collegiality.

Requirements for Participation:

The program is appropriate for faculty across disciplines and career stages who would like to improve their grant writing practice while building their network of peers across the University.

Participants must be planning to apply for a CRC-RSF-eligible Tri-Agency grant* and identify this at the time of application.

Priority will be given to faculty with full-time, continuing tenure-stream appointments. Faculty with alternate appointment types may be considered.

Program enrollment will be capped at 24 participants.

*Qualifying Tri-Agency grants contribute to U of T’s ‘market share’ and related allocations, such as Canada Research Chairs. Please refer to Research grant funding – Programs excluded from the credit base for Chair allocations and Grant calculations – Programs included and excluded from credit base for the latest list of inclusions/exclusions. Please contact cris@utoronto.ca with any questions regarding eligibility.

Application Process:

Interested faculty should register their interest through EVE by November 23, 2026.

Communicating Results:

We thank all faculty who apply. All applicants will be notified by email by early December 2026. A waitlist will be enabled.

Program At-A-Glance:

Week 1: Tuesday, January 12, 2027, 10:00am–12:00pm
Generating Values Driven Research Questions
Spark Talk: TBD
Location: In-Person (CRIS)

Week 2: Tuesday, January 19, 2027, 10:00am–12:00pm
Creating Your Pitch. Develop a One-Page Summary
Location: Virtual

Week 3: Tuesday, January 26, 2027, 10:00am–12:00pm
Deconstructing Funder Requirements
Spark Talk: TBD, “Making Sense of Funder Requirements”
Location: Virtual

Week 4: Tuesday, February 2, 2027, 10:00am–12:00pm
Creating a Guide for Your Reviewer – Mapping Your Literature Review
Spark Talk: TBD
Location: Virtual

Week 5: Tuesday, February 9, 2027, 10:00am–12:00pm
Research Plan
Location: Virtual

Week 6: Tuesday, February 16, 2027, 10:00am–12:00pm
Guided co-writing time
Location: Virtual

Week 7: Tuesday, February 23, 2027, 10:00am–12:00pm
Structure and Consistency
Spark Talk: TBD
Location: Virtual

Week 8: Tuesday, March 2, 2027, 10:00am–12:00pm
Guided co-writing time
Location: Virtual

Week 9: Tuesday, March 9, 2027, 10:00am–1:00pm
Giving and Receiving Feedback
Celebratory Lunch
Location: In-Person (CRIS)

Program Objectives:

Develop Values-Driven Research Proposals: Guide faculty in generating research ideas rooted in personal and disciplinary values, using reflective exercises.
Strengthen Proposal Structure and Clarity: Equip participants with tools to create compelling one-page summaries, articulate clear research pitches, and align proposals with funder expectations.
Demystify Funder Requirements: Help faculty interpret and respond to proposal guidelines.
Design a Cohesive and Convincing Research Plan: Support participants in framing their research within scholarly literature and developing a clear, feasible plan that demonstrates relevance, rigor, and impact.
Foster a Sustainable Writing Practice: Cultivate consistent writing habits through co-writing sessions, peer accountability, and project management practices.
Practice Peer Review and Feedback Skills: Create opportunities for faculty to give and receive constructive feedback from non-specialist peers, strengthening proposal quality and collegial support.
Promote Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Community: Build a cross-disciplinary network of faculty engaged in research development and grant writing excellence.