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2026 Global Catalyst Awards Call
WAFAR Administration
WAFAR launches the Global Catalyst Award
The Western Academy for Advanced Research (WAFAR) is now accepting applications for its new Global Catalyst Award. The award gives interdisciplinary Western teams up to $85,000 over six months to bring an international collaborator to campus and make focused progress on a major challenge facing humanity.
The WAFAR Global Catalyst Award is built around in-person collaboration. Each team brings together Western researchers from more than one discipline, an international scholar and one or more trainees. The international scholar spends at least a week working alongside the team at Western, whether in a single stay, a major workshop or several shorter visits.
The award is designed as a launch point. Teams use their six months to deepen an existing partnership, test new ideas and lay the groundwork for a larger external funding application.
Funded teams receive:
- Up to $85,000, with flexible budgets for international scholar honoraria and travel, faculty research allowances, trainee support and knowledge mobilization
- Hands-on support from WAFAR’s research specialist, from shaping the research and impact plan to preparing for large-scale funding
- Access to office, meeting and collaboration space in the Western Interdisciplinary Research Building
- A flexible start date of February 1, May 1 or September 1, 2027
Applications are due December 15, 2026. Proposals will be peer-reviewed in a process led by the Vice-President (Research) and the Provost & Vice-President (Academic), and results will be announced in January 2027.