IVADO and Connected Minds Launch the RISE Seed Grant Competition to Support New Collaborations in Responsible AI

Montreal, October 5, 2026 – IVADO and Connected Minds are launching the The Responsible Intelligence for Society & Ethics (RISE) Seed Grant Competition, a new funding opportunity aimed at supporting interinstitutional research collaborations at the intersection of artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and society. 

As flagship initiatives of the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), IVADO and Connected Minds are bringing together their complementary expertise through this new partnership. 

The competition invites researchers from the IVADO and Connected Minds networks to submit innovative research projects in one of two priorities: 

• Neuro-AI – Research at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence, including biologically inspired AI, algorithms informed by knowledge of the brain, neural data-driven modelling, and intelligent systems capable of learning from and interacting with human cognition. 

• AI Ethics – Research addressing the ethical, societal, and governance dimensions of AI, including algorithmic fairness, transparency, accessibility, bias mitigation, and the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies. 

Up to three research projects will be funded: one in each stream, as well as an additional project in either stream that substantively addresses Indigenous realities and/or is led or co-led by an Indigenous principal investigator or co-principal investigator. 

Each project may receive up to $125,000 for a one-year funding period. 

Proposals must bring together researchers from IVADO and Connected Minds. Connected Minds’ principal applicants must be full-time faculty members at York University or Queen’s University and registered members of Connected Minds. On the IVADO side, applicants must hold a university or research position at one of the U5 institutions: Université de Montréal, HEC Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal, McGill University, or Université Laval. 

Key dates 

• Letter of Intent (LOI) deadline: November 9, 2026 

• Invitation to submit a full application: December 14, 2026 

• Full application deadline: February 18, 2027 

• Funding decisions announced: March 15, 2027 

Looking for a research partner? 

Explore the expertise across both networks to find researchers whose interests align with your own. Browse the Connected Minds members and researchers from the IVADO ecosystem. 

Learn more and consult the full call for proposals >> 

Contact 

Audrée Janelle-Montcalm, Research Advisor, IVADO: recherche@ivado.ca