Postdoc Entrepreneur Funding

• Type of program: postdoctoral funding to support research and development conducted to create a business enterprise (startup) and built a prototype based on the applicant’s prior doctoral or postdoctoral research.
• Target areas: this program will support researchers making innovative and audacious contributions to the advancement and expansion of R³AI research themes. The general description of the R³AI initiative, Shifting Paradigms for a Robust, Reasoning and Responsible Artificial Intelligence and its Adoption, and its scientific framework are available on the Canada First Research Excellence Fund website. Priority will be given to innovative product and service development initiatives based on potentially disruptive scientific advances with significant commercialization potential.
• Responsibilities: The entrepreneurial part of the program will be the responsibility of an entrepreneurship support organization, such as NextAI and Centech, in conjunction with IVADO.
• The i2I skills training program can be considered a valuable preparatory step for candidates aspiring to become IVADO postdoctoral entrepreneurs, allowing them to consolidate their entrepreneurial skills before submitting their application. Please note that this training is not mandatory, but we believe it can be a valuable asset prior to the program.

The goals of this program are to:

• Enable the candidate to complete a marketable prototype of their doctoral research along with proof of concept, while undergoing training in business creation within the framework of a program offered by an entrepreneurial support organization linked to IVADO. The business proposal should be in the area of artificial intelligence and its applications.
• Encourage young researchers to invest themselves in Montréal to develop new businesses based on scientific advances.
• Participate in the development of scientific entrepreneurship and encourage the transfer of scientific knowledge and/or intellectual property developed in academia to the market.

• Applications open : May 4, 2026
• Deadline for submitting documents: May 31, 2026, at midnight
• Notification and interviews with shortlisted candidates: mid-June 2026
• Date of notification that funding has been granted: July 2026
• Funding start date: between September 1, 2026, and January 1, 2027.

Amounts and duration

• Two funding opportunities per year are awarded to produce a marketable prototype resulting from doctoral research. Salary funding amounts to $105,000, including benefits, for a period of 18 months, plus a budget of up to $30,000 in research funds.
• Under certain conditions, an agreement with the Arbour Foundation supplements the available research funds.

Terms of payment

The funds will be transferred to the research office of the supervisor’s home university, and the university will pay the postdoctoral researcher according to its specific rules. For projects requiring ethics approval, funds will not be released until approval is granted. Funding may be reduced, withheld, delayed, or rescinded under specific circumstances, which will be outlined in the letter of award.

For the candidate

• You must be eligible to register as a postdoctoral fellow at HEC Montreal, Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Montréal, McGill University or Université Laval, on the funding start date;
• You must have submitted your doctoral thesis by the start date of funding;
• You own or will own a significant share of the company founded or co-founded. If the company is already founded, it must be very recent and it must not have carried out any significant commercial activities;
• Some flexibility will be granted in the case of applicants who provide adequate explanation for a career interruption or particular circumstances. Please include this explanation (e.g., parental leave, sick leave) in your application.

For the professor (supervisor)

• You must be a faculty member at one of the following institutions: HEC Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Montréal, McGill University or Université Laval, at the time of the start of funding.
• Must have one of the following eligible positions: assistant professor, associate professor or full professor;
• If you meet the preceding criteria and are the PhD candidate’s thesis director or co-director, you are also eligible.
• You may not submit more than one application for this competition.

For the eventual co-director, there are no restrictions.

Apply by email to entrepreneuriat@ivado.ca!
/!\ If your submission file does not meet the requested length, your submission will be automatically disqualified.

The application package must include the following three components:

• A cover letter (maximum three pages, single-spaced, in 10-point Century Gothic) including the following:

  • Product presentation and detailed work plan for the postdoctoral funding period, with the objective of creating at least one functional prototype ready to be tested with a client.

  • Explain how the product aligns with the objectives of IVADO’s R3AI initiative:

    • Robust AI: How will you ensure your solution remains effective and reliable when deployed at scale?

    • Reasoning AI: In what ways will your models be transparent and explainable?

    • Responsible AI: What are the ethical and environmental risks of your AI, and how do you address these issues?

  • Market analysis: Description of the target market and any interest generated, competition, distinguishing features of the proposed product, and how it is innovative compared to existing market offerings.
  • An explanation of the reasons motivating the applicant to become an entrepreneur and any relevant experience they possess.
  • Any additional information deemed relevant to the application.
  • In the appendix, copy the abstract of your thesis, indicate the keywords related to your technology and add links to publications, your own or others, related to your project.
• A CV detailing the applicant’s academic and extracurricular activities.
• A letter of support from the professor who will supervise your post-doctorate, including confirmation of your eligibility for post-doctoral status for the entire funding period.

1/ Project quality

• Originality, anticipated commercial potential of the project, and vision for growth

– The business issue and solution are presented clearly and concisely.
– The description of the potential market segments and competition is clear and promising.
– Demonstration of commercial potential, clarity on the business model, potential partnerships, or financing strategy
– The solution is original, competitive, and the value proposition is well specified (general assessment).
– Presence of exploratory intervi²²ews, letters of interest, or other forms of engagement under discussion or confirmed.

• Feasibility of prototype development and AI excellence

– The prototype development and testing plan is consistent with the 18-month postdoctoral status, and the assumptions for its implementation and scaling (robust AI) are realistic.
– Consideration of security, transparency, and explainability issues related to the AI model used (reasoning AI).

2/ Candidate’s file

• Quality and scientific relevance of previous work and academic excellence

– The interests and motivations for science are clear.
– There is a good understanding of the academic ecosystem related to one’s field.
– Clarity, consistency, and relevance of the doctoral thesis to the project
The choice of supervisor and/or laboratory is relevant.

• Candidate’s entrepreneurial qualities

– Motivation to develop a business / sense of urgency regarding the marketing of one’s solution
– Knowledge of the business area related to their project
– Extent and scope of experience (multidisciplinary experience, professional experience, etc.).

3/ Suitability of the project within the general framework of IVADO and Apogée

• Promoting multidisciplinary collaboration

– Potential for collaboration between domain experts (e.g., health, transportation, finance, etc.) and data science and AI experts

• Promoting impact businesses and diversity

– Incorporation of ESG principles into the proposed business model and technological development
– The issue addresses a social or environmental challenge.
– Consideration of equity, diversity, and inclusion in prior research and prototype design to eliminate bias and the potential risk of reproducing stereotypes or discrimination.
– Consideration of the ethical and environmental issues raised by the AI model used and how to respond to them (responsible AI).

• Research promotion

– Potential for leveraging research and creating intellectual property

Applications will be evaluated by a committee composed of at least (1) one representative from an entrepreneurship support organization (accelerator, incubator, etc.), (2) one representative from the startup investor community, and (3) one member of the academic community. The committee will be chaired by IVADO’s entrepreneurship advisor.

Note on the basic principles of the intellectual property (IP) policy that will apply to work carried out under this program. Funded projects must comply with the intellectual property rules of the host institution.

Postdoctoral researcher

• Maintain a full-time focus on the research project;
• During the course of funding, notify IVADO prior to any changes to the research fund budget as submitted and accepted. IVADO reserves the right, after reviewing a modification request, to adjust its financial contribution or even suspend it if the modifications are no longer compatible with the terms and conditions of the competition;
• Complete the mid-term and end-of-funding scientific progress report in the requested format and timeframe;
• Contribute to the IVADO community and our activities, including, e.g.:
  • Giving presentations on your research;
  • Taking part in consultations as well as training and knowledge dissemination activities;
  • Providing support during various activities that are normally undertaken by career researchers (e.g., mentorship, participation in evaluations, co-organization of events);

• Acknowledge that you are a member of an academic community to which you contribute;
• Comply with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications. You are encouraged to publish your research findings (e.g., papers, recordings of presentations, source code, databases) in compliance with the intellectual property rules governing your specific situation;
• Acknowledge the support of IVADO and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund / Apogée when disseminating research results and, more broadly, in all activities in which you take part.

Supervisor

• Provide a work environment conducive to completion of the project;
• Oversee the postdoctoral researcher’s work.

IVADO’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

To ensure that all members of society benefit equally from the advancement of knowledge and opportunities, IVADO promotes the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in all its programs. IVADO is committed to providing a recruitment process and research framework that are inclusive, non-discriminatory, open and transparent.

List of laureates

Le financement postdoc entrepreneur.e d’IVADO me permet de me concentrer à 100% sur la transformation d’une technologie issue de ma recherche doctorale en un produit médical qui pourrait changer la vie des gens. Il permet à mon entreprise, NeuralDrive, de poursuivre le développement de sa technologie dans un cadre académique de calibre international tout en étant clair sur la gestion de la propriété intellectuelle qui en découle. C’est un véritable atout pour l’entrepreneuriat scientifique.

• Marco Bonizzato, co-fondateur NeuralDrive