Community-led Research (CLR) Fund
The Community-led Research (CLR) Fund supports multi-year, indigenous and community-driven research projects that strengthen resilience, promote community well-being and respond to marine environmental challenges.
The fund is designed to:
- Prioritize and uphold Indigenous-led and community-led research and community-defined priorities.
- Develop community research capacity, including training, mentorship, and skills development.
- Support research partnerships that bring together scientific, cultural, and/or Indigenous knowledge systems.
- Enable projects that enhance coastal and ocean resilience, community well-being, and sustainable futures
MEOPAR expects to fund 6-10 projects ranging for up to 2.5 years and up to $ 150,000 per year for a maximum award of $300,000. The timeline for the project activities is from April 1, 2026 to October 31st, 2028.
MEOPAR is committed to actively moving forward on the path of Truth and Reconciliation and advancing Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) initiatives in all its activities. Thus, MEOPAR requires that the proposed projects engage in practices that apply an EDIA lens to all its activities. Project activities should involve a diversity of members that includes Indigenous Peoples and those from equity deserving groups in its leadership and overall organizational composition. Priority in awarding funding will be given to successful applications from diverse teams and to those that effectively demonstrate a commitment to EDIA and Truth and Reconciliation principles.
The submission deadline is January 25th, 2026 23:59 EST. Submit your proposal via our online portal: https://meopar.smapply.io/. The portal will open in late November 2025.
Please direct any questions to maeva.gauthier@meopar.ca.
Projects documents
MEOPAR will offer online information sessions:
4 December 2025 at 2pm EST/11am PST (English)
11 December 2025 at 2pm EST/11am PST (French)
Review relevant MEOPAR documents such as the Science Strategy and IP Policy to ensure alignment.
FAQs – English / Français
