SPRINT Fund: Microgrants for student and faculty research

A young woman wearing an NSCC Applied Research sweatshirt standing in the college lobby smiling.

NSCC’s SPRINT Fund empowers faculty and students to engage in impactful research projects with industry and community partners. Designed to foster innovation and skill development, this funding reflects NSCC’s commitment to collaboration and practical solutions.

SPRINT—Supporting Practical Research and Innovation through NSCC Talent—offers microgrants for applied research projects that address real-world challenges. Thanks to funding from an Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Mobilize grant, students and faculty can turn ideas into meaningful outcomes.

Director of Applied Research Alain Joseph explains the vision behind this program, "The SPRINT Fund is about more than just funding innovative projects—it’s about fostering a culture of collaboration and creativity across the College. We want to ensure that everyone interested in research has the opportunity to get involved.”

New: The David Lane Memorial Applied Research Grant

This fall only, 1 student award of $3,000 is available for a research project focused on sustainability, clean energy or climate change. This grant honours the life and legacy of David Lane, a two-time alum of NSCC’s predecessor school, Nova Scotia Institute of Technology (NSIT). David graduated from Electronic Engineering Technology (’83) and Computer Engineering Technology (’84) and went on to build a prominent career in professional astronomy in Nova Scotia.

The David Lane Applied Research Grant is funded through the Lane Family Endowment with NSCC Foundation and will enable students to participate in research related to sustainability, clean energy or climate change. Students will have the opportunity to develop practical solutions for real-world challenges, gaining invaluable skills as they prepare to launch into their chosen career.

How the funding can be used

For students: Funding can be used as a stipend or to cover project supplies. Research activities may count as a capstone project or fulfill the 5-week work placement requirement, with approval from the Academic Chair.
For faculty: Funding can support industry and community partnerships by helping build prototypes, access research tools, or cover essential project expenses.

What you need to know

SPRINT funding breakdown:

20 student awards of $500 each.
6 faculty awards of up to $5,000 ($2,500 for solo projects; $5,000 for collaborations with NSCC Applied Research).

Eligibility: Open to NSCC faculty and students enrolled in a core program.

Collaboration required: Projects must involve an industry or community partner, faculty supervisor and student(s).

The David Lane Memorial Applied Research Grant

One $3,000 student award
Open to students in any core NSCC program
Must meet SPRINT Fund criteria
Project must align with sustainability, clean energy or climate change

Deadlines:

Applications for the fall are open and close Friday, Oct 10, 2025.
Applications for winter will open in December and close Friday, Jan 16, 2026.

Attend a drop-in information session

Online drop-in info session 1: Thursday, September 25th, 4:00pm to 5:00pm
SPRINT information session 1 meeting link
Online drop-in info session 2: Friday, October 3rd, 11:30am to 1:00pm
SPRINT information session 2 meeting link
Online drop-in info session 3: Tuesday, October 7th, 4:00pm to 5:00pm
SPRINT information session 3 meeting link
In-person info session at Sydney Waterfront Campus
Monday, Sept 22, drop in anytime between 10:00am to 6:00pm in the Applied Research Lab, Room C113 (next to Women Unlimited)
In-person info sessions at Sydney Waterfront Campus
Wednesday, Oct 1, 11:30am to 1:00pm and 3:30pm to 4:30pm in the Applied Research Lab, Room C113 (next to Women Unlimited)

Ready to apply?

Please carefully review the guidelines before applying.

If you have questions, reach out to or .