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.”

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).

Ready to apply?

Please carefully review the guidelines before applying.

If you have questions, reach out to or .