Research opportunities in HAWC suborbital, science, and application development activities (ROHSSA)

2025 Application and Award Cycle 1 (PONEX)

• Application deadline: Closed July 21, 2025, at 16:00 (ET)

2025 Application and Award Cycle 2

• Notice of intent deadline: September 16, 2025, at 16:00 (ET)
• Full application deadline: October 21, 2025, at 16:00 (ET)
• Approximate project start and end dates: April 2026 to March 2029
• Funding from CSA for this cycle: up to $540,000 toward eligible costs
• Estimated number of projects awarded:
  • 0 for Advancing primary HAWC/AOS science objectives by conducting ground-based and/or airborne data collection (Stream 1).
  • 1 for Advancing primary HAWC/AOS science objectives by conducting model development and/or data analysis (Stream 2).
  • 1 for Advancing applications enabled by HAWC/AOS for a healthy and climate-resilient Canada (Stream 3).

2026 Application and Award Cycle 3

• Notice of intent deadline: September 1 2026, at 16:00 (ET)
• Full application deadline: October 6 2026, at 16:00 (ET)
• Approximate project start and end dates: April 2027 to March 2030
• Funding from CSA for this cycle: up to $810,000 toward eligible costs
• Estimated number of projects awarded:
  • 0 for Advancing primary HAWC/AOS science objectives by conducting ground-based and/or airborne data collection (Stream 1).
  • 2 for Advancing primary HAWC/AOS science objectives by conducting model development and/or data analysis (Stream 2).
  • 1 for Advancing applications enabled by HAWC/AOS for a healthy and climate-resilient Canada (Stream 3).

2027 Application and Award Cycle 4

• Notice of intent deadline: August 31 2027, at 16:00 (ET)
• Full application deadline: October 5 2027, at 16:00 (ET)
• Approximate project start and end dates: April 2028 to March 2031
• Funding from CSA for this cycle: up to $810,000 toward eligible costs
• Estimated number of projects awarded:
  • 0 for Advancing primary HAWC/AOS science objectives by conducting ground-based and/or airborne data collection (Stream 1).
  • 2 for Advancing primary HAWC/AOS science objectives by conducting model development and/or data analysis (Stream 2).
  • 1 for Advancing applications enabled by HAWC/AOS for a healthy and climate-resilient Canada (Stream 3).

3.1 Eligible Recipients

To be eligible, the applicant must be a recognized Canadian university or post-secondary institution. The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) maintains a directory of recognized schools in Canada.

The researcher leading these projects must:

• Hold a PhD obtained from a recognized institution.
• Hold a permanent, term, or contract position at the applicant institution for the duration of the funding agreement. The position may be paid or unpaid. This includes Adjunct Faculty that may be employed by industry. The signature of the Duly Authorized Representative on the Application Form is sufficient evidence that the Applicant believes that the Lead Researcher will hold a position at the applicant institution for the duration of the funding agreement.

Note: A Lead Researcher may lead only one (1) grant at a time per ROHSSA Stream.

These are the sole conditions that must be satisfied at the time of application.

3.2 Eligible Projects

To be eligible for CSA funding, projects must consist of one or more of the following:

• Research activities of interest to Canada related to space science and technology disciplines and their applications;
• End project phases such as analyses of space data and the transformation of that data into useful information.

Projects must also meet funding limits specific to the targeted Stream (see section 7.1).

All development phases necessary for a project are eligible. Any logical breakdown or combination of these phases can constitute a funded project under this AO. However, breaking down a project into numerous phases submitted as distinct proposals to obtain more than the maximum grant or contribution under this AO is not allowed. Furthermore, the completion of a funded phase does not automatically guarantee future funding of the remaining phases.

To be eligible, the activities outlined in the project must also align with one of the following Streams:

• Stream 1: Advancing primary HAWC/AOS science objectives by conducting ground-based and/or airborne data collection.
• Stream 2: Advancing primary HAWC/AOS science objectives by conducting model development and/or data analysis.
• Stream 3: Advancing applications enabled by HAWC/AOS for a healthy and climate-resilient Canada.

Detailed definitions of eligible activities under each Stream can be found in Appendix B.

3.3 Links to CSA Priorities

To be eligible, projects supported under this AO must contribute to at least one of the primary HAWC/AOS science objectives (Stream 1 and Stream 2) or enabled applications (Stream 3).

Detailed descriptions of these priorities can be found in Appendix C.

3.4 Links to the Class G&C Program Objectives

To be eligible, projects supported under this AO must contribute to the achievement of at least one of the following objectives:

• To support the development of science and technology relevant to the priorities of the CSA;
• To foster the continuing development of a critical mass of researchers and highly qualified people in Canada in areas relevant to the priorities of the CSA;
• To support information gathering, studies and research related to space.

3.5 Research and Development (R&D) Definition

Eligible projects supported under this AO must comply with the following definition for basic R&D:

“Any pre-commercial science and technology activities that are carried out to resolve unknowns regarding the feasibility of (i) space concepts or (ii) applications in the space sector.”

The following due diligence process will be applied to determine whether projects are compliant with this definition:

• Are the scientific unknowns to be answered clearly stated?
• Is there a description of how the expected results will be obtained (methodology)?
• Are the working hypotheses used to solve the scientific unknowns clearly stated?
• Is it clearly demonstrated that the proposed solution consists of more than routine analysis, engineering or current operations?

Basic R&D activities supported under this AO shall be undertaken in Canada unless it is essential to the success of the project.

4.1 Service Standards — Notice of Intent

Applicants will be notified in writing of decisions about their project. Applicants whose projects meet the eligibility criteria will receive the necessary documentation to submit a full proposal.

Acknowledgement: The CSA's goal is to acknowledge receipt of proposals within 2 weeks of receiving the request. The acknowledgment will be accompanied by the necessary documentation to submit a full proposal or a letter stating that the project is not eligible.

5.1 Required Documentation

The application must include the following:

• A completed original application form signed by the duly authorized representative, which includes;
  • Declaration on Confidentiality, Access to Information Act and Privacy Act form (refer to the Applicant Declaration on Confidentiality, Access to Information Act and Privacy Act section included in the application form), which is integrated in the application form;
  • For organizations in Quebec, M-30 Supporting Documentation form completed and signed by the duly authorized representative (refer to the M-30 form for organizations in Quebec), which is integrated in the application form;
• 1 copy of the proposal (up to a maximum of 10 pages);
• Implementation schedule
• Letters from co-researchers and other funding contributors confirming their contributions (if applicable);
  • In the scenario where a collaboration with non-funding federal department is planned, a letter from the director general of the collaborating department must be provided. The letter must include a description of the roles and responsibilities of the parties, and an estimate of costs to be incurred by the federal department, including salaries.
• Any other documentation supporting the activities proposed within the project.

The application must be prepared as a single PDF-formatted file containing all of the above requested documents with all security features disabled. Please order the document with the application form and proposal first. The proposal and supporting documents must be included in the file as searchable PDF-formatted documents (PDF/A-1a or PDF/A-2a formats preferred). If there are any accessibility issues with the submitted PDF file, all consequences reside with the applicant.

Any missing supporting document or any incoherence between the requested documents and the information provided within the documents may lead to the rejection of the proposal on that sole basis.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the application complies with all relevant federal, provincial and territorial legislation and municipal bylaws.

Submission is done by using the same account created for submitting the NoI, and documents shared through the same secure portal. Please note that Google Chrome is the browser of choice for submissions. Applicants are encouraged to create their account several days before the submission deadline, in order to address any technical difficulties that could arise.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload their applications well before the submission deadline.

• Full proposals must be received at CSA no later than the closing date and time indicated at the top of this AO page.
• Applications sent by email or as email attachments will not be accepted.
• Incomplete applications shall not be considered.

Questions and answers related to this AO will be posted on the CSA website in the “Frequently Asked Questions” of this AO (Section 10).

5.2 Service Standards — Complete Applications

Applicants will be notified in writing of decisions regarding their application. Selected applications will be announced on the CSA website. The CSA has set the following service standards for processing times, acknowledgement of receipt, funding decisions and payment procedures.

Acknowledgement: The CSA's goal is to acknowledge receipt of proposals within 2 weeks of receiving a completed application package.

Decision: The CSA's goal is to respond to the proposal within 16 weeks of the AO cycle's closing date and to send a grant agreement for signature within 4 weeks after formal approval of the proposal.

Payment: The CSA's goal is to issue payment within 4 weeks of the successful fulfillment of the requirements outlined in the grant agreement.

Compliance with these service standards is a shared responsibility. Applicants must submit all required documentation in a timely fashion. Service standards may vary by Announcement of Opportunity.

6.1 Eligibility Criteria

• Represents an eligible recipient as defined in Section 3.1;
• Represents an eligible project as defined in Sections 3.2, 3.3, 3.4;
• Meets the basic R&D definition in Section 3.5; and
• Meets program funding provisions as defined in Section 7.1.

6.2 Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria. These are further described in Appendix A.

The minimum overall score required to be considered for funding is 60 points.

6.3 Evaluation Process

Only applications that have passed the eligibility assessment listed in Section 6.1 will be given further consideration.

Once the eligibility criteria are confirmed, evaluators will assess the screened applications according to the criteria listed in Section 6.2. Evaluators shall be experts in the fields relevant to the applications and may include representatives of Canada and other countries, and representatives of other government and non-government agencies and organizations. If applicable, a multidisciplinary evaluation committee will be formed when applications from several different disciplines are competing in order to provide a uniform final score and ranking of proposals.

Before a final decision is made, the CSA's Program Manager responsible for this AO may seek input and advice from other organizations, including (but not limited to) federal, provincial, territorial and municipal government agencies and organizations.

The results obtained in this AO could take into account certain factors in the final decision to grant funding, such as, but not limited to, the representativeness of the four designated groups (woman, Indigenous person, disabled person or member of a visible minority), regional distribution, academic level, distribution between universities and post-secondary educational institutions, etc. Please visit the Employment Equity site for a complete definition of each group.

7.1 Available Funding

The maximum annual funding per grant agreement to an eligible recipient under Streams 2 and 3 is $90,000 per year, up to a total of $270,000. This information is summarized in the table below:

The CSA reserves the right to reject any proposals or reduce the amount of the grants or the contributions at its entire discretion.

The number of projects under this AO will depend on funding availability. Submitted proposals should plan to be completed within a maximum period of three (3) years.

An applicant (university or post-secondary institution) may be funded for more than one (1) project under this AO provided each project has a different Lead Researcher or targets different Streams.

A researcher can only be the Lead Researcher for one (1) active grant per Stream under this AO at any given time. A Lead Researcher with an active grant under one of this AO's Streams may submit a new proposal to a different Stream under this AO. A Lead Researcher with an active grant under one of this AO's Streams may also submit a new proposal to the same AO Stream in the final year of their existing grant so long as their existing grant will conclude prior to the commencement of the proposed work.

Approved proposals will be eligible for a total amount of government assistance (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) of up to 100% of total project costs. To determine the amount of funding to be allocated, consideration will be given to the availability of CSA funds, the total cost of the project, and the other confirmed sources of funds provided by other stakeholders and the applicant.

Applicants must identify all sources of funding in their applications and confirm this information in a funding agreement if the project is selected for funding. Upon completion of a project, the recipient must also disclose all sources of funding.

7.2 Eligible Costs

Eligible costs are direct expenses that are associated with the delivery of the approved project and that are required to achieve the expected results of the project. Expenses will be covered subject to the applicant signing a funding agreement, in the form of a grant, with the CSA.

Eligible costs for grants under this AO are the following:

• Access fees;
• Accommodation and meal allowances (The authorized allowances are $600 / day for all destinations. They include accommodation, meals, incidentals, and local transportation. Allowances are also applicable for the day of departure and arrival);
• Acquisition, development and printing of materials;
• Acquisition or rental of equipment;
• Aircraft and watercraft charter services;
• Bursaries;
• Consultant services (not to exceed 30% of eligible costs);
• Costs related to obtaining security clearance;
• Data acquisition;
• Data management;
• Laboratory analysis services;
• License and permit fees;
• Marketing and printing services;
• Materials and supplies;
• Overhead (administrative) costs (not to exceed 10% of eligible costs for Stream 1 and 15% for Stream 2 and Stream 3);
• Participation fees at conferences, committees and events;
• PST, HST and GST net of any rebate to which the recipient is entitled and the reimbursement of any taxes for goods and services acquired in a foreign country net of any rebate or reimbursement received in the foreign country;
• Publication and communication services;
• Registration fees;
• Salaries and benefits;
• Training;
• Translation services;
• Travel (Eligible expenses include round-trip economy class air tickets or the cost of another, more economical mode of transportation. The rates payable in cents per kilometre for the use of privately owned vehicles must follow Treasury Board rates, Appendix B. Travel expenses shall be in direct relation to the project (ex. Field work, project meetings). Proponent must indicate the number of trips and the number of days for each trip, the cost, destination, and purpose of each journey, together with the basis of these costs); and
• Tuition fees.

8.1 Payments

The CSA and each successful applicant (the recipient) will sign a funding agreement. This is a condition for any payment made by the CSA with respect to the approved project.

For grant agreements, payments will be made in a lump sum or instalments as described in the signed agreement. Grant funding agreements will include a clause stipulating the recipient's obligation to confirm—once a year in the case of multi-year agreements—their eligibility for the G&C Program - Research Component and inform the CSA in writing of any changes to the conditions used in determining their eligibility for this component.

8.2 Audit

The recipient of a funding agreement shall keep proper records of all documentation related to the funded project, for the duration of the project and for six (6) years after the completion date of the project, in the event of an audit. This documentation shall be available upon request.

8.3 Conflict of Interest

In the funding agreement, the recipient will certify that any current or former public office holder or public servant it employs complies with the provisions of the relevant Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders and the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector respectively.

8.4 Intellectual Property

All intellectual property developed by the recipient in the course of the project shall vest in the recipient.

8.5 Organizations in Quebec

An organization in Quebec whose operations are partially or fully funded by the province of Quebec may be subject to the Act Respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif, CQLR c M-30.

Under Sections 3.11 and 3.12 of this Act, certain entities/organizations, as defined in the meaning of the Act, such as municipal bodies, school bodies, or public agencies, must obtain authorization from the Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes (SQRC), as indicated by the Act, before signing any funding agreement with the Government of Canada, its departments or agencies, or a federal public agency.

Consequently, any entity that is subject to the Act is responsible for obtaining such authorization before signing any funding agreement with the Government of Canada.

Quebec applicants must complete, sign and include the M-30 Supporting Documentation form with their application.

8.6 Performance Measurement

The CSA will ask the recipients to report on certain aspects of their projects such as:

Knowledge Creation

• Knowledge production (including publications)
• Presentations
• Intellectual property (including patents)

Capacity Building

• Project's research team (including highly qualified personnel supported)

Collaboration

• Partners' contributions
• Partnerships
• Multidisciplinarity

8.7 Open Access Publications

In the event that publications result from the project, the CSA wishes to promote the dissemination of findings that result from the projects it funds as quickly and to the greatest number of people as possible. Improved access to scientific results not only allows scientists to use a broader range of resources and knowledge, but also improves research collaboration and coordination, strengthens citizen engagement and supports the economy.

Thus, the CSA promotes the use of open access publication and archiving by recipients in order to facilitate the widest dissemination of findings that results from its funded projects. Thus, recipients are invited to publish, in a timely matter, their articles by using one of the following methods:

1. Accessible online repository (institutional or disciplinary) so that the publication is freely accessible.
2. Journal offering open access to articles.

It should be noted that these two methods are not mutually exclusive and that recipients are encouraged to use both.

Finally, the CSA wishes to receive, as a courtesy, a copy of the publications (if not freely accessible) or the hyperlink (if freely accessible) and its digital object identifier (DOI). These will be used to improve accessibility by including them in the CSA publications directory.

Scoring

Each criterion will be rated on a letter scale from A to D, with A being the highest score. A numerical weight is associated with each letter.

There is an overall minimum score of 60 to pass, as well as an individual minimum requirement on all criteria individually. The applicant is advised to read Evaluation Criteria carefully when preparing the proposal.

11.1 Benefits to Canada

Maximum: 30

Minimum: 15

11.2 Results

Maximum: 30

Minimum: 15

11.3 Feasibility

Maximum: 20

Minimum: 10

11.4 Ressources

Maximum: 20

Minimum: 11

Evaluation score

Maximum score: 100

Minimum passing score: 60

12.1 Stream 1: Advancing primary HAWC/AOS science objectives by conducting ground-based and/or airborne data collection

To meet eligibility with this activity, the project must:

• focus on at least one of the HAWC/AOS research priorities indicated in section 13.1 (see Appendix C);
• include science investigation or use of a technology during a flight or field deployment; and
• include atmospheric data collection.

12.2 Stream 2: Advancing primary HAWC/AOS science objectives by conducting model development and/or data analysis

To meet eligibility with this activity, the project must:

• focus on at least one of the HAWC/AOS research priorities indicated in section 13.1 (see Appendix C);
• include science investigation using numerical models and/or any combination of satellite, airborne or ground-based data; and
• include atmospheric data analysis.

An eligible example may involve analysis of data obtained during the PONEX campaign, to pursue one of the objectives in section 13.1 (Appendix C).

12.3 Stream 3: Advancing applications enabled by HAWC/AOS for a healthy and climate-resilient Canada

Stream 3 of the ROHSSA initiative is aimed at supporting the development of innovative applications concepts from the HAWC/AOS initiative through their Research & Development phases. The Application Readiness Level (ARL) system used to assess the progress of an application is comprised of the following structure:

These early to mid-stage phases represent the most challenging steps in creating new applications solutions and are therefore deserving of unique support and assistance. Although ARLs 6 and 9 are recognized as being very important for the ultimate success of a product or service, they go beyond the focus of the ROHSSA initiative.

To meet eligibility with this activity, the project must:

• focus on the development of at least one of the enabled HAWC/AOS applications indicated in section 13.2 (see Appendix C) up to a maximum of ARL 5;
• include science investigation using numerical models and/or any combination of satellite, airborne or ground-based data; and
• include atmospheric data analysis

An eligible example may involve assimilation of Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) data to pursue one of the priorities in section 13.2 (Appendix C).

The applicant should clearly identify the current state-of-the-art and its corresponding ARL, and then identify the target ARL that the research intends to achieve. A project can also remain within the same ARL for the duration of the project, but should still demonstrate an advancement. The following subsections provide a definition of each of the relevant ARLs.

13.1 Primary HAWC/AOS science objectives

Applicants targeting Stream 1 or Stream 2 should demonstrate within the body of their proposal the alignment of their project with one or many of the following primary HAWC/AOS science objectives, as per point-rated evaluation criterion 11.1.1 in Appendix A.

13.2 Enabled HAWC/AOS applications

Applicants targeting Stream 3 should demonstrate within the body of their proposal the alignment of their project with one or many of the following enabled HAWC/AOS applications, as per point-rated evaluation criterion 11.1.1 in Appendix A.