Building Prosperity through Canada–Mexico Academic Collaboration (CMAC) – Call for Proposals

The Call for Proposals: Building Prosperity through Canada–Mexico Academic Collaboration (CMAC) is a one-stage application process.

The Government of Canada retains discretion to cancel this call at any time. The Government of Canada may later impose additional conditions for applying for its funding; applicants will be informed accordingly.

Background

Canada and Mexico are strengthening their bilateral relationship under a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, launched during the Prime Minister’s visit to Mexico in September 2025. Within this framework, the Canada–Mexico Action Plan (2025–2028) sets out shared priorities across four pillars—Prosperity; Mobility, Inclusivity and Well-being; Security; and Environment and Sustainability—to guide deeper and more strategic cooperation.

Under the Prosperity pillar, Canada and Mexico have committed to enhancing collaboration in areas that support innovation, economic growth, and talent development. Academic collaboration plays a key role in advancing these objectives by fostering joint research and study, promoting the exchange of students and researchers, strengthening institutional partnerships that generate new ideas, skills, and solutions to shared challenges.

Objective

The Call for Proposals: Building Prosperity through Canada–Mexico Academic Collaboration (CMAC) supports collaborative projects that advance shared economic prosperity and innovation between Canada and Mexico through education, research, and academic collaboration in priority areas aligned with the Canada–Mexico Action Plan (2025–2028).

Through this call, Global Affairs Canada will provide funding to eligible Canadian post-secondary institutions, associations, and research organizations to implement collaborative initiatives with Mexican partners that:

• contribute to innovation, skills development, and knowledge exchange in support of economic growth and prosperity;
• support joint research, study, and training initiatives in priority areas of mutual interest;
• foster sustained institutional partnerships and networks between Canadian and Mexican stakeholders;
• strengthen academic mobility and exchanges between Canada and Mexico; and/or
• promote collaboration across sectors, including engagement with industry, public institutions, and community partners, where relevant.

Scope and thematic priority areas

Proposed projects must advance one or more of the following five thematic priorities:

1. Environmental Sustainability, Energy Transition, and Natural Resources
   Academic collaboration supporting environmental sustainability, secure and sustainable energy systems, and responsible natural resource management.
2. Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Technologies, and Innovation
   Academic collaboration supporting study and innovation in emerging and enabling technologies, including artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and related fields.
3. Food Security and Agri-food Systems
   Academic collaboration supporting food security, sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture, agri-tech innovation, and resilient agri-food systems and supply chains.
4. Public Health and Health Technologies
   Academic collaboration supporting innovation and knowledge exchange in public health, health systems, and health technologies.
5. Security, Resilience, and Emergency Preparedness
   Academic collaboration supporting dialogue, research, and training related to defence, cybersecurity, preparedness, and resilience.

Cross-cutting considerations

• Collaboration with one or more non-academic partners is encouraged.
• Interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration across institutions, sectors, and regions are welcome.
• Proposals should integrate a Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+).
• The applicant may choose to form partnerships or enlist intermediaries.

Eligibility

• Be a post-secondary academic institution, an association, or a research organization legally incorporated in Canada; and
• Have a Canada Revenue Agency business number.

Eligible project activities

• Knowledge sharing (conferences, workshops, roundtables, panels)
• Training initiatives
• Research initiatives
• Scholarships and fellowships

How to apply

STEP 1: Register in the Partners@International portal

• You will be required to provide proof of incorporation or proof of legal status in Canada.
• It may take 10 or more business days to complete the registration. We recommend early registration.
• Do not open multiple windows within the portal as this may cause technical problems.
• Technical support for the portal is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday.

STEP 2: Email ARP-proposals-propositions-PRA@international.gc.ca by June 1, 2026 to request the CMAC application package.

The package will include:

• Application form, and
• Preliminary Budget template.

STEP 3: Complete, upload and submit all required documents in the portal before 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time on June 11, 2026.

Late submissions will not be accepted. To ensure that technical difficulties do not prevent you from submitting your proposal on time, we strongly suggest that you submit your application at least 3 working days before the deadline.

Your application package must include all of the following documents. Applications using any other template will not be considered. All documents must be completed in full in English and/or French:

• A completed Application form;
• A completed preliminary budget;
• Letter(s) of Support from Mexican higher-education partner(s);
• Proof of incorporation or proof of legal status in Canada;
• Financial statements for the last two fiscal years, signed by the chief financial officer or by a member of the board of directors duly authorized to sign (audited statements are preferred);
• Declaration regarding outstanding debts due to His Majesty (PDF version); signed by the chief financial officer or by a member of the board of directors duly authorized to sign;
• [OPTIONAL] Letter of support from industry or other non-academic partner.

Project parameters

Review the parameters of this call and judge whether your project idea will fit. GAC will not respond to questions about the eligibility of your project idea. You must be able to answer “yes” to all of the following statements to be considered under this call:

• All project activities must start after August 1, 2026, and be completed by December 31, 2027.
• Final reports must be received by January 31, 2028.
• Your project funding request is between $40,000 and $250,000.
• Your proposed project outlines how you will implement the activities involving the following eligible groups:
  • Canadian and Mexican students—including college and undergraduate students, as well as individuals enrolled in master’s or doctoral studies (citizenship or permanent resident status required);
  • Canadian and Mexican researchers—including post-doctoral, academic and professional researchers associated with a recognized academic or research institution; and/or
  • Canadian and Mexican academics—including both tenured and non-tenured faculty members.

Funding

The total funding available for this call is $1.25 million over two years. Individual projects may receive between $40,000—$250,000 in funding. Applicants must provide a simplified project budget which outlines costs and administrative expenditures.

Eligible expenditures

Eligible expenditures include reasonable expenses necessary to support eligible activities, such as:

1. A maximum of 15% of the total value of the proposed project can be used for administrative expenditures, which include:
   • Personnel costs:
     • Under scholarship and research fellowship activity: honoraria, fees for personnel engaged to conduct administrative activities such as receiving and reviewing applications from potential awardees, organizing selection committees, participating in evaluation decisions on awards, communicating decisions on the awards, pre-auditing award payments and making payments;
     • Under knowledge sharing activity: costs directly related to the personnel engaged to conduct the event activities, including training sessions, conference and workshop facilitation;
     • Under training and research activities: costs associated with the planning and implementation of training and research activities, including instruction, research coordination and production of research outputs.
   • Office expenses (e.g. telecommunications, equipment, financial administration, bank costs).
2. Eligible expenditures under knowledge sharing, training and research activities include, but are not limited to:
   • Registration and participation fees;
   • AV equipment and IT services;
   • Venues and hospitality (excluding alcoholic beverages);
   • Promotional publications and training material (printing, translation, and distribution);
   • Travel costs, including round-trip airfare (the most direct and economical route), meals, incidentals, visa and related costs, travel insurance, health insurance;
   • Research materials and equipment, laptops, and specialized research instruments;
   • Event registration costs (excluding extended training courses);
   • Event organization costs, such as:
     • Facility costs for workshops, seminars, etc. (e.g. hospitality, conference room rentals, excluding alcoholic beverages, etc.);
     • Materials and supplies (for example event handouts and name tags);
     • Travel costs for event participants and organizers and all other actual necessary, reasonable and justifiable out-of-pocket travel-related expenses arising from organizing and/or participating in the event activities.
3. Eligible expenditures under scholarship and fellowship activities include, but are not limited to:
   • Travel costs, including round-trip airfare (the most direct and economical route), meals, incidentals, visa and related costs, study permit, travel insurance, health insurance;
   • Accommodation costs, including rent and utilities;
   • Learning and research materials (for example books and supplies) that are necessary for study and research, not including computers/laptops, IT equipment and specialized research instruments).

Please note that indirect/overhead costs are not eligible under this program. Administrative costs must be directly linked to project activities. Indirect costs are those costs that cannot be obviously traced to a specific program/project.

Guidelines on letter(s) of support

Each application must include at least one letter of support from a Mexican post-secondary institution.

Applicants may submit additional letters of support, where relevant, including from other academic institutions or non-academic partners (e.g., industry, public sector, or community organizations).

The letter of support must:

• be on official letterhead;
• be dated within the last six months;
• clearly reference the project title;
• describe the partner’s role and level of engagement in the project, including, where applicable:
  • support for academic mobility (e.g., willingness to host and/or support or send students, scholars, or fellows during the period of study or research);
  • its role or anticipated contributions to the implementation of the project (e.g., research collaboration, training, knowledge-sharing, or co-development of activities); and/or
  • the expected benefits of the partnership for the institution and its participants (e.g., students, faculty, or the institution as a whole);
• be signed by an authorized representative.

Geographic focus

Project activities may take place in Canada, Mexico, or both countries.

Applicants must consult the Government of Canada’s Travel Advice and Advisories (TAA) prior to applying. The program will not fund activities in regions where the TAA advises against all travel (Avoid all travel) or against non-essential travel (Avoid non-essential travel).

Assessment criteria and CMAC Logic Model

Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

• Relevance – the extent to which the project aligns with the objectives and priorities of the call, contributes to the CMAC logic model outcomes, and addresses a clear and meaningful need or opportunity.
• Feasibility – the quality and coherence of the project design, including the implementation plan, timelines, and the likelihood that activities and results can be delivered as proposed.
• Cost-effectiveness – the extent to which the proposed budget is reasonable and demonstrates value for money in relation to the expected results.
• Capability – the demonstrated capacity of the applicant to successfully deliver the project, including relevant experience, governance, and partnerships.

Applicants should consult the application form for detailed guidance on applying.

CMAC Logic Model

Ultimate Outcome: Enhanced shared economic prosperity and innovation between Canada and Mexico through education, research, and academic collaboration.

Intermediate Outcomes (projects must contribute to at least one):

• Increased circulation and application of ideas, knowledge, and research to the benefit of Canadian and Mexican public and private sectors, academic institutions, and individuals, in the thematic priority areas.
• Enhanced skills, experience, and professional networks of Canadian and Mexican students, researchers, and professionals in priority areas that support innovation and economic collaboration.

Immediate Outcomes (projects must contribute to at least one):

• Increased participation in academic mobility, research, and collaboration initiatives between Canadian and Mexican institutions.
• Strengthened institutional and cross-sector partnerships to support academic collaboration, talent development, and innovation.
• Increased knowledge exchange and collaboration among students, researchers, and professionals in thematic priority areas.

Available resources

A number of resources are available online to help you develop your application package:

• Canada-Mexico Action Plan
• How to apply for funding through a call
• Partners@International
• Partners@International Frequently Asked Questions
• Apply Gender-based Analysis Plus to your work - Canada.ca
• Results Based Management (RBM)

Accessing and using PDF forms

Use only Adobe Reader/Adobe Acrobat to complete the PDF forms. If you use other software, the data you enter may not appear once submitted, rendering the application ineligible.

Please read and follow the help instructions. Once the correct software is installed, download the form to your desktop and open it directly in Adobe Reader.

Questions specific to this call

Questions may be submitted by email to ARP-proposals-propositions-PRA@international.gc.ca before 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern time on Monday, June 8th, 2026.

Additional information

• There is no cost-sharing requirement for this initiative.
• There are no minimum or maximum duration requirements for scholarships or fellowships; applicants should define appropriate timelines within their proposal.
• There are no requirements for academic credit recognition for study activities; this may be determined by the applicant and participating institutions.
• Post-doctoral fellows may be considered eligible recipients of either scholarships or fellowships, depending on the project design.
• For the purposes of this program, a “Canadian post-secondary institution” includes a college, cégep, university, or polytechnic institute.
• Training fees may be included as eligible expenses, where appropriate and justified.
• Electronic signatures are accepted for all required application documents.
• Financial and narrative reporting requirements will be outlined in contribution agreements for approved projects.