DIVERT DRAGON’S DEN COMPETITION 2026
OBJECTIVE: The goal is to support Early Career Researcher (ECR) development of a larger network of researchers and multi-sectoral partnerships to support their future program of research. Funds for will be provided for one ECR to use to host an in-person or hybrid 2027 meeting that has high potential to catalyze a large grant through the development of new (or strengthening of existing) interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral collaborations in the area of improving inclusivity of child, youth and/or family mental health and the innovative use of technology. The funds must support meeting-related costs, and CANNOT be used to support research directly.
ELIGIBILITY: ECRss who have already been accepted as Fellows into DIVERT Mental Health are eligible to participate. As of July 1, 2026, you must be within 8 years of starting your independent research position (position start date July 1 2018 or later). This is exclusive of parental leaves, medical leaves, etc. You must be an active Fellow, with evidence of engagement (e.g., DIVERT mentoring, monthly webinars, and attendance to annual meetings). In addition, you must identify a Senior Mentor (>15 years of their first independent position), who will review your application in-depth and be available to coach you for the Finalist Round (15-minute Dragon’s Den Pitch). DIVERT Principal Applicants will not be eligible to participate in these grant applications.
There will be a written and oral component (finalists only) to this application. DIVERT is committed to accommodating the application process for ECRs to ensure that language barriers, ability requirements, etc., are supported. After reading the requirements for the application, if you require accommodation, please describe the accommodation request in an email as soon as possible and send to divert@yorku.ca. We will reach out to discuss your requests and support your application!
OVERVIEW:
There will be three components to adjudication:
· Written Application (70%; 4 pages/5 pages en Franҫais): Due July 24th, 2026 at noon (submission through DIVERT portal). Feedback will be provided by September 30, 2026.
· Dragon’s Den Pitch (30%): On September 30th, three ECR finalists will be invited to pitch their event at the DIVERT Annual In-Person Meeting – Fellows Meeting on November 30th, 2026 (Toronto). Finalists will have 15-minutes to orally present a pitch based on their proposal, in person.
o DIVERT Fellows will provide each of the three finalists a score on High Potential and Feasibility, live. (10%)
o DIVERT PI’s will also provide a more detailed scoring of the Pitches assessed for High Potential, Feasibility, and DIVERT Mental Health Engagement. (20%)
o Criteria are provided at the end of this call.
· Winners will be announced at the DIVERT Annual In-Person Meeting – Community Conference (December 1, 2026; Toronto).
APPLICATION COMPONENTS
1. Identify Participants (Excel File)
It is expected that there will be a team of co-investigators and collaborators supporting/participating in the proposed meeting. List all team members by filling out the Excel template below. Consult the Eligibility section and ensure that all requirements are met.
2. Narrative CVs (4 maximum)
Provide Narrative CVs for NPA and three key applicants (co-investigators, collaborators, or knowledge users). Please see Tri-Agency CV instructions (https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/53574.html). One of the three key applicants CVs must be the Principal Applicant’s Senior Mentor. The Senior Mentor is the individual (>15 years from their first academic appointment) that was invited by the Principal Applicant to mentor the proposal writing and the oral presentation (3 shortlisted finalists only).
There are 3 mandatory sections: Personal Statement, Most Significant Contributions and Experiences, Supervisory and Mentorship activities. Using these sections, please ensure your CV clearly delineates
· Educational Institutions attended and years of attendance
· Current employment details (primary employer, start date, role). For the NPA, please denote clearly the month and year you began your first independent research position. Please describe any leaves you have taken that should be taken into account for your eligibility window.
· Key publications and/or leadership experiences relevant to the current application. For publications, please indicate if Principal Applicant was Senior Author or Lead Author and indicate if peer reviewed.
· Any relevant grants to the current application, that the Principal Applicant is on and their role in each grant.
· Max 5 pages (English) or 6 pages (French). Excess pages will be removed without further notice to the CV owner(s) or the Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA).
3. Proposal (with References) and Timeline
Your proposal must provide a compelling narrative of your planned event. 12-point Times New Roman Font, Single spaced, 1.9 cm (.75”in) margins
· BACKGROUND: Applicants must clearly describe the need for research in the area, the purpose of the proposed event and how it links to the need for research in the area,
· THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY: Applicants must describe how their activity has the potential to catalyze a larger grant through this initiative of developing new inter- and multi-disciplinary collaborations among researchers and/or users of research. Applicants should iterate the format (in-person, hybrid, or virtual) and location of the proposed activity, and the suitability of the team. Applicants must describe how this meeting will catalyze new research for the ECR that will contribute to the development of new technology relevant to an inclusive approach to the mental health of children, youth, and/or families. Clearly allude to any in-cash or in-kind supports from other participants.
· THE PARTICIPANT TEAM: Applicants must describe the inclusion of relevant partners (e.g., research community, knowledge-users, citizens, etc.) and sectors (e.g., private, public, charities) relevant to the proposed activity. Applicants must describe how their activity facilitates and supports the engagement of groups underrepresented in science including but not limited to those marginalized by gender, Indigenity, racialization, abilities, and sexual orientation.
· PARTICIPATION IN DIVERT MENTAL HEALTH:
o Principal Applicant should describe their active involvement in DIVERT Mental Health (i.e., how many webinars attended live versus archived, involvement in mentorship sessions, involvement in synergistic activities with DIVERT).
o Applicants should engage with other DIVERT Fellows, Associate Fellows, Co-Investigators. Participation of any team members in DIVERT Mental Health should be clearly articulated.
Max 4 pages (English) or 5 pages (French). References are not included. Excess pages will be removed without further notice to the CV owner(s) or the Nominated Principal Applicant (NPA). Also, exclusive of the page limit is to include a one-page timeline of activities, starting January 1st leading up to the event date. The event date must be in 2027.
3. Enter Budget Information
Submit a one-page attachment titled “Budget Module” that balances your total revenue against total expenses.
o List all other potential sources that would be available should your application be successful (in-kind contributions, in-cash, sponsorships, or registration fees, etc.,).
o Distinguish clearly between what DIVERT would cover vs. other sources. DIVERT funds cannot be used towards direct research costs.
4. Supporting Documentation (Early Career Researcher Confirmation Letter, Senior Mentor Confirmation Letters, Up to 3 letters of Support)
o A mandatory letter labeled “Early Career Researcher Confirmation Letter” is required from the Institution that will be paid (e.g., Department Head). This letter must confirm an appointment within the institution that allows the Principal Applicant to hold a grant independently and that the applicant is within eight years of their first independent appointment.
o A mandatory letter labeled “Senior Mentor Confirmation Letter”. This letter confirms the participation of the Senior Mentor to read and provide feedback on the application. In addition, should the application be a finalist, that senior mentor has the ability and availability to mentor the applicant on a 15-minute oral pitch presentation.
o Up to 3 X 1 page Letters of Support from Partner institutions or organizations may be provided. Focus on partner contributions to the actual proposed event and how they or their organization will benefit from future research applications that would stem from the proposed event.
Note: Avoid generic “this is a great person” letters; they add no value to the score.
5. Dragon’s Den Component
· Every Grant will be evaluated and feedback given by September 25, 2026. This will be worth 70% of the total score.
· The top three scoring grants will be invited to present a 15-minute live pitch (in person) based on their proposal to the DIVERT Annual Fellow Meeting (November 30, 2026). Finalists will be required to provide their slides to divert@yorku.ca by November 23, 2026.
o Audience will rate each Finalist on High Potential and Feasibility (worth 10%)
o DIVERT PI’s will rate each Finalist on High Potential, Feasibility, and DIVERT Mental Health (20%)
SCORING CRITERIA:
HIGH POTENTIAL (0-20 Scale): Has high potential to catalyze a future larger grant through the development of new interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral collaborations in the area of improving inclusivity of child, youth and/or family mental health and the innovative use of technology.
Guiding questions for reviewers:
· Does the applicant mention a specific grant opportunity for which they will apply?
· Does the future project/research area (that the current meeting opportunity will be laying a foundation for) have a compelling justification to support child, youth, and/or family mental health and the innovative use of technology?
· Are the Principal Applicant and the proposed team of participants a compelling group to come together to support a successful future grant application?
· Does the activity description innovatively bring together relevant partners from diverse lived experiences, sectors, disciplines?
· Is this an innovative event?
· Is the research area innovative?
HIGH FEASIBILITY (0-10 Scale):
Applicants must describe a clearly developed, innovative and feasible activity (with associated budget) that engages a number of relevant partners (research community, knowledge-users, citizens, patients with lived experience, etc.) and sectors (e.g., industry, government, public, charities).
Guiding questions for the reviewers:
o Do the Letters of support and the proposal describe specific supports from their partners and their institution?
o Does the Senior Mentor provide a convincing level of investment in the project?
o Would the applicant be leveraging other in-cash contributions?
o Does the proposed meeting, including its planned activities, have a high potential to be actualized?
o Does the team have the required expertise (for the proposed event and the proposed research)?
o Do the applicants describe how the meeting will contribute to the development of new technology relevant to the mental health of children, youth, and/or families?
o Is the budget logical to feasibly support the planned activities for the meeting?
DIVERT ENGAGEMENT (0-5 Scale):
· How engaged has the Principal Applicant and members of the team been in DIVERT Mental Health activities?
· Does the proposed activity and potential research project leverage the diverse network of members of DIVERT Mental Health?