Deadline: January 6, 2026

The Future Skills Centre invites researchers and organizations across Canada to contribute new evidence and insights that advance understanding of the country’s evolving skills and workforce needs. Through the Strengthening Canada’s Skills with PIAAC Research open call for proposals, they aim to build evidence that informs systems change and supports more inclusive and resilient pathways for Canadians.

Background


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With the release of Cycle 2 of OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), Canada has a unique opportunity to deepen its understanding of adult skills and their role in driving prosperity and well-being. PIAAC is a rich but underused dataset that sheds light on both the distribution of foundational skills and the ways in which these skills influence labour market outcomes, productivity, social participation, and quality of life.

This competitive open call for proposals is designed to unlock the potential of PIAAC data for Canada. They aim to fund innovative, policy-relevant research projects that address critical gaps in evidence, build national research capacity, and mobilize findings in ways that will shape policies, programs, and practices.

This call builds upon FSC’s recent report, Skills for Productivity, Prosperity and Well-being in Canada which discusses key knowledge gaps, the importance of fostering research infrastructure and networks and mentoring the next generation of researchers and ensuring that evidence reaches those in a position to act on it.

Funding

  • They will provide $50,000 to $90,000 per project. Expenses may include customary research expenses (i.e. salaries for primary researchers, research assistants, direct research expenses). 

Eligibility

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  • Applications may be submitted by a sole organization or a partnership/consortium of organizations, including: Post-secondary institutions, Not-for-profit research centers, for-profit organizations (provided the project is undertaken at cost, with no mark-ups or profit incorporated).
  • Federal, provincial and territorial government ministries and agencies are not eligible to apply.

Application

They expect to communicate funding decisions starting in March 2026. All projects are expected to start April 2026 and must conclude by October 31, 2026.

STEP 1: Download and read the following application materials

STEP 2: Complete the Application Form


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For more information, visit Strengthening Canada’s Skills with PIAAC Research.

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