Pyritic Slate Research Challenge

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Pyritic slate is a common byproduct of ongoing excavation and construction in Nova Scotia. When pyritic slate is exposed to oxygen, it can generate acid rock drainage (ARD), which poses significant risks to water quality, ecosystems, and terrestrial environments.

To prevent ADR in Nova Scotia, pyritic slate is typically buried on land or submerged in water to isolate it from air and moisture. Land-based disposal, however, can have harmful impacts on the environment such as soil contamination and polluted waterways.

A more effective way to prevent ADR is the use of pyritic slate as an infill material in Halifax Harbour. However, this solution faces its own barriers including regulations, permits, and guidelines which restrict the availability of suitable sites and govern such activities. These challenges present a need for new strategies to ensure pyritic slate can continue to be safely sequestered underwater.

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Additional Considerations

While the primary focus of the Pyritic Slate Research Challenge is the safe, sustainable, and long-term sequestration of pyritic slate underwater beyond traditional infilling, applicants are encouraged to explore complementary opportunities that could enhance the overall impact and applicability of their proposed solutions. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Habitat Enhancement: Opportunities to support or create marine habitats, such as artificial reefs or structured environments that promote biodiversity and ecological health.
• Anchorage Site Enhancement: Concepts that integrate slate sequestration with the development or enhancement of safe anchorage zones, contributing to improved marine operations.
• Underwater Infrastructure: Ideas that enable the development or enhancement of underwater infrastructure by contributing to site stability, structural reinforcement, material availability, or long-term environmental compatibility.
• Climate Resilience: Approaches that contribute to broader climate resilience goals, such as adapting to sea-level rise, increasing coastal durability, and reducing the vulnerability of infrastructure and ecosystems to extreme weather events.
• Coastal Protection and Restoration: Use of pyritic slate in environmentally responsible ways to address coastal impacts such as shoreline erosion, habitat loss, sediment disruption, and water quality degradation. This may include supporting shoreline stabilization, sea walls, breakwaters, or living shorelines.

These considerations are encouraged as a way to demonstrate added value, alignment with regional and sustainability priorities, and broader systems thinking in coastal and marine innovation.

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How to Apply

INTRODUCTION

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all the information provided is correct and accurate. No proposal or proposal components can be accepted after the posted deadline.

All proposal documentation and information, must be provided via the online submission form and will not be accepted via email, mail, or in person.

Applications will not be accepted beyond the deadline of March 19, 2026, at 1:00PM (ADT)

STEP 1: REGISTER FOR A JURA ACCOUNT

All applications will be submitted via Research Nova Scotia’s online portal, Jura.  If you do not already have a Jura account, create a Jura account following the steps outlined in the ‘How-to’ document below.  

The main contact person for the submission is considered the Primary Applicant (PA). To access the application, this individual must create an account in Jura by clicking the ‘Register’ button found here.

Please be aware that all applications submitted through Jura must be accompanied by a completed EDIA self-declaration form. Instructions for setting up a Jura account and completing or updating this declaration (if you are an existing user) can be found below:

STEP 2: SUBMIT APPLICATION

To complete submission of the application, log in to Jura using the credentials created in ‘Step 2’. Application forms can be found under the ‘Funding Opportunities’ section of your Jura homepage.  

Carefully review all application requirements, as outlined in the document below, before beginning your application:

APPLICATIONS THAT DO NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS LISTED WILL BE MARKED AS INELIGIBLE.

You can save your application and return to it at any time. When logging in to the system during subsequent visits, your application will be found under the ‘In Progress Applications’ section of your Jura homepage.

When your application is complete, select ‘Submit’. Confirmation of successful submission will be available in your applicant portfolio and will be sent to you via email.

Applications that are incomplete, submitted late, or submitted through means other than Jura (i.e. email, etc.), will not be considered.

fREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Am I able to submit multiple proposals as the Primary Applicant?
A: No. Applicants may only submit one proposal as the Primary or Co-Primary Applicant. Applicants may, however, act as a co-investigator on multiple proposals.

Q: Am I able to include citations with my submission?
A: Yes, applicants may include in-text citations and should upload these citations in the ‘Attachments’ section of their application.

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Application Support

Technical issues related to application submission via Jura can be directed to:

RNS Jura Helpdesk:
helpdesk@researchns.ca | 902.200.8555

Jura Helpdesk Hours are 8am-4pm; Monday to Friday.
Responses will be provided as soon as possible but please allow up to 24 hours for a response.

For general application support, eligibility, or process-related questions, please contact Matt Fast at Matt.Fast@researchns.ca.
Questions specific to the subject matter of the funding call, including pyritic slate and Port of Halifax policies or practices, should be directed to sustainability@porthalifax.ca.

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