Mission ImPULSEible

Take on a real food challenge: Graduate food-science teams partner with leading food companies to solve pulse ingredient R&D challenges — with up to $5,000 in funded research per project.

  • About the Program

    Mission ImPULSEible is a national, industry-driven applied research program connecting graduate student teams with technical challenges defined by food companies.

    Each participating company develops 2-3 mission briefs — each with a defined product category, technical barrier, and curated portfolio of approved pulse ingredients — and student teams propose applied research to solve one.

    The program is led by Pulse Canada in partnership with food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers, with funding provided by the Canadian Pulse and Special Crops Trade Association (CPSC). Up to five projects are selected annually for funding of up to $5,000 CAD each, executed during the winter term and presented in April.

Who Can Participate

The program is open to graduate student teams at universities around the world, with up to four students per team, guided by a faculty advisor who oversees the research and approves the final proposal. You'll develop a proposal targeting a published mission brief in the fall term. If selected, you'll execute the research January–April and present your findings.


Why Participate?

1
Make direct industry connections
Work alongside food-company R&D teams and put your research in front of the people building tomorrow's products.
2
Work on real challenges
Every mission brief is rooted in a real, timely technical barrier the pulse sector is working to solve — not a hypothetical exercise.
 3
Get exposure beyond the classroom
Midpoint reviews and final presentations put your work directly in front of industry partners and ingredient suppliers, not just your department.


How It Works

Mission Briefs will be released on September 9, 2026, when the competition officially kicks off.

Teams intending to submit a proposal should submit an Expression of Interest as soon as possible (available on the website after Mission Briefs are released). Pulse Canada will facilitate Q&A sessions between September and November to help teams develop their proposals — only teams who've submitted an EOI can take part, so submitting early is recommended.

Proposals must be received by 4:00 PM CDT on November 23, 2026.

Download the Proposal Template

All teams must submit their proposals using the designated template.

Download Now


Download the Mission Guide for Students

A full program guide for graduate student teams participating in Mission ImPULSEible — program overview, eligibility, timeline, budget, rules, evaluation criteria, and terms of participation.

Download


How to Enter

Mission ImPULSEible officially launches September 9, 2026, when Mission Briefs go live. Enter your email below to be notified when that happens.

After launch, come back to this page to complete the full Expression of Interest — you'll need your university, team members, and faculty advisor on hand — to officially enter.

Promote Mission ImPULSEible On Your Campus

Download graphics and suggested wording for promoting Mission ImPULSEible on social media, in class or in a newsletter.

  • 3
    • Other

    Mission ImPULSEible Promotional Slide

    Promote Mission ImPULSEible in class with a QR code to learn more.

    Image
  • 1
    • Other

    Mission ImPULSEible Social Graphics

    Use these graphics to promote Mission ImPULSEible on social media or within newsletters.

    Link
  • 2
    • Other

    Mission ImPULSEible Suggested Copy

    Suggested wording for use in newsletters or general promotion of Mission ImPULSEible on campus.

    DOC

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can participate?

Mission ImPULSEible is open to graduate student teams at universities — up to four students per team, guided by a faculty advisor who provides research oversight and approves the final proposal.

Who owns the ideas our team develops?

Students and universities retain ownership of their work and may publish findings through academic channels. All project work is pre-competitive and non-confidential — participating companies may use insights internally, but do not gain exclusive rights.

How are finalists judged?

Pulse Canada, participating companies and ingredient suppliers score proposals against a structured framework:

  • Problem understanding & mission alignment (20%)
  • Experimental design & scientific rigor (25%)
  • Innovation & problem solving (20%)
  • Technical feasibility (20%)
  • Budget & resource justification (10%)
  • Proposal clarity (5%)

Is funding available?

Up to five projects are funded annually, at up to $5,000 CAD each, to cover consumables and research costs during execution. Selected teams also get structured Q&A support during proposal development and a midpoint review during execution

Who do we contact with questions?

Contact Janelle Carlin, Director, Quality, Science & Food Innovation at jcarlin@pulsecanada.com.

Contact Us