The Foundation holds its Annual General Meeting in conjunction with the joint annual meeting of GAC and MAC, at which time it conducts normal business and acts on the recommendations of the Grants Selection Committee to award new grants for the coming year. The amount available for new grants is dependent upon the amount of investment income, part of which must also be deposited into the Foundation's funds to guard against their erosion by inflation. Historically, the Foundation has disbursed between $25,000 and $50,000 annually. However, with the recent bequest from the estate of Jerome Remick III, the Foundation’s capacity to disburse funds has been significantly enhanced, and it is expected that in the coming years, more than $150,000 will be available as grants.

The deadline for applications is March 31. Although the Secretary will accept applications at any time throughout the year, decisions about grants are made only at the Annual General Meeting. A call for applications is published annually in the winter issue of GEOLOG, the newsletter of the Geological Association of Canada, and is also placed on the Foundation's website (http://www.canadiangeologicalfoundation.org/applications.html).

The Grants Selection Committee reviews each application for compatibility with the Foundation's objectives. Grants are made to support activities of national interest and broad significance. Examples of projects that have been supported include:

1. promoting public interest in the value of geological sciences to society
2. summer institutes for the training of high-school teachers in the field of earth sciences,
3. preparation of career booklets in the geological sciences,
4. preparation of general geology textbooks, displays, videos and films emphasizing Canada and involving national cooperation,
5. partial financial support for the publication of special scientific papers involving national cooperation,
6. support of national seminars and conferences aimed at furthering the application of geological sciences to the national development of natural resources and
7. financial assistance to geological societies in cooperative projects of national and long-term significance.