Overview
Research funding provided through three federal research granting agencies [Canadian
Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research
Council (NSERC), and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)]
is generally limited to direct project costs (e.g., research equipment,
research assistant salaries, etc.). Institutions whose researchers receive
funding for research also incur costs to manage their research enterprise.
These are often called “indirect costs of research.” From 2015-2016, the Research
Support Fund (RSF) program replaces the former Indirect Costs Program
established in 2003.
The RSF
assists Canadian postsecondary institutions and their affiliated research
hospitals and institutes with the indirect costs/expenses associated with
managing the research funded by the three federal research granting agencies.
The RSF grant can be used to:
- maintain modern labs and equipment;
- provide access to up-to-date knowledge
resources;
- provide research management and administrative
support, including support for equity, diversity and inclusion practices;
- meet regulatory and ethical standards/requirements;
and
- transfer research results/knowledge from
academia to the knowledge users (private, public and not-for-profit
sectors).
The RSF grant that UCN receives each
year helps to defray a portion of these costs. A full list of RSF eligible
expenses is provided at www.rsf-fsr.gc.ca/administer-administrer/expenditures-depenses-eng.aspx. More details about the RSF program is available at http://www.rsf-fsr.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx.
Affiliated
Organizations
UCN does not have any affiliated
organizations.
RSF Allocation in
2021-2022
The RSF
grant assists Canadian postsecondary institutions with the costs associated
with managing their research enterprise, helping them to maintain a world-class
research environment. In 2021-2022, the notional RSF grant amount
allocated to UCN is $69,517. UCN
has planned to distribute this RSF grant under the five expenditure categories
as listed below:
- Research Facilities ($5,000; 7.2%): Research equipment,
furniture, maintenance and operating cost.
- Research Resources ($20,517; 29.5%): Campus-wide SPSS license, NVivo
license, library holdings, telecommunication, IT and databases.
- Management and Administration ($15,000; 21.6%): Research grant consultancy,
grant writing workshops, research planning and promotion, research
collaboration, and memberships and conference participations in CARA,
CAUBO, CICan and others.
- Regulatory Requirements and Accreditation ($17,000;
24.4%): Participation
in CCAC program, animal user training for students and faculty, and memberships
and conference participations in CAREB, CCAC and others.
- Intellectual Property and Knowledge
Mobilization ($12,000; 17.3%): Annual truth and reconciliation conference,
and Indigenous knowledge initiatives.
RSF Allocations at
UCN in Previous Five Years (To
be updated after July 2021)
Expenditure Category
|
2016-2017
|
2017-2018
|
2018-2019
|
2019-2020
|
2020-2021
|
Research
Facilities
|
$28,724
|
$5,790
|
$0
|
$0
|
$4,000
|
Research
Resources
|
$12,766
|
$25,595
|
$19,999
|
$23,075
|
$20,157
|
Management
and Administration
|
$10,213
|
$6,146
|
$6
|
$10,918
|
$16,000
|
Regulatory
Requirements and Accreditation
|
$3,191
|
$10,491
|
$12,512
|
$7,424
|
$12,000
|
Intellectual
Property and Knowledge Mobilization
|
$13,236
|
$4,343
|
$13,388
|
$1,772
|
$10,000
|
Total RSF Amount
|
$68,130
|
$52,365
|
$45,905
|
$43,189
|
$62,157
|
RSF Communications
Strategy for 2021-2022
UCN acknowledges and is grateful for the support of the Government of Canada
and three federal research granting agencies (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC), through
its RSF.
The RSF
grant provides financial support to UCN by allowing the University College to
achieve its research goals by minimizing the costs in five eligible expenditure
areas: research facilities, research resources, management and administration
of research enterprise, regulatory requirements and accreditation, intellectual
property management and knowledge mobilization.
Research
at UCN contributes to the achievement of our Strategic Plan, and contributes to
the economic well-being of the peoples of Northern Manitoba and beyond.
In an effort to provide information about the role
of the RSF grant in supporting and building capacity for research at UCN, the
following specific communications strategies will be followed through 2021-2022:
- UCN
Website:
UCN’s website, www.ucn.ca, contains
a webpage specifically highlighting the RSF and its impact on research and
research capacity building at UCN. The RSF webpage, located at www.ucn.ca/sites/RI/Research/Pages/Research-Support-Fund.aspx,
highlights research success stories by faculty, staff and students. Any
research related articles, videos and audio clips will acknowledge the
impact of RSF. UCN’s RSF webpage will be updated regularly. The webpage of
UCN’s Office of Research, Reconciliation and Academic Innovation (https://www.ucn.ca/sites/RI/Research/Pages/Research.aspx)
will have a report listing all research-related and scholarly activities.
- Publications:
UCN will capitalize on publications created by its faculty, staff,
students, and others associated with federally-funded research activities,
in order to highlight and share research stories with both internal and
external audiences. The RSF will be given a direct reference in
publications, emphasizing the value it has brought to strengthening the
research environment at UCN.
- Media
Relations:
Existing local and regional media contacts will be contacted, and
relationships will be built with new media sources in order to share UCN’s
research stories and successes. Any stories being published through news
releases will acknowledge the support of the RSF grant in the release.
- Social
Media:
Social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) will be utilized
to share news and generate conversations about UCN’s research expertise
and contributions.
- Presentations/Lectures:
All federally-funded research-related presentations will acknowledge
contributions from the RSF grant. This could be a verbal acknowledgement and/or
acknowledgement through inclusion of the RSF on the ‘Benefactors/Thank
You’ page of a slideshow presentation.
- Annual
Truth and Reconciliation Conference:
Recognition for the support of the RSF will be also included
in the opening and closing remarks of our annual Truth and Reconciliation
academic conference which is well-attended by both academics and the general
public.
RSF Grant Usage, Performance and
Outcomes in 2020-2021 (To
be updated after July 2021)
Budget
Allocated in 2020-2021 RSF
Expenditure Category
|
Budget Amount
|
Budget Percentage
|
Research Facilities
|
$4,000
|
6.4%
|
Research Resources
|
$20,157
|
32.4%
|
Management and Administration
|
$16,000
|
25.7%
|
Regulatory Requirements and Accreditation
|
$12,000
|
19.3%
|
Intellectual Property and Knowledge Mobilization
|
$10,000
|
16.1%
|
TOTAL
|
$62,157
|
100.0%
|
Statement
of Account / Expenditures Incurred in 2020-2021 RSF
Expenditure Category
|
Budget Amount
|
Budget Percentage
|
Research Facilities
|
|
|
Research Resources
|
|
|
Management and Administration
|
|
|
Regulatory Requirements and Accreditation
|
|
|
Intellectual Property and Knowledge Mobilization
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
$62,157
|
100.0%
|
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, 2020-2021 RSF
grant period was extended for 3 months. Therefore, 2020-2021 RSF grant period
is from April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. The performance of UCN and outcomes
achieved through the RSF grant in 2020-2021 are summarized below.
Research
Facilities:
Research
Resources:
Management
and Administration:
Regulatory
Requirements and Accreditation:
Intellectual
Property and Knowledge Mobilization:
Communication
Strategies Used in 2020-2021 RSF Grant Year
The following communications strategies were used in
2020-2021 to inform about UCN’s RSF grant and its support to the research at
UCN.
- Website:
- Publications:
- Media Relations:
- Social Media:
- Presentations/Lectures:
Acknowledgement
UCN
gratefully acknowledges the support of the Tri-Council Research Granting
Agencies (CIHR, NSREC and SSHRC) and Government of Canada through their
Research Support Fund.
Contact
For more information, contact:
Guru Chinnasamy, Ph.D.
Manager of Research
Phone: 204-677-6363
Email: gchinnasamy@ucn.ca