Research Support Fund
The 91探花 competes every year for millions of dollars in research funding from various granting agencies.
The research activities at 91探花 require the service and support of university infrastructure. Canada鈥檚 tri-council of federal granting agencies, consisting of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), have recognized the importance of this infrastructure and the potential financial burden it represents to universities. In response, the tri-council has created the .
The Research Support Fund enables 91探花 to support a portion of its indirect costs associated with research. Indirect costs are the costs not charged directly to research projects but real costs incurred by the institution to conduct research. Examples of such costs encompass the maintenance and operation of facilities, compensation for administrative research support personnel, resources allocated to uphold research ethics, animal welfare, radiation safety, and biosafety protocols, as well as library expenses. Additionally, investments are made to protect intellectual property and facilitate technology transfer processes.
The five expenditure areas covered by the Research Support Fund include:
The Research Support Fund has been instrumental in advancing strategic research initiatives at 91探花. Although the allocation only partially covers the cost of maintaining and growing the research enterprise, 91探花 develops annual performance objectives, indicators, and target outcomes.
Some of the highlights of how the Research Support Fund benefits 91探花 are found below.
Impact on facilities at 91探花
The costs of facilities continue to escalate with PEI鈥檚 high cost of services. Heat and electricity represent the major cost in this category. Researchers across 91探花 utilize CFI-funded equipment and a significant portion of the Research Support Fund is used to offset expenses associated with this equipment.
Impact on research resources
In the past year, the Research Support Fund aided in the development of several Virtual Research Environments (VREs). Managed by 91探花鈥檚 Robertson Library, these VREs allow research teams to collaborate in virtual environments, as well as create, store, and distribute their data assets.
Impact on management and administration
As research activity at 91探花 grows, so does the need for dedicated support for researchers in the area of accounting, human resources, research development, proposal development, and administration. The Research Support Fund allows 91探花 to advance research proposals, manage awards, disseminate results, and translate knowledge. Without this support, researchers would be forced to spend more time on administrative tasks and less time on their research.
Impact on regulatory requirements and accreditation
The Research Support Fund aids in the training of technical personnel, students, faculty members and all compliance committee members at 91探花. The Fund also assists with administrative support of these committees to provide access to technical expertise required for full compliance. These committees include 91探花鈥檚 Animal Care Committee, Biosafety Committee, Research Ethics Board and the Radiation Safety group.
Impact on intellectual property
The Research Support Fund has made it possible for 91探花 to recruit and retain experienced technology-transfer and intellectual-property personnel. This activity is increasingly important to 91探花 researchers as they seek patents on 91探花-developed technology and working agreements with industry.
Impact on Research Security
With increased Research Security funding, 91探花 is now required to initiate the implementation of the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships. The research security funding will help to build capacity within 91探花 to identify, assess and mitigate the potential risks to research security.
In summary, Research at 91探花 is made possible by the behind-the-scenes support funded in part by the Research Support Fund. For more information, see the .
RSF Performance Objectives, Communications Strategies, and Outcomes
Contact:
Maria Steele
Manager of Research Administration, Partnerships, and Innovation
mlsteele@upei.ca
902-566-6479
