The Government of Canada’s Research Support Fund (RSF) is a federal program designed to help Canadian post-secondary institutions manage the additional costs associated with administering federal research funding awarded by SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR.
These costs, often called the indirect costs of research, are essential activities that support an institution’s research, but which are not associated with any one research project. They include:
- research administration costs (salaries and benefits of those roles involved in managing research contracts, legislated reporting, research staff hiring, grant financial accounting, research training and support, legal and compliance reviews of research contracts, etc.)
- research facilities (research libraries, labs, computers, telephones, internet, heat, water, electricity, etc.)
- regulatory requirements and accreditation (costs associated with Research Ethics Board, facility upgrades to meet regulatory requirements, etc.)
- research resources (research books, databases, and software)
- intellectual property and technology transfer costs (commercialization supports, dissemination of research discovered, development of partnership agreements, etc.)
Each year, post-secondary institutions apply to the RSF. The total amount they are eligible for is a percentage of the three-year average of the Tri-Agency funding the institution has received. At present, NorQuest has no affiliated organizations.
Learn more about the Government of Canada’s Research Support Fund.
NorQuest College RSF funding
- In 2020-21, NorQuest College expended our RSF grant, valued at $18,559, on research administrative costs. The funds were used to support the salary of the college’s Research Administrator.
- In 2021-22, NorQuest College expended our RSF grant, valued at $26,764.00, on research management and administrative costs. The funds were used to support the salary of the college’s Research Administrator and its Research Ethics Board contract.
- In 2022-23, NorQuest College expended its RSF grant, worth $30,183 on research management and administrative costs. The funds were used to support the salary of the college’s Research Administrator and its Research Ethics Board contract.
- In 2023-24, NorQuest College will expend its RSF grant, worth $28,564 on the management and administration of the institution’s research enterprise. The funds are used to support the salaries of the college’s Research Administrator and the Research Data Management & Scholarly Research Librarian, as well as its Research Ethics Board contract.