The College is eligible to apply for Tri-Agency funding [Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)]. The roles for the management and oversight of grant funds, is joint between the Office of Applied Research (OAR) and the Finance Department. The responsibilities of the specific departments are set out below:
The Manager, Office of Applied Research, the Research Grants Financial Officer and Office Assistant are the primary positions involved in the administration of the research grant funds.
The OAR has the primary responsibility for administering research grants, and is specifically responsible for the following areas:
Pre-award management including:
- Seeking funding opportunities for researchers
- Overseeing and supporting the preparation and submission of research proposals on behalf of all researchers
Post-award management including:
- Determining the eligibility of expenditures charged to the Agency
- Tracking research budgets
- Reporting on metrics, partner contributions and in kind reporting other than College in kind
- Developing processes within the OAR to comply with the Agency guidelines
- Seeking clarification from NSERC/SSHRC where required on behalf of all researchers
- Overseeing the Research Ethics Board
- Adhering to all research and ethics requirements, including Animal Care and Biohazards
- Working with the Technology Access Centre (TAC) Advisory Board
The Manager, Reporting and Accounting allocates the specific responsibilities to the individuals in the Finance Department. The Manager, Reporting and Accounting and the Financial Reporting Officer are the primary positions involved in research administration.
The Finance Department supports the OAR and is responsible for:
- Financial reporting on the Form 301, which includes the actual research expenditures
- Maintaining an audit trail with supporting documentation for the Form 301
- Overall College processes and controls for financial transactions