LOF – Canada Research Chairs (CRC)
Fund Summary
The CFI is partnering with the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program through its Leaders Opportunity Fund (LOF). The purpose of this partnership is to reduce the burden on the applicant and the reviewer.
Eligibility
In order to submit a proposal through this stream, the university must be eligible to receive funding under the LOF. The LOF is an allocation-based fund whereby the CFI predetermines the maximum amount of funding available for each eligible institution. Universities having a minimum annual average of $300,000 in sponsored research income (excluding CFI awards) as reported by the Canadian Association of University Business Offices (CAUBO), are eligible to receive a LOF allocation. These allocations may be reviewed periodically as new funds are made available to the CFI.
Normally, the CFI contributes up to 40 percent of the eligible costs of a project. For smaller universities (eligible to receive special Chairs), the CFI may provide up to 100 percent of the eligible infrastructure costs of CRC infrastructure projects if the total project cost is $75,000 or less.
The CFI will also accept a single infrastructure request for a group of chairs. In these cases, the infrastructure request should be attached to a single nomination but should clearly explain how each member of the cluster will use and benefit from the infrastructure. The cluster can include up to three candidates that are nominated in the same cycle or are current chairholders. The original nomination materials for all members of a cluster will be provided to the reviewers, enabling them to properly evaluate the infrastructure request. Universities should contact the CRC Secretariat to update the CV or research program of a current chairholder in the cluster proposal.
Candidates who have previously been supported by the CFI are eligible for additional funding. However, candidates must justify the value added of another award.
Review process
Chairholders should request CFI infrastructure support at the time of nomination or renewal when seeking infrastructure support of less than $1 million. The CFI application forms related to the infrastructure request can be filled in directly from the CRC online forms. While we acknowledge that there may be circumstances warranting a new infrastructure request between the nomination and renewal of a current chairholder, the CFI and the CRC Secretariat expect that institutions will normally await the renewal of that chair before applying for infrastructure support.
The CRC Secretariat consults a number of national and international experts from all disciplines. Proposals with an infrastructure request submitted to the CRC Secretariat will be reviewed, in accordance with the CFI’s criteria, by a minimum of three national and international experts from all disciplines who are members of a College of Reviewers. Should the comments received from the reviewers differ significantly, the CFI may seek advice from additional expert reviewers and/or the Leaders Opportunity Fund Advisory Committee (LOFAC) in making its funding recommendations.
More information on the review process can be found on the CRC website.
Decision process
The final decision for funding the CRC nomination portion of the proposal will be made by the CRC secretariat. Funding recommendations for the infrastructure portion of the proposal are presented to the CFI Board of Directors at the earliest possible decision point. The CFI Board of Directors will make the final decision for funding of the infrastructure portion of the CRC proposals.
Universities will be informed of decisions related to the infrastructure portion of the proposal by email shortly after the CFI Board has met. Successful proposals will also be listed on the CFI website.
The CFI will inform universities of any conditions associated with an award. Reviewers’ comments received during the joint review of CRC awards and associated infrastructure will be made available to universities by the CRC Secretariat.
It is the responsibility of recipient universities to submit the necessary documents to the CFI in order to finalize awards and establish payment schedules.
Public announcements
The CFI works jointly with the CRC Secretariat on funding announcements for infrastructure associated with CRC. The dates and venues of these announcements are coordinated by the CRC Secretariat. Universities must not make these decisions public until the national announcement is made. The CFI also seeks additional opportunities to work with universities on local or regional announcements following the national event.
