Requesting New Research Proposals

Application and proposal requirements vary according to sponsoring agency. Agency guidelines or instructions must be followed when preparing an application or proposal. The development of an application or proposal may include:

  • Registration;
  • Application;
  • Signatures;
  • University review and signature; and/or
  • Submission of application.

For further information, click here

All requests and signatures are done online through the Researcher Home Page.  Please click here for instructions on how to complete the form.  This screencast video will also give you an overview of how to use the  Researcher Home Page.

All applications and proposals submitted for funding must be signed electronically by the following:

  1. U of A Principal Investigator;
  2. U of A Co-Principal Investigator or Co-applicants(s);
  3. U of A Principal Investigator's Department Chair;
  4. U of A Principal Investigator's Faculty Dean and;
  5. Research Facilitation Office/Research Services Office on behalf of the institution.
Angela McCormick
Research Facilitator
222 Campus Tower
8625 - 112 Street
Edmonton, AB   T6G 2E1
Email: angela.mccormick@ualberta.ca
Phone: 780-492-2938

Institutional Finance Officer

Michael Walesiak
Interim Director, Research Services | Director, Finance & Administration 
Vice-President (Research and Innovation)
Email: michael.walesiak@ualberta.ca
Phone: 780-492-1642

In addition to the signature requirements of the University, the sponsor may also have signature requirements.  If the sponsor requires original signatures, please ensure the signature pages are also uploaded into the Researcher Home Page.  The DoM Office of Research will print out the sponsor's signature page, obtain the Department Chair's signature and scan the document back to the PI.

CHAIR'S LETTER OF SUPPORT

To request a letter of support from the Chair, please email your request to eachair@ualberta.ca with the following information:

  1. A draft letter of support consisting of all the relevant information the agency is requesting;
  2. A copy of your full proposal; and
  3. A copy of the agency's guidelines

Please note this can take up to several days so please send your requests in advance of the RSO's and agency's deadline.

CHAIR'S SIGNATURE PROCESS

Department of Medicine Administrative Services is committed to facilitating your grant application in a timely, efficient manner, as illustrated below. Please note: if the grant application requires changes, turnaround times will be affected.

How to Submit:

All signatures for new applications/proposals requests are done electronically via the Researcher Home Page. For instructions, please refer to the Quick Reference Guide.

The DoM Office of Research conducts an administrative review and then the chair signs grant applications (one to two business-day turnaround)

Sponsor Signature Page

In order for the Chair to sign the sponsor's signature page, a copy of your application must be uploaded into the Researcher Home Page, and then circulate the sponsor's signature page with the following information:

  • Principal Investigator's full name
  • Title of project
  • RES#
  • Pick up contact name, number and email address

If you do not have your application uploaded into the Researcher Home Page, you must attach a hard copy of your application to the sponsor's signature page when circulating for signatures.

Grant Application Guide

The FoMD Office of Research devised a CIHR Project Grant Application Guide to assist researchers with the construction of a new research proposal.  Although targeted to the CIHR project grant, the general principles apply for all new research proposals.  Please refer to the links below for more detailed information. 

CIHR Project Grant Application Guide 

Health Research Funding Application Budgets & Justifications

Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration

Indirect Costs of Research

Research is expensive. Maintenance of and improvements to today's research infrastructure require reinvestment on a significant scale. The University of Alberta does not incorporate excess revenue margins into line items in research project budgets. To fund essential services ranging from occupancy costs, building use, central administration, library, capital equipment, indirect technical costs and faculty/department administration costs, the University assesses an indirect cost component on the direct, identifiable costs of a research project. The rates are set by policy, which is reviewed regularly, and are typically lower than the most directly observable and verifiable costs of providing the services referred to above. Studies confirm that University-based research is consistently less expensive for industry than comparable in-house research programs. 

Indirect costs of research (ICR) is now 30% for all research funding, limited exceptions are noted in the UAPPOL Procedure.  

Indirect Costs of Research Calculator

Research Contracts

As one of the major public research institutions in the province, the University of Alberta is committed to actively pursuing research relationships with external sponsors. Within its mandate and policy structure, the University fosters research scenarios that benefit the public, the researcher, the sponsor and the University. Each research relationship has its own unique attributes, and the University is committed to entering into industry-sponsored agreements that embody the principles outlined in this process:

  1. The researcher applies to obtain funding for a project from a sponsor. The application must be reviewed and signed off by the Research Facilitator/Research Services Office (RSO) on behalf of the University.

  2. The sponsor approves funding application and decides to award funding to the University. Sponsor notifies researcher of the decision and then the researcher notifies the RSO.

  3. The sponsor and researcher consult FAQs and information available on the RSO website so that the expectations related to working with the University are mutually understood. Many issues are discussed and agreed to between the researcher and the sponsor before the parties attempt to reduce their agreement to writing.