Release of Funds

Researchers at the University of Alberta must obtain ethics approval and certifications before starting their research. The Research Administrative Services (RAS) verifies these approvals before granting access to research funds. If human participant research or animal use is not involved initially, researchers can access budgeted funds for up to one year through the release of funds process. It is the researcher's responsibility to renew the agreement or obtain ethics approval before the expiry date.

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The Tri-Agency Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards requires the University to withhold access to funding for human participant research (including data and biological materials) and research involving animals until ethics approval has been granted.

A Release of Funds Agreement allows researchers to access their research funds for expenses unrelated to (and in advance of) human participant and/or animal research.

Examples of expenses that may be covered through a Release of Funds Agreement include:

  • salaries (to prepare the ethics application, conduct literature reviews, manage a lab etc)
  • travel
  • purchase of equipment

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Access with CCID

Access to the form is limited to UAlberta personnel and requires login with a UAlberta Google account (CCID).

If you encounter a "permission required" message, it may be due to being logged in with a non-UAlberta Google account. To resolve this, please log out of the non-UAlberta account and access the link again. This should prompt you to login with your UAlberta Google account.