FAQs for Researchers

Which external grants should I consider applying for?

• Tri-council (SSHRC, CIHR, NSERC)
• CFI, NFRF, Ministry of Universities and Colleges Early Researcher Award, IDRC, MITACS, other government grants, private foundations, etc.

Major funding agencies are listed on this ORIS site

Please follow the following steps:

• Discuss your application with the ORIS grant program coordinator prior to the deadline (ask questions, seek feedback)
• Follow the following guidelines for your budget
• Submit your draft by the internal deadline to the relevant ORIS grant program coordinator and ADR.
• Review feedback
• Revise
• Submit your revised application online
• Submit an internal form on the ERSO portal.

If you’re negotiating a research contract, please contact the following office.

The following process is used to set up a new account:

• The ORIS coordinator communicates it to the Research Finance Office
• Certification (REB, other) is completed by the researcher
• The Research office sets up and communicates to the researchers the information on the grant account.
• SAVE the account number; you will need it for processing expenses and research personnel forms.

To support and enhance the research culture in FAHSS, course releases are offered to faculty who obtain certain tri-agency research grants.

 

Types of granting agencies, programs, and grant amounts

 

Currently, FAHSS professors are granted a course release (one per year to a maximum of three per project) if they receive SSHRC Insight, Insight Development, Partnership Development or Special Calls grants (or comparable NSERC or CIHR grants).  FAHSS draws on indirect support provided through the Research Support Fund (RSF), to reduce teaching loads of successful tri-agency grant applicants.  Indirect support funds are equally divided between all post-secondary institutions participating in the funded project, regardless of whether research funds are transferred to this institution. For instance, a University principal investigator (PI) lists 3 co-investigators (CI) form other post-secondary institutions, the University of Windsor share of the indirect support is only 25%.  In its turn, FAHSS receives a share of indirect support funds on grants where the PI is a professor in FAHSS.

 

For SSHRC Partnership grants, faculty who are principal investigators or co-investigators will be granted one course release per year for the duration of the grant, provided that the federal Research Support Fund (RSF) share of the Partnership grant warrants the course releases. Tri-agency grants (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR) do not provide funding for course releases.

 

Normally, one course release corresponds approximately to $45,000 of received tri-agency funds. Smaller SSHRC grants (e.g., Connection grants) do not qualify for course release. The value of one course release (currently, $18,162.26.)  is determined by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic.

 

If the value of a five-year research grant exceeds $1million and the share of RSF received by the University of Windsor warrants it, the maximum number of course releases may be increased to five (one course releases in each year of the five-year grant), with the AAU Head’s or Director’s approval.

 

Timing

For most SSHRC programs results are not announced until after teaching loads have been set for the current academic year. Therefore, course releases are not normally available until the second year of a project. The timing of course releases is negotiated with the AAU Head. If results are announced prior to the approval of teaching loads (e.g., in the case of CIHR grants), course releases can commence in the first year of the grant, with the AAU Head’s or Director’s approval.

 

Under special circumstances, a course release can be granted in the first years of the grant even if results are announced after teaching loads have been assigned. A request detailing special circumstances is to be forwarded to the AAU Head or Director and if approved, to the Associate Dean, Research, for consideration.

 

Purpose

The reduction in the teaching load reflects the time required to train and supervise a team of research assistants, coordinate with other research team members, and administer the grant.

 

For further questions, please contact the office of Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies.

 

Updated: November 4, 2024

1. University of Windsor Course Buy-out Policy

The University of Windsor buy-out policy, set by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic,  provides guidelines on course buy-outs.

At the discretion of the Dean, following a recommendation by the AAU Head and Associate Dean, Research, faculty members may use externally funded grants, research leadership chairs, contracts and endowed chairs to “buy out” courses they would otherwise teach as part of a regular teaching load.  Currently, the minimum charge to buy out a course is $18,162.26.  This rate is normally updated May 1 each year.

Some external grants allow for course buy-outs to be included in the budget request.

Researchers are encouraged to review the granting agency’s eligible expenditure policy and, if possible, to include this item in their budget.  Please remember that the value of the course buy-out tends to increase annually, and a multi-year grant budget should list projected values. 

2.Indirect costs

For tri-agency grants, the federal government provides Research Support Funds (RSFs) to cover such indirect costs as grant administration and accounting, REB reviews, and research labs. Unfortunately, no RSFs are received for other external grants.

However, some external granting agencies consider indirect costs to be an eligible expenditure to be included in the budget.

When applying for external grants, researchers are encouraged to review the agency’s eligible expenditure policies and, if allowed, include indirect costs in their budget.

3.Timing of course buy-outs

Course buy-outs will not be implemented by the Dean’s office until the funds have been received by the University of Windsor. Once the transfer of funds is confirmed by the Research Finance office, the researcher may request that the AAU Head or Director approve a course buy-out. Once approved, the request is to be forwarded to the Associate Dean, Research.  If funds are received after teaching loads have been set for the upcoming academic year, course buy-outs may not be possible until the year that follows. Under special circumstances, a course buy-out can be granted even after teaching loads have been assigned. A request detailing special circumstances is to be forwarded to the AAU Head or Director and, if approved, to the Associate Dean, Research, for consideration and final approval.

4. Procedure

Before submitting an external grant proposal, please discuss your buy-out requests and indirect costs with the Associate Dean, Research and obtain a letter confirming the commitments in principle. The letter will be filed with the Dean, Financial Coordinator and AAU Head/Director and is subject to change should there be any material changes with the grant funding.